Drawing upon Soviet sources, this book assesses the evolving
organization, uniforms, insignia, weaponry and personal equipment of
Soviet naval infantry units from 1917 to 1991.
Featuring eight plates of specially commissioned artwork alongside
carefully chosen archive photographs, this study charts the history and
appearance of the Soviet Union's naval infantry, from the October
Revolution to the end of the Soviet era.
Although Russian naval infantry achieved fame during the October
Revolution they were quickly disbanded, only being re-established in
1939. Following the Axis invasion of 1941 some 500,000 Soviet Navy
personnel served on land, fighting in the defence of Leningrad, Odessa
and Sevastopol and the recapture of the Crimea in 1943-44; Soviet naval
troops also participated in the invasion of Manchuria in 1945.
During the Cold War era the Soviet Union developed an amphibious assault
capability that had a vital strategic role - to capture an aggressor's
geographical exits to the oceans and thereby forestall threats to Soviet
submarine bases. Naval infantry forces could deploy a wealth of
firepower assets, while the use of amphibious ships, hovercraft and
helicopters aided their rapid deployment, even amid ice-bound terrain in
the Arctic. All of these developments are described and illustrated in
absorbing detail in this study.
