Quartermaster Supplies for the Army

QUARTERMASTER SUPPLIES FOR THE ARMY, the provision of troops with clothing, underclothing and bed linen, footwear and equipment. In the RKKA it also includes the provision of camp marching tents, special clothing, warm items, musical instruments and some repair materials, as well as monetary funds for bathhouse and laundry supplies and to meet the economic and domestic needs of the RKKA. Items of Q.S. in the RKKA are distinguished a) by the right of use—personal (clothing, footwear, underclothing) and inventory items, assigned to individual military units (equipment, camp tents, special clothing, etc.); b) by the duration of use—temporary and permanent. Temporary items, after the expiration of their service life, if they are fit for further use, are transferred to inventory (into the so-called household items), in which case the clothing is called working clothing. Q.S. in the RKKA is carried out by the Military-Housing Administration of the RKKA Supply Administration and its local organs. The term Q.S. in the broad sense covers questions of both a normative nature (quality and quantity of items issued for the supply of military units mentioned above) and an organizational nature (order of procurement and issue of items, replenishment of stocks, storage, etc.). The interest of sanitary services in Q.S. questions and their participation in solving these questions are revealed in two directions: a) in the conduct of sanitary supervision over the order of Q.S. of military units (timely issue, correct distribution of Q.S. items, in particular—fitting of clothing, footwear, etc.) and the degree of actual provision of troops; b) in consultative participation in solving questions of a normative-technical nature (quality and quantity of items issued for the supply of troops, rational manufacture of these items: cut of clothing and footwear, sizing, etc.); questions concerning the equipment of a fighter—type and weight of equipment, methods of carrying, etc., should also be included here. The quality of Q.S. items going to the supply of the army is determined by special requirements (conditions) established for each item. When developing conditions, both requirements of a household-technical, packaging, and hygienic nature are taken into account, taking into account the living conditions and peculiarities of the service and training of the fighter. For example, in relation to the quality of overcoat cloth, in addition to general hygienic requirements—strength, low thermal conductivity, etc.—such requirements as the camouflage color of the fabric, special resistance to wetting in rain, attitude towards disinfection, etc., must also be considered. The nomenclature of Q.S. items and the sizes of the issue (quantity) are determined by Q.S. norms (see table) and special Q.S. tables. The correspondence of Q.S. items to hygienic requirements and the full provision of the army with this type of supply largely predetermine the sanitary condition of the troops. Military personnel of military units located in the hot regions of the USSR (Central Asian Military District and Transcaucasia) additionally receive: leather shoes—1 pair per year, a sports shirt and shorts—2 pieces per year and 2 pairs of summer breeches. Military personnel in cold regions (Siberia, northern and north-eastern regions of the Leningrad Military District), in addition to what is indicated in the norms, receive: valenki—1 pair per 2 years and a sheepskin coat; the latter (of a special cavalry type) are also received by personnel in cavalry, horse artillery, and horse scouts. For the performance of guard duty, military units are supplied with the necessary number of guard items: a tarpaulin cloak and a guard fur coat. In addition to the mentioned clothing items, each Red Army soldier receives for personal use (permanent and temporary) the following equipment items: a leather belt, a bag and a bread bag, a canteen, a pot, etc., as well as camp and marching tents, etc. Clothing items (cap and helmet, summer and wool shirts, summer and wool breeches, overcoat) and footwear are divided into first-term and second-term. Second-term items are those in the personal possession of a Red Army soldier for daily wear; first-term items are sets of these items which are temporarily considered inventory and are issued by special permission of the commander of a separate military unit. The issue of Q.S. items is carried out annually according to the number of people in the unit, taking into account the service life of individual items. Procurement of Q.S. items in the RKKA is carried out in a centralized manner. The order of Q.S. used in the Russian army until 1906, in the form of issuing materials and monetary funds to troops for the manufacture of items, was replaced by an improved order of Q.S., in which military units receive items in finished form from the supply organs. Q.S. items are manufactured according to established descriptions, determining from what and what quality of materials these items are 'built', what requirements they must satisfy, etc.; in particular, descriptions of individual items of clothing, linen and footwear give instructions on the cut (form) of these items, their sizes, etc. The quantity of individual sizes (so-called sizes) of these Q.S. items and the percentage ratio between these sizes (so-called sizing) must correspond to the physical types of the people supplied—by height, chest circumference and other physical signs. The sizing of clothing established in the RKKA with division into 6 sizes does not fully satisfy this requirement both in relation to the grouping itself—the boundaries of individual sizes (first size—for people up to 160 cm, second—161-170 cm, third—171-177 cm, fourth—178-183 cm, fifth—184-192 cm, sixth—over 192 cm) and the percentage ratio between sizes. At present, capital work is being carried out on the rationalization of sizing on the basis of scientific anthropometric study of the personnel of the army by the military-sanitary service and the determination of anthropological types. Among other Q.S. questions, the question of the equipment of a fighter, the methods of carrying this equipment, and the total weight of the fighter's load is of great importance. The correct solution of these questions is possible only with the most active participation of sanitary organs. The order of Q.S. in the RKKA, the terms of use and amortization are determined by the 'Regulation on Q.S. of the RKKA' and a number of appendices to it, among which are 'Rules for the Preservation of Items in the Possession of Personnel in the RKKA', 'Instructions on Fitting and Repairing Q.S. Items', etc.

Nomenclature of Q.S. items and sizes of issue (quantity) in the RKKA in peacetime. Item names 5th size 6th size 7th size 8th size 9th size 10th size Clothing Wool cap ... Summer shirt ... Summer breeches ... Winter helmet ... Wool French shirt ... Wool breeches ... Overcoat ... Footwear Leather boots ... Underclothing Underwear shirt ... Trousers ... Handkerchiefs ... Napkins ... Summer socks ... Bedding Pillowcase ... Pillowcase lower ... Pillowcase upper ... Sheet ... Quilt ... Warm items Wool gloves ... Knit or calico pullover, ... Knit or calico trousers ... Issued for the winter period in case of non-issuance of wool clothing Wool socks ... 2 years 6 months 6 months 2 years 6 months 6 months 2 years 8 months 3 years 3 years 6 months 6 months 3 years 6 months 6 months