The Red Army

          At the start of the war, the Soviet Union had a highly-developed hierarchical system - the nation was organized into 16 military districts, each controlling the army grounds and aviation units within the area.

Tanks

The Soviet tank industry was one of the strongest points for the Red Army. The new models – T-34s and KVs – were considered the best tanks in the world. They had outstanding characteristics, including strong armor, powerful weaponry, excellent manoeuvrability, high speed, and cross-country ability. An example to illustrate the T-34’s superiority to the German tank is its range. The T-34 can penetrate armor at a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 m while the German tank is limited to a range of less than 500 m.

Anti-aircraft defence

          Anti-aircraft defence was managed by the Territorial Air Defence (PVO), in which each PVO zone spanned a military district. In important industrial regions, the PVO corps were controlled by the district itself. Only the fighter units in Moscow, Leningrad, and Baku were under the authority of the local PVO commander. In other regions, air force commanders held control of the PVO aircraft.

Air force

The air force (VVS) was under the command of the Commissariat of Defence. Within each military district was a deputy aviation commander who managed the attack, fighter, and bomber air divisions along with the PVO divisions. Regional systems controlled air base operations and provided technical support.

Red Navy

          The navy consisted of four fleets and several flotillas, which mainly resided in inland waters. The main operational unit was the squadron, which was one or more battle ship or cruiser along with smaller support ships. As the permanent operational unit, the brigade contained several ships of the same type. In addition, the navy had a naval aviation section that was separate from the air force. Ground branches, also operated by the navy, acted as marines (ground and naval troops). Coast artillery and naval infantry protected naval bases and conducted amphibious operations.