Great Patriotic War Navy - Personnel - Morale & Discipline
In 1942, an old naval custom was resurrected by restoring to the Navy the honor of naming "Ships of the Guards"; "Guards Regiments were recreated in the Army. Perhaps one of the most coveted marks of honor was the Guards badge, which was worn by all officers and men who belonged to a Guards ship or regiment. This badge was in the form of a small silver clasp, in which was threaded the black and yellow ribbon of the former Imperial Order of St. George. The wearing of these Imperial colors for valor was, no doubt, especially appreciated, since in generations gone by, black and yellow ribbons were to be seen on the sword hilts of officers who had been decorated for valor in the field.
Pre-Revolutionary concepts of discipline had gradually been re-established in the Soviet Navy. Rank and prerogative of rank were jealously upheld. At the Baku Naval Academy, for instance, discipline in all ranks and ratings was observed to be considerably less free and informal than in the U.S.Navy. There was no fraternization or social contact between officers and men, A general snap and dash were noticed, rarely found in Soviet civilian officials and in the general run of the Soviet population. All persons encountered sought free criticism of their methods and were eager for comparison of their system with the American.
Although rank was perhaps excessively worshipped in the Soviet system, cases often occured in which an officer senior in rank may had as his commanding officer one who was junior to him - a paradox explained by the fact that innumerable officers were rushed through Naval School and commissioned directly with the rank of Commander and Lieutenant Commander, although poorly qualified to command a vessel. At the same time, ex-enlisted men and Merchant Marine officers were given berths as commanding officers of ships because of their superior experience but compelled to remain in a junior rank under the regulations requiring three years' service in each rank. Others of high rank whose experience had not fitted them for command were former political commissars.
Very few officers seemed to had been promoted from the lower deck. It was estimated that the proportion of officers who had risen from the enlisted personnel was not more than five percent.
The high standards of appearance officially ordered were not always adhered to. Aboard a Soviet submarine in November, 1942, the officers and men were not neat in their persons or in their dress, the former often appearing at mess unshaven and with dirty hands. The messman wore a very dirty white jacket, although some discipline was indicated by his demeanor and by the manner in which seamen asked permission to pass officers when in close quarters. Uniforms were of poor quality and ill-fitting. The generally untidy condition of the vessel indicated either an unwillingness to order work done or a reluctance to detail men to do anything in addition to serving the vessel.
The commanding officer of one submarine took great pride in the smart appearance of his ship and crew, especially when they were about to reach port, but by way of contrast took no steps to exterminate the rats which infested his ship. Engines and all working parts, however, were kept spotlessly clean and in perfect condition.
Soviet Naval personnel on duty in the U.S. practiced extended drills, to briskly shouted commands. At meals, an officer junior in rank asked permission from the senior officer present before leaving the table. The old Tsarist custom of enlisted men shouting out greetings in unison,while in formation, persisted. Although a junior officer might address a senior officer as "Tovarish Gapitan" (Comrade Captain) he stood at faultless attention, and, when dismissed, saluted with a smart about-face, and marched out. The same behavior held between an enlisted man and officer except that officers were evidently not addressed by enlisted personnel as Comrade Lieutenant.
Medical officers aboard ship were charged with responsibility for the menu and were expected to satisfy themselves that all food was of good quality, as well as to allocate food properly. The latter duty was not always handled with competence, as preferred foods were sometimes quickly exhausted and a meager, monotonous diet then extended for long periods. A low opinion of Soviet naval medical service had been heard expressed by other officers.
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