Great Patriotic War Navy - Personnel - Conditions of Service
During peacetime, all male citizens of the U.S.S.R., at the age of 19, were subject to compulsory military service in the armed forces; a portion of these were allocated to the Navy. Voluntary enlistment was also possible. A volunteer may be accepted at the age of 16; however, a special authorization for waiver of age was required. The term of compulsory service in the line and in naval engineering was five years, in coast defense, four years, and in naval aviation, three years; this applies whether the rating was a volunteer or draftee.
Health, training, and preference of draftees were considered in selection and placement into the various armed services. The healthiest go into the Navy and into the Air Force. Men with many dependents were usually discouraged from these services. An enlisted man may advance from one rating to another, similar to that in the U.S.Navy. Promotions were granted on the basis of study and experience. Enlisted men, who had not had the basic ten years of school, were encouraged to take special night courses, which, when completed, were equivalent to a "ten year school" education.
In order to become a commissioned officer, it was necessary for either a civilian or enlisted man to graduate from a naval school; the course for officers of the line was four years, for naval engineering, five years.
An enlisted man had certain advantages over a civilian when entering a naval school; he may enter up to 27 years of age, whereas the age limit for civilians was 20. While at school, he receives his regular navy pay, which was considerably higher than that of a midshipman. Officers in the Soviet Navy were paid according to the position which they occupied and not according to rank. Every commanding officer of a submarine, whatever his rank, receives 2,350 roubles a month (purchasing power about $188). The divisional mechanic or flotilla engineer got the same pay. The assistant commanding officer and the chief mechanic received 1,900 roubles each month, the navigator 1,600 roubles, and the junior mechanic 1,200 roubles.
The commanding officer of the heavy cruiser Voroshilov received 2,000 roubles a month. A man during his first year of compulsory military service received only 57 roubles a month (purchasing power of about $4.56) and 250 roubles a month on completion of five year term. The free supply of clothing and cigarettes was quite adequate. No marriage allowance was paid, but upon a rating's death, a pension was paid to all children under 18 years of age and to their mother. This pension ceased as soon as the children reach an age at which they can earn their own living.
As was to be expected, all branches of the Soviet armed forces enjoyed more liberal rations than any other section of the population, but still greatly inferior to those allowed American services. Every attempt, however, was made to avoid envious comparison on the part of Soviet personnel.
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