Soviet Rifles
In the bloodiest conflict in history of the world, even with massive technological and tactical innovation, the humble rifle had a place in its resolution. Despite the popular depictions from old propaganda, the brunt of the fighting wasn't massive tank formations sweeping majestically across the Russian steppes, but poor, freezing infantrymen manning defensive positions, assaulting across no mans land, or dying in droves for a city named after your leader. Russian riflemen in Flames of War are cheap and poorly trained, but come in some of the largest units in the game. Alternatively one can bring hero rifle units, fielding the much smarter and more survivable remnants of veteran soviet rifle units.
Mid War
Regulars
Hero
Late War
Regulars
Hero
Shock Hero
In Real Life
The average Soviet soldier in World War II (or the Great Patriotic war, if you happen to be a Russofag) was armed with a Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle. A time tested design that had been in service for half a century at that point through World War I and two revolutions with a few tweeks. It was a bare bones five-shot gun, but was cheap to make, simple to service, robust and reliable and could put a 7.62×54mmR round through a Nazi at ranges up to 800 meters. The Soviets had attempted to replace it with the SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle earlier in the 1940s but reliability issues and cost eventually had it withdrawn from service. The Fedorov Avtomat, a WWI automatic rifle, was also issued in limited numbers early in the war to make up for the lack of infantry-portable automatic weapons, and mostly saw action in the Finnish front where they were used up or destroyed. The fact that it used Japanese 6.5mm ammo was part of that.
The Red Army took heavy casualties in the early days of Barbarossa, large sections of the Red Army were overwhelmed and defeated in details. Part of this is is because the Vodka drinkers adopted tactics that would use infantry rushes to create a hole in the enemy line, then use tanks to exploit the break and surround any unfortunate Germans that didn't decide to run the moment their lines broke.
In the early phases of the war numbers of POWs were captured by the nazis and subject to forced labor, starvation, casual brutality and cullings. That said, from 1943 onwards the exchange rate between Red Army and German forces eventually evened out as the Nazis lost the initiative.
The Mosin-Nagant modern day saw a fascinating boom in the 2010s when a massive number of surplus Rifles from the War entered the market and ended up in the hands of hunters and gun-nuts. If you have any decent amount of money it is a complete waste of your time, but it is a dirt cheap and effective marksman's weapon, making it ideal for rebels, Guerillas, and terrorists.
| Soviet Forces in Flames of War | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T-70 - Valentine - M5/M3 Stuart - M3 Lee - T-34 - KV - Churchill - IS-2 - Captured Tank Platoon - T-28 - BT-7 - KV-2 - T-26 |
| Transports: | M3 Scout Car - Universal Carrier - SdKfz 251 |
| Infantry: | Rifles - Motor Rifles - Penal Company - Storm Group - SMG Company - Engineer Sapper Company |
| Artillery: | Katyusha - 152mm Artillery - 122mm Artillery - 76mm Artillery - 120mm Mortars - 82mm mortars |
| Tank Destroyers and Assault Guns: | 45mm Anti Tank - 57mm Anti Tank - 76mm Anti Tank - 100mm Anti Tank - SU-76 - SU-85 - SU-100 - SU-122 - SU-152 - ISU-122/ISU-152 |
| Recon: | Scout Platoon - BA-64 Platoon - Armored Reconnaissance Platoon - Reconnaissance Platoon |
| Aircraft: | Il-2 Sturmovik |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU M17 - DShK AA MG Platoon |
| Midwar Monsters: | KV-3 - KV-5 - T-43 |