Here is a cadet's report card, allowing you to see a glimpse of Soviet artillery training. Despite popular belief, Red Army soldiers studied a large variety of topics.
Cadet's report card, 2nd Rostov Self Propelled Artillery School
Comrade Tyutin
Registered as a cadet of 15th Battery by order #483 on November 2nd, 194_
Rank: Senior Sergeant
Last name: Tyutin
Name: Georgiy
Patronym: Ignatyevich
Year of Birth: 1917
Education:
- General: 7 years
- Military: regimental school
Nationality: Russian
In the Red Army since: 1938
- Political Education
- Great Patriotic War
- General education with cadets
- Tactical Education
- Front-line patrol and scouting firing positions
- Actions of the gun in a battery accompanied by infantry and tanks
- Actions of the gun in a battery as a reserve in defensive battle
- Self propelled artillery on the march in anticipation of battle
- Staff work, communication officer's work
- Firing Education
- Artillery materiel
- Design of the optical sight, practical work on calibration, preservation, and maintenance.
- Purpose and design of shells, propellants, casings, explosives, and fuses.
- Inspection and preparation of ammunition for action, storage and transportation of ammunition
- Purpose and design of the combat unit
- Inspection of materiel and the combat unit in various conditions
- Preparation of the materiel for battle and calibration of the optical sights
- Rules of maintenance, cleaning, and preservation of materiel.
- Gunnery:
- Observation, rangefinding, target marking
- Preparation for direct fire and rules of direct fire at stationary targets
- Same, but for moving targets
- Preparation for indirect fire and fire correction based on observation of shell impacts
- Combat gunnery exercise
- Gunnery service
- Practical gunnery exercise
- Firing directly at a stationary target
- Firing at a moving target
- Working as a gun commander during direct fire at a stationary target
- Working as a battery commander
- Working as a gunner during direct fire as a part of a platoon or battery
- Working as a commander during indirect firing
- Practical knowledge of signals, controls, and formations.
- Military Topography
- Plotting symbols
- Simple terrain measurement techniques
- Orienteering without a map
- Map scales
- Reliefs
- Orienteering with a map
- Composition of graphical documents
- Coordinates
- Working with maps
- Navigation by azimuth
- Military Chemistry
- Using protective equipment and cleaning the SPG of contaminants
- Work of an SPG platoon commander in the conditions of an enemy chemical attack
- Chemical weapons of the German army
- Military Engineering
- Roads, column paths, bridges, and crossings
- Fortification and closed firing positions
- Concealment of self propelled artillery
- Anti-tank obstacles and their removal
- Demolitions
- Basic Training
- Individual soldier training
- Practice commanding: a rifleman, a squad, a platoon
- Instruments, preparation and instruction of one soldier, a unit, a platoon
- Physical Training
- Hand to hand combat
- Ski training
- Swimming and fording
- Gymnastics
- Organization and execution of physical exercises
- Organization and execution of daily morning exercises
- Medical Training
- Using an individual medical kit in various conditions of combat
- Providing medical assistance to self or others in battle
- Radio Training
- Preparation for setup, receiving, transmission, and tuning into a frequency
- Practical usage of radio documents
- Practical work with a tank's radio station in place and in motion, using the intercom for internal and external communication
- Practical exercise in correcting problems, maintenance, and preservation of radio stations
- Manuals
- Knowledge of the internal service manual
- Knowledge of the garrison manual
- Knowledge of the discipline manual
- Technical Training
- Materiel
- Design of an engine and its systems, tuning and service, resolving breakdowns of the engine and associated systems, outside of the vehicle
- Same, from inside the vehicle
- Design of the transmission, electric system, tuning and service, outside of the vehicle
- Same, from inside the vehicle
- Usage
- Usage and service of the vehicle in various conditions, especially service in the fall and winter periods
- Same, but in the spring and summer periods
- Repairs
- Assembly and disassembly of components
- Field repairs
- Driving
- Driving of wheeled vehicles
- Driving of auxiliary vehicles
- Driving of special combat vehicles
- Final exam
- Political training
- Tactical training
- Gunnery training
- Technical training
- Military chemistry
- Military topography
- Communications