Overalls of motorcycle units of the Red Army, 1944

A uniquely rare item that we met on sale for the first time. The jumpsuit is made of black and blue cotton fabric (probably it was originally blue, but the fabric gradually lost its color due to poor-quality dye and numerous washings), has 1 chest pocket and 2 pockets on the legs at the level of the lower end of the strap. This fact distinguished the overalls of motorcycle parts, for example, from tank ones, where the jumpsuit of the 1935 model has one chest pocket with a flap and one on the right leg, sewn significantly below the pockets on the jumpsuit we presented. Fastens with 5 leather buttons sewn in an original way. It has elbow pads and knee pads made of similar fabric, which, together with a flap on the buttocks, indicates its military use. A clear stamp of the plant No. 2 with the date of release of the product – 1944. Big 4 growth. The first photo shows an example of a possible configuration of a mannequin (you only need to add a leather belt), the price includes only the overalls themselves. Judging by the photos of motorcyclists of the 1930s-40s (see the penultimate photo in the feed, where the motorcycle racers Dynamo are depicted in exactly such overalls), was used even before the war. It was in such overalls that the motorcyclists of the Red Army participated in Victory Day Parade of 1945. Guarantee of authenticity. Very rare.

Motorcycle units in the Red Army were first formed in 1935. This happened during the reformation of military associations - mechanized corps. Motorcycle platoons were created as part of the communications battalions and separate reconnaissance battalions of these corps. There was also a motorcycle platoon in the reconnaissance company, and a motorcycle squad in the communications company of each mechanized brigade of the corps.

In February 1940, three motorcycle battalions were formed - in the Moscow, Kiev and Belorussian special military districts. In 1940, motorcycle regiments were already formed as part of the mechanized corps. The regiment (1,685 personnel, 731 motorcycles, 27 50 mm mortars, 81 light machine guns, 73 cars, 5 radio stations) had three motorcycle battalions.

The motorcycle battalion consisted of three companies of three platoons each. The platoon has three squads of 11 people each (6 motorcycles with a sidecar, 6 hand-held machine guns), a mortar squad (1 50 mm mortar, 3 motorcycles with a sidecar, 3 hand-held machine guns). In the spring of 1941, the 14th and 15th reserve motorcycle regiments were formed. On February 19, 1941, a new staff of motorcycle regiments was developed. There were 4 motorcycle companies in the regiment. The companies have three platoons, each of which has three compartments (16 people, 5 machine guns and 6 motorcycles with a sidecar), a machine gun platoon (4 machine guns), a mortar platoon (6 50 mm mortars), a flamethrower compartment (5 knapsack flamethrowers). The armored company of the motorcycle regiment had 17 medium armored vehicles. The anti-tank battery has 6 45 mm anti-tank guns. In total, the motorcycle regiment has 1,417 people, 16 machine guns and 192 machine guns, 17 medium armored vehicles, 389 motorcycles with a sidecar, 45 motorcycles without a sidecar, 6 45 mm guns, 24 50 mm mortars, 20 knapsack flamethrowers, 63 cars.

At the beginning of the war, motorcycle regiments suffered heavy losses and were mostly disbanded. Instead, separate motorcycle battalions and regiments began to be created, which began to be armed mainly with foreign equipment, including American Harley-Davidson motorcycles.