Minifigure – Soviet Red Army Submachine Gunner (Avtomatchik) WWII

Character Identification: WWII Soviet Red Army Submachine Gunner (Avtomatchik)

This custom-printed building block minifigure represents a specialized frontline assault soldier of the Soviet Red Army during World War II. Equipped with a submachine gun and specific magazine pouches, this soldier represents an Avtomatchik (Submachine Gunner), troops heavily utilized by the Soviets for devastating close-quarters combat, particularly during brutal urban engagements like the Battle of Stalingrad.

Specific Name and Visual Details

• Specific Name: WWII Soviet Red Army Submachine Gunner (M35 Uniform & PPSh-41)

• Headgear: The figure wears a dark olive-green SSh-39 or SSh-40 Steel Helmet, the ubiquitous protective headgear of Soviet troops.

• Facial Features: He features an aggressive, shouting combat expression with printed dirt and battle scars across his cheeks, capturing the intensity of a frontline assault.

• The Uniform (M35 Gymnastiovka): He is dressed in the classic khaki Model 1935 (M35) Gymnastiovka tunic.

  • Collar Tabs (Petlitsy): He sports early/mid-war red collar tabs with black piping. Red officially designated the Infantry branch before the major uniform reforms of 1943 shifted insignia to the shoulders.

• Tactical Webbing and Gear (The Drum Pouches): * Front: Worn on his brown leather combat belt are two very distinct, large canvas drum magazine pouches. This is a highly accurate detail; these wide, rounded pouches were specifically designed to carry the heavy 71-round drum magazines for his submachine gun, differentiating him from a standard rifleman.

• Backpack and Rear Gear (Back): The back printing features a classic Soviet Veshmeshok (canvas knapsack). Wrapped in a horseshoe shape over the knapsack is a rolled greatcoat or blanket (Shinel). An entrenching tool (shovel) in its canvas cover is printed on his lower back/hip.

• Footwear: His lower legs feature printed tall black leather boots (Sapogi).

• Weapon: In the action pose, the figure is armed with the iconic black PPSh-41 Submachine Gun. It features the highly recognizable perforated barrel shroud and the large circular drum magazine.

Historical Background

During World War II (The Great Patriotic War), the Red Army pioneered the mass use of submachine guns to counter German tactical superiority and survive the brutal, close-range meat grinder of the Eastern Front.

• The Avtomatchik (Submachine Gunner): While most armies issued submachine guns only to squad leaders or officers, the Soviet Union created entire companies and battalions consisting purely of Avtomatchiki (Submachine Gunners). In the ruined, claustrophobic streets of cities like Stalingrad, long bolt-action rifles were often a liability. A Soviet squad armed entirely with automatic weapons could unleash a wall of lead that would instantly overwhelm enemy trench lines and fortified buildings.

• The PPSh-41: Designed by Georgy Shpagin, the Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina (PPSh-41) became one of the most recognizable weapons of the war. It fired 7.62×25mm Tokarev ammunition at a blistering rate of 900 rounds per minute. Its massive 71-round drum magazine gave Soviet shock troops immense sustained firepower, and the customized canvas pouches worn by this minifigure were specifically issued to carry these bulky drums.

• The M35 Uniform Era: The presence of the collar tabs (petlitsy) dates this soldier specifically to the desperately fought early-to-mid years of the war (1941 to early 1943). By the time the Red Army pushed into Germany late in the war, these collar tabs had been replaced by traditional shoulder boards (pogon).