Drill with the SKS

[iannima]

This is another one of my mad rants with me playing the fool at home. So if you found boring my "drill with sword" thread, I suggest you hit the return button straight away ... However... if you were entertained even a whisker by such threads of mine in the past , then I am sure you can have fun again!

[iannima]

As Torsten would be able to confirm, the trouble (or the advantage ) of the drill with the Kalashnikov is that nothing much happens: once it is slung across the chest and it is held by the two hands, nothing else ever needs to change. All static commands, from "Attention" to "At ease" to " Present arms" leave the position of weapon and hands unchanged. It does not change either with marching commands. So... easier at it will undoubtedly be, it is a touch... boring as a ceremonial weapon...
No wonder then that the Russian and the East Germans looked for something with more passion, music and drama ... namely the SKS
An interesting point to study would be the extent to which this drill is a direct follow-up of the drill with the K98 used obviously by the Wehrmacht and the Wachbatallion of the Bundeswehr nowadays. But I fear that the immersion in such fascist practices is more than my progressive heart can bear...
SOOOO As always my sources are the Dienstvorschrift Exerzieren in the 1973 Edition and countless videos and photographs of the Wachregiment in action.

[iannima]

I think I shall start from what can be called position A, which is the basic one to which the soldier reverts in most cases. It is 'somewhat' equivalent to an "Attention". It is reached at the commands:
"Achtung! Stillgestanden"
but it is also returned to at the completion of OTHER commands:

The soldier stands at attention as per normal with heels together and toes one foot-breadth apart. The rifle butt rest at the height of the foot, and the right hand holds just above the gas block. Notice how the knuckle guard faces forward. The left arm (not visible) is held straight against the body with the hand closed in a fist.

[iannima]

The command "Das Gewehr_ über!" is performed in two tempos:
At first the right hand lifts the rifle and rotates it as it passes in front of the soldier so that the knuckle guard now faces backwards. The butt finds its place in the left hand with the arm still stretched fully. This position is reached right after "Das Gewehr"

The second tempo follows the "über" of the command: the left hand is lifted up until the magazine of the rifle is at the height of the shoulder, whilst the right arm is brought back to a stretched position again with the hand closed in a fist:

This is potentially the starting position for a marching order and let's call it B.

[iannima]

A marching order specifies the type of step first:
"Im Gleichschritt..." so called equal step which is the ordinary one or
"Im Exerzierschritt..." which is what we call goose step.
Both of these would be followed by the second part of the command which is "Marsch!"In both cases the first step is taken with the outstretched LEFT leg:

to be followed by a more diminutive movement with the RIGHT leg in the first case, or continuing on with outstretched legs all the time in the second case:

Of course in the Wachregiment, we would need to distinguish between the normal goose step (which raises the foot just to 30 cm. above ground) to the Extreme Paradeschritt which is slower and brings the legs up to 90 degrees or as high as they can go. Obviously I could not replicate this , and keep still waiting for the click of the camera, as one needs a certain momentum...
In both cases the rifle is left in the position it has reached with the command "Das Gewehr, über!". It is obvious from many photographs that it is not just balanced on the left hand but that the knuckle guard is leaning against the shoulder, which provides for greater stability.
The Russians ( and others) do all sorts of acrobatics with the rifle sometimes precariously balanced on the hand and the arm being stretched backwards and forward, with the swinging arm touching the rifle in a token gesture towards re-establishing stability every one and then. But the German drill dispenses with such frolics ... I would say that it is a case of "less being more"...
The swinging arm goes quite a bit higher than it would normally do with the ordinary drill where it is not supposed to go much above the belt. Here is reaches the rifle but I don't think it touches it...

[iannima]

The march is obviously managed by the ordinary commands, left and right etc. and it is brought to an end by the commander calling the marching unit (e.g Ablösung, Ehrenkompanie, Ehrenbatallion etc. etc.) and then "halt!"
Then position B is reached once again:

The command "Gewehr... Ab!" is used to reverse the lifting of the rifle performed with the command "Das Gewehr... über!" and return to position A, by dropping the left hand down and catching the rifle across with the right hand:

The rifle is then rotated and SLAMMED down on the floor with the right hand, the left hand following the bayonet (sadly I forgot to take a picture of this). Lastly the left hand is returned to its stretched position and closed fist which is position A as previously described.

[iannima]

Presenting arms is a bit of an involved business ...
The soldier starts from position A and then lift the rifle up right in front of himself with the knuckle guard facing forward (i.e. without rotating it). The left hand joins in to hold the rifle at the level of the magazine.
Seen from the side:

and the front:

I need to study the photographs a bit more here. My impression is that the thumb is below the aiming device but I may be wrong there, and as you can see I am not yet good enough to do it consistently.
This last position is reached straight after the command:
"Achtung! Präsentiert das..."
When the sentence is completed with
"...Gewehr!"
the right hand moves down stretched firm below the knuckle guard

[iannima]

As you can see I still need to practice to achieve consistency but that will keep me entertained for a while...
The soldiers posted on the steps of the Neue Wache stood in a variation of position B, the difference being that the legs were kept apart now.

with one foot ready on the buzzer.
The problem was obviously that the SKS weighs Kg. 3.75 and even the athletes of the Wachregiment found it a bit of a strain to hold it in the left arm for the full half hour for which any single pair of Ehrenposten would stand, before being relieved. So, as we all know the buzzer would be used to signal to the other chap that a change of hands was needed. Now this is by far the most difficult operation and a single shot is never going to capture it adequately. It is a frightening thing, as the rifle is brought forward balanced only the left hand and then DROPPED straight onto the right hand with the left steadying it...

Not an easy thing to do, and I am VERY nervous about this operation with nightmares of 1.2 metres of rifle with fixed bayonet dropping the wrong way......
I think that I might try and avoid having to do it, on safety grounds

[iannima]

And in case you had not noticed ... for this photo-shoot I really went to town taking out of war reserve storage, a pair of GENUINE Wachregiment leather-soled, steel capped boots , a pair of original white gloves with elastic at the wrists and my absolutely MINT triple riveted plastic helmet ...
On the other hand the rifle is obviously Russian and the tunic is a put-together one purchased without any insignia for the princely sum of £2 some years ago... but still

[81REDSTAR]

Great drill display with the SKS!I certainly enjoy it!

[Katze Felix]

Great Drill genosse - man when they make a movie I know you will make the
A List

[landsknechte]

An interesting point to study would be the extent to which this drill is a direct follow-up of the drill with the K98 used obviously by the Wehrmacht and the Wachbatallion of the Bundeswehr nowadays. But I fear that the immersion in such fascist practices is more than my progressive heart can bear...

Well, if the lure of the dark side should happen to beckon to you late one night:

http://www.dererstezug.com/RifleDrill.htm

[iannima]

Well, if the lure of the dark side should happen to beckon to you late one night:

Thank you! I am relieved to see many differences that reaffirm once more the progressive nature of my beloved regiment ...
I hate to say this, given that Darth Vader was my childhood hero , but the Dark Side will NEVER have me!

[Viktor]

Thank you! I am relieved to see many differences that reaffirm once more the progressive nature of my beloved regiment ...
I hate to say this, given that Darth Vader was my childhood hero , but the Dark Side will NEVER have me!

Genosse iannima,
You belong to the Progressive Side.

Some nice work, your Activism and Agitation is a Beacon to us all....

Hurrah!, Hurrah!, Hurrah!.

[iannima]

I suppose I should count myself lucky that I do not have to replicate any of this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdLYD...eature=related
I have no wish to know their casualty rates in training and I prefer the German drill