With the Soviet navy largely bottled up in harbor, many sailors were pressed into service as frontline infantrymen, often still dressed in their black naval uniform with its distinctive cap and striped telnyashka undershirt. A number of specialised naval infantry units were formed: forty brigades and five regiments. They won a reputation for tenacity and daring both in defensive fighting and in coastal landing operations on the Baltic and Black Seas. With their previous military experience and strong esprit de corps, they were some of the best troops available to Soviet commanders. This is also true on the Bolt Action tabletop, with Naval Brigade units a part of the Hammer & Sickle army special rules, bringing the ever-useful Tough Fighters rule. Naval Brigade officers were no exception, leading their men into the fray from the front. German troops called the Naval Infantry the 'Black Death' because of their black or dark blue uniforms and fierce reputation, a well-deserved sobriquet!