The history of the rise of the pathology service in the military-medical service of the Red Army is described along with an explanation of its indispensible contribution to the combat effort. The goals of the service include evaluation of the work of the military-medical establishments using summarized clinico-anatomical analyses of pathology data. This allowed the heads of the military-medical service to rapidly recognize and alter organizational and therapeutic-diagnostic weaknesses in various stages of medical evacuation and to improve the activity of the therapeutic evacuation centres. The pathology service also established the causes of death among persons wounded in battle. It evaluated the significance of the type, timing, intensity and shortcomings of treatment prior to death. The pathology of war trauma, regeneration, the pathogenesis of infections complications and influence of treatment on their development and course were also studied. The organizational structure of the service, its branches (front and army laboratories of pathology, department of pathology of major hospitals) working under the guidance of the Central Laboratory of Pathology (CLP), is described. The documents which were the basis of the work of these laboratories are reviewed. The great services of M. F. Glazunov and N. A. Krajevskij - chiefs of the CLP - in organization and guidance (both practical and scientific) are honored.