Modelling and Painting World War II German Military Figures E-Book

Michael Farnworth

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

The step-by-step building and painting guides in this book illustrate figures in scales from 1/150 to 1/32, which equates to wargame figures sizes from 10mm to 54mm. There are painting recipes featured for twenty- five uniforms covering the main branches of the Wehrmacht. These are: Afrika Korps; Fallschirmjager (parachutists); Feldgendarmerie (military police); Gebirgsjager (mountain troops); Heer (army); Panzer (tank crews); Waffen SS and U-boat crew. Preparation and assembly of white metal and plastic figures is covered in detail, and tutorials include techniques for building a wargames army quickly. Foreword by Rick Priestley it will appeal to all historical wargamers, particularly those interested in WWII and those interested in diorama making and figure modelling. Gives painting recipes for twenty-five uniforms covering the main branches of the Wehrmacht. The latest materials and techniques are covered which will benefit beginners as well as experienced modellers. Superbly illsutrated with 291 colour images.

Leseprobe

MODELLING AND PAINTING

World War II GermanMilitary Figures

MICHAEL FARNWORTH

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2019

© Michael Farnworth 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 484 1

FRONTISPIECE: A very special 28mm figure by Stoessi’s Heroes. Rather than being just another nameless soldier, this is Otto Hottenrott, Thomas Stoesser’s grandfather. Conscripted into the army in 1944 at just 17 years old, he was wounded and captured at the Eastern Front in 1945 and spent over a year in a Russian POW camp. Eventually, he was lucky enough to be allowed to return home.

PAINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS STOESSER

CONTENTS

Introduction

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER 1 RESEARCH AND PLANNING

CHAPTER 2 GERMAN UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

CHAPTER 3 GERMAN CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS

CHAPTER 4 MATERIALS AND TOOLS

CHAPTER 5 BUILDING AND PAINTING TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER 6 PAINTING RECIPES

APPENDIX I List of Suppliers

APPENDIX II Resources

Glossary

Index

Introduction

WARGAMERS NEED TO PUT several figures on a table before they can play – even a small skirmish game needs fifty figures to form two opposing sides. Painting guides often show you how to create a masterpiece in a few hours, but a few hours per figure translates into several months before you will have enough for a playable game. There are few guides to help you to paint a large number of figures, to a reasonable standard, in a relatively short time.

To paint large quantities of figures in a relatively short time requires a little bit of a production engineering mentality. It is possible to paint and base a 28mm World War II figure in under 45 minutes. The standard may not be stunning, but it will look presentable on a table. Choice of materials is important, as is choice of tools, but it is not the best paints and the best tools that get the job done. Instead, a well thought-out sequence and a sensible batch size will speed up proceedings.

This book took shape over a twelve-year period, with the help of many people in the wargames industry. It brings together my love of history with the methodology of an engineer to help wargamers and modellers to build and paint World War II German military figures. Step-by-step building and painting guides show figures in scales from 1/150 to 1/32, which equate to wargame figure sizes from 10mm to 54mm, and the techniques are explained in steps that are easy to understand.

As a last point, psychology is important. Figure painting is a hobby. It should be fun. Boredom means that projects do not get finished. Unfinished projects and a growing lead pile are common frustrations. The techniques in this book are intended to maximize the sense of achievement early in the process. This should help to carry you through to the end result: a finished army.

MICHAEL FARNWORTH

Acknowledgements

THE HELP OF THE following people was invaluable in the creation of the original painting guides and this book.

Illustrator: Robert Moss.

Manufacturers and sculptors: Leon Locke (Adler), Mike Owen (Artizan), Mark Dixon (CP Models), Mark Sims (Crusader), Paul Eaglestone and Keith Ainslie (Empress), Tim Tyler (Frontline), Nick Eyre (North Star), Dave Jackson (Offensive Miniatures), Leon Pengilley (Pendraken), Alan and Mike Perry (Perry), William Townshend (Plastic Soldier Company), Peter Edwards (SHQ), Thomas Stoesser (Stoessi’s Heroes), Simon Trift (Warlord Games).

Painters and modellers who provided pictures: Kevin Dallimore, Peter Fitzpatrick, Marco Germani, Sascha Herm, Richard Lloyd, Bruce MacRae, Martin Niklaus, Rafael Pérez (‘Rafa Archiduque’), Alan Sheward, Rubén Torregrosa (heresybrush), Andy Zeck.

Proof readers and tutorial testers: Matthew Farrell, David Knight, Ed Leland, Kris Marquardt, Thomas Moore, John Mumford, Dylan Williams.

1

Research and Planning

BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING

Before you start any project or buy anything, it is a good idea to do some research. You will very quickly become locked in by a few decisions that you make at the start.

First, decide on the scale that you want to play. This may be influenced by the games that are played by your friends or at your local wargame club. For example, the popular World War II wargame, Flames of War, is usually played with 15mm figures, whereas Bolt Action is usually played with 28mm figures, and Rapid Fire with 20mm figures.

Next, decide whether to base individuals or groups. This is important because the rules of the wargame usually specify whether figures are to be based singly or in groups. For example, Flames of War units are based in groups and these are on specific sizes of base. Most skirmish games in 20mm and 28mm use individual round bases, which are often 20mm or 25mm in diameter.

After you have decided on the type of game and the size of figures, it is worth researching the period and theatre to decide on the army that you want to collect. It is advisable to collect pairs of opposing forces so that you can host a game and supply everything.

It is possible to buy a wargames force without very little knowledge of the history. However, as you become more experienced, you may want to recreate actual battles or at least plausible ones. You can do a lot of research online and, if you want to know more about particular battles and campaigns, Osprey books are very useful (see Appendix II).

Making a List

If you already have a set of rules, consult the army lists and write a shopping list that will give you a small but balanced force. For a small World War II game, you will mostly require soldiers with rifles. You will also need some non-commissioned officers (corporals and sergeants), who may carry submachine guns. The officers (lieutenants and captains) will usually have slightly different uniforms. There will also be squad support weapons such as a light machine gun. If you scale up to a platoon or company-level game, you may also want to have heavy machine guns and mortars on the table. If your game involves armoured vehicles, you will also want anti-tank weapons.

Once you have made your list, decide whether you want to buy it all at one time, or build up your army in stages, which is generally better. Many people buy a whole army and then are overwhelmed by the task with which they are presented. Start small with a platoon of infantry and, once they have been built, painted and used in a game, you should feel motivated to go ahead and buy and paint the next batch of figures.

It does not matter whether you buy hard plastic or metal figures. Some people prefer the heft of metal, but others argue that plastic figures are lighter for transportation. This book covers the building techniques for both materials, which are slightly different, and final figures will look equally good.

Buy figures that you like, rather than being influenced by their cost. If you buy cheap and ugly figures, you will probably want to replace them in a year or two and all your effort will have been wasted. If you buy good figures, even if they are initially expensive, you will enjoy them and keep them. Also, good quality figures that are nicely painted are easy to sell if you want to change. If you already have a collection of figures, it is worth checking that any new figures are compatible in size and sculpting style.

Avoid Impulse Buys

Many people see figures at a show or in a shop and immediately buy them without having a plan as to use them. Often this is driven by a perverse desire to grab a bargain, but it is not a bargain if you do not actually want it. Instead, you will be creating a ‘lead pile’ – or, more often these days, a ‘plastic and tin pile’ – of assorted unpainted and used figures. This is a tremendous waste of money and a source of frustration. If you can cure the habit you will have more money and more fun.

The first step to avoid building up that pile is to stop adding to it. Make a ‘To Buy’ list on paper or as an Excel spreadsheet, writing down what you want to buy and the date. Impose a rule on yourself that you are not allowed to buy a newly added item for a month. When the month is complete, if you still want that item, you are allowed to go out and buy it. However, in many cases, you will find that you no longer want it. This simple step will save you a lot of money and frustration. (It also works for sports equipment, tools, camera accessories, and so on.) The next step is to sort out your figure pile and decide which models you still want to build and paint. The ‘Yes’ ones go on a list and the ‘No’ items go into a ‘To Sell’ carton, which can go on eBay or to a flea market.

Next, take the ‘Yes’ list and number your five favourite items. Start by building number 1, then go on to number 2, and so on. By the time you have completed the five projects, the month will be up and you can go and buy the first item on your shopping list. If you have already sold some of your excess items on eBay, you can use the takings to fund your new item. This means it will have cost you nothing. If you add the saved money to the money that you had originally planned to spend, you can buy a much better-quality item. So rather than buying a cheap squad of 28mm Germans, you can now buy premium figures from the manufacturer of your choice.

If you follow these steps, you will soon be able to afford better figures, paints and hobby tools. You will also be happier because you will be building and painting the things that you want to do currently.

WORLD WAR II HISTORY

This very short history of World War II, focusing on the battles in the European and Mediterranean Theatres, will help you to choose the period and place that interests you most.

Rise of Hitler in Germany and Blitzkrieg in Europe

Hitler became dictator in Germany in 1933 and started the militarization of the country in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler supported the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. Germany annexed Austria in 1938 and part of Czechoslovakia in 1939.

World War II is generally agreed to have started on 1 September 1939, when the Germans invaded Poland. After a quiet period, known as the Phoney War, Germany invaded Norway and Denmark, in April 1940. This was soon followed by the invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands and France on 10 May 1940. This Blitzkrieg pushed the Allied forces back very quickly, with 338,000 men of the British and French forces being evacuated from Dunkirk by 4 June. The remaining French forces surrendered on 22 June 1940.

Mediterranean and North Africa

In the Mediterranean, the Italians started the siege of Malta on 11 June and invaded British Somaliland in August and British-held Egypt in September 1940. The British fought back in Egypt and Libya and by February 1941 had captured many Italian soldiers.

Germany intervened to support Italy and formed the Deutsches Afrika Korps under Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel. The DAK arrived in Libya in February 1941 with initial orders to defend the area around Tripoli. However, the Afrika Korps moved east along the coast and started the siege of British and Australian forces at Tobruk on 10 April. The siege was finally broken 240 days later by the British 8th Army, on 27 November 1941. German forces continued to push forward and were finally stopped at the first battle of El Alamein, in July 1942. From this point on, the Allies were in the offensive. The Afrika Korps were defeated at the second battle of El Alamein on 11 November 1942.

The Germans retreated across Libya into Tunisia. At the same time, Allied forces including Americans landed in Morocco and Algeria in Operation Torch and pushed westwards. Squeezed from both sides, 275,000 men of the German and Italian forces capitulated in Tunis on 13 May 1943. Many more escaped to Sicily and then to Italy. Allied forces pursued the retreating Germans. The Italians surrendered. The siege of the German strong point at Monte Cassino started on 17 January 1944. The Americans landed at Anzio on 22 January. Fighting on the Italian front continued until 2 May 1945.

Russia and Eastern Europe

The war between Germany and Russia was the largest conflict in history. It started with the German invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa, on 22 June 1941. Germany committed 3.8 million troops to the campaign. Germany made rapid advances and besieged Odessa from 8 August 1941, Leningrad from 4 September 1941 and Moscow from 30 September 1941.

The city of Kharkov in the north-east of the Ukraine was the site of four huge battles in October 1941, May 1942, February 1943 and, finally, August 1943.

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from 17 July 1942 to 2 February 1943. It involved 2.2 million men and there were 2 million casualties, making it the bloodiest conflict in history. The Battle of Kursk started on 4 July 1943, involving 3.5 million men and 11,000 tanks. After losing both Kursk and Stalingrad, the Germans spent the next two years in retreat.

The Russian offensive, Operation Bagration, from June to August 1944, coincided with D-Day and expelled the Germans from Russia. The Soviets reached Berlin by 16 April 1945. They took the city by 2 May, a few days prior to Germany’s surrender on 7 May 1945.

Northern Europe D-Day to Berlin

The Allied invasion of Normandy in France, the largest amphibious assault in history, started with D-Day on 6 June 1944. Savage fighting continued until 22 August 1944. After that, the Allied forces liberated Paris on 25 August and started to advance through France and the Low Countries.

On 17 September 1944, an ambitious airborne assault, Operation Market Garden, attempted to capture the key bridges on the route towards Germany. The last objective at Arnhem turned out to be a bridge too far.

The autumn and winter saw bloody fighting in Hürtgen Forest. On 16 December, the Germans launched a massive counter-attack in the Ardennes, now known as the Battle of the Bulge. By the end of January, the Germans had been pushed back and Allied forces advanced towards Germany.

Allied forces crossed the Rhine in March and raced across Germany to meet the Russians. Germany’s surrender took place on 7 May 1945.

CHOOSING A WARGAME

Before you start to buy anything, think about the type of game that you want to play and plan your army.

Army Organization

Many games are described using military organizational terms such as squad, platoon, company, battalion, and so on. The following is a very rough guide to the terms and their implications in terms of size of the force.

Fire team: a modern term for three to four soldiers working together, a concept introduced by the US Army late in World War II. At the start of World War II, the lowest building block of an army was a squad.

Squad: a German Army squad was thirteen men in 1939 but this reduced to ten in 1940 and then to nine in late 1943. A squad would normally have been led by a sergeant.

Platoon: a platoon or Zug was usually three squads plus machine-gun support, so forty-three men in 1939, reducing to thirty-one later. A lieutenant would have led a platoon.

Company: an infantry company was normally three platoons plus mortar and machine-gun support, logistics and command groups. A company was about 180 men at the start of the war, reducing to about 140 by late 1943. A captain would have commanded a company.

Battalion: a battalion was made up of three companies plus support and command. An infantry battalion was about 740 men at the start of the war reducing to about 650 or less by the late 1943. A lieutenant colonel would have been in command.

Regiment: three battalions plus support and command. A regiment was circa 2,000 to 2,500 men, led by a colonel.

Brigade: two or more regiments can join to form a brigade, which would have been commanded by a brigadier.

German Panzers moving forward to repel the D-Day invaders in a demonstration game of the Battlegroup series of rules. The 20mm figures and terrain were all built and painted by Piers Brand.

Division: several infantry regiments plus tanks and artillery joined together form a division. A division in World War II was circa 20,000 to 25,000 men, commanded by a major general.

Corps: two or more divisions could be combined to form a corps of 50,000 men or more. This was led by a lieutenant general.

Army: a field army is a combination of two or more corps, that is to say, 100,000 to 125,000 men. A field army was led by a general.

Army group: two or more armies joined to form an army group. This was at least 250,000 men, commanded by a field marshal. At any one time during World War II, the Germans were organized into at least ten army groups.

Battle group: a more general term that could be applied to any large force.

Types of Wargame

Tabletop wargames are often played on a table that is about 120 x 180cm, although the space can be much larger for club games, or smaller for games at home. The following are some types of wargames with examples.

Squad to Platoon Skirmish

This is usually infantry combat involving fewer than forty figures per side and a few vehicles. It is typically played with 28mm figures based individually on 25mm circles. Occasionally, squads are represented by a group of figures on a base.

■ Bolt Action

■ Chain of Command

■ Iron Cross

■ Nuts

Company to Battalion Level Battle

Combat with more than 100 figures per side and several vehicles, typically played with 15mm or 20mm figures. Figures are often grouped two or three to a base.

■ Battlegroup

■ Crossfire

■ Flames of War

■ I Ain’t Been Shot Mum

■ Rapid Fire

Brigade and Division Level Battle

Typically played with 6mm or 10mm figures, with formations of either platoons or companies represented by small groups of figures on a base.

■ Command Decision

■ Spearhead

Corps to Army Level Battles

These are typically played with 6mm figures, with formations of battalions or companies represented by small groups of figures on a base.

■ Great Battles of World War II

■ Panzer Korps

■ Megablitz

■ Rommel

SIZE AND SCALE

Model soldiers are made in a variety of sizes. Military and aviation models are sold as scale models, which means that all the dimensions have been scaled down proportionately. For example, an object that is 2 metres tall becomes 20 centimetres tall at one-tenth scale. Common scales for scale models are 1/16, 1/32 or 1/35, 1/48 and 1/72 or 1/76.

SCALEFIGURE HEIGHT FOOT TO TOP OF HEAD (mm)FIGURE HEIGHT FOOT TO EYE (mm)1/161111031/3256521/3551471/4837341/5632301/6030281/7225231/7623221/8720191/10018171/12015141/15012111/1751091/30066

The table shows the model height to represent a man who is 1.77m tall (5ft 10”) in various scales.

Figures of various scales and sizes (left to right): 1/32 Airfix, 1/35 Dragon, 28mm Artizan, 20mm CP Models, 15mm Plastic Soldier Company, 10mm Pendraken.

A selection of nominally 28mm figures (left to right): 32mm CP Models, Heer 46, Crusader, Artizan, Stoessis Heroes, Bolt Action, Perry Miniatures.

A selection of 20mm figures (left to right): Adler, CP Models, Frontline and SHQ.

If we take a man who is five feet ten inches tall (i.e. 70 inches), that is 1778 millimetres. We can easily calculate his height as a scale model figure. At 1/32 scale, he will be 56mm tall and at 1/72, he will be 25mm tall.

Wargame figures are often sold by size – for example, 28mm, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm or 6mm – rather than scale. To complicate matters further, many wargame figures are measured foot to eye, so a 28mm figure will actually be 30mm to the top of the head.

Many wargamers are concerned about compatibility of figures but height is a poor indicator. The German Army was huge and made up mostly of conscripts, so soldiers were representative of the general population between the ages of 18 and 40. Heights would vary from about 5 feet to 6 feet tall, which translates to 27mm to 33mm in 1/56 scale. Equipment, however, would always be consistent in size. Therefore, it is best to judge compatibility by comparing figures side by side. Even significant differences can be managed if figures are kept in separate units so that different sizes and sculpting styles are not adjacent.

BASING CONSIDERATIONS

As you plan your army, it is important to select a basing system that will work with your chosen wargames rules.

Individual 28mm figures on round 25mm bases are used in many skirmish games. Also for 28mm figures, 20mm and 25mm square bases are used in mass battle games, such as the Napoleonic Wars, where troops are in large, close order units. 28mm cavalry are often mounted on 25 x 50mm rectangles or sometimes on 40mm round bases.

Heavy weapons and artillery are often based as a weapon with crew, as miniature dioramas. Some people make the figures removable to simulate casualties, while others fix everything down and use casualty markers instead.

20mm figures are often mounted individually on 20mm-diameter circles for skirmish games. Sometimes figures are mounted in groups of two to four on rectangular bases, to represent a squad or even a platoon.

15mm, 10mm and 6mm figures are usually mounted in groups of three or four figures on rectangular or square bases. These can represent a squad, a platoon, a company or even a regiment, according to the definition of the game.

This 28mm Bolt Action MG34 team is based as two figures on one base. It is possible to remove the loader figure to simulate a casualty. Alternatively, if the figures were fixed, casualty tokens could be used instead.

German Uniforms and Equipment

2

INTRODUCTION TO UNIFORMS

Before you can start to paint your figures, you will need to identify the uniform that they are wearing and also the colours in which the uniform was manufactured. This section is intended for painters rather than uniform collectors, so will not attempt to address the millions of small variations. A total of 18 million men served in the Wehrmacht from 1935 to 1945 and each one was issued with a wide variety of garments and equipment. There are numerous books on the uniforms of the German armed forces and this chapter can only give a superficial overview.

Many items are designated by an ‘M’ and the year number in the description, in a format that was created by military historians and militaria collectors. The year relates to the first manufacture of the item, and is normally based on historical records of orders placed by the directorate of procurement. Some historians shorten the format – for example, M1936 becomes M36 – but both have the same meaning. In the text, Heer refers to the Army.

ARMY UNIFORMS

Helmets

The steel helmet or Stahlhelm was created in World War I. The first version was designated M1916 and had distinctive horn-like lugs for a visor. This was later updated to the M1918.

The World War II version, designated M1935, was lighter and more comfortable to wear, with a rolled edge to the steel outer. It was replaced by the M1942, which had a slightly wider flange and no rolled edge, following a simplification of the production process.

Helmets were often camouflaged. During the Blitzkrieg era, rubber straps made from tyre inner-tubes were used to attach grass and foliage. Later, various string netting and wire mesh coverings performed the same task. Helmets were often smeared with mud to reduce the shine and cover the insignia. In North Africa, the helmets were overpainted with sand-coloured vehicle paint, and in snowy conditions, they were overpainted with white.

Helmet Covers

The Waffen SS introduced cloth helmet covers before World War II, but the army did not do so until 1942; even then, they were relatively rare. Many helmet covers were made locally from zeltbahns. The M1942 Army Helmet Cover was a very simple construction with a drawstring fixation and loops to attach camouflage. This was issued only in Splittermuster 31 pattern and not in Sumpfmuster.

The Army pattern helmet cover with a simple drawstring attachment was issued in the Splittermuster 31 pattern.

Caps

At the start of the war, most soldiers were issued with the M1934 Side Cap, which was nicknamed Schiffchen, or ‘little boat’. Mountain troops were issued with a peaked cap that was widely admired. This was used as the pattern for the M1941 Tropical Cap used by the Afrika Korps.

In 1943, the side cap was replaced by the M1943 Peak Cap, which was very similar to the mountain cap.

Field Jacket

The standard army uniform for temperate regions consisted of a jacket or tunic called the Feldbluse and a pair of trousers. From 1935 until 1944, the Feldbluse was a button-fronted four-pocket hiplength jacket with a collar. Insignia and awards were attached to the collar, the shoulder boards and the chest. Army uniforms bore the eagle logo on the right chest.

The M1935 Feldbluse was produced in very high-quality woollen fabric that was a greener tone compared to later Field Grey colours. The collar was a very dark green. From 1940, the collar changed to the same cloth as the rest of the garment.

M1935 Heer Feldbluse: made in the early period in Field Grey, with a contrasting Dark Green collar. Field Grey is a mixture of grey and olive green, but the actual shade varied considerably throughout the war. The early-war shade was noticeably green. The green collar was very dark and often appears to be black in photographs. The four pockets had front pleats.

M1940 Heer Feldbluse: in 1940, the first simplification of the design was made to speed up production. The contrasting Dark Green collar was changed to use the same Field Grey fabric as the jacket. This jacket was also made in cotton herringbone twill (HBT) as a summer uniform and this was worn by troops in Greece and Yugoslavia.

To make production quicker and cheaper, the M1943 Feldbluse was a simplified version of the earlier jacket, with the pleated pockets of the 1935 model being replaced by simple pockets. Shortages meant that the quality of the fabric became progressively worse and the Field Grey colour became less consistent.

M1943 Heer Feldbluse: a further simplification to the design, with the pleats having been removed from the pockets. At the same time, the fabric specification was downgraded, with less new wool, more recycled fibre and more rayon. As a result, the colour became much more varied, as cloth from captured uniforms was recycled into the fabric production. Uniforms of this period vary from green-grey shades through to khakibrown shades. This jacket was also made in cotton herringbone twill (HBT) as a summer uniform.

The M1944 Battledress was copied from the British uniform that used significantly less fabric than the previous German uniforms. By 1944, fabric was in very short supply, so captured uniforms were recycled. Field Grey became a brownish shade that historians call mouse-grey. This garment was also made in captured Italian blue-grey fabric.

M1944 Heer Battledress: a new short jacket that was cut like British battledress uniform and only had two pockets. It was made in Field Grey as the M1943 Feldbluse, in captured grey Italian cloth, and a mouse-brown cloth that incorporated recycled Russian uniforms.

M1945 Heer Camouflage Battledress: the last version, a camouflage version of the M1944 battledress using Liebermuster print fabric. This was identical for both Heer and SS soldiers.

The M1940 Panzer Wrap Jacket is cut to the shape of a Napoleonic cavalry jacket. Initially, this was made in black for tank crews. Later Field Grey versions were made for self-propelled gun crews. The same garment was used by some Panzergrenadiers, most famously the Panzer Lehr. The Waffen SS also issued this garment in camouflage patterns.

The M1940 Panzer Wrap Jacket was also approved for use by some troops, including combat engineers and Panzergrenadiers. These included the famous Panzer Lehr Division.

Trousers

Trousers from 1935 to 1940 were made in Stone Grey woollen cloth. This changed to Field Grey from 1940 to 1945. As with other garments, the quality of the fabric was progressively downgraded, with less new wool and more rayon.

Cavalry and supply troops who worked with horses wore riding breeches, which had leather reinforcement on the inside leg and seat. Later, this was changed to a double layer of fabric.

The standard Army trousers were made in a stone-grey colour up to 1940, when they changed to Field Grey to match the jackets. The lower leg was tapered to fit into marching boots.

Officers wore jodhpur-style riding breeches with exaggerated wide thighs. Generals had a red stripe down the outside leg.

Tank Crew Uniforms

Tank and AFV uniforms were similar for both Army and Waffen SS. The only differences were in the insignia. The initial uniform consisted of a Panzer Wrap Jacket and a matching pair of trousers.

Tank crew were issued with M1935 Tank Crew Uniform in Black. The M1940 AFV Uniform was almost identical but in Field Grey and issued to assault gun troops. In 1943, a one-piece overall was also issued. Splittermuster 31 and Sumpfmuster tank crew garments are also known.

Tropical Uniform

The first-issue tropical uniform was a very smartlooking colonial-style khaki-green jacket and jodhpur trousers with long lace-up boots and a sun hat. This proved uncomfortable and started to be replaced in 1942 with a jacket and trouser combination very similar to the M1943 Heer Feldbluse.

Fatigue Uniform (Drillich/Arbeitsbluse)

Soldiers had a very basic uniform to wear in the barracks, consisting of a two-pocket jacket and matching pair of trousers, with no insignia. It was made from an unbleached cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth similar to denim from 1933 to 1940. It was intended to be worn for work details, cleaning and drill practice. From 1940 onwards, it was made in a reed-green colour, which allowed it to be used as a summer field uniform. From 1943, it was largely replaced by the M1943 uniform in HBT.

Army Smock

The Waffen SS made extensive use of camouflage smocks. The army issued the Zeltbahn to all soldiers and this could also be worn as a camouflage cape on top of the uniform. Small quantities of smocks were made in the army camouflage pattern Splittermuster 31, in a similar cut to the SS M1940 smocks. In 1943, a reversible smock with a hood was issued, first in Splittermuster 31 and later in Sumpfmuster 43 and 44 patterns on one side and reversing to white on the other side. This is frequently described as the M1943 Army Sniper Smock.

The M1943 Army Smock was hooded and reversed to white.

Winter Clothing

The winter parka and trousers were manufactured in a variety of Army and SS patterns. They usually reverse to white.

Until 1942, the standard winter clothing for all forces was the woollen M1935 Greatcoat plus a variety of knitted woollen gloves and scarves. After the invasion of Russia, in 1941, fierce fighting continued through the winter months in snow and extreme cold. The Field Grey uniforms were easily visible in snow, so soldiers made improvised white camouflage tabards from bedsheets and wore them over their greatcoats. The German forces suffered badly during the winter of 1941, and new reversible and insulated parkas, matching overtrousers and mittens were made for the following winter. One million sets were issued for winter 1942 and by the winter of 1943 there was a widespread supply of the items. The first issue was a mouse-grey outer that reversed to white. This was closely followed by the second issue in Splittermuster 31 outer, which reversed to white. New production for the army in 1943 used Sumpfmuster 43 as the outer pattern. Production for 1944 used Sumpfmuster 44 as the outer pattern. Reversible trousers sometimes reversed to pale grey rather than white. Jackets were worn more than the trousers, so were often more faded.

Boots

The German marching boot, or Marschstiefel, was a mid-calf-length leather boot with no laces and a hobnailed sole. This boot was adopted by German armies from the mid-nineteenth century and was made with very good leather. In English, such boots are often called jackboots.

Officers and cavalry were issued with riding boots, which were longer than the marching boots.

Insulated winter boots were introduced in 1942, particularly on the Russian front.

In 1943, ankle-length lace-up boots (Schnürschuhe) and canvas gaiters replaced the marching boots. These were much cheaper to produce. As the war progressed, cost-saving measures eliminated the black dye from the process and the boots were produced in a dark brown colour. This could be made black with boot polish.

Mountain Troops

Mountain troops, called Gebirgsjäger, were specially trained light infantry operating in mountainous terrain and in the Arctic conditions of Norway and Finland. They had a number of specialist garments.

The reversible windproof smock was made with tightly woven cotton canvas that was windproof and water-resistant. It was a pullover garment with three chest pockets and was grey-green or tan on one side and could be reversed to white. It was worn with Field Grey woollen mountaineering trousers.

There was also a windproof jacket made of the same fabrics, with a double-breasted front and four pockets. Woollen pullovers were issued as insulation and, from winter 1942 onwards, parkas and overtrousers were also issued.

Leather mountain boots featuring nailed soles were worn.

LUFTWAFFE UNIFORMS

Luftwaffe uniforms were made in a blue-grey colour. The ground troops’ uniform consisted of a Feldbluse, which was similar to the M1935 Army Feldbluse. There was also a short jacket called the Fliegerbluse, which had two inset waist pockets with button-down flaps. Both were worn with a white shirt and black necktie, blue-grey trousers, black leather boots and a side cap or a peaked cap or Model 1935 Helmet.

Luftwaffe Field Division were infantry units who wore similar uniforms to the Army and often in the same colours. Some of them wore Luftwaffe navy-blue jackets and trousers instead of Field Grey.

Tropical Uniform

The Luftwaffe tropical uniform was similar to the later 1942 version of the Army tropical uniform but with a noticeably looser cut of trousers. It was sand-coloured rather than green.

Parachutists’ Uniforms

Parachutists’ smocks were identical for both Army and Waffen SS. The differences were only in the insignia. Fallschirmjäger wore a jump smock nicknamed the Knochensack (‘bone bag’). The lower part of the earliest version was sewn together to form legs. Later versions had studs so that they could be fastened or left loose. Luftwaffe smocks were issued in Olive Green, Splittermuster and Sumpfmuster. Before the war, Luftwaffe Blue versions were made for training.

A special SS version in Erbsenmuster (Pea Dot) was found unissued in a warehouse at the end of the war.

Fallschirmjäger wore jump trousers (Springhosen), which were, in theory, Field Grey (Feldgrau). Photographs suggest, however, that this was lighter than the fabric used for the Army uniforms.

The Paratrooper Jump Smock was produced in a variety of colours and patterns. It was colloquially known as a Knochensack (‘bone bag’).

Field Jacket

Luftwaffe ground troops wore a similar-looking garment to the parachutist’s smock but with a much simpler design. The construction was similar to a laboratory coat.

KRIEGSMARINE UNIFORMS

Sailors

Sailors on ships wore a light pullover top with a removable sailor’s collar that resembled a hood. They also had matching trousers and a sailor’s cap. This uniform was made in lightweight wool in a dark navy-blue. The collar was navy-blue with three white stripes. Black footwear completed the uniform. A thick woollen navy-blue overcoat was worn in cold conditions.

The pullover, cap and trousers were also made in white cotton for warm climates.

Shore Personnel

Sailors manning coastal artillery batteries on the Atlantic Wall wore Field Grey army uniforms, but with naval insignia.

U-Boat Crew

U-boat crew also wore the standard dark navy-blue sailor’s uniform of overcoat, pullover, trousers and sailor’s cap.

There were a variety of working uniforms. After Dunkirk the Germans had captured large quantities of British uniforms, which were rebadged and used as working uniforms. Once the stock of British uniforms was exhausted, copies were made in Field Grey herringbone twill (HBT). Engine-room crew could wear black leather jackets. Long leather jackets and matching overtrousers were worn on deck. These were black or mid-grey in colour. Dark grey oilskin waterproof greatcoats were also issued.

Lifejackets and buoyancy aids were covered in taupe-coloured canvas.

WAFFEN SS UNIFORMS

Helmets

SS helmets were identical to the Army versions described above.

Helmet Covers

The Waffen SS was the first army in the world to receive camouflage clothing as a standard issue. Soldiers were issued with a helmet cover and smock from 1939 onwards.

The SS helmet cover was sophisticated, with a fastener consisting of a spring and metal clips. It was reversible and made in several patterns. The spring pattern shows on the seams on the outside of the autumn pattern but not vice versa. The first M1938 had no loops. This was updated with loops as the M1940.

The SS pattern Helmet Cover had a sophisticated clip attachment and was produced in Plane Tree, Smoke and Oak Leaf patterns.

Field Uniform Jacket

The Waffen SS Feldbluse was similar to the army version apart from small differences to the shape of the collar. The eagle logo was worn on the left sleeve rather than the chest.

M1936 SS Feldbluse: similar to the Army M1935 Feldbluse and made in Field Grey. The two chest pockets had pleats and the lower pockets were inset with an angled flap.

M1939 SS Feldbluse: in 1939, the SS adopted the same pattern as the Army to keep up with the huge increase in recruitment. Thereafter, the only differences were in the insignia.

M1940 SS Feldbluse: as with the Army, the Dark Green collar was changed to Field Grey.

M1942 SS Feldbluse: this was a further simplification to the design, with the same changes as the Army version. The pleats were removed from the pockets and the fabric was downgraded, with less new wool, more recycled fibre and more rayon. As a result, the colour became much more varied. This jacket was also made in cotton herringbone twill (HBT) as a summer uniform.

M1944 SS Camouflage Feldbluse: this jacket in Erbsenmuster (Pea Dot) camouflage was cut as the M1943 Feldbluse pattern with four pockets.

M1944 SS Battledress: the same as the M1944 Heer Battledress, which was a copy of the British uniform, with two pockets.

M1945 Heer Camouflage Battledress: the last version, a camouflage version of the M1944 Battledress using Liebermuster print fabric. This was identical for both Heer and SS soldiers.

SS Tropical Uniform

The SS tropical uniform was similar to the later 1942 version of the Army tropical uniform. However, this was sand-coloured rather than green.

SS Smock

The smock was a large and baggy item to be worn on top of the uniform. The fabric was printed on both sides and the garment was reversible. One side, called the spring side, had a pattern with large areas of green and this is called the spring side. The other side (the autumn side) had mostly brown shades.