WAS special project dedicated to the 72nd anniversary of the surrender Nazi Germany. Study and compare infantry uniforms from the seven armies that fought in the European theater of World War II.
Andrey, 35 years old, elevator installation engineer
Uniform: Wehrmacht, 1945
WHAT WE WORN
This is a 1940 uniform set, but it could also be seen at the end of the war. In 1945, the German army was already using uniforms from different times. The supply was disrupted, and everything they had was given out from the warehouses. The kit did not remain in use for long even after the war, in the occupation zones until the formation of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany.
The German uniform made of woolen cloth is considered hot for the summer, but it is comfortable. in autumn and in early spring it is much better than the cotton tunic of the Red Army. During these seasons the Germans were in a more advantageous position.
DETAILS
Caps of the 1943 model entered the Wehrmacht instead of caps. The headdresses of mountain rangers were taken as a sample. Unlike a cap, a cap has a visor to protect the eyes from rain and sun. The flaps are detachable to cover the ears and neck. Closer to 1945, the model was simplified: the lapels became false and decorative.
In battle they wore a steel helmet. I have it from 1942, also simplified to reduce the cost of production. For example, stamping is now without bends at the edges. And yet the German helmet protects the ears and neck better than the Soviet one.
The color of the gaps on the buttonholes determined the type of troops. The green (then gray) gap is a sign of infantry. In the artillery, the gaps were red. Private soldiers were not entitled to chevrons.
On the pocket there is an infantry badge. This is not a reward. It was issued for 10-15 days spent at the front. In essence, this is a combat participant’s ID card.
EQUIPMENT
On my back I have an unloading frame, which is attached to belt straps. It was introduced at the end of 1941 to increase the number of items a soldier could carry. It can be combined with a backpack or used without it.
A bean-shaped pot is attached to the frame (tourists still use similar ones) and a section of a raincoat with a tent set: pegs, half-posts. The tent is assembled from four such panels. Under the tent there was a cracker bag in which they could put everything needed for a short combat operation: a rifle cleaning kit, a sweater, a towel, a soap dish.
Hugo Boss began his career in 1902 as a garment factory worker in Metzingen. In 1908, he became the owner of a textile shop, which was left to him by his deceased parents. He fought on the fronts of the First World War. In 1923 he created his own sewing company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1930. To save his business, Hugo joined the NSDAP in 1931. His factory produces uniforms for SS assault troops (Adolf Hitler's personal guard), SA stormtroopers and the Hitler Youth youth movement.
Wehrmacht uniforms during World War II were sewn at the Hugo factory. He was the official tailor of the Nazis. Slaves from the Baltic countries, Russia, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia worked for him. At the end of the war, the garment maker abruptly restructured his business into the market for work clothes and civilian uniforms. He was recognized as a Nazi collaborator and died in 1948. The clothing business was taken over by his son-in-law Eugen Holi. Since 1985, the American company Procter & Gamble began producing eau de toilette.
Military insignia are present on the uniform of military personnel and indicate the corresponding personal rank, a specific affiliation with one of the branches of the armed forces (in this case, the Wehrmacht), branch of the military, department or service.
Interpretation of the concept "Wehrmacht"
These are the “defense forces” in 1935 - 1945. In other words, the Wehrmacht (photo below) is nothing more than an armed force fascist Germany. At the head - Supreme Command armed forces of the country, subordinate to which were the ground forces, navy and air force, and SS troops. They were led by the main commands (OKL, OKH, OKM) and commanders-in-chief various types Armed Forces (since 1940 also SS troops). Wehrmacht - Reich Chancellor A. Hitler. A photo of Wehrmacht soldiers is shown below.
According to historical data, the word in question in German-speaking countries denoted the armed forces of any country. It acquired its usual meaning when the NSDAP came to power.
On the eve of World War II, the Wehrmacht numbered approximately three million people, and its maximum strength was 11 million people (as of December 1943).
Types of military signs
These include:
Uniforms and insignia of the Wehrmacht
There were several types of uniforms and clothing. Each soldier had to independently monitor the condition of his weapons and uniform. Their replacement was carried out in accordance with in accordance with the established procedure or in case of serious damage during the training. Military uniforms lost color very quickly due to washing and daily brushing.
The soldiers' shoes were thoroughly inspected (at all times, bad boots were a serious problem).
Since the formation of the Reichswehr in the period 1919 - 1935), the military uniform has become unified for all existing German states. Its color is “feldgrau” (translated as “field gray”) - a wormwood shade with a predominant green pigment.
A new uniform (uniform of the Wehrmacht - the armed forces of Nazi Germany in the period 1935 - 1945) was introduced along with new model steel helmet. The ammunition, uniforms and helmets did not differ in appearance from their predecessors (existing in the Kaiser's era).
At the whim of the Fuhrer, the attire of the military personnel was emphasized big amount various elements (signs, stripes, piping, badges, etc.). By applying a black, white and red imperial cockade and a three-color shield to the helmet with right side devotion to National Socialism was expressed. The appearance of the imperial tricolor dates back to mid-March 1933. In October 1935, the uniform was supplemented by an imperial eagle holding a swastika in its claws. At this time, the Reichswehr was renamed the Wehrmacht (photo was shown earlier).
This topic will be considered in relation to the Ground Forces and SS troops.
Insignia of the Wehrmacht and specifically the SS troops
To begin with, we should clarify some points. Firstly, the SS troops and the SS organization itself are not identical concepts. The latter is the fighting component of the Nazi party, formed by members public organization, conducting their core activities parallel to the SS (worker, shopkeeper, civil servant, etc.). They were allowed to wear a black uniform, which since 1938 was replaced by a light gray uniform with two Wehrmacht-type shoulder straps. The latter reflected general SS ranks.
As for the SS troops, we can say that these are a kind of security detachments (“reserve troops” - “Totenkopf formations” - Hitler’s own troops), into which exclusively SS members were accepted. They were considered equal to Wehrmacht soldiers.
The difference in the ranks of members of the SS organization based on buttonholes existed until 1938. On the black uniform there was a single shoulder strap (on the right shoulder), from which it was possible to determine only the category of a particular SS member (private or non-commissioned officer, or junior or senior officer, or general). And after the light gray uniform was introduced (1938), another one was added distinctive feature- shoulder straps of the Wehrmacht type.
The SS insignia of both military personnel and members of the organization are the same. However, the former still wear a field uniform, which is an analogue of the Wehrmacht. It has two shoulder straps that are similar in appearance to those of the Wehrmacht, and their military rank insignia are identical.
The rank system, and therefore the insignia, was subject to changes many times, the last of which occurred in May 1942 (they were not transformed until May 1945).
Military ranks of the Wehrmacht were designated by buttonholes, shoulder straps, braid and chevrons on the collar, and the last two insignia on the sleeves, as well as special sleeve patches mainly on camouflage military clothing, various stripes (gaps in a contrasting color) on trousers, and the design of hats.
It was the SS field uniform that was finally established around 1938. If we consider cut as a comparison criterion, we can say that the Wehrmacht (ground forces) uniform and the SS uniform were no different. The second one was a little grayer and lighter in color, green tint almost never seen.
Also, if we describe the insignia of the SS (specifically the patch), we can highlight the following points: the imperial eagle was slightly above the middle of the segment from the shoulder to the elbow of the left sleeve, its design differed in the shape of the wings (there were often cases when the Wehrmacht eagle was sewn onto the SS field uniform ).
Also a distinctive feature, for example, on the SS tank uniform, was that the buttonholes, just like those of the Wehrmacht tankers, were surrounded by a pink border. The Wehrmacht insignia in this case is represented by the presence of a “dead head” in both buttonholes. SS tankmen could have rank insignia in the left buttonhole, and either a “dead head” or SS runes in the right buttonhole (in some cases there might not have been any insignia or, for example, in a number of divisions the tank crew emblem was placed there - skull with crossed bones). The collar had even buttonholes, the size of which was 45x45 mm.
Also, Wehrmacht insignia included the way battalion or company numbers were embossed on the buttons of the uniform, which was not done in the case of the SS military uniform.
The emblem of the shoulder straps, although identical to those of the Wehrmacht, was quite rare (the exception was the first tank division, where the monogram was regularly worn on the shoulder straps).
Another difference in the system accumulating SS insignia is how soldiers who were candidates for the rank of SS navigator wore a cord at the bottom of the shoulder strap of the same color as its piping. This rank is the equivalent of a gefreiter in the Wehrmacht. And candidates for SS Unterscharführer also wore a braid (braid embroidered with silver) nine millimeters wide at the bottom of their shoulder straps. This rank is equivalent to non-commissioned officer in the Wehrmacht.
As for the ranks of the rank and file, the difference was in the buttonholes and sleeve stripes, which were located above the elbow, but below the imperial eagle in the center of the left sleeve.
If we consider camouflage clothing (where there are no buttonholes or shoulder straps), we can say that the SS men never had rank insignia on it, but they preferred to wear collars with their own buttonholes over this one.
In general, the discipline of wearing uniforms in the Wehrmacht was much higher than in the troops, whose troops allowed themselves a large number of liberties regarding this issue, and their generals and officers did not strive to stop this kind of violations; on the contrary, they often committed similar ones. And this is only a small part of the distinctive features of the uniforms of the Wehrmacht and SS troops.
If we summarize all of the above, we can conclude that the Wehrmacht insignia is much more sophisticated not only than the SS, but also the Soviet ones.
Army ranks
They were presented as follows:
- privates;
- non-commissioned officers without belts (a braided or belt sling for carrying a tashka, bladed weapons, and later firearms);
- non-commissioned officers with sword belts;
- lieutenants;
- captains;
- staff officers;
- generals.
Combat ranks also extended to military officials of various departments and departments. The military administration was divided into categories from the most junior non-commissioned officers to the noble generals.
Military colors of the Wehrmacht ground forces
In Germany, branches of the military were traditionally designated by the corresponding colors of edgings and buttonholes, hats and uniforms, and so on. They changed quite often. At the beginning of World War II, the following color division was in effect:
- White - infantry and border guards, financiers and treasurers.
- Scarlet - field, horse and self-propelled artillery, as well as general's piping, buttonholes and stripes.
- Raspberry or carmine red - non-commissioned officers of the veterinary service, as well as buttonholes, stripes and shoulder straps Main apartment And General Staff high command of the Wehrmacht and ground forces.
- Pink - anti-tank self-propelled artillery; edging of details of tank uniforms; gaps and selection of buttonholes of service jackets of officers, gray-green jackets of non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
- Golden yellow - cavalry, reconnaissance units of tank units and scooters.
- Lemon yellow - signal troops.
- Burgundy - military chemists and courts; smoke curtains and multi-barrel rocket-propelled “chemical” mortars.
- Cherny - engineering troops (sapper, railway, training units), technical service. Tank unit sappers have black and white edging.
- Cornflower blue - medical and sanitary personnel (except generals).
- Light blue - edgings of motor transport parts.
- Light green - military pharmacists, rangers and mountain units.
- Grass Green - motorized infantry regiment, motorcycle units.
- Gray - army propagandists and officers of the Landwehr and reserve (edging on shoulder straps in military colors).
- Gray-blue - registration service, officials of the American administration, specialist officers.
- Orange - military police and officers of the engineering academy, recruiting service (edging color).
- Purple - military priests
- Dark green - military officials.
- Light red - quartermasters.
- Blue - military lawyers.
- Yellow - horse reserve service.
- Lemon - feld post.
- Light brown - recruit training service.
Shoulder straps in German military uniform
They had a dual purpose: as a means of determining rank and as carriers of a unitary function (fastening various types of equipment on the shoulder).
Shoulder straps of the Wehrmacht (rank and file) were made of simple cloth, but with edging, which had specific color, corresponding to the type of military service. If we take into account the shoulder straps of a non-commissioned officer, we can note the presence of an additional edging consisting of braid (width - nine millimeters).
Until 1938, there was a special army shoulder strap exclusively for field uniforms, which was worn by all ranks below officer. It was entirely dark blue-green with a slightly tapered end towards the button. There was no edging attached to it, corresponding to the color of the branch of service. Wehrmacht soldiers embroidered insignia (numbers, letters, emblems) on them to highlight the color.
The officers (lieutenants, captains) had narrower shoulder straps, which looked like two intertwined strands made of flat silver “Russian braid” (the strand is woven in such a way that thinner threads are visible). All strands were sewn onto the flap in the color of the branch of the military that is the basis of this shoulder strap. A special bend (U-shaped) of the braid in the place of the button hole helped create the illusion of eight strands of it, when in fact there were only two.
Wehrmacht (staff officer) shoulder straps were also made using Russian braid, but in such a way as to demonstrate a row consisting of five separate loops located on either side of the shoulder strap, in addition to the loop around the button located at the top of it.
The general's shoulder straps had a distinctive feature - “Russian braid”. It was made from two separate gold strands, twisted on both sides with one silver ribbed thread. The weaving method implied the appearance of three knots in the middle and four loops on each side in addition to one loop located around the button at the top of the shoulder strap.
Wehrmacht officials, as a rule, had the same shoulder straps as those of the active army. However, they were still distinguished by the easy insertion of a thread of braid dark green and various kinds of emblems.
It would not be amiss to remind you once again that shoulder straps are insignia of the Wehrmacht.
Buttonholes and shoulder straps of generals
As mentioned earlier, Wehrmacht generals wore shoulder straps, which were woven using two thick gold-metal strands and a silver soutache between them.
They also had removable shoulder straps, which (as in the case of ground forces) had a cloth lining scarlet color with a special figured cutout running along the edge of the strands (their lower edge). And the bent and sewn-in shoulder straps were distinguished by a straight lining.
The Wehrmacht generals wore silver stars on their shoulder straps, but there was some difference: major generals had no stars, lieutenant generals had one, a general of a certain type of troops (infantry, tank troops, cavalry, etc.) had two, and an oberst general had two. three (two stars located next to each other at the bottom of the shoulder strap and one slightly above them). Previously, there was such a rank as Colonel General in the position of Field Marshal General, which was not used at the beginning of the war. The shoulder strap of this rank had two stars, which were located in its upper and lower parts. A field marshal could be identified by the crossed silver batons along his shoulder straps.
There were also exceptional moments. So, for example, Gerd von Rundstedt (Field Marshal General, who was removed from command due to the defeat near Rostov, chief of the 18th Infantry Regiment) wore the regiment number on his shoulder straps on top of his field marshal's batons, as well as the white and silver ceremonial buttonholes of an infantry officer on his collar troops in return for the richly ornamented gold buttonholes embroidered on a scarlet cloth flap (size 40x90 mm) for generals. Their design was found back in the days of the Kaiser’s army and the Reichswehr; with the formation of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, it also appeared among generals.
From the beginning of April 1941, elongated buttonholes were introduced for field marshals, which had three (instead of the previous two) ornamental elements and shoulder straps made of golden thickened cords.
Another sign of the general's dignity is stripes.
The field marshal could also carry in his hand a natural staff, which was made of particularly valuable wood, individually decorated, generously inlaid with silver and gold and decorated with reliefs.
Personal identification mark
It looked like an oval aluminum token with three longitudinal slots, which served so that at a certain moment (the hour of death) it could be broken into two halves (the first, with two holes, was left on the body of the deceased, and the second half with one hole was given to headquarters).
Wehrmacht soldiers usually wore this on a chain or neck cord. The following was stamped on each token: blood type, badge number, battalion number, regiment number where this badge was issued for the first time. This information was supposed to accompany the soldier throughout his entire service life, if necessary supplemented by similar data from other units and troops.
An image of German military personnel can be seen in the photo “Wehrmacht Soldier” shown above.
Nakhodka in Besh-Kungei
According to official data, in April 2014, a treasure from the World War II era was found by citizen D. Lukichev in the village of Besh-Kungei (Kyrgyzstan). When digging cesspool he came across a metal army field locker from the Third Reich. Its contents are luggage items from 1944 - 1945. (age - more than 60 years), which was not damaged by moisture due to dense insulation through the rubber gasket of the box lid.
It included:
- a light-colored case with the inscription “Mastenbrille” containing glasses;
- a rolled-up travel bag with pockets filled with toiletries;
- mittens, replacement collars, socks with foot wraps, clothes brush, sweater, suspenders and dust protectors;
- a bundle tied with twine containing a supply of leather and fabric for repairs;
- granules of some kind of product (presumably anti-moth);
- an almost new jacket worn by a Wehrmacht officer, with a spare sewn-on emblem of the branch of service and a metal badge;
- headdresses (winter hat and cap) with insignia;
- military passes through front-line checkpoints;
- a banknote of five Reichsmarks;
- a couple of bottles of rum;
- box of cigars
Dmitry thought about donating most of the uniform to the museum. As for the bottles of rum, the box of cigars and the jacket worn by the Wehrmacht officer, he wants to keep them according to the legal 25% granted by the state when finding historical value.
The SS troops belonged to the SS organization; service in them was not considered state service, even if it was legally equivalent to such. The military uniform of SS soldiers is quite recognizable all over the world; most often this black uniform is associated with the organization itself. It is known that the uniforms for SS employees during the Holocaust were sewn by prisoners of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
History of the SS military uniform
Initially, soldiers of the SS troops (also “Waffen SS”) wore gray uniforms, very similar to the uniform of stormtroopers of the regular German army. In 1930, the same well-known black uniform was introduced, which was supposed to emphasize the difference between the troops and the rest and determine the elitism of the unit. By 1939, SS officers received a white dress uniform, and from 1934, a gray one was introduced, intended for field battles. The gray military uniform differed from the black one only in color.
Additionally, SS soldiers were entitled to a black overcoat, which, with the introduction of the gray uniform, was replaced by a double-breasted one, respectively. gray. High-ranking officers were allowed to wear their overcoat unbuttoned by the top three buttons so that the colored distinctive stripes were visible. Subsequently, holders of the Knight's Cross received the same right (in 1941), who were allowed to display the award.
The Waffen SS women's uniform consisted of a gray jacket and skirt, as well as a black cap with the SS eagle.
A black ceremonial club jacket with the symbols of the organization for officers was also developed.
It should be noted that in fact the black uniform was the uniform of the SS organization specifically, and not the troops: only SS members had the right to wear this uniform; transferred Wehrmacht soldiers were not allowed to use it. By 1944, the wearing of this black uniform was officially abolished, although in fact by 1939 it was used only on special occasions.
Distinctive features of the Nazi uniform
The SS uniform had a number of distinctive features, which are easily remembered even now, after the dissolution of the organization:
- The SS emblem of two German "Sig" runes was used on uniform insignia. Only ethnic Germans - Aryans - were allowed to wear runes on their uniforms; foreign members of the Waffen SS did not have the right to use this symbolism.
- “Death's Head” - at first, a metal round cockade with the image of a skull was used on the cap of SS soldiers. Later it was used on the buttonholes of soldiers of the 3rd Tank Division.
- The red armband with a black swastika on a white background was worn by members of the SS and stood out significantly against the background of the black dress uniform.
- The image of an eagle with outstretched wings and a swastika (formerly the coat of arms of Nazi Germany) eventually replaced skulls on cap badges and began to be embroidered on the sleeves of uniforms.
The Waffen SS camouflage pattern differed from the Wehrmacht camouflage. Instead of the accepted pattern design with applied parallel lines creating the so-called “rain effect”, wood and plant drawings. Since 1938, the following camouflage elements of the SS uniform have been adopted: camouflage jackets, reversible covers for helmets and face masks. On camouflage clothing it was necessary to wear green stripes indicating rank on both sleeves, however, for the most part this requirement was not observed by officers. During campaigns, a set of stripes was also used, each of which denoted one or another military qualification.
Rank insignia on SS uniform
The ranks of Waffen SS soldiers did not differ from the ranks of Wehrmacht employees: the differences were only in form. The uniform used the same distinctive signs, such as shoulder straps and embroidered buttonholes. SS officers wore insignia with the symbols of the organization both on shoulder straps and in buttonholes.
The shoulder straps of SS officers had a double backing, the upper one differing in color depending on the type of troops. The backing was edged with a silver cord. On the shoulder straps there were signs of belonging to one or another unit, metal or embroidered with silk threads. The shoulder straps themselves were made of gray braid, while their lining was invariably black. The bumps (or “stars”) on the shoulder straps, designed to indicate the officer’s rank, were bronze or gilded.
The buttonholes featured runic “zigs” on one, and rank insignia on the other. The employees of the 3rd Panzer Division, which was nicknamed "Death's Head" instead of "zig", had an image of a skull, which was previously worn as a cockade on the cap of SS men. The edges of the buttonholes were edged with twisted silk cords, and for generals they were covered with black velvet. They also used it to line the general's caps.
Video: SS form
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