Winter uniform of the Wehrmacht. Camouflage uniform of the Wehrmacht and SS troops

In the Second World War, many items of equipment were used that were developed back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: some were radically improved, others with minimal technological changes.

The Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic inherited the ammunition of the Kaiser's army. True, they began to make it from better materials, improved, modernized, customized to the standard. With the beginning of the second world! already outdated equipment was supplied by militia and rear units, and with the transfer of hostilities to German territory, Volkssturm formations.

Ammunition was produced by state-owned enterprises in the system of the General Directorate for Uniforms and Equipment of the Wehrmacht, as well as various private companies. Outwardly, the products of the latter sometimes differed from the standard state-owned ones - for example, the best finish, the quality of the seams, and well. of course, labelling. Some items were issued centrally, others, mostly for officers, were acquired privately. with monetary compensation.

Field equipment was distinguished by the rationality of the design, strength with a relatively low weight, and ease of use. By the end of the war, the quality of the materials used deteriorated: various ersatz, low-grade raw materials were used. Leather was replaced with tarpaulin and plastic; tarpaulin in turn canvas, etc. At the end of 1944, an attempt was made to completely standardize equipment in terms of materials and colors, to introduce a single one - of the general army type. But six months later, the question fell away - along with the fall of the Reich.

By the beginning of the march to the east, a significant part of the metal and parts - bowlers, shovels. cases of gas masks - began to be painted not in dark gray, as before, but in olive green. Since 1943, dark yellow has become the predominant color for all military equipment - as a natural basis for applying darker camouflage, ocher coloring was carried out directly at the manufacturer's factory.

Along with the marked colors in the ground forces, a bluish-gray, widely used in the Luftwaffe, was also used to paint some details.

Many elements of the equipment were covered with leather, both black and all shades of brown - up to natural. Black and dark brown tones were used in soldier and special equipment, light brown in officer's. Leather of different colors in one item was usually not used.

Tarpaulin belts and bands are also characteristic of pre-war ammunition, but they have become especially widespread since 1943. Sometimes the tarpaulin was replaced by cotton fabric folded in several layers and stitched. Such products were painted in the color of field gray, gray, green, brown, beige. Metal fittings: buckles, staples, washers, rings and half rings - had a natural metal tone or were covered with field gray or another shade of gray. An attempt to introduce a single dark gray color for all military branches was not entirely successful.

This stamp, embossed on the skin, along with information about the manufacturer, also indicated the place and year of issue. Manufacturer's stamp on the bowler. Under the abbreviated name of the company, the last two digits (41) indicate the year of manufacture. The stamp of acceptance of the military department on a camp flask.
Infantry shooter. He carries two ammo pouches for a 98k carbine.	Reserve captain with brown waist belt.	Company commander of an infantry regiment in field uniforms. He carried 2 bags with magazines for the MP machine gun. binoculars, wiauuiuem and holster.
Shooter of an infantry regiment in 1940 with typical weapons and equipment.	Different types of machines for a combat backpack, "trapezium" and bags for combat display.	Sergeant Major of the 91st Mountain Rangers Regiment, Hungary 1944
Usually the pouches for the MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns were carried in pairs. Each pouch had 3 slots, and each pouch was placed both on them and on 32 rounds of 9 mm caliber. The pictures show pouches made of brown canvas, a small pocket is visible on the side. Here lay a device for loading the store. On the reverse side of the pouch are visible knee straps for attaching to the waist belt.

Officer equipment

Genuine leather of various shades of brown: light, orange, reddish, was worn on a wide waist belt with a double-pronged frame buckle and an adjustable shoulder harness. The instruction that followed in July 1943 to blacken items of equipment for camouflage was not always carried out: as already noted. the brown belt was revered as a symbol of officer dignity.

The belt of the 1934 model was worn not only by military officers, but also by military officials of an equal rank, doctors, veterinarians, bandmasters, and senior fenrichs. The frame of the buckle was made of aluminum alloy with a grained surface in matte silver or gray, the general's was covered with matte gold. A two-piece shoulder strap with a movable buckle was equipped with two flat carabiner hooks for fastening to the half rings of the couplings.

A pistol holster was hung from the belt. and at the front, a field bag - a service tablet of the 1935 model, or one of its many commercial versions purchased by officers at their own expense, or - at the end of the war - a simplified one made of artificial leather "press-shtoff". If necessary, a bayonet in an officer's brown blade, a saber, and a dagger were hung on the belt.

From the end of September 1939, senior officers of the active army were forbidden to wear a shoulder belt, and soon this ban extended to all officers of combat units. Instead, they were allowed to use in combat conditions: lieutenants - a soldier's belt with a badge and shoulder straps with auxiliary straps: captains and above - cavalry-type belts, with narrow straight shoulders. (Later, in 1940, the relevant standards changed somewhat, but on the Eastern Front, officers wore belts with a frame buckle, sometimes with a shoulder belt.) And in November 1939, officers in the active army were ordered to wear soldier's belts in combat conditions: a black belt - up to and including the regiment commander: supporting shoulder straps (both infantry and cavalry models) - regardless of rank. But the officers preferred their own, "primordial" - brown equipment.

Cloak-tent arr. 1931 with camouflage. One side of the raincoat was covered with dark "fragmentation" camouflage, and the other side was covered with light. It is clearly visible in the picture. Three short tension cables were secured with pegs.	Reich, 1935. Artillerymen wear straps for cartridge bags. After the introduction in 1941 of a harness with additional belts, in the future, only officers had it.	In front of the camouflage tent is a soldier of the sanitary service. Medical personnel often wore very conspicuous insignia (a red cross in a deed circle) to carry out their tasks on the milking floor. He usually had a metal box with medicines for first aid. Helmets with red crosses ceased to be used in the second half of the war.

Pistol holsters

The German army was saturated with pistols like no other. The pistol was not only the personal weapon of each officer, but also an additional one for the machine gunner, squad leader, tanker, paratrooper. sapper, motorcyclist, military policeman, as well as soldiers and non-commissioned officers of many other specialties.

The officer holsters had smooth leather, about the same color as the waist belt; for soldiers, non-commissioned officers and all SS - black. And at the end of the war, various ersatz were used on those, others and thirds. The most widespread - respectively pistols - were holsters for P-08 Luger, better known as Parabellum, iodine Walter P-38 of two types, and for 7.65 caliber pistols - for "long Browning" 1910/22. Walter PP and PPK. Mauser and some others. Many holsters for small pistols were suitable for several systems.

Holsters iodine 9-mm "Parabellum" and Walter were similar - wedge-shaped. with a deep hinged lid of a complex rounded shape, with a pocket for a spare clip on the front edge of the case. The first, under R-08, was fastened with an oblique strap with a buckle; the second, under R-38. had a deeper lid and a vertical fastening strap, either locked with a button or passed through a bracket in the slot of a metal plate on the valve (there were other options for attaching it). Inside the lid there was a nest with a lid for wiping, and an exhaust strap was passed through the slot in the case. Two loops for a waist belt were sewn on the back. There was also a swing version of the holster for Walter - with a side pocket for a spare magazine. The lid in the form of a flat valve with rounded corners was fastened with a strap to a peg button on a triangular valve that closed the trigger guard.

The Model 1922 Browning holster had resilient straps riveted to the flat flap of the lid; a wide sleeve for a waist belt slid over them. A hinged strap was fastened to the peg of the lid, attached to the body by a quadrangular ring; in the nose of the holster there was a small grommet for a retaining cord. The pocket for the clip was located on the front on the rib, as on the P-08 holster.

Large holsters were worn, as a rule, on the left - it was more convenient to pull out a long pistol. Small ones - which were mostly used by senior officers and generals, as well as rear ranks - could also be worn on the right. A wooden holster for the Mauser K-96 with leather fastened pockets and straps was worn on the shoulder with a suspension or behind a belt, like similar holsters for Browning 07 and UP. to the long Luger.

The Wehrmacht used various types of pistols, including examples of captured weapons. Officers had to carry pistols and more often chose the 7.65mm caliber, such as the Walter pistol (pictured #1), which was carried in a brown leather holster. The holster for other pistols P 38 (No. 2) and P 08 (No. Z), both caliber 9 mm, was sewn from black leather. All three holsters had a pocket for a spare clip.		The sample plate of 1935 could be made of brown or black gauge. It had two knee loops for attaching to the waist belt and the doll was worn on the left according to the charter. On the front, it had slots for pencils, rulers, and an eraser. There were two compartments inside the bag, in which the cards were stored in a protective case.

Tablets, bags, binoculars, flashlights

An officer's field tablet, or bag for maps, of the 1935 model was made of smooth or grained leather: brown in different shades - for the army, black - for the SS troops. It was also used by senior non-commissioned officers. During the war, the color changed to gray, and natural leather to artificial.

Inside the tablet there were partitions, transparent celluloid plates for cards. On the front wall of the case were leather pockets for pencils - usually along the pocket for the coordinate ruler - and nests for other tools. There were different options for their placement: along with standard state-owned ones, commercial products were used.

The valve could cover the tablet entirely, half or only its upper third, fastened either with a leather tongue with a buckle, or with a bracket passing through the slots in the plates riveted to the valve - the lid tongue was passed through it. Domestic field bags were closed in a similar way. They wore German tablets or hung them by loops on a waist belt, or on an overstretched strap with an adjustment buckle.

Almost all binoculars were equipped with a neck strap with a fastened leather or plastic cap to protect the eyepieces and a leather loop attached to the body frame for fastening to the jacket button. State-owned binoculars were covered with black ersatz leather and painted in field gray or dark yellow; frequent firms used natural leather and black lacquer for these purposes. Cases were made of natural or artificial leather - black or brown, as well as plastics such as Bakelite; half rings were attached to the sidewalls for fastening a belt, on the back wall - leather loops for a belt. The clasp of the lid was elastic. with an eye on the tongue and a peg on the body of the case; there were also spring ones, as on cases of gas masks. The place of the binocular case was determined by the presence of other equipment.

There were many samples of service flashlights with colored signal or camouflage filters. The rectangular case, metal or plastic, was painted black, field gray. dark yellow, and whitened in winter. A leather loop was attached to the back of it for fastening to a button of clothing or other similar devices.

The bag of a hauptfeldwebel - a company foreman, in which he kept report forms, lists of personnel, writing materials. - did not have fasteners and, according to tradition, was worn overboard with a tunic or jacket.

Infantry equipment

The standard equipment of an infantryman was the base for many other branches of the military. Its basis was a waist belt - mainly made of thick smooth leather, black, less often brown, about 5 cm wide. A stamped aluminum or steel (and at the end of the war, bakelite) buckle with a grained or smooth surface, silver or painted in silver, was worn on the right end. feldgrau, khaki, grey. A round medallion with an imperial eagle surrounded by the motto "God is with us" was stamped in the center. The buckle was adjusted using a tongue sewn to the belt with paired holes, which included the teeth of the inner sleeve. The hook of the left end of the belt was hooked on the buckle loop.

The next important component of the equipment was the Y-shaped support belts - two overstretched and dorsal. Similar ones were used back in the First World War, and in 1939 new ones were introduced, with riveted side straps for a satchel of the same year or a combat backrest. The narrowed ends of the shoulders with sewn-on leather stops had a number of holes, which included the teeth of the adjustment buckles: the galvanized buckles ended with wide stamped hooks that clung to the semicircular or quadrangular rings of pouches or movable belt couplings. The length of the side straps with rings was adjusted with cufflinks and slits, as with the back strap, which was hooked from below to the middle of the belt, and for a tall soldier, by the ring of the movable clutch. The backrest was connected to the shoulder straps by a large round ring with a lining leather washer. Back on shoulders. above the central ring, large half rings were sewn for attaching the upper hooks of a marching or assault pack, as well as other ammunition.

Simplified canvas equipment of a similar purpose was used in North Africa along with leather equipment, and after the surrender of the Africa Army in May 1943, it began to be produced for continental troops, mainly in the western theater of operations. However, at the end of the war, canvas belts, from greenish-yellow to dark brown, were also found in abundance on the Eastern Front.

Chief sergeant major of the 3rd motorcycle rifle battalion (3rd tank division). Various items of military equipment are visible on the carriage.	Soldiers of the reserve army in most cases carried only one cartridge bag.	On occasion, army units also adopted camouflage patterns like the Luftwaffe or C S troops. In the picture, two officers are wearing the camouflage jackets of a Luftwaffe field division.
Second number (right) with a carbine and a pistol. Behind him are two boxes of ammunition (300 rounds each) for a machine gun and accessories for a Type 36 light grenade launcher.	Hand grenades with handle arr. 24 and packing boxes for their transfer.	Several ammo boxes, a field telephone and a hand-held anti-tank cumulative magnetic mine.

Pouches for clips and magazines for small arms

Three-section cartridge pouches for the Mauser rifle model 1884-98 were used during the First World War. Standardized in 1933 as an all-army. the pouch of the 1911 model differed from the similar one of the 1909 sample ... with a smaller capacity - six clips (30 rounds). In combat units, the arrows wore two pouches - to the left and to the right of the buckle; the troops of the second echelon made do with one, which was located depending on other equipment. The hook of the shoulder strap clung to the ring on the upper part of the back wall of the pouch, the lids were fastened with straps on the pegs on the bottoms of the pockets. There were belt loops on the back.

Soldier. armed with a pistol and machine gun model 1938-40. (usually one per squad of shooters with rifles), kept stores to him in twin triple pouches but on both sides of the belt buckle. They also carried magazines for submachine guns of other systems chambered for a 9-mm cartridge. Each pocket for a 32-pack magazine had a flap with a leather tongue fastened to a peg. The pouch was canvas khaki or beige, before the war there was also a leather pouch - with a pocket for equipment, sewn onto the left pouch in front. On a canvas, a pocket with a flap on a button was sewn on the back side. On the back wall of the pouch there were leather loops sewn at an angle for the waist belt, so the pouches were worn obliquely, with the lids forward. Leather straps with half-rings went perpendicularly from the sides for fastening to the i support belts.

Soldiers armed with a self-loading rifle of the 1943 model wore four spare magazines on their belts on the left in a two-section pouch, usually canvas, with leather-trimmed edges. On the right was most often an ordinary three-section black leather pouch.

		Machine gunner (1st number). For self-defense, he had, in addition to the MG-34 machine gun, also a pistol, which was located on the waist belt on the left. On the right side, he carried a bag with tools for the MG-34 machine gun.
The MG 34 machine gun was a wide range weapon: it could be used as a light and as a heavy machine gun. Its theoretical rate of fire was 800-900 rounds per minute. Machine gunners wore a tool bag on their waist belt, which housed a cartridge case ejector (1), a sight for firing at aircraft (2), a cartridge case extractor (3), a fragment of a machine-gun belt (4), an oiler (5), an assembly key (6), rags (7) and muzzle pad (8).
In the second half of the war, the MG 42 machine gun appeared, which was also used as a light and heavy machine gun. The new machine gun was lighter, stronger and cheaper to manufacture than the MG 34. Its theoretical rate of fire was 1300-1400 rounds per minute. He gained legendary fame and still remains the best machine gun of this caliber. His modified samples are still used in various armies.

Equipment worn on the belt

The blade for the bayonet of the 1884/98 rifle was made of leather, usually black, with a grained surface. On the tapering glass of the blade there was a slot for a hook holding the scabbard, and at the upper end, forming a loop for the waist belt, there was a swivel with a button for fastening the hilt. A lanyard was tied over the glass (he almost never met on the Eastern Front).

A small infantry shovel - a folding German one with a pointed end, a non-folding Austrian one with a pentagonal blade, a straight non-folding German one, a captured Polish one, or some other one used in the German army - was hung from one or two belt loops on the left thigh from behind - in framed case made of black or brown leather, black ersatz “press-stoff” or canvas tape. A bayonet was attached to the blade in the blade, the loop of which was located between the loops of the blade cover. The bayonet could be placed in front of the shoulder blade if its cover was with a single loop.

Small infantry shovel - folding German with a pointed end, non-folding Austrian with a pentagonal blade, straight non-folding German, captured Polish, or some other one used in the German army. - hung by one or two belt loops on the left thigh at the back - in a frame case made of black or brown leather, black ersatz "press-stoff" or canvas braid. A bayonet was attached to the blade in the blade, the loop of which was located between the loops of the blade cover. The bayonet could be placed in front of the shoulder blade if its cover was with a single loop.

A characteristic feature of German equipment is a bread bag, or bread bag. With some modifications, it has been used since the last century. A large valve with a semicircular bottom completely closed the bag of the 1931 model, fastening with internal straps with slots for buttons. Outside, it had two leather loops for straps that protected the bag from swinging. In its upper corners, near the loops, leather ears with half rings for a bowler hat, flask and other items were sewn on. The bag, belt loops, strap with a hook between them were canvas or canvas, usually gray or field gray. At the end of the war, brown tones prevailed. khaki, olive. Some bags were additionally equipped with a shoulder strap. A pocket with an external flap for gun accessories was sewn to the products of the latest releases. Bread or crackers were stored in the bag (hence its name) - part of dry rations or NZ ("iron portion"). toiletries, shaving and cutlery, an undershirt, gun accessories, caps, etc. In fact, in the field, with a lightweight layout, it served as a small duffel bag, largely replacing a knapsack. Always worn on the right back.

An aluminum flask of 1931 with a capacity of 800 ml, with a screw cap and an oval cup, was painted gray or black, later olive green. A strap with a buckle, which was included in the brackets on the cup and went around the flask but vertically in front and behind. It was worn in leather loops on a cloth, felzgrau or brown, case, which was fastened on the side with three buttons, and its flat carabiner hook was fastened to the half rings of equipment or a bread bag. At the end of the war, steel flasks appeared - enameled or covered with red-brown phenolic rubber, which protected the contents only from frost - in this case, the flask had an additional strap around the circumference. Cone-shaped drinking cups could be steel or black Bakelite; they were also attracted by a strap stretched into brackets. Mountain troops and orderlies used one and a half liter flasks of a similar device. discontinued in 1943

The combined kettle of the 1931 model, copied in many countries, including the USSR, was made of aluminum, and since 1943 - of steel. Until April 1941, 1.7-liter bowlers were painted gray, then they switched to olive green (however, the paint was often peeled off on the field). A fastening strap was passed into the brackets of the folding bowl-lid handle. In the presence of knapsacks of old samples, the bowler hat was worn outside, with later ones - inside them. With a lightweight layout, he either fastened to a bread bag next to a flask, or clung to a back strap or to a webbing combat satchel. NZ was stored inside the cauldron.

Introduced in April 1939, black shoulder straps were intended to support the infantryman's ammunition. The backrest was connected to the shoulder straps with a leather-lined knee. A satchel of the 1939 model was attached to it. In the photo - different angles of the infantryman's harness belts, including Y-shaped belts - two overpowered and back.
	A bowler hat of dark green color from two parts - a cover and the body.
A camping flask equipped with a black lacquered aluminum mug was produced until 1941. It was placed in a felt bag. The picture on the right clearly shows the fastening of the flask with a leather strap and a carabiner to a bread bag. The picture below shows a later edition flask with a small black Bakelite tankard and a canvas strap.	The gas mask equipment for each soldier consisted of a gas mask in a cylindrical test case and a protective cape against liquid poisonous substances. Soldiers. glasses wearers were given special goggles that could be fixed inside a gas mask. 1. Gas mask sample 1930. 2. Special glasses with a flat case, below is the prescription of an ophthalmologist. 3-5. From left to right: gas mask cases, model 1930 (Reichswehr model), model 1936 and 1938

Chemical and protective equipment

The cylindrical gas mask case-canister had a longitudinally corrugated surface and a lid on a hinged loop and a spring latch. To two brackets at the lid, a shoulder strap made of braid leaned, and to the bracket at the bottom - a strap with a hook that clung to a belt or equipment rings.

In the case of the sample of 1930, a gas mask of the sample of the same goal was usually placed with a mask made of rubberized fabric, with a round filter screwed on the stigma and with tightening elastic straps made of rubber-fabric braid. The case for a gas mask of the 1938 model was with a cover of less depth. and the mask is completely rubber.

A box with a degassing agent and napkins was placed in the lid. The factory coloring of gas mask cases is field grau, but they were often repainted on the Eastern Front. and in winter they covered it with whitewash or lime. Cases of the sample 1930 and 1938 were interchangeable.

According to the rules in the infantry, the gas mask was placed with the lid forward over the bread bag, slightly below the waist belt, but also with the lid back - like. for example, machine gunners or those whose special equipment was blocked by a gas mask. A shoulder strap and hook strap kept the case in a nearly horizontal position. Drivers and motorcyclists wore a gas mask on a shortened strap horizontally on the chest, lid to the right; cavalrymen - on the right thigh, passing the strap under the waist belt; in the mountain troops - horizontally, behind the backpack, lid to the right. In transport vehicles, the gas mask case, releasing the strap, was placed on the knee. Well, in combat conditions, it was located as it was more convenient for anyone - both on the left side, and vertically, and on the shoulder strap, and attached to the equipment.

An oilcloth bag for an anti-chemical (“antipritic”) cape was fastened to the strap of the gas mask case or directly to its corrugated canister.

The triangular raincoat of the 1931 model was cut from impregnated cotton gabardine with a three-color "comminuted" camouflage - dark on one side and light on the other (at the end of the war, the pattern was dark on both sides). The slot for the head in the center was blocked by two valves. The tent could be worn like a poncho, and with the flaps buttoned up, it was a kind of cloak. There were ways to wear it for hiking, riding a motorcycle and riding. The tent was used as a bedding or pillow, and two - stuffed with hay and rolled into a bagel - served as a good watercraft. With the help of loops and buttons on the edges, sections of tents could be joined into large panels for group shelters. Eyelets on the corners and on the sides of the middle seam at the base made it possible to stretch the panel with ropes and stakes during installation. A rolled-up tent and a bag with accessories for it were worn, attached either to shoulder straps, or to an assault pack, or at the waist. They attached it to the backpack - or put it inside it. At the end of the war, tents were delivered only to selected field units. Therefore, the German army did not disdain the old square times of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the captured Soviet ones with a hood.

Infantry special equipment

The quadrangular black leather pouch for accessories for the MG-34 and MG-42 machine guns had a flip-up lid with a strap. fastened with a button on the bottom, and on the back wall - fasteners for belts: two loops - for the waist and a four-legged or semicircular ring - for the hook of the shoulder support belt. At the end of the war, pouches began to be made from black or light beige "press stock". An asbestos tack for removing a hot barrel was often placed under the outer strap of the pouch box.

Interchangeable barrels were stored in cases swinging along the length, for 1 or 2 each, which were worn over the right shoulder with a strap and worn behind the back. The commander of the calculation of a heavy machine gun in the same way placed a case with two optical sights. All machine gunners were armed with "Parabellum" (less often - Walter P-38), worn in a black holster on the left side.

Hand grenades were kept in double canvas flat bags with valves and a connecting strap worn around the neck: subsequently they were worn only by the canvas handle. They also placed M-24 grenades with a long wooden handle, for which, however, there were also special bags (for 5 pieces each) made of coarse burlap with a tied neck and two straps: one was thrown over the neck, the other went around the waist. But much more often, these hand grenades were thrust into the belt, over the tops of boots, over the side of the tunic. tied to a trench tool. A special vest for wearing them - with five deep pockets. stitched in front and behind and fastened with straps - it was rarely used at the front.

From November 1939, officers of the active army were required to wear a belt on their field uniform. The waist belt was made of black leather with holes and ended with a buckle with two pins.	Lemon hand grenades sample 1939	Eastern Front, 1941. A messenger on a motorcycle is talking to the commander of a Panzer 1 Ausf.V. The motorcyclist has a gas mask bag in front. This way of wearing around the neck was common for motorcyclists.
Machine gunner (1st number) of the infantry regiment.	Trench tool. A short shovel and a bag for carrying it. The small picture below shows how to wear it.	Different angles of a folding shovel and the way it is worn. When assembled, the shovel bayonet is fixed with a special nut. The bayonet of this shovel can be fixed at a right angle and used as a hoe.

, characterized by simplicity and functionality. At the beginning of the war, high-quality pre-war equipment was used.
Later, the design of the equipment was simplified, and its quality decreased. The same thing happened with the military uniform of the Wehrmacht. The simplification of sewing, the replacement of natural materials with artificial ones, the transition to cheaper raw materials are typical for both armies, both our Soviet and German ones.
Equipment of the Soviet soldier sample 1936 was modern and thoughtful. The duffel bag had two small side pockets. The flap of the main compartment and the flaps of the side pockets were fastened with a leather strap with a metal buckle. On the bottom of the duffel bag there were fasteners for carrying pegs for the tent. The shoulder straps had quilted pads. Inside the main compartment, the Red Army soldier kept a change of linen, footcloths, rations, a small bowler hat and a mug. Toiletries and cleaning supplies for the rifle were carried in the outer pockets. The overcoat and cape were worn folded over the shoulder. Inside the roll, various small things could be stored.

Equipment of the Soviet soldier of the 1941 model

Waist belt 4 cm wide in dark brown leather. On both sides of the buckle to the waist belt, cartridge pouches were attached to two compartments, each compartment contained two standard 5-round clips. Thus, the wearable ammunition was 40 rounds. A canvas bag was hung from the back of the belt for additional ammunition, which consisted of six five-round clips. In addition, it was possible to carry a canvas bandolier that could hold 14 more clips. Often, instead of an additional pouch, a canvas grocery bag was worn. A sapper shovel and a flask were also hung from the waist belt, on the right thigh. The gas mask was carried in a bag over the right shoulder. By 1942, the wearing of gas masks was almost universally abandoned, but they continued to be kept in warehouses.

Items of equipment of the Russian soldier of the Second World War

Most of the pre-war equipment was lost during the retreat of the summer-autumn of 1941. To make up for the losses, the production of simplified equipment was launched. Instead of high-quality dressed leather, tarpaulin and leatherette were used. The color of the equipment also varied widely, from brownish yellow to dark olive. A canvas belt 4 cm wide was reinforced with a leather lining 1 cm wide. Leather cartridge pouches continued to be produced, but they were increasingly replaced by pouches made of tarpaulin and leatherette. The production of pouches for grenades for two or three grenades began. These pouches were also worn on the waist belt, next to the cartridge pouches. Often the Red Army did not have a complete set of equipment, wearing what they managed to get.
The duffel bag of the 1941 model was a simple canvas bag tied with a cord. A U-shaped strap was attached to the bottom of the duffel bag, which was tied in a knot in the middle at the neck, forming shoulder straps. Cloak-tent, food bag, pouch for additional ammunition after the start of the war became much less common. Instead of a metal flask, there were glass ones with a cork stopper.
In extreme cases, there was no duffel bag, and the Red Army soldier carried all his personal property inside a rolled overcoat. Sometimes the Red Army did not even have cartridge pouches, and the ammunition had to be carried in their pockets.

Equipment of soldiers and officers in the Great Patriotic War

In the pocket of his tunic, the fighter wore a dressing bag made of light gray fabric with a red cross. Personal items may have included a small towel and a toothbrush. Toothbrush was used to brush the teeth. The soldier could also have a comb, mirror and straight razor. A small cloth bag with five compartments was used to store sewing supplies. Lighters were made from 12.7 mm cartridge cases. Lighters of industrial production were rare, but ordinary matches were widely used. A special set of accessories was used to clean the weapon. Oil and solvent were stored in a tin box into two compartments.

Elements of equipment and equipment of Russian soldiers

Equipment of the Soviet soldier of the second world , the pre-war bowler was similar in design to the German one, but during the war years, an ordinary open bowler hat with a wire handle was more common. Most of the soldiers had enameled metal bowls and mugs, as well as spoons. The spoon was usually kept tucked behind the top of the boot. Many soldiers had knives that were used as tools or cutlery rather than as weapons. Popular were Finnish knives (puukko) with a short, wide blade and deep leather sheath that could hold the whole knife, along with the handle.
Officers wore high-quality leather waist belts with a brass buckle and harness, a bag, a tablet, B-1 (6x30) binoculars, a wrist compass, a wrist watch, and a brown leather pistol holster.

It describes the individual parts of the army uniform related to military uniforms. Various components of the uniform are presented in chronological order, while some of its samples are given taking into account possible changes.

During the war, there were inevitable partial deviations from the standard uniform, which were reflected in the relevant orders. On the other hand, the soldiers themselves altered the uniform to their liking and according to the fashion trends of those years, which also did not always meet the required standards. Of course, in the Wehrmacht, under the dominance of the standard uniform, there were various deviations. These deviations were also caused by the arbitrariness (initiative) of the personnel in interpreting uniform orders, but they concerned only individual elements of uniforms. Another reason for the deviation from the standards was the presence of foreign units in the ranks of the Wehrmacht, which used different materials and fabrics for their uniforms. Their texture and color did not always match the uniform of the Wehrmacht. Therefore, for example, the color tone of the standard gray fabric in 1933 and 1945 differed significantly.

Warehouse

It was intended for the storage of uniforms and military equipment intended for ordinary and non-commissioned officers during their service in the army. There could also be a department of a clothing warehouse for reserve officers.

3preparation and supply

According to the 1939 mobilization plan, the armed forces were formed, which consisted of the active army and spare parts. The latter consisted of training and auxiliary military units in the front line and were intended to directly support the army in the field. The procurement, storage and supply of all uniforms was assigned to the following units:

A) peacetime army and reserve army

For the procurement of uniforms and military equipment, departmental groups (army supply units) were created. Storage in a clothing warehouse and the supply of uniforms were entrusted to the appropriate army department. His command was initially in Berlin, and later directorates were created in each of the 15 military districts. Representatives of various firms delivered samples of uniforms and military equipment to receiving inspections, where, after a detailed study, a decision was made on the volume of orders for goyim or other products for the corresponding military district.

C) active army.

To supply units of the active army, centralized army warehouses were created, which also included clothing warehouses. Central supply points were established in each army. They were led by the chief quartermaster from the army headquarters, he was responsible for the distribution and supply of the necessary uniforms and military equipment for the divisions. It was delivered from the rear warehouses to the front line, where it was distributed according to the requests of the unit commanders. Based on the specific situation, the corresponding rear supply columns reached the military units at their request or transferred property to divisional columns for delivery to the front line.

Care and repair

For the maintenance and care of military uniforms. which was considered the property of the 3rd Reich and was issued only for temporary use, the soldiers and non-commissioned officers themselves answered. Appropriate accessories for the care of clothes and shoes were provided to them, these were shoe polish and a darning kit. In addition, various workshops were created in the rear: shoe, tailor and saddlery. They did the work that the soldiers themselves could not do. At the level of the division, workshops for sewing military uniforms were created, they were located on the territory of the Reich in peacetime and moved with the division to the front. There they were engaged in the repair of clothes and returned sho after repair in part of the division.

Officers were required to maintain their own uniforms and equipment in good order. For them, as well as for soldiers and non-commissioned officers, company workshops were created for repairing boots, mending uniforms and saddlery workshops.

Cap for soldiers and non-commissioned officers (here: artillery), an eagle with a swastika of the 1st form, a dark gray band. The wreath of oak leaves belongs to the pattern; which was used between 1920 and 1935.	The sapper in the photo wears a cap of the same pattern.	Detailed view of an old style cap (here: 17th Infantry Regiment). The eagle with a swastika and the wreath of oak leaves are embroidered with aluminum thread.

materials

The supplied uniforms in gray, stone gray (trousers) and black (for tankers) were made from the so-called "main fabric". In this case, it was a mixture of wool and artificial fibers. The ratio in this mixture depended on the type of uniform and its year of manufacture. So according to the order. issued in October 1936, the “main fabric”, for officer jackets should be 80% sheared wool, for field jackets - 90%, for trousers - 100% and for hats - 70%.

During the war, the situation with raw materials in the Reich worsened, and fibers - natural or artificial - were added to the sheared wool of the main fabric. This affected not only the quality of matter, but also its color. So. at the beginning of the war, the matter was bright gray-green in color, by 1940 the color of the jackets had faded, and during the war one could observe almost gray jackets that gave off yellowness. At the end of the war, the color of the jackets was brownish-olive. but this applies mainly to the uniform of figurative 1944.

The black-and-green collars of field jackets and overcoats were made from "insignia linen", which was thinner and more delicate than the main linen. It contained 90% wool and had a knitted base.

Gabardine and teak were also used. The first was a mixture of wool and fabric fibers, which formed a characteristic structure - thin longitudinal stripes. Gabardine walked, for example. for caps and officer jackets. Teak or drilch is a strong linen fabric with a herringbone or fishbone pattern. At first, teak was used to make full-fledged field suits, but later it was used only for summer or working jackets.

Until 1941, gray-brown cotton linen was used for the lining of field jackets and overcoats. At the end of the war it was gray or taupe rayon. For caps and caps, artificial silk or cotton fabric of brown shades, from yellowish to brown, was used. The trouser lining was lined with white cotton.

The beret of a black tanker was introduced as workwear in November 1934. The beret had a cushion of hard rubber, sheathed on the outside with black woolen fabric. From the inside, the beret was sheathed in leather, the base of the beret is elastic. Initially, a wreath of oak leaves and a cockade were embroidered directly on the beret; as shown in the picture. Later, an eagle with a swastika was added, and the cockade itself with a wreath of oak leaves began to be embroidered on a separate piece of cloth. From 1936-37. all the signs began to be embroidered on the same basis: an eagle, a wreath and a cockade. For officers, they were embroidered with silver thread, for soldiers and non-commissioned officers - white, and later - silver-gray thread on a black backing. For the types of Sturmgeshütz self-propelled guns, the overalls were the same as those of the tankers, but gray. The beret was canceled already in January 1941. Gray berets were produced in small quantities, but they were fasting in parts.

Officers of the 10th Infantry Regiment, 1936. The third officer on the left wears the M 1920 cap, which was introduced for all military ranks. His fellow officers, on the contrary, wear caps that were intended only for officers and officials.

Stamps

The uniform received from the clothing warehouse, as a rule, had a stamp on the lining, the so-called kammerstamp. The basic data of uniforms were applied on it: manufacturer. military stamp, size, height, year of issue, etc.

Companies producing military uniforms

During the 2nd World War, there were 7 enterprises that produced German military uniforms. They were in Berlin, Erfurt. Munich, Königsberg, Stettin. Hannover and Vienna. When the war came to the territory of the Reich, it was necessary to look for and connect new enterprises to production. Uniform manufacturers placed paper labels on the inside of uniforms indicating the company and size. In the warehouses of the military department, on the lining of uniforms, this information was stamped with black ink. At the same time, generally accepted abbreviations were used, among which the last two digits meant the year of issue (L, B, C). For example. the inscription on the stamp "M 44" meant that this uniform was issued in 1944 at a factory in Munich.

Dimensions

On the lining of any part of the uniform, the size was indicated in black stamp paint. If the fabric was dark in color, red or white paints were used.

Five basic data (in cm) on overcoats, tunics, field jackets, etc. included the following indicators: back length, overall length, chest coverage, collar size and sleeve length (A, B, C). For caps, caps and other headgear, only the size of the head volume in cm (F) was indicated. 4 sizes were applied on the trousers: the size of the waist and hips, the length and depth of the pants (O).

Manufacturer's stamp

The stamp, as a rule, indicated the manufacturer (L, V, C). Until the end of 1942, the manufacturer and its location were not encrypted (D, E). Later they began to encrypt. to hide data on the military industry, which included factories and plants producing uniforms and military equipment. They received numbers, the so-called "reichsbetribenumber" (RB-Nr), consisting of several groups of numbers. These figures included the code of the plant or factory that was part of the military industry of the Reich (C).

Not only large textile firms were involved in the production of military uniforms for the Wehrmacht. The corresponding orders were received by medium and small firms, which were united in the so-called "local partnerships for the supply of products." They produced uniforms and military equipment, on which there was an abbreviated sign "Lago" (Lago) (B). On the cap, the manufacturer's stamp was located on the pale inner side of the leather ribbon (along the inner edge of the cap) (I).

Personal uniform

Officers had to purchase uniforms and military equipment at their own expense. When enrolled in a position, they received a lump-sum allowance for these purposes. They could buy uniforms at special ateliers in Berlin at a discount as members of the officer community, or they could purchase them from the clothing store of their unit. The rank and file and non-commissioned officers had the right to wear their own uniforms only outside the service as a dress uniform. It was, as a rule, a uniform made to order from thin, high-quality and comfortable fabric. Typically fashionable was the fitted form, lightly padded with wadding on the shoulders, with patches and handmade badges. Although on parade uniforms the elements of the uniform had to strictly comply with the requirements of the charter, however, deviations were no exception.

Matter

Most elements of the uniform were made of wool or gabardine. Most often, sheared wool of the best quality, worsted knitwear or suede was used as a high-quality uniform fabric. For tailoring uniforms and trousers, gabardine was also used, which was lighter than woolen fabric or gray moleskin (dense, durable cotton fabric produced by reinforced satin weave). In the warm season, officers were required to wear a white uniform, which was sewn from cotton teak or league. Most of the uniforms were lined, including the sleeves. In most cases, rayon of green, gray or brown color was used as a lining.

Uniform marking

With a large mass production of uniforms, manufacturers used a stamp or label to mark it. The label usually indicated the name and address of the tailor on the tunic, trousers and overcoat, it was located on the inside of the clothing - on the lining (J). On caps, it was located on the inside of the top under the celluloid plate (11). On the tunic and overcoat, the marking was located on the inside pocket and, in addition to the name and address of the tailor, had a free space where the name of the owner of the overcoat and his rank (L) were later recorded. According to the charter, soldiers and non-commissioned officers were required to apply personal markings to their uniforms and military equipment. Before the first use of the uniform, the marking had to be checked by the company commander for compliance with the charter and then stamped with the stamp “checked” K).

Material of foreign armies

The Wehrmacht also used other materials. which received from other armed forces, captured or requisitioned, etc. At the same time, they were not limited only to weapons and materiel, but also captured uniforms and military equipment. For example, after 1940, thousands of uniforms of the Dutch army were altered according to the model of the German uniform. The same thing happened to the uniforms of the Austrian, Czech and French armies. This type of "German-marked" uniform was issued to the rear units, as well as to the Eastern European units of the Wehrmacht.

Along with this, trophy fabric and matter from Soviet and Italian stocks were used to make various elements of the uniform: from caps and uniforms to summer uniforms. Such products were delivered directly to the front and were popular with soldiers.

Hats

They were usually treated along with steel helmets and caps. Here we look at various headgear used by the Wehrmacht from 1933 to 1945.

Kepi, where earlier the eagle with a swastika and the cockade were made on the same T-shaped base, were replaced by the usual insignia.		This infantry lieutenant wears on his cap a metal wreath of hand-embroidered oak leaves and an eagle with a swastika.
The signs on the general's cap changed in November 1942 after the appearance of the corresponding order. The eagle with the swastika and the wreath of oak leaves, formerly made of aluminum-colored metal, are now made of gold-colored metal. This general's cap complies with the requirements of the November order of 1942. Along with a woven cord edging and buttons, an eagle with a swastika and a wreath of oak leaves also had a gold color.		On this cap is a hand-embroidered wreath of oak leaves from a thread of aluminum color of the outdated reverse, and an eagle with a swastika of a new image, made of gold-colored metal.

steel helmets

The steel helmet (helmet) had a typical shape and was worn by all parts of the German army, its design and appearance underwent some minor changes over the years during which it was produced. The 1916 model was supplied to units of the German Imperial Army, where this helmet replaced a helmet with a pike, which, unlike the new helmet, although it was outwardly beautiful, did not provide sufficient protection for the head and neck. The steel helmet was originally intended to protect the head, neck, to some extent, even the shoulders from shrapnel, shell fragments flying apart during the explosion of stones and clods of earth.

After 1918, the Reichswehr used steel helmets of two different designs, which almost did not differ externally. In the modern period, they received the name "M 1916" and "M 1918".

Model 1916 continued to be worn without changes during the Reichswehr period with the addition of Third Reich decals, until 1935, when, on July 1, it was replaced by a new helmet, smaller and lighter. However, this early model of 1916 was worn by parts of the German army until 1939 and did not fall into disuse until the end of the war, and was usually worn by militias and foreign units. German steel helmet mod. 1935 (M35) was created during the modernization of the helmets of the First World War period, which were still used by the German army in the early 30s. The new helmet was a more simplified model compared to its predecessors. In addition, the new model also combines different balaclava systems. A characteristic feature of the M35 was the rolled edge of the base of the helmet. In addition, the vents on both sides of the helmet were made as a separate piece (a rivet with a hole), unlike later helmets, in which the vents were stamped. When compared to later M35 helmets, it can be seen that the shape of the helmet is more oval (from front to back) compared to the more rounded shape of the M40 and M42 helmets.

The M35 had a standard balaclava from 1931. This type of balaclava was installed on all German helmets produced by the German industry during the 30s-40s, including the helmets of the First World War period, which were also used in German army.

The M35 was painted with matte paint, on the right side a decal with the German tricolor was applied to the helmet, and on the left side the scales of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, SS or police were applied, depending on belonging to one or another branch of the military. Since August 1943, one decal was applied to the helmet on the left, indicating military affiliation.

In 1940, a new helmet model, the M40, was released. The production of the M40 helmets was more technologically advanced than the production of the previous M35 model. For the M40, as well as for the M35, the hemmed edges of the base of the helmet are characteristic. The main difference between these two helmets is the air vent, which was punched out without any additional detail (a rivet with a hole) being inserted into it. This method of production made it possible to reduce the number of operations required for the manufacture of a helmet, which was an important factor in the efficiency of production in wartime. Due to the simplification of the helmet manufacturing process, the shape of the helmet has also undergone a slight change, which has become more rounded than that of the M35.

It is impossible not to mention that with the M40, the gradual exit from the use of two emblem shields began. In 1940, the shield with the tricolor on the right side of the helmet was abandoned, followed by the Wehrmacht shield with an eagle and a swastika. By 1943, helmets began to be produced without any emblems, painted in the usual field gray.

Helmet arr. 1942 (M42) is the most common of all the German army helmets used during the Second World War. Ego is connected primarily with that. that the release of the M42 was carried out from 1942 to 1945, while most of the helmets of the early models were lost during the fighting.

The Model M42 helmet was a simplified version of the Model M40. The distinguishing feature of this helmet is that. that the edge of the base of the helmet was not rolled, but left sharp. This feature is dictated by the need to simplify and reduce the cost of the helmet manufacturing process. In addition, decals were no longer applied to M42 helmets, although Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe decals were sometimes applied to early releases of this helmet. Kriegsmarine, SS and police.

In this model of the helmet, a standard balaclava of the 1931 model was installed. The helmet, like previous models, was painted with standard green factory paint and already in combat conditions the helmet was repainted or camouflage was applied to it.

During the war, two lightweight models of a steel helmet were produced: first, in March 1940, the M 40 model was released. Ventilation holes were stamped on this helmet without installing additional denni (rivets with a hole) in the helmet. In April, a new type of helmet was released, its distinguishing feature was that the edge of the base of the frost was not rolled, but left sharp. The photo shows a solid helmet without a closed edge of the base.

Shown here is a helmet made after March 1940. It has a gray (slate-colored) lacquered finish. Under the left air vent there is a decal - an eagle with a swastika.

The emergence of winter special uniforms in the Wehrmacht, the German army owes the fighting on the Soviet-German front during the Second World War.
Deciding to attack the Soviet Union, Adolf Hitler and the top military leadership of the Reich, proceeding primarily from political goals aimed at asserting German dominance throughout the world, launched a disastrous campaign to the East, without seriously thinking about the consequences of their adventure and not listening to sober the warnings of individual wise politicians and the military.
The Fuhrer of "all Germans", who actually did not live in any country except Germany and Austria, whose military experience was limited to participation in the First World War (and, moreover, on the Western Front) in the rank of corporal, had absolutely no idea of ​​the climatic and cultural-historical features of such a gigantic country as the Soviet Union.

Most of the territory of the USSR (and a significant part of Russia - ed.), according to the classification of the famous German climatologist Koeppen, is in the zone of a humid cold climate. The territory of Western Europe, with the exception of certain regions of Spain and Switzerland, lies in the climate zone of temperate latitudes. Therefore, in most of Western Europe, winter temperatures range from -5 to +5 degrees Celsius. The central European part of Russia, where the main population, industry, political and cultural centers of the country are actually concentrated (with the exception of the North-Western industrial region - ed.) is remote from the seas and oceans, therefore this territory has a pronounced continental climate with cold winters ( to -30' and below) and hot summers. Winter in these areas is snowy and long (up to 6.7 months). Naturally, the population living in such climatic conditions for a long time has developed a special nutritional balance and a costume tradition that allows you to feel most comfortable at any time of the year. The number of calories (more than 2700 cal) and protein (more than 90 g) consumed by a person per day (meaning a man - ed.) has the highest rates in Russia and the United States. And if in the USA this is primarily due to a high standard of living and manifests itself in a large number of overweight people, then in Russia this is primarily due to the cold climate in which people have to live and work.
During the hostilities in Norway, due to the transience of hostilities and relatively mild winters (the coast of Norway is washed by warm currents - ed.), Wehrmacht soldiers did not feel an urgent need for special winter uniforms in excess of the standard ones. In addition, sailors and mountain rangers operating in Norway were supplied in abundance with sweaters, other woolen uniforms and windproof jackets, which made it possible to operate effectively in cold climates.
During the war with Poland in 1939, German officers who met with the Red Army noted its meager uniforms and logistics, as this, as an external factor, caught their eye. The number of main weapons in the divisions of the Red Army, far superior in number to the Germans, was carefully hidden from the Germans. Yielding to the first impression, Wehrmacht experts and analysts considered that, firstly, Germany would win a convincing victory even before the start of winter, and secondly, that if the German army was better equipped with warm clothes than the Soviet one, then it would operate in cold conditions much more efficient.
However, in practice, the forecasts of the most gloomy pessimists from the German leadership came true. Despite the chronological closeness of the recent civil war with the beginning of German aggression, the system of social structure in the USSR could not be split. Observing the indescribable cruelty of the invaders, most of the peoples of the USSR and, above all, the Russian people, began to wage a Patriotic War aimed at the total extermination of German troops. Due to the failures of the Red Army in the summer - autumn of 1941, the Soviet leadership had to resort to traditional national tactics: wait for winter and, when the German troops, exhausted by offensives and frosts, lose the ability to resist, destroy them with a decisive counteroffensive.
A method proven over the centuries has fully justified itself. German soldiers in the conditions of the Russian winter fell into a "state of stupor", the generals suffered from a lack of will and read memories of Napoleon, apparently trying to find answers to the questions that tormented them. In addition, equipment failed - "the grease thickened, but the tanks would not start."
Indeed, a person who finds himself in harsh climatic conditions that are not related to his place of residence experiences severe stress, which greatly complicates the effectiveness of his activities. In addition, the German political leadership was hardly aware of Academician Vernadsky's concept of the noosphere, which determines the relationship of the Earth as a single organism with mechanical and mental disturbances on its surface. It was during the German offensive near Moscow (as well as the French in 1812 - ed. note) that frosts reached 40 'Celsius and lower, which is generally abnormal for this territory. The Red Army, on the contrary, was staffed with fighters who had grown up in low temperatures and had relevant everyday experience in proper nutrition, protection from frostbite, movement and handling equipment in harsh winter conditions.
The problems of winter special uniforms were also resolved by the Soviet command as soon as possible. All the necessary types of clothing have traditionally been mastered by industry in the required quantities for the national economy. It was enough just to standardize the available samples for military needs, and thousands of factories and workshops immediately began to send quilted jackets, padded jackets, sheepskin coats, felt boots and other items of winter uniforms to the army. The Germans, who had never lived in a cold continental climate, had to create special winter uniforms from scratch. However, German thoroughness allowed them to cope with this task, so the Wintertarnanzug winter uniform for cold climates that appeared in the Wehrmacht in 1942 was easy to use and contained many innovative solutions. Its first samples entered the troops in the fall of 1942, and before that, overcoats were the main type of winter equipment.

The first overcoat of the Wehrmacht was a sample of 1935, which was distinguished by a green collar. In 1940, with the introduction of a khaki collar at the uniform, it was also replaced with overcoats. In 1942, a new type of uniform appeared (sewn on the model of a more comfortable tunic of the African Corps - ed.), At the same time, a new overcoat model was introduced with welt pockets on the chest, an enlarged collar and hood. This version of the uniform lasted a little over a year. With the advent of a modernized simplified uniform, tailored according to the model of an English short jacket, they simplified the style of the overcoat by removing the hood and breast pockets. Along with the main samples, there was a type of special guard overcoat with sheepskin or other fur insulation. To protect against rain, guard overcoats had leather shoulder pads. Another noteworthy sample is an overcoat for personnel serving equipment in the field. It had a bell-shaped shape and was worn over a regular overcoat. All of the listed types of overcoats were found at the fronts, both standard, industrially made (factory-made) and handicraft altered, the most common of which was insulation with cotton wool, batting or cloth for the chest and back, as well as increasing the length of the hem.
Especially for wearing under an overcoat, a jacket made of rabbit or dog fur was designed. Often it was worn separately, like outerwear, but one inconvenience prevented the widespread use of the jacket in this capacity: slits were left under the armpits of the jacket, that is, there were no seams. This was done for better ventilation and to reduce the risk of tearing off the sleeve during sudden movements. This sample did not have a collar, the jacket was fastened with five buttons, along the bottom of the sleeve, there were slots with eyelets for tightening on the wrists.
However, in the conditions of the Soviet-German front, the presence of an overcoat did not allow guaranteed protection of personnel from the cold. In addition, an overcoat with insulating elements of uniforms significantly hampered the movement of a soldier. Designed in 1942, the Wintertarnanzug reversible winter kit was free from these shortcomings. It included four items: a jacket, trousers, a balaclava and mittens. The autumn side was gray or gray-olive in color, the winter side was white. The fabric on both sides was cotton or viscose, with a water-repellent impregnation, similar to that used to make Zeltbahn raincoats. Woolen batting was used as a heater.
The jacket was sewn with a slight expansion to the hem and had a drawstring hood around the front opening with a drawstring. Two drawstrings also went along the waist and hem, a two-color cotton (white and gray sides, respectively) ribbon was inserted into the belt, and there was a white lace in the hem. The skirt of the jacket had two slanting pockets with flaps fastened with buttons. The pockets on both sides of the jacket were separated by a small partition that did not reach the bottom of the pocket. The board was fastened with six buttons. A valve was sewn on the right side, which was fastened to the left side with the same six buttons. The sleeves of the jacket were two-seam, straight. There were slits on the cuffs, into which protracted straps from a cotton ribbon, like on a belt, came out. The sleeves could be tightened, for which two buttons were sewn on the cuffs. On the seams of the sleeves in the area of ​​the forearm, opposite each other, two buttons made of pressed cardboard or duralumin were sewn for attaching identification ribbons. The ribbons were also double-sided, but with paint and black sides. With the help of a combination of colors and fastening options, they served for identification according to the “friend or foe” principle and were a kind of identification password. So that the enemy could not mislead the Wehrmacht soldiers, all soldiers had to refasten the ribbons at a certain time. It remains to add that the hood of the jacket did not have a batting insert and was more like a cover for a helmet or headgear than a means of insulation.
Two types of buttons were used on the kits - uniform buttons, dyed to match the color of one or another side of the jacket, or large, 2.5 cm in diameter, plastic, white and gray, with four holes.
Trousers were sewn straight, wide in the groin; additional wedges were sewn into the step seam. The batting did not reach the bottom of the leg by 10 cm for the convenience of refueling in boots or felt boots. The pants were slightly longer than the calves. From the bottom of the trousers, along the edge, there were drawstrings with braid to tighten them over winter shoes so that snow would not clog under them. To facilitate putting on thick winter boots or felt boots on the trousers, there was a vertical cut 15 cm high on the side at the bottom. In addition, the trousers had a ribbon puff on the yoke with two slots, allowing it to be threaded on both sides. The width of the pants was fastened with three buttons, and there was one more on the belt. A trapezoidal valve was sewn to the left of the fly, which closed it from above. It could be fastened with three or four buttons. Some samples did not have this valve. There was also a variant with a curly-shaped codpiece, which went to the right leg and fastened with four buttons. On the sides of the legs there were welt pockets with flaps, of the same design as the jacket ones. Suspenders for pants were made of white twill tape or the same material as the pants themselves and had three loops in front and one in the back. Helps were sewn together cross-to-cross, from the side of the back. To fasten the suspenders on the dark side, four buttons were sewn on, two in front and two in the back. There were variants of trousers, where rectangular knee pads were sewn as an element of reinforcement.

The balaclava was made from the same fabric as the pants and jacket, with batting on the inside. The cutting of the dome consisted of four parts and two parts of shoulder pads. On the sides of the balaclava, opposite the ears, holes were cut, taken away by a thin chintz fabric for better audibility. The facial cutout was made in the form of a truncated ellipse.
The mittens were sewn double-sided, up to the elbow bend. Batting completely filled the silhouette of the mitten. The third finger for shooting was a mirror, sewn into the palm of a mitten and had no batting inside
In the autumn of 1943, sets of uniforms of a new type began to arrive in the troops. The gray color was replaced by the splintered tricolor camouflage previously used on raincoats, helmet covers and anorak jackets. The cut of the sets remained the same. At the same time, the troops also received double-sided covers for helmets, which had one white side and the other camouflaged.
In 1944, another type of camouflage appeared, the so-called "Tanvater", which was used in the ground forces on a par with the former "Splinter" splintered type. (It is worth noting that the terms Splinter and Tanwater are of purely English origin, and appeared already in the post-war English-language literature. The German names for these camouflage patterns are Splittermuster 31 and Sumpfmuster 44, which translates as “Splinter type 31” and “Swamp type 44” respectively).
The above samples were the main winter special uniforms of the ground forces, which included infantry, people's grenadier, security, mountain infantry and jaeger divisions, as well as parts of tank and panzergrenadier divisions.
The mountain infantry and chasseur divisions, in addition to the general army insulated uniforms, wore canvas double-breasted jackets - Windjacke, which did not have insulation, and protected only from the wind and, to a lesser extent, from the rain. Another type of clothing that distinguished mountain soldiers from ordinary infantry was a reversible anorak made of rubberized fabric, gray on one side and white on the other, three pockets on the chest and a hood. Of the signs distinguishable on the pea coat and anorak, only the emblem of mountain shooters was worn on the left shoulder.
Of the ten mountain rifle divisions formed by Germany during the war, eight divisions (1,2, 3,4, 5,6,7,9 mountain rifle divisions) fought on the Soviet-German front at various times. The 1st Ski, 5th, 8th, 28th, 97th, 100th, 101st Light Infantry (Jäger) Divisions and the 118th Jaeger Division also participated in the battles with the Red Army.
For the SS troops, winter kits were sewn in the same cut as for
Wehrmacht, but with a camouflage pattern designed specifically for the SS. The camouflage of the SS troops is a separate topic, we only note that the front-line soldiers often called the Waffen-SS soldiers "tree frogs", for their characteristic "combat color". As for the uniforms designed specifically for the SS troops, we will focus on the parks that first appeared in 1943 during the battles near Kharkov. At first, these were long, almost to the knee, hoodies with a fastener at the throat and a large hood with a drawstring, which were worn over the head, which was very inconvenient. Soon the clasp was made to the hem, and the hoodie took the form of a long jacket. A variety of fur was used as its insulation - from cygkey to dog, the hood was also with fur, and when folded back, like a cape, it covered the back. The jacket was tightened with a corded tie at the waist and had four - two on the chest and two on the hem - straight welt pockets fastened with flaps. Apparently due to the shortage of fur, this type of winter clothing has not received much distribution. We stopped our attention on it, because after 1943 such jackets were rare, but still met in the Wehrmacht. Like the overalls, these jackets were sewn exclusively from mouse-gray fabric.
Another type of special winter kit was intended for paratroopers and field units of the Luftwaffe. In October 1942, as part of the Air Force, the formation of airfield divisions began, equivalent in purpose to infantry, but with departmental subordination to the Luftwaffe. Until October 31, 1943, these divisions were subordinate to the command of the ground forces only operationally and were at the allowance of the Air Force. Since the spring of 1943, divisions of paratroopers began to enter the operational subordination of the ground forces, and the parachute-tank division (since 1945 - corps - ed.) "Hermann Goering" was formed. However, if all (and 21 of them were formed) airfield divisions were transferred to the ground forces on October 31, 1943 and began to be supplied with army uniforms, then the parachute divisions and the Hermann Goering tank corps remained at the allowance of the Luftwaffe until the end of the war. The Air Force formations had their own winter special kit. First of all, it differed from the combined arms one in that it was quilted on both sides, the form of the quilting was a straight or oblique cage with different cell sizes. Another difference was that the hood of the Air Force was fastened with two buttons and did not have a drawstring with a cord.

In 1942, the airfield units received as equipment a camouflage jacket in the form of a short straight raincoat, with two deep welt pockets for grenades and cuffs on the sleeves fastened with valves. The jacket was worn over a uniform in summer and over an overcoat or homemade insulation in winter. The chest "eagles" of the Luftwaffe and standard shoulder straps were sewn onto the jacket, and the tankers also wore buttonholes with "skulls" - the German symbols of immortality. This type of clothing later became the "calling card" of the Luftwaffe infantry, with the exception of only the elite division "Hermann Goering", which was partially equipped with camouflage uniforms intended for the SS troops.
Since at the end of the war the German industry no longer had time to make up for losses in aviation technology, improvised teams were assembled from the pilots to protect airfields and strongholds, and they often kept their flight uniforms. Due to the loss of oil sources in Romania, the need for graduates of flight schools was sharply reduced. The German command was forced to quickly retrain cadets as commanders of machine gun and mortar crews and send them to the infantry. These soldiers could also keep some of the flight equipment.
The most common type of flight clothing was overalls, which were distinguished by a huge variety of styles. They could have a zipper in the middle, obliquely, on the right, they could be fastened with a flap at the left shoulder. On almost all types of overalls, the fastener was made hidden, regardless of whether it was a zipper or buttons. Pockets on the chest and hips also closed with zippers. A little higher than the step in the overalls there was a fly ~ a small horizontal or vertical slit with a zipper. Overalls were made of leather or canvas, and visually the canvas version could be distinguished by the presence of a deep smell on the fastener in the form of crossed flaps with buttons. The basis of the silhouette of the jumpsuit was raglan. This style did not constrain movements, and allowed to wear any necessary equipment both under the overalls and on top.
The winter flight suit had a sheepskin lining and a collar, as well as a double clasp of eight buttons, closed on the right with an additional placket. Under the collar there was a tie-down strap with buttons. The sleeves were fastened with two "vertically sewn" buttons, and the trousers were fastened with zippers from the step side. At the level of the stomach;!, on the right, the overalls had a welt pocket with a zipper and two more similar pockets in the side seams on the hips, at the level of the hands. On the stomach, two more additional pockets were sewn with an oblique open cut at the top and a fastener in the form of a valve with a button. Similar pockets, but with a straight top cut and a flap with a toe, were sewn on the hips in front. Winter overalls were usually made of brown or dark gray, almost black, thick aircraft canvas. In addition, the pilots had suits made of short sheepskin jackets, with fur inside, sheathed at the seams on the outside with strips of leather (very similar in appearance to the "Canadians" of the pilots of the allied aviation - ed.) and the same pants with a high bodice on wide elastic straps . Large pockets for IZ were sewn on the knees of the trousers. On the lower section of the jacket there were loops with a drawstring. In the collection, the suit was a kind of semi-overalls. These suits were made of brown natural glossy leather. With flying overalls and suits, the pilots wore sheepskin boots made of leather or suede, which were fastened with a zipper that ran along the tops, with drawstring straps at the top and bottom. Bandoliers made of braid for twelve 27-mm signal rockets could be fastened to the upper part of the tops. This set included warm sheepskin gloves and fur-lined headsets.
As for the insignia, rectangular patches with “sleepers” and “oak leaves” for infantry and tankers, as well as “sleepers” and “wings” for airfield units and paratroopers were sewn on jackets to indicate the rank. Rank insignia was sewn just above the middle of the shoulder on each sleeve. There were no other stripes on the winter kits.

During the hostilities, winter uniforms were often lacking. Therefore, the troops tried to solve these problems on their own. In army workshops, on the model of existing kits, ersatz versions were sewn from improvised or captured materials. Often the cut was simplified, and sometimes the white side was not made, since the main drawback of double-sided kits was that the white fabric, quickly getting dirty, no longer hid the soldier, but rather betrayed him. It was difficult to clean or wash a jacket with trousers on the front line, and it was not recommended to wash them often. Maybe that's why factory kits appeared that had only one camouflage side, and from the inside - the usual gray-green cotton lining.
A story about the winter special clothing of the Wehrmacht would be incomplete without a description of headgear and footwear. In 1942, the first fur hats appeared in the army. They were made in the mud of mountain caps - with a band and ears made of fur. A winter hat could have a decorative fur bolster over the visor, but there were options without it. The soldiers' hats were sewn with national symbols standard for hats, and there were even samples with a color soutache according to the type of troops, canceled for hats at the very beginning of the war. There were hats with sewn breast eagles, but without the national cockade. Officers wore metal or gimp-embroidered eagles and cockades on their caps, as on caps, or only officer breast eagles from uniforms. The second type of hat is an earflap, sewn like a Russian one, but with an oval crown. The cap and the outer side of the ears of the caps of both types were made of uniform cloth, the color of the fur was used from white to black. Most often, dog fur was used for hats with earflaps, and sheepskin for caps. Often there were no insignia on the earflaps. The third type of winter hat is an earflap with a hemispherical dome, sewn from four segments with ears according to the Russian type (the German type is the classic "Mutze" with ears converging in front above the visor, Russian - with ties at the crown - ed.) . For the Luftwaffe, cylindrical hats with a flat top and a visor were adopted. They were made of sheepskin, with fur inside and not sheathed with cloth. Often infantrymen, and especially mountain rangers, wore hats along with white helmet covers or a special knitted cover made of white wool (sometimes with an eagle sewn on it), which served for camouflage and insulation.
Initially, the only type of winter footwear in the Wehrmacht were the so-called guard boots. They were huge shoes with wooden or felt soles, with a split slot in the front, closed with a thick tongue, which was tightened with two puffs with buckles. The head is seamlessly drawn from a piece of leather, the bottom is reinforced with a leather strip up to a height of 8 cm, the back seam and the upper edging are also leather. Guard boots were worn over boots. In addition to this sample, there was an ersatz version woven from straw bundles. For warmth, the soldiers wore two pairs of socks lined with newspapers, which insulated them well from the cold.
The two main types of winter boots for wearing in cold weather differed in that they had a one-piece collar or a cut vamp, puffs at the top at the back or on the side on the outside, the top was soft or with a leather border. The leather on the boots was brown or black. The top was made of white to black felt, with a seam at the back or, more rarely, at the front. Up to the middle of the calf, the top was covered with leather, which protected from slush. The Wehrmacht also widely used various colors of Russian felt boots and cloaks. The main disadvantage of felt boots was that they easily got wet and, with intensive wear, quickly fell into disrepair. To some extent, cloaks were deprived of this shortcoming, but since it was an attribute of officer clothing, there were relatively few of them. By the way, the soft felt tops of the cloaks also quickly fell into disrepair.
As additional insulation in the Wehrmacht, gray-green sweaters knitted with an “English elastic band” with a large scar, with a turn-down collar and a placket at the throat, were used; there were sweaters with a triangular and round neckline. Gloves and currents were of the same knitting structure - knitted "pipes" to protect the head and throat. Often the soldiers wore two currents at the same time - one on the neck, the other on the head under a helmet or cap. The army ski hat was a cap sewn from two hemispheres, usually white. It was often used as a warm comforter. Of the officers' items of "luxury" can be called warm headphones. They were a sliding metal bow with two wire ovals at the ends, on which soft cloth cases were sewn, black on the outside with a red lining. Sometimes the headphones were sheathed in fur.
In addition to standardized samples, the troops received a lot of warm clothes as winter aid from the rear, which simply cannot be classified.
Finally, the Wehrmacht used a winter camouflage kit made of white fabric. It was a loose open jacket and wide trousers made of a single layer of white fabric. The fastener of the jacket and trousers was similar to the winter warm set, which was discussed above. There were also just long capes, robes, and often pieces of white fabric with a hole for the head.

Wehrmacht officers could wear sheepskin coats in winter with patch pockets on the floor and sheepskin collars. In the ground forces, fur coats were sheathed with standard gray-green cloth, from which overcoats and uniforms were sewn; in the Luftwaffe, fur coats were sheathed with white tent fabric or canvas. Fur coats were almost calf-length and fastened with 4-5 buttons. A lighter example of officer clothing was naked sheepskin coats, outwardly resembling those used by officers of the Russian imperial army.
In addition to the uniforms specified by the charter, taught by the bitter (rather cold) experience of the first winter on the Eastern Front, the Germans used a huge number of various home-made and captured samples of winter special uniforms.
At the end of the war, to conduct combat operations on land from freelance sailors left without their ships, the fleet command formed units and formations of the marine corps. According to German data, the 1st and 3rd Marine Infantry Divisions fought on the Soviet-German front in 1945 (out of three formed by February 1945 - ed.), according to Soviet data, 301, 303 fought in East Prussia and Pomerania, 304,305,306, 307,308th Marine Battalions. Some of them acted as independent units, the rest were part of the Grand Admiral Doenitz marine infantry division and the Nord marine brigade. About a thousand sailors were sent to replenish the panzergrenadier division "Kurmark", and together with a separate battalion of marines "Koralle" they took part in the defense of Berlin.
The battalions of the German marines received clothing allowances from the warehouses of the SS, although they were nominally part of the Wehrmacht. This was due to the fact that the formation of marine infantry divisions took place in 1945 as part of the Reserve Army, commanded by the Reichs Fuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler. At the end of the war, "land" sailors, if they did not manage to get a marine corps firm, remained in black ship jackets. According to Soviet data, the 98 K carbine, as well as the Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon, remained the main armament of the Marine Corps soldier.
In March 1945, the military-organizational machine of the Wehrmacht began to burst at all seams. Therefore, the standard types of uniforms created by various departments for their units and formations lost their targeting in the randomly retreating German army.