Illustrated German Uniforms of WW 2

1. The uniforms were designed by Hugo Boss under Hitler's direction, to make the soldiers look taller then normal. The jacket was cut short and the belt at the waist was high to give the impression that the soldiers were taller than they really were.
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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3. The uniforms were designed by Hugo Boss under Hitler's direction, to make the soldiers look taller then normal. The jacket was cut short and the belt at the waist was high to give the impression that the soldiers were taller than they really were.
   

   
   

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   Copyright: Osprey's "The German Army 1939-45 (1)" series.

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Sturmgewehre .44

Sturmgewehr -- The Storm Rifle!

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German development of assault rifle concept went back to the 1930's, with some very innovative designs being tested as early as 1935, two years after the Nazi Party came to power. Polte and Geco were developing intermediate power cartidges, two that showed the most promise were a 7.62x38mm and a 7.92x33mm. It was decided to concentrate on the 7.92x33mm cartridge.

It's not hard to imagine where the Soviets got the idea and or plans for what became their 7.62x39mm cartridge. Many people find it hard to believe that the Soviets would devote the time, people, and materials needed to develop a wholly new cartridge for a weapon system that hadn't even been invented yet, while still fighting off the German invasion. The Soviets had a well developed spy network in Germany which fed many technical and military secrets to them. The Soviets type classified the 7.62x39mm cartridge in 1943. The first rifle that actually fired it, the SKS, wasn't even on the drawing board yet.

Schmeisser was one of the most brilliant small arms designers that the Germans had, primarily working for Erma and Haenal. He was one of the main men responsible for the creation of the first true submachine gun in WWI, the MPi-18, and the first modern assault rifle, starting with the early MKb-42 (H) , which fired from an open bolt in both semi and full auto. The MKb-42(H) used a bolt carrier with an attached gas piston and tilting bolt assembly, which would be used in the MP-43/MP-44/StG-44, although now firing from a closed bolt. This system was more reliable than the competing Walther MKb-42(W), which used a gas piston that encircled the barrel, like the earlier Gewehr 41(W). If the jacket surrounding the barrel took a hit or became dented, it would restrict the movement of the piston.

About 10,000 of the Haenel "machine carbines" were produced between 1942 and early 1943, with many being sent to the East Front for field testing against the Soviets. Proof of concept was secured, and improvments were made, such as moving the gas port further back from the muzzle and modifying the weapon to fire from a closed bolt. At this point in the war, Hitler didn't want any more new rifles, he wanted an increase in production of sub machine guns, so the new weapon was type classified as the MP-43, or Machine Pistol 43. Mass production of the new weapon was undertaken, in secret, and most of the new weapons were supplied to the Waffen SS for use on the Eastern Front. The Wehrmacht and Falschirmjaegers of the Luftwaffe also received them and used them to good effect.

Small changes to enhance production were done and the weapon was retyped the MP-44, and finally, once Hitler was made aware of the weapon and it's effectiveness, he approved it and for propaganda purposes the new "Wunderwaffe" was called the Sturmgewehr, or Storm Rifle (assault rifle). The weapons production and procurement in Nazi Germany was a tangled web of surprising inefficiency and confusion. It wasn't uncommon to see Sturmgewehrs that were produced late in 1945 to be stamped MP-43.

Earlier guns typically had threaded muzzles with a protective nut over the threads, and later 1945 guns might have plain muzzles. A number of devices were designed to allow the Sturmgewehr to fire around corners, or out of an armored vehicle, by attaching a tube at the muzzle to catch and direct the bullets at an angle.

The Sturmgewehr's operating mechanism is both evolutionary and revolutionary. The one piece bolt carrier and long stroke gas piston is similar to the M1 Garand, and the tilting lock bolt is similar to the Soviet Tokarev SVT-38 and SVT-40, in concept but not in execution. The recoil/buffer spring is contained in the wooden buttstock. This was revolutionary but flawed in execution as the spring is traveling in the wooden stock without a metal tube to guard and guide the spring. If the wooden stock becomes damaged, shrinks or swells due to being submerged in water or moisture, it can take the weapon out of action. The recoil/buffer spring and the ejection port dust cover would be later used by Stoner on the AR-10 and later by Sullivan on the AR-15. The receiver is a stamped steel shell, much like the first AK-47, the Type I, and the later, improved, AKM. The barrel is housed in a trunnion that is attached to the inside of the receiver. The fire control group is housed in a lower trigger pack that is attached to the receiver by a permanent pin up front and rear push pin that attaches the buttstock assembly, receiver, and trigger pack together......anyone familiar with the HK series of weapons can easily see the lineage.

Sturmgewehrs use a separate safety and selector. The safety is a lever on the left side of the weapon, above the trigger group, much as what would appear later on the FN FAL, AR-10/AR-15 and HK G3/33. The selector is a push through button above the safety. This required a dedicated movement to enable full auto fire.

The 7.92x33mm cartridge, also known as 8mm kurz (German for "short"), fires a 125 gr. bullet at about 2200 fps - 2300 fps. That's slightly less powerful than the 7.62x39mm Soviet M43 cartridge, but it's definitely adequate for use out to 300m-400m. That power level combined with the weight of the Sturmgewehr (11.5 lbs) make for an extremely controllable weapon. As LAV says, you can "walk the dog" with it.

Hugo Schmeisser was initially captured by the US Army, but was released after a few weeks. When the Soviets occupied Suhl, they grabbed him and he was shipped back to the Soviet Union to work on their small arms programs at Izvehsk, just as other German engineers and scientists were pressed into service by the Soviets on their nuclear and space program. He was released from the Soviet Union in 1952 to return to what was now the DDR, where he died in 1953.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that while the AK-47 isn't a clone of the Sturmgewehr operationally (it's actually closer to the M1 Garand in operation), it is an exact clone of the German concept of the assault rifle.

This is a MKb-42(H) that is in the Aberdeen US Army Ordnance Museum. The weapon above it is a Sturmgewehr with a 1.5x optic attached.

Early weapons were blued, but Sturmgewehrs were finished in phosphate (Parkerized) as well as left in the white or with a clear phosphate finish. It's not at all uncommon to see a Sturmgewehr sporting different finishes on it's different components, as they were assembled with parts from various subcontractors who all finished their parts differently.

This particular Sturmgewehr belongs to a member of my club. It's an "Amnesty Register" transferrable machine gun. Brought back from WWII by a GI and finally, legally registered during the amnesty of 1968. Notice the mix of finishes and features.

Wehrmacht's Stielhandgranate

Deutsches Stielhandgranate


A Few Stielhandgranate Variations:

Mod.24 w/Frag Sleeve
Mod.39b Smoke
Mod.43 (Desert Tan Paint)
Mod.24 (Classic)
Mod.24 (Winter Paint)

Fragmentation Sleeves For use in a defensive role, there are two types of attachable fragmentation sleeves. There is a grooved slip-over type with a retaining ring. The sleeve is pushed on from the top and three clips snap over the flange at the base of the grenade head. A locking ring is push down over those clips locking them in place. As with other weapons the SS subcontracted their own version, which was a simple press on smooth type. (Shown at top right.)Certainly must have been easier to produce. Both types were used throughout the war.

Nb. 39 Nebelhandgranate In 1939 the Stielhandgranate design was modified to create the Nebelhandgranate ("smoke hand grenade").Smoke was used for masking protection from enemy fire and signaling. There are two variants, the Nb.Hgr.39 and the Nb.Hgr.39b The "b" version differs in the handle, having raised ridges and an additional white band to aid in identification at night. The Nb.39 “pot”contained a mixture of zinc powder and hexachlorethane which produced a smoke cloud upon ignition. Holes in the bottom provided an escape path for the smoke as it burned.

Model 43 Stielhandgranate The last version of the"Potato Masher".

This was a significant departure from the previous design and was clearly aimed at making grenade production as simple as possible. The pull fuze and hollow handle were eliminated in favor of a solid handle with a simple formed threaded end to screw into the head. The warhead was modified to use the Bz39, (Brennzünder 39) "Ignition Fuze 39", which was the standard fuze in use for the Eihandgranate 39 "Egg Hand Grenade". One advantage of this configuration is the handle was not required for the grenade to function, since the head was now self-contained. An interesting feature of the Mod.43 in the photo is the rust outline of a smooth fragmentation sleeve which once was mounted. Note - The copyright for the material published in this post goes to Inert-ord.net

The Mauser Karabiner 98 K

The Mauser k98 ( the famous ‘Soldiers bride') was issued to every German Soldat before and during World War Two, it’s an iconic German military rifle with a long history and contributes much to modern day rifles.

Detailed views of the Mauser Kar98.

Beginning in the autumn of 1871, Mauser Industrial’s success started, when the German Army accepted the Mauser rifle as the primary fire arm for the entire military establishment. Thanks to governmental support, Mauser’s quickly became very popular throughout the world, which in turn stimulated designers into constantly developing new and improved models over the basic weapon. The best of them is Gewehr 98, rifle which was unveiled in 1898. This was to become the primary rifle of the German army until the end of World War II. The advantages of Mauser rifles, is in reliability of the bolt mechanism, and the precision workmanship that went into each and every weapon. These rifles were successfully converted into “sports and hunting” models which are still in widespread use today because it is possible to shoot a more powerful ammunition, than the standard 7.92 x 57 round it was designed for.

Reliability of the Mauser’s bolt locking system depends on three locking-lugs. Two in front lock the bolt socket on barrel inlet (prior to the rounds entry into the bore) and one in the rear of the rounds opening. It uses the standard four bolt movement system. However this system is uncomfortable for most experienced riflemen to operate as you must move the whole arm to reload rifle.

A better solution was introduced in Lee-Enfield rifle, where the rifleman used only his wrist to reload the weapon. That’s why Mauser rifles never achieved the high firing rate of the Lee-Enfield rifles; those results were obvious on the battlefield when compared to the Lee-Enfield and the M-1 Garand rifle.

The first model of Gewehr 98 rifle, the so-called “long rifle” had a total length of 125 cm and a barrel length of 74 cm. Soon in development was a shorter version for artillery, cavalry and soldiers, whose primary task was not fighting “with rifle in hands”. This soon replaced the Gewehr 98 rifle and became the standard version of armament for the entire German army. The Rifle 98 was modified several times, which resulted in the model ‘Karabiner’ 98k that became the standard rifle of Wehrmacht during WWII. It provides a non-removable magazine for 5 rounds 7.92 mm and with a muzzle velocity of about 860 m/s

Subtle differences in the production of the rifle.

The Mauser 98k was a very popular rifle in the German army. It was the final modification of Mauser 98 rifle, developed way back in 1898. The Mauser 98k was very similar to all its predecessors, but its barrel was shorter being 60 cm length; in 98 models it was 74 cm in length. In 1935 it became the primary Wehrmacht infantry weapon. Production continued thru until the end of war with approximately 11 million weapons produced in several versions. Minor modifications were made such as to the bolt, and even a mid-late war economy version with the omission of the bayonet lug, sight hood and a laminated wood stock, but nothing significant was changed to the mechanism.

The Kar 98 with early war bayonet attached & detail of the bayonet lug.

One of the more popular variations of this rifle for collectors today is the sharp shooter version which was equipped with a ZF41 Scope. Dedicated Wehrmacht Snipers often fitted commercial Hunting scopes, made by many manufactures such as 'Hensoldt Wetzlar' along with a huge variation of mounts. As popularized in the recent motion picture, “Enemy at the Gates”.

The Mauser rifle has existed in many sport versions throughout the world, quite a few examples were brought home by the allied servicemen at the end of the Second World War. These were then modified for use by civilians for hunting purposes. The design of the safety is by far the simplest, but by far the most reliable. It is among one of the safest rifles that exist even by today’s standards. One of the other innovations was the cocked indicator for the weapon. It is obvious to a rifleman that the weapon is cocked, even in the darkest of nights. All one has to do is feel the rear of the bolt and if it is cocked the rear area of the bolt is protruding. The safety itself consists of a handle or blade that is on the rear of the bolt assembly. It has three positions as you look at the bolt from the rear in the shooting position. With the handle full to the left the rifle is in the “firing position” with the handle in the vertical position the rifle is on safe, but the bolt can be opened to unload or reload the weapon. And when the handle is in the full right position the weapon is on full safety. In other words you cannot pull the trigger nor can you open the bolt. The two stage military trigger is also of exceptional quality. It is designed for the common soldier to learn his trigger and breathing control quite well. One of the lesser known accessories for this weapon was the grenade launcher adapter. This consisted of the actual launcher, which attached to the front of the rifle barrel, and the grenade launcher sight which aided in placing the rifle grenade on target.

Loading the K98 rifle.

Position 1: Bolt open; Position 2: Loading the five round stripper clip; Position 3: Rounds inserted, clip ready to be withdrawn; Position 4: Bolt closed and ready to fire.

As good a rifle as it was, towards the end of the war the Mauser 98k bolt action rifle was out dated and out classed even by current German military thinking. Fire power and accuracy were recognised as the key to success at medium ranges for small arms. The rifle is superb at long ranges but since most battlefield encounters with the enemy occur at intermediate ranges or less the advantages of range are no longer necessary and the rate of fire is far too low. Hence the marriage between the high rate of fire sub-machine guns and the accuracy of the rifle to create a new breed of small arms the Sturmgewehr 44.

The ammunition pouches as they were worn by the owner of the rifle. Each compartment could hold 10 clipped rounds.

The K98's cleaning kit and boxed rounds.

The legendary MG 42

The Maschinengewehr 42

Germany produced many advanced weapons during World War II. Some were successful, some were unreliable, and some were a little too advanced for their own good. But a few German weapons were so good that they changed the face of warfare, and would influence weapons development all over the world for decades after Germany's defeat in 1945. Among their number were the MG-34 machine-gun and it's successor the MG-42.

The predecessor of the MG42, the MG34 in light machine gun mode.

When Germany entered World War 2 with the MG-34 as it’s major multipurpose machine gun, it was soon discovered that MG-34 was less than suitable for high volume wartime production, being too time and resource consuming in manufacture and also somewhat sensitive to fouling and mud. The search for newer, better universal machine gun began around 1939, and in 1942 the final design, developed by the German company Metall und Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG, was adopted as the MG-42.

The MG42 shown on the Lafette 42 tripod.

It was manufactured in large numbers by companies like the Grossfuss AG, Mauser-Werke, Gustloff-Werke, Steyr-Daimler-Puch and others. The result was the classic MG-42 one of the most influential firearms in history. It used bakelite in the butt and pistol grip and stamped and die cast metal components instead of expensive machined steel and in place of riveted or screwed joints spot welding was used.

When Allied intelligence officers first evaluated captured MG-42's they assumed that these changes were the result of pressure on the German munitions industry. They did not at first realize that it was a conscious design decision which had so simplified manufacture that machine-guns could be produced at a much greater rate, even with a semi-skilled work force. To achieve the fast manufacturing and a relatively low cost, The Grossfuss AG company used as much steel stampings as possible. In fact, instead of the separate barrel sleeve and receiver, both machined from blocks of steel as found in MG-34, the MG-42 used a single piece receiver/barrel sleeve unit, stamped from one sheet of steel. This feature alone saved a lot of steel and time, but other measures also have been taken, so overall cost of the MG-42 at 250 RM was about 30% lower than of MG-34 at 327 RM, and it required 50% less raw materials and less manufacturing time, which took 75 man-hours to complete as opposed to 150 hours for the MG34.

The MG-42 incorporated lessons hard-won in combat on the Eastern Front. Both the cocking handle and the catch for the top cover to the working parts were designed so that the gunner could operate them wearing mitts or with a stick or rod. This was vital in sub-zero conditions where contact by bare flesh on cold metal could cause severe injury. The MG-42 also functioned well in other climates, dust and dirt in North Africa and Italy was less likely to jam the MG-42 then the more temperamental MG34. The MG-42 was lighter and slightly more compact then it's predecessor but used the same operating principal of short recoil assisted by gas pressure from a muzzle velocity of the MG-42 at 755 meters a second, the same as the MG34, but the most distinctive change was the rate of fire the MG-42 ripped through belted ammunition at a cyclic rate of 1,550 rounds a minute!

Detail of the cocking handle and top cover catch.

This high rate of fire heated up the barrel of the MG-42 even more then the MG34 and so the quick-change barrel system was simplified to cope with the extremely hot barrel. The gunner had only to reach forward of the working parts push a retaining catch on the housing forward and the barrel swung out to the right. Taking care because it was very hot, he then pulled it to the rear and it was free. To replace the new barrel he simply reversed the procedure. A trained machine-gunner could complete the whole process in under 30 seconds.

This high rate of fire could be reassuring to a nervous soldier, but the vibration it produced was a problem, the MG-42 was less accurate then the MG34 on the bipod. Though soldiers were trained to fire short bursts this was sometimes hard to remember in the heat of battle. Enthusiastic use of the weapon also got through a lot of rounds, which meant that the three-man crew needed to carry heavy loads of ammunition. The snarling fire of an MG-42 was unmistakable, often likened by Allied soldiers to the sound of tearing linoleum. One veteran recalled at the hysterical shriek of the MG-42's furious rate of fire. " I remember my first reaction, was one of amazement at the crushing fire power of those guns. It seemed to me that the German soldier seldom used his rifle. He was a carrier of boxes of light machine-gun ammunition of which they seemed to have an endless supply!"

Left:The Gunners range plate located on the rear of the sustained fire lafette mount.

Centre: Recoil booster muzzle break assembly, A loaded belt of 7.92 ammunition and bolt and
recoil assembly having been field stripped.

Right: Top cover slider feed assembly and feed tray.

The MG42 weighed 11.6 kg in the light machine gun role with the bipod, lighter than the MG34 and easily portable. The bipod, the same type used on the MG34 but with a different bracket, could be mounted to the front or the centre of the gun depending on where it was being used. In the role as a heavy machine gun it used a newly developed Lafette-42 tripod with the ZF-40 optics, this all weighed in at some 30 kg, but gave the operator accurate fire over 2miles.

The barrel was lighter than the MG34s and wore out more quickly, but could be replaced in seconds by an experienced gunner who was usually issued two or three spare barrels in special containers slung across one‘s back.

In 1944 the acute material shortages of the Third Reich led to a newer version, the MG45 (or MG42V), which used steel of lesser quality, reduced weight to only 9 kg, and yet further improved the maximum rate of fire using a recoil booster to reach a rate of fire pushing 1800 rpm. First tests were undertaken in June 1944, but development dragged on and eventually only ten were ever built.

Stahlhelm - a brief history

The Stahlhelm

One of the most iconic pieces of equipment issued to the German solider of WW2 was his Steel Helmet (Stahlhelm).

It's origins can be traced back to the models of helmet produced from 1916 onwards during the First World War, when it was recognised that the traditional spiked Picklehaube may not offer the best protection to Soldiers engaged in trench warfare.

1917 - a Prussian officer Picklehaube helmet

The helmets were designed not to protect the head from direct bullet impacts, but to protect the wearer from artillery fragments and falling debris whilst huddled down in the trenches.

As with all helmets, the design featured the protective 'dome' to protect the skull, but also incorporated an elongated brim slanting outwards to cover and protect the eyes and face and a skirt that flaired out giving protection to the ears and neck - giving the classic 'coal scuttle' shape.

Another noticeable feature of the WW1 Stahlhelm were the raised ventilation lugs. These were incorporated into designs as a means of letting out heat if the helmet was worn for long periods. It was also intended to hang a thicker brow plate from them which was made from 5mm thick steel meant to protect the wearer from enemy headshots.

The vast surplus of these helmets were used by the German Interwar Army (The Reichswehr) paramilitary groups such as the Freikorps and then later by the Wehrmacht as the Army became known in 1935. This is illustrated with the pictured example of an M18 cavalry / radio operators helmet which has been finished in the early war 'Apple Green' paint colour and had the appropriate insignia added to it.

The Stahlhelm 35
In 1934 work began on improving the old design with a view to producing a more lightweight and compact version. The helmet was formed on a press and retained the rolled edge of it's predecessors. The ventilation lugs were dropped in favour of hollow rivets which were inserted into the shell and the improved and more comfortable ‘M-1931’ pattern liner developed in the interwar period was fitted to this and all subsequent designs by the means of 3 split pins.

The helmet shells were stamped with a run number on the back skirt and and the initials of the maker and shell size in centimeters on the left.

TheTricolour and Army Eagle fitted to an M35 helmet

In the case of the helmets designated for Army use, they were finished in the standard army field grey colour with a smooth finish. That said, it is difficult to get an exact match to what field grey actually was. It is widely thought that the colour was RAL 6006, as was the case with most other field gear. However, the shades of this varied between factory to factory, application and how the batch of paint was mixed, so it is rare indeed to find 2 helmets that match in colour.

Once sprayed, decals were affixed – the national colours (Tricolour) to the right and the Wehrmacht Army Eagle applied to the left underneath the ventilation holes.

The Stahlhelm 40
Modifications to the M35 came in the form of the Model 40 helmet. Again produced with a rolled edge and at a glance not majorly different in appearance to it’s predecessor. Improvements in steel quality and manufacturing led to a slightly heavier weight and a different shape. The major change with this model was that the air holes were pressed directly into the helmet reducing the time and materials taken up by the previous method of inserting the separate ventilation rivets.

The different styles of ventilation holes, the hollow rivet fitted to the M35 and the pressed version on the M40 & M42.

Lessons were learned from the experience of the men who had fought in the early campaigns of the War and in 1940 orders were issued to finish the helmets in a rough non-reflective textured paint and also to remove the Tricolour in an effort to aid the camoflaguing of Infantry men in battle.

The owners of the older helmets either tried to scratch the decal off or painted over them to cover them up as can be seen in some of the many field repainted examples.

The Stahlhelm 42
Sometimes known as the ‘razor edge’ the M42 final model to roll of production lines. It’s design was based on speeding up production and once again to lessen materials used. As per the M40, the air vents were pressed into the helmet, but due to the hot-stamping method of manufacture, the edges were no longer rolled inwards and the helmet was left with a distinct rim around it.

The comparison between the rolled and 'razor' edge rims.These final model helmets were then mass produced until the end of the war.

By this time, the Army eagle decal was also being phased out due to shortages, but if stocks remained or if helmets had been in storage prior to the orders, it is not uncommon to find examples with insignia.

Makers Stamps & Meanings

Marking	Firm	Location
ET (or CKL)	Eisenhuttenwerke	Thale
FS (or EF)	Emaillierwerke AG	Fulda
NS	Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke	Schwerte
Q	Quist	Esslingen
SE (or HKP)	Sachsische Emaillier u. Stanzwerke	Lauter

Stamps to show maker and size of shell and the 4 number production run.

Liner & Shell sizes

Liner size	Shell size	Head size
52-53cm	60cm	Very small
54-55cm	62cm	Small
56-57cm	64cm	Medium
58-59cm	66cm	Large
60-61cm	68cm	Extra large

The model-31 liner system
This liner replaced those fitted to earlier helmets and was fitted to all M35, M40 and M42 helmet shells during the war.

The liner band was made initially from aluminium but this was found to crack at certain stress points with use, so it was eventually produced from a more durable zinc coated steel. Over the ears, 2 mounts to hold the 'D' rings were rivited into place onto which was fitted the leather chinstrap.

Weaved into the outer band was another band made from a more flexible sheet metal onto which 5 flat sheet steel bars were rivited. This system acted like a spring allowing some movement and the ability to absorb any blows to the head.

A leather liner was then fitted, held in place by use of small pins. The liner had either 8 or 9 fingers depending on it's size and a drawstring at the top which could be tied up or slackened off to suit the wearers headshape.

To identify makers and sizes, the finished unit recieved a stamp above the left ear. The first digits would be the shell size the liner was suitable for followed by n.A. (standing for 'Neue Art') and finally the head size of the liner.

So, for a size 66 shell, the liner would be marked as '66 n.A. 58'

M31 liner, 2 piece chin strap and split pins.Internal view of the liner inside the helmet shell.

Some of the more commonly found helmet decals

Party Shield & SS Runes ..................................Tri Colour & Heer Eagle

Tri Colour & Luftwaffe Eagle..............Tri Colour & Kriegsmarine Eagle

(Note - the above is courtesy to "A History of Grossdeutschland 1939-1945)