German Army Tunics
Tunics in photos are for illustration
only.
They are not for sale.
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M36: Dark
Green collar, scalloped pocket flaps, pleated pockets and internal
belt suspenders (Y-straps weren't universally used yet)
Produced: 1935-1941
Issued: 1935-1945 |
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M40/41:
Collar changed to field gray. The "M41" is a an M40
with a 6 button front. Most references do not make this distinction.
All are usually lumped together as "M40".
Produced: 1938-1943
Issued: 1938-1945 |
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M42: Pleats
eliminated on the pocket, lining usually satin instead of cotton twill,
and internal suspenders eliminated. 6-button front.
Produced: 1941*-1945
Issued: 1941*-1945
*Some photos of troops in the Leningrad and Stalingrad battles
of late 1941 and 1942 appear to show these tunics. However,
it is quite possible that they were taken in the Fall of '42 and the
'41 photos are mis-dated.
Note: The designations "M42" and "M43"
are superfluous. It is probably more correct to simply consider
them a variation of the same jacket rather than separate models.
The only difference being the pocket flap, this is more likely an
idiosyncrasy of different factories, than an official "model
change". |
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M43: Scalloped
flaps eliminated in favor of straight cut.
Produced: 1943-1945
Issued: 1943-1945 |
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M44/45:
Totally new jacket. This was such a radical change to the tunic
design, that the Germans actually called it "Modelle 1944"
or "1945". Short, 2 pocket coat, similar to the US Ike Jacket
or British battle dress.
Produced: 1944-1945
Issued: Summer 1944-1945 (First issued to several divisions
in the summer of 1944 on a trial basis for approval) |
Waffen SS Tunics
Tunics produced by and for the Waffen
SS were slightly different in detail from those produced for the
Army. The details provided below should clarify the mess and help
you avoid such pitfalls.
Tunics in photos are for illustration
only.
They are not for sale.
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Appears identical to
the Army M40 |
Collar is about 1/4" wider. |
SS BW and Waffen SS property stamps. The small stamp at the
bottom is for the SS Medical Academy. |
Lining detail. Note that the breast pockets on Heer tunics
are not sewn through the lining. SS Made M43's also feature
this change. |
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M36 and M40 SS Tunics: Most collector's are unaware
that the early production SS uniforms differ from those of the Heer.
Aside from a slightly wider collar, all differences were internal.
Thus, it is nearly impossible to distinguish SS from Heer M36/40 uniforms
in photos.
Unlike the later models, SS M36 and M40 tunics had the same number
of buttons and belt hook holes. However, the collars are 1/4"
wider (to accommodate the larger SS collar tabs) and the breast pockets
are sewn through the lining, as opposed to being sewn on before the
lining. (See pics.) Additionally, SS tunics sometimes used the satin
lining in their M40's, which generally didn't appear in the Army pattern
uniforms until the M42/43.
Markings: I have only seen perhaps a half dozen M36's or M40's
that I believed were truly SS made. Some had regular contractor markings
and some were SS marked.
No Big Deal! For Reenactors, no. This is not. But for a collector
who is contemplating a purchase of several thousand dollars, it is
critical.
Repros? Janke in Germany is the only vendor I have ever known
who makes SS pattern M36 or M40 tunics. However, he mistakenly puts
2 belt hook holes per station in them. |
Contractor made tunic. Field grey wool, machine sewn buttonholes,
etc. |
Ravensbruck tunic made from Italian wool. hand sewn buttonholes. |
R Ravensbruck maker mark |
Wider Collar |
2 belt hook holes. |
Belt hook loop. |
Hand sewn buttonholes on some tunics. |
Belt hook loop detail |
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M42/43 Tunics: SS tunics made from late 1942 until the end
of the War differ in those of the Army in 4-6 details.
1. Wider collar.
2. The breast pockets sewn through the lining.
3. 5 button fronts (compared with 6 on Army tunics.)
4. 2 belt hook holes per station instead of 3.
5. The belt hook hangers are a loop instead of simply a single strip
of webbing or lining fabric.
6. Some SS M43's lack the chest darts.
7. Some SS M43's are lined with gray HBT instead of smooth satin.
8. Some SS Tunics have hand sewn buttonholes. This is a rarity on
Army tunics, except for tailor made (usually officer) uniforms.
Repros? Several vendors (including us in the past) have
made these. Currently, only Lost Battalions and Janke offer them.
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Army Tunics
used by the SS
Tunics in photos are for illustration
only.
They are not for sale.
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The SS did, undoubtedly, use Army tunics (just like the US Marines
"acquired" tons of gear from the Army), and thousands
of men transferred from the Army to the SS during the War. The SS
was almost always short of uniforms and their scrounging escapades
were legendary. Particularly in the last year of the War, with the
chaos wrought on of their supply system by Allied air attacks on
their trains and trucks, it's doubtful that any uniform combination
was left undone. However, collecting and reenacting purists frown
on such "unauthentic" combinations and most "real"
SS tunics offered by "upstanding" vendors are original
Army tunics with SS insignia installed. In the case of such tunics,
the only ones that have any value as "SS" tunics are those
with supporting documentation of some sort to support their provenance.
Some people suffer loose-bowel
syndrome if an "SS" style tunic is not available in their
size. The possibility of an Army soldier in 1944 having his
six-button tunic ripped off and a five button tunic shoved down
his throat upon transferring to an SS unit is ludicrous. Although
Army troops wearing SS tunics is less likely, it is within the realm
of possibility.
In a country with nearly
10 million people in uniform, suffering desperate supply problems,
it is beyond doubtful that anyone would have been refused a chance
to go to the front due to the wrong number of buttons on his jacket!
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Army Tunics Used by the SS: Although this had
to be a common practice during the War, most such uniforms are eschewed
by collectors as postwar modifications. With the price of a nice SS
tunic running 3-4 times that of a comparable Heer tunic, the fraud
artists are hard at it. However, once in awhile one comes along that
appears to be legit and we post it here to back up our assertions
that this happened.
This 1944 dated Heer M43 tunic has no evidence of having had or having
been used with Heer insignia (although breast eagles and Litzen were
often affixed at the factory), the SS insignia is definitely original
and the capture papers kind of end the debate. To add further insult
to injury to the purists, the collar tabs are BeVo and the eagle is
embroidered. And the eagle is hand sewn, the tabs machine. I know,
I know, "they wouldn't have done that!" |
Original uniforms, none of which match. The 4
on the right are all made in 1943.
If this is difficult to swallow, please call A.Speer at the Reich
Economic office in
order to lodge a complaint. I'm sure that Deutsche Telekom in Berlin
information will be most helpful in locating his number!
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Wool
and Color
"If my pants don't match my coat, I'm gonna call
my Mommy....!"
We have a lot of questions about wool color. Here's the
one and only deal:
We copied original field gray garments.
"Field gray" comes in dozens of shades, depending on
dye lot, material content (wool versus substitute fibers) and
so on. The base color is essential a mix of gray, green
and blue fibers, that blend together to yield the color.
The Germans were extremely supply
conscious and recycled everything. An M36 tunic made
from late war material is not a typical thing, but an M43 made
from earlier stocks is entirely feasible. Originals come
in numerous shades of green, gray, olive, and even brown. There
is no single, correct "field gray" color! There are
only acceptable parameters, and we are familiar with those.
"So why can't I have
a 100% color match with my pants, cap and tunic?"
Life would be easier if we had just ONE color. Please understand
this. It is a supply nightmare, but we are striving for
authenticity, not mass marketing of cabbage patch doll wear.
Just like the authentic garments, we use several shades at different
times for different items. Moreover, the tint of one roll
of the same wool, will sometimes be different from that of the
next. We will not alter our policy to fit modern misconceptions
of historical fact! We will not change history to satisfy
the customer. If all originals matched, then we
would do it. Our measuring sticks are originals, not the
fantasies of Professorus-Emeritus-Knowitallicus-Reenactoricallus.
"I MUST have
a matching set for my impression and to be satisfied."
You're a farb.
Call another company for farb-wear. We don't copy repros
and our standards are not dictated by modern fantasies and factual
ignorance. We're striving to duplicate WWII-era uniforms
and please our own sense of creativity, not to please customers
unfamiliar with or unwilling to accept historical fact!
If our unwillingness to make incorrect garments offends your sensibilities
or makes you pissy, tough.
Our colors and patterns
are Historically Correct.
End of Story.
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Other Notes
Belt Hooks Suck
My personal recommendation regarding
belt hooks is to skip them. This is based upon
experience rather than hearsay or our lack of them to sell to you. (On
the contrary, we have thousands in stock.) They are rarely, if ever,
in the correct position and they can be massively uncomfortable.
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