Converting late war Germans to early war/prewar?

[FramFramson]

Now I'm not a button counter but there are some fairly obvious difference between early war Germans and late war Germans.

A bit of research seems to indicate that the main changes I'd need to make are to convert the later cheap-booted figures to proper jackboots (that shouldn't bee TOO bad) and making sure to paint according to the 1936 pattern uniform. Little things like the number of buttons or the scalloping on the pockets I can overlook.

Is there anything else that's really major that I'd need to do?  

[mrtn]

The only thing I can think of, and which you probably have already , is to make sure you're not using late war weapons.

[pocoloco]

And better keep those Tigers in the display cabinet too   

Besided that mandatory here be Tigers thing, use more horse limbered transport and artillery, so not too many trucks and half-trucks to transport your troops.

[FramFramson]

Luckily it's just small-scale skirmish battles, so not many (if any) vehicles to worry about.

The weapons, yes absolutely - no MG42's, no Panzerfausts/Panzerschrecks, etc. and of course no MP43/StG44s

Technically there shouldn't even be MP40's (introduced in 1938), but I'm going to kind of let that slide. I mean, if I REALLY wanted to be picky I should be trying to do Reichswehr uniforms, but those look close enough anyway unless you're looking at senior officers and my games are ranging from '34-'39 so the 1936 pattern is a perfectly fine medium for that.

[Johnnytodd]

No M43 Field caps - unless you plan to make them Mountain Troops

[FramFramson]

Good point.

Hm, most are in stalhelms, but there's an NCO with an M43 (and 1-2 more infantry). Would an M34 be an acceptable replacement, or should they all be Stalhelm i.e. would they mix and match headgear like that before the war?

I know later supply issues and veterans hanging on to preferred clothes meant that you could have all sorts of kit mixed up mid-war and later war, but in the pre-war era would you get a more spitshine attitude demanding uniform kit? Or was there a specific NCO hat?

Or I can just make him bareheaded.

[Johnnytodd]

Would an M34 be an acceptable replacement, or should they all be Stalhelm i.e. would they mix and match headgear like that before the war?

As long as it was a period issue garment I would say sure why not?

[FramFramson]

Fair enough. Mostly I was sort of curious as to what the "official" NCO headgear in the prewar/early war was.

But it wouldn't surprise me if the answer still turned out to be variable.