WWII German - who wore what

[ErikB]

I'm just trying to get this straight.  Please correct me if I am wrong in any of these statements.  I know that none of these are hard-and-fast rules but I want to try to get the general idea before I start spending time and money on minis.

There existed SS, Wehrmacht Heer, Fallschirmjaegers, tankers, and Volksgrenadiers (at least for mini painting and the context of this thread).

SS got camouflage in the form of reversible smocks (green/brown).

Fallschirmjaegers got that 3-color jagged camo with the lines that look like rain and they got the helmets that did not cover the ears (not the "Fritz" helmets).

Heer wore the green/gray "field gray".

All of these units carried a mix of P98 bolt action rifles and MP40(?) submachine guns (plus whatever they may have captured like Russian SMGs).

Volksgrenadiers were formed later in the war and wore a variety of camo and received StuG 44 assault rifles.  They also wore any camo they had access to.

Tankers wore black and by the end of the war also wore pea dot camo.

By the end of the war everything was sufficiently mixed up that anyone in any field unit could be equipped with pretty much anything.

Is this correct?  At least in very, very simple terms? 

Also - who wore the greatcoats?  Was that standard winter issue or only on the Eastern Front?

Thanks a bunch, folks!

[ErikB]

Regarding StuG 44, weren't those eventually issued to any unit who could get them, not just Volksgrenadiers?

[ErikB]

Was this question really so untouchable?

All I really want to know is what paint schemes and what figures I can mix together.

[Michi]

Was this question really so untouchable?

All I really want to know is what paint schemes and what figures I can mix together.

This is a very complex subject and I am no expert in this field. I believe you mainly got it right, but you could post your question also on the Guild http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/index.php . Lots of WW2 experts and experienced painters and gamers of German WW2 armies there...

[Hauptgefreiter]

Maybe it helps if you look here:
http://www.artizandesigns.com/painting-guides.php

[meninobesta]

If you go by your rules you won't go wrong

but I would just add some ideas!

the SS had lots of different camos specific to particular divisions... I think osprey has some 4 or 5 books about the issue. but this is some information that you can get easily by browsing a list of SS divisions in the wikipedia and then make a search about a particular division, there is a lot of info about them available in the internet (unfortunately some info is there for the wrong reasons, but that is a very old issue, which I think should not be part of this thread ). I don't think I'll be very comfortable painting these units but I must admit that the SS had the most colourful uniforms in the German army so it is something that you could try to do to add some variety in your miniatures.

Don't forget to add a LMG gunner and a helper for each section, the infantry used the MG42 or MG34. Some units had more of these weapons on a section but you can't go wrong with a single one. and some paratroopers used the FG42 which is a more portable version of the MG, and can be easily identified on the miniatures

As the war progressed the wermacht also wore camo uniforms

There were lots of different camouflages used in the paratrooper units the one with grey jacket and blue helmet was tied to the first years of the war

As with the volkssturm you also had the hitlerjugend which were the younger counterparts in these uniots the uniforms were highly irregular, and it is a way to easily distinguish them from the other units, these should be armed with rifles, SMGs and panzerfausts mostly, I would leave the stg 44 to more elite units

The afrika corps uniform was olive green and sand yellow

the tank camouflage was grey in the first years of war and during/after 1942 the camo changed to yellow/something so this is the most predominant colour in German tanks. Camouflage painted on top of that can be as varied as you want because it was something that was left for each unit to paint, and there wasn't a particular rule that was enforced. But be careful that there are some camouflage schemes that were very tied to particular units and periods.

hope this helps, the English is not brilliant and some of the facts can be wrong since I don't have that much knowledge on all the details of the German army, they are just some bits I've gathered throughout the years of playing, painting and reading about ww2

ah ... and greatcoats were worn in winter and in colder places.... there is no particular rule, although I can almost imagine that there is some exception or two!

[ErikB]

Thanks, folks!

I'm not comfortable painting up SS guys, either, but I liked the camo and wanted to know if those patterns were SS only or also for Wehrmacht and Volksgrenadiers, too.  I would be more comfortable with those figures.

[TadPortly]

The Herman Goering Division (part of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, later transferred to the Heer) did get issued reversible smocks, but not the SS pea/dotted patterns.  They also got their own camo similar to the Falschirmjaeger.

[Trooper]

It was a very complex question, although I expect you did not mean it to be. A lot of what you ask depends on what era of the war you want to get into, and what theatre of action, Italy, Eastern Front, NW Europe after D Day, or early war. Once you have established that, it would be a lot easier to help you, and understand that this is a very helpful and friendly forum, we just prefer simpler questions. Camouflage patterns are not just confined to the troops, as somebody mentioned there are the vehicles to think about too. Once you have decided which part of the war you want to specialise in, I for one would be glad to give what help I can. If I don't know it I hope I could point you in the right direction. As much as I hate the product, you could do worse than check out the Flames of War website for some ideas.

[meninobesta]

I think trooper as a point ... you could try to paint general uniforms that fit almost action in the war, but it's easier if you focus on a particular campaign, front or period.

All in all the best is to have a couple of generic soldiers and then the odd unit to give more colour to your miniatures, usually the later are the most fun to paint and research!

[ErikB]

You folks are great.

What I am trying to do is simple - I have a squad of Aritzan's late war guys with smocks.  I don't expect to be playing them, just making a cool looking squad (my last projects were space marines, Black Scorpion pirates, and some faeries (yes, faeries) for my little girl).

I just figured that this is a great chance to get some history straight and learn something.  I also did not want to make SS guys.  Wehrmacht is alright, though.

So, the bottom-line question is, what camo is allowed on those Artizan figures?  Sounds like anything goes for late war so long as it is German and not, say, English redcoat, US chocolate chip desert, or DAK.

Again, thanks a bunch, folks!

[Calimero]

... What I am trying to do is simple - I have a squad of Aritzan's late war guys with smocks.  I don't expect to be playing them, just making a cool looking squad (my last projects were space marines, Black Scorpion pirates, and some faeries (yes, faeries) for my little girl).

... I also did not want to make SS guys.  Wehrmacht is alright, though.

Then, this should give you all the infos you need then; http://www.artizandesigns.com/guides/germanpatterns.pdf

It seem that the Heer (Wermacht) & Luftwaffe only wear some variants of the splinter pattern camo (see the first part of the text) while the SS had a whole selection of camo types.

[Mike D. Mc Brice]

The Herman Goering Division (part of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, later transferred to the Heer) did get issued reversible smocks, but not the SS pea/dotted patterns.  They also got their own camo similar to the Falschirmjaeger.

I think peadot camo was only used for uniforms, not for smocks and not for helmet covers. Fallschirmjäger smocks in peadot camo excist but it is doubtfull that they have ever been used.
Herman Göring Division wore a selection of diffent SS camo smocks, most likey with the autum site out.

It's a very complex subject.