Fallschirmjager books

[westwaller]

Can anyone recommend a good book to help with painting Fallschirmjager?  

I already have a few general WW2 Uniform guides and have been book-marking various reference bits and pieces on the internet, but

would like to get hold of a book that has the various pieces of kit, and the varied uniforms in as a guide.

Am I best off getting an Osprey for this? Are the fallschirmjager ones any good? (I know Ospreys vary in their usefullness) or are

there better books out there to act as painting guides?

I would be most grateful for any recommendations.

Thanks in advance,

Westwaller.

[grant]

The Osprey Modelling Fallschirmjager Figures is simply excellent.

They cover early, Afrika, mid, and late figures. Probably one of my favourite books.

[Dave C]

I wasn't aware of the Osprey Grant mentioned but I used the Osprey in the Warrior series no. 38. It covers 1935 to 1945. I found it quite informative and very useful when painting my figures.

[NTM]

This is good for pics of actual uniform items (and not just FJ)



Of more use than the Ospreys IMHO (which are still quite good)

[axabrax]

You really don't need a book. You're much better off looking at websites that cater to World War II reenactors on the web or even ebay. Both lost battalions and SM wholesale have researched their patterns off of actual specimens and frankly are more accurate than the color interpretations youll get from an Osprey. Also check out kamouflage.net.  If you're looking for paint recipes I recommend the painting war v.1 book even though it's expensive. The author's technique is far too labor-intensive for me (5 levels of hilites) but the colors he uses are pretty good and he covers most of the different camouflage patterns. Also remember that Vallejo Feldgrau (German uniform) is your friend.

[Amalric]

Hows this?

Also, the clear changed slightly from early to late war. [Grey green smocks to camo]
Also where, NW Europe? Italy? Soviet Union/Winter?

But good luck and I look forward to seeing yours painted up.

[Cessna]

Hows this?

The canteen is incorrect. The Luftwaffe used the same reddish-brown felt canteen covers as the rest of the Wehrmacht.

The blue felt canteen cover is a post-war item issued to German police. They have been mis-attributed as "Luftwaffe" by unscrupulous vendors, but were not Luftwaffe issue. (The Luftwaffe DID produce a few blue canteen covers in the mid 1930's, but the one in the photo is not one of those.)

[grant]

Also, one boot is red and the other is brown. What up with that?

[westwaller]

Thank you for all your helpful suggestions everyone

That image of the uniform is actually one of those things I have already bookmarked for reference, @Almaric, but thank you anyway. It seems that there are a great variety of 'splinter B' colour variations out there.

For those that don't already know there are a lot of these ww2 uniform images on the militarymodelling.com forum http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=23796

@Cessna, thank you for your extra info on the canteen. It just goes to show that we should always be cautious of historical sources.

[NTM]

Also, one boot is red and the other is brown. What up with that?

As I understand it German boots were issued brown then polished black (though late on many did not bother) I suspect that one in the picture has worn a bit more thus revealing the original colour.