"Early War German - Trouser Colour?" Topic

All the previous threads seem to focus on the tunic colour.

Am i imagining this or are the early war german uniform trousers typically a little darker and bluer than the light grey of the tunic?

What is a suitable vallejo colour for the trousers, 830 field grey? 964 field blue? Will use 886 green grey for the tunic.

Early War (as in, still during the dark green collar period) trousers were 'stone grey', so a different colour to the jackets, which were field grey.

Don't use Vallejo I'm afraid, I just use a grey-grey for the trousers and a green-grey for the jackets.

Vallejo 'Basalt Grey' would probably work for stone grey.

Sorry, i do mean WW1.

Ooops, my mistake.

Early WW1 uniforms were pretty much the same grey all over (apart from Jager and MG gunner jackets), field grey came in later. Do trousers for normla troops contrast? I must have missed that.

I usually just do mine in the same overall grey with the helmet covers providing contrast.

mayhem:

Check out this thread TMP link – my post there has a link to a pretty good site with uniforms for the entire period – I can't post the link separate as my workplace filter blocks the site. Yeah, I should be working.

Okay – I'm free to surf now – here's the link Your call on the Vallejo color.

Good link, to me those trousers shown look more like WW2 field grey.

mayhem:

You did see this link ? "M.1907/10 Hosen; these were identical in cut and pocket details to the M.1907/10 pattern, but made of steingrau (stone-grey) cloth. This was chosen when it was discovered that the feldgrau trousers rapidly faded with use; this darker shade lasted longer. The red piping down the outer seams was retained."

They returned to field grey trousers later: "M.1917 Hosen (trousers) in field grey cloth, reintroducing this color which had been abandoned in 1914. By this stage of the war, the cloth was being woven out of ersatz fibers for economic reasons--even nettle fibers were used--and was of poor quality. The Sturmtruppen also used stocks of the mountain troops' special trousers; and elbows and knees were often reinforced with leather patches."

I plan to mix & match my early-War Germans. Also, as far as matching colors – I figure with wear & tear, fading, & different batches of production – close enough should be no problem. Regards, Dean

I use the following for my early war Germans: Coat d'arms Slate Grey 533 for the trousers, with Humbrol 31 for the tunics, and Vallejo German Camo Beige for the helmet covers.