"Waffen SS '44" Topic

I don't usually ask questions like this but ..even I am a bit stumped..
Waffen SS in pea dot uniform and wearing anlke boots? Anybody have an idea of a good range that includes tunics cut as below I have been looking for them and it is a bit disappointing..

Not sure, but if you are looking for 20mm, try AB, FAA, or SHQ. Elheim possibly, too.

What scale?

In my opinion, the differences in tunic tailoring are so small that ordinary German infantry in ankle-boots (such as Command Decision 15mm or AB 1/76th) can simply be painted in M43 'pea-dot'.

Yes, the pea dot is just cut the same as the M43 uniform.

The were also supposed to be worn over the normal uniform as overalls and not have any insignia on them. I don't know what the RSM is going to say about that second jacket….

There are contemporary photos of people wearing them with sleeve eagles etc, regardless of what the regs said.

I just paint normal figures as pea dot types if they are required.

The copper-coloured sleeve eagle was authorised for wear on the M43 uniform, so that's ok. Memory's hazy, but weren't they also authorised to wear the green-on-black camouflage uniform rank sleeve badges on M43 tunics? I think they were, but couldn't swear to it.

It was also reasonably common for some units to attach the shoulder-straps against regulations. However, I don't recall every seeing photos of collar-patches being worn.

Here's a couple of photos showing M43 tunics with sleeve-eagles, but no other badges or shoulder-straps. Note that one man is in mixed dress, with grey trousers (a very common variation):

I've seen several photos where they just have the sleeve eagles.

Insignia on pea dot tunics (or not) is one of those re-enactor things….

Interesting photo here, showing two tunics with and two without sleeve-eagles. Again, no other badges:

The Waffen SS Chapter of the Tommy Cooper Appreciation Society, showing sleeve-eagle with camo uniform green-on-black rank-bar immediately below:

Sorry to interrupt here, so if I were to paint up some 15mm SS I could use PSC's late war Germans with no problems?

If this is the case why do so many manufacturers do separate SS figures?

I can't find the photo online, but there is a photo of soldiers of the 4th (Light) Company of 101st SS Tiger Bn in Villers-Bocage, with shoulder-straps attached to their tunics. No collar-patches though.

It seems to have been fairly common practice for SS panzer crews to attach shoulder-straps and the full array of badges to the tunics of their pea-cot camo'd version of the double-breasted panzer crew uniform, but pretty rare for panzer-grenadiers to do the same on their M43 tunics.

28mm… Victory Force (they are also having a Memorial Day sale today)!

Abwehrschlacht,

Yes, no problem at all.

The specific SS figures are invariably modelled as dressed in SS-type pullover smocks. The smocks (along with helmet covers, caps and tent-quarters/ponchos were manufactured in an array of reversible foliate patterns such as 'Oakleaf', 'Plane-Tree', etc.

You can happily mix these in with troops in tunics (either pea-dot or plain grey or even in Italian camo material).

I should add that the 'Pea-Dot' camo material was never used for smocks, helmet covers or tent-quarter/ponchos (though it was used for making caps, along with the foliate patterns). 'Pea-Dot' was used primarily for trousers, tunics, panzer uniforms and caps.

It is very common to see a mixture of uniform types in photos. For example, here's an MG crew – the nearest chap is wearing a pea-dot tunic with foliate helmet cover. The gunner is wearing a foliate smock and a helmet cover in a different foliate pattern, while the chap on the right is wearing a pea-dot tunic with no helmet cover. If you were modelling this group, you'd want an 'SS' figure in smock for the gunner and two ordinary 'German Infantry' figures for the other two:

Excellent, thanks for that information, I have a bunch of Peter Pig SS, not enough for a full battalion but loads of PSC late war Germans and was wondering what I could do with them!

I just use late war Heer in tunics and snip off and clean up the shoulder straps for SS in pea dot tunics. Throw in some Italian camo trousers and you can make 12th SS for Normandy pretty easily.

Though that still means painting Pea Dot…

oops I am talking 28mm so thanks for the comment .In 28mm the selection of secenet SS is a bit woeful..I may repost thuis with a corrected title.

"If this is the case why do so many manufacturers do separate SS figures?"

As mentioned above, many troops were camo smocks which look different to jackets.

Later in the war camo uniforms in some patterns (pea dot, Italian, sometimes army splinter) were made up in the same style as the standard jackets.

"If this is the case why do so many manufacturers do separate SS figures?"

As mentioned above, many troops were camo smocks which look different to jackets.

helmet covers too… in larger scales like 28mm a camo cover on a helmet will give it a "softer" look than steel.

Cheers

w.

R Mark Davies: "Nicht wie dieses, wie das!" ;-)

Er, about half past eleven.