M36 Feld Bluse Issueing

[Unkn0wn]

Hey there, got another question.

Since I'll mainly be focussing on the late war years ('44), as most of the modellers I guess, I was wondering something about the M36 uniforms that I'm so eager to use for my collection.

From what I know,
the M36 was the first and most used uniform throughout the war, the later versions often replaced it although in times of shortage and at the end of the war, the M36 uniform was still ocasionally issued.
(Recycled & reproduced versions I assume)


I'm really fond of the M36 uniform,
(The later versions are really ugly imho) and I'm planning on issueing my 1/6 guys with these feld bluses, but I was just wondering wether or not this would be "wrong".

I can predict some people saying that it's less likely for a division to be issued M36's when they are stationed in say Western Europe, 1944.

 

[Heeresbergführer]

Grüß Di' Kameraden,

It would be unlikely that you would see enlisted men wearing the M-36 tunic during the last years of the war. But since officers were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms, they tended to keep the old style because of it's sharp look. You would also see veteran NCO's still wearing this style or modified later model tunics with dark green collars. Newer replacement soldiers would have later model uniforms.

Again, it is best to get good reference materials and study wartime photographs closely.

Muli vor und Horrido!

 

[Unkn0wn]

Interesting,

but so if we assume I have my 6 soldiers for instance being veterans, or some of them being veterans it would b OK to have them wearing M36 feld bluses among the other soldiers wearing M44's.

And a small question that comes to mind, does that mean you had people wearing for example an M42 uniform among a division of soldiers wearing M44's.

Since the germans were all about discipline and about how everything looked, it would seem weird to me if they had multiple uniform types within a division.

 

[Pangaea95]

but so if we assume I have my 6 soldiers for instance being veterans, or some of them being veterans it would b OK to have them wearing M36 feld bluses among the other soldiers wearing M44's.

It would depend on the theatre I'd think, In France 1944 you would see more of the M36 tunic than In Russia as many of the troops In France 1944 had been there since the fall of France and had retained thier M36 tunics.

Also, I would have to say the most common uniform In 1944 would be the M43 tunic I don't believe the M44 saw wide distribution untill late '44, early '45.

Since the germans were all about discipline and about how everything looked, it would seem weird to me if they had multiple uniform types within a division.

In the later years of the war, shortages had become quite severe, but even before this a division may have men In many different uniforms depending upon thier job/function, a good inexpensive refrence on the German Uniforms of WW2 is the Osprey men at Arms series.

 

[Hetzer118]

"Since the germans were all about discipline and about how everything looked, it would seem weird to me if they had multiple uniform types within a division."

This rarely rang true for the German Army post-1940, the (Complex!)German Supply system was suppling multiple uniforms to multiple forces on multiple fronts and it wasn't uncommon to see nearly every type of tunic issued within a platoon. If you look at a few photos from the front (post-1944 or the first winter of the Russian offensive especially) the "Uniform" German soldiers often look more like a few well armed hobos than a fighting force. One officer in North Africa commented that the German and Italian forces had such a penchant for English clothes "It would look from the air as one British amry chasing another". Unless we're talking Hollywood, before deployment, or "pretty" propaganda pictures it is more uncommon to see tunic uniformity than to see a variety of tunic styles.

With that said, yes, a few M36s would be okay, although I wouldn't give more than a ratio of 1:8 with other tunics (but thats just my aesthetic opinion not supported by any kind of accuracy at all.) Variety is the spice of life!

 

[Sapper]

Feldbluse 36: A WH veteran friend and my mentor told me years ago that the Wehrmacht did not call any of their uniforms other than "old" and "new" style. He joined in 1941 and was issued an M36, this he wore for 18months then had to return it to Stores for replacement, they wanted to give him a "hairy" M43, 10 cigarettes later he got a new M36!
In 1944 he was issued a 5 button M40!! He never saw an M44 in the Store. First he saw was in my collection in 1978!!!!!! He thought it was a British Jacket with german badges!!!! Tunics were mixed and not matched during the war without any distinction. As long as the Soldier wore regulation issue Tunics, that was fine. They even mixed the issue of Jackboots, if they had them, you got a pair, if not then you got ankle boots twice! The issue was 2 pair of boots, 1 pair Marching boots and 1 pair ankle (for fatigues, walking out or GD). Trouser colors in a lot of instances would be a different shade of Feldgrau to the tunic. Their Storemen were not interested in shades only numbers and if you were lucky sizes!

 

[Andreas]

they wanted to give him a "hairy" M43, 10 cigarettes later he got a new M36!

I KNEW cigarettes had some use!

 

[pzrwest]

Tunics were issued from the top of the pile. They didn't follow first in first out. When you needed a new tunic you got what ever was on the top of the pile in your size. If a man was called up say early 1945 and there was a 36 pattern tunic on the top of the pile in his size that's what he got. I have asked several german vets what model tunic they wore and they said it was fieldgrey and had 4 pockets on it. Just because a new pattern tunic etc was made didn't mean you rushed in and traded in your older tunic. Tunics that were turned in because of say sleave damage, they wouldn't scrap the tunic they would just replace the sleave. I have seen original tunics with one sleave a different shade of fieldgrey. So yes you could see 36 pattern tunics right up till the ens of the war