Hi guys. Can anyone tell me if any WWII German soldiers wore white greatcoats in the winter. I've found just one picture showing this but the site has closed so I can't find any more information.
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Hi Dave,
I've never seen any evidence of white greatcoats it certainly isn't shown in any reference I've seen -
Here you go Jim:
This is the only picture I found so the evidence is extremely thin. I did see a brief reference to reversible uniforms which were grey one side and white the other but that only referred to Parka type coats. I also saw a reference to the Heer not ordering winter uniforms in time for the German invasion of Russia, so I wonder if there were storage facilities full of them which were never used?
I've seen lots of pictures of soldiers using white sheets and blankets etc. as camouflage. Maybe that's all they had access to?Comment
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The Wiki entry is pretty good on WW2 German uniforms..
Looks like white parkas and trouser two pieces were issued for the eastern front……can’t see anything on white great coats though. A greatcoat was standard winter issue, but was field grey, not white. Troops did scavenge what they could from Russian troops, so perhaps some white great coats came from them? I did find a reference to a white extra large over shirt (very like a night shirt) being issued to be used as winter camouflage, but I can’t find the reference again :disappointed2:.
The sheets and blankets usage tended to be in 1941, before the German army logistics realised it was cold and snowed in Russia……so finally supplied the kit they had in storage…..I expect the troops got it just in time for summer LOL.
I also found references to the head of logistics not authorising manufacture and supply of Winter clothing in winter 1941……with brains like that he should have been made head of military intelligence :tongue-out3:
The illustration posted looks like an Osprey illustration, by the way.Comment
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That looks to me like a white overcoat: you can see the dark greatcoat under it where the front is open. Don‘t forget that German units could include a tailor for adjusting uniforms and making things like winter whites. Even without, if a unit happened to have someone who was a tailor in civilian life and came across a sewing machine and some bedsheets, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to have custom-made stuff like this.
I agree the illustration looks like it’s from an Osprey book. There’s so many of those, though, that it’s hard to say which one
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Picture I found is from
The German Army 1939-45 (4) - Eastern Front 1943-45 , Page 25
description is
Imperial war museum state they have one @ https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30096204Comment
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Just noticed on the original image that the cartridge pouch and (map?) case are in white. We’re they also supplied like that or have they been painted?Comment
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I've only seen them in black and on rare occasions brown..... wouldn't surprise me if they did whitewash them.Comment
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The ones on the right (the figure’s left) are canvas with leather edging etc., to hold ten-round magazines for the K43 he is armed with. The three-pouch set is leather, for five-round stripper clips with which to reload the magazines and/or top up the rifle (using the stripper clip guide in the top of the receiver). The canvas pouches were usually a tan or beige colour, so maybe it was felt they were pale enough already, or maybe painting of canvas items was forbidden? Not sure if it was in the German army, but it was in the British one where it came to tarps for vehicles, for example.Comment
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Thanks guys. Lots of good stuff here but it means I can't paint my Germans in white overcoats!:sad:Comment
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Hi - the following picture are from Brian L Davis "German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1939-1945" and show the "Snow Shirt" and "Snow Coverall" - both are lightweight garments worn over existing greatcoats etc
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I guess a talented modeller could create those lightweight coveralls with tissue or summat but don't get looking at me for that!
Thanks for all the info guys.Comment
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