Free Downloads German Combat Equipment 1939-45 (Men At Arms Series, 234)
The field equipment of the German Army in World War II was closely related to that used throughout World War I and earlier, yet it was of relatively light weight, ruggedly constructed, well designed, functional, and generally of a high quality, though this deteriorated in the later war years. A high degree of design standardisation was maintained in most categories of equipment, though materials and their colours often varied widely. There were also many different specialisations for the various arms of service as well as theatres of combat, such as the Afrikakorps in the Western Desert. This title investigates all manner of German combat equipments throughout World War II, from belt buckles to magazine pouches.
Series: Men-at-Arms (Book 234)
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Osprey Publishing; 1st edition (April 25, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0850459524
ISBN-13: 978-0850459524
Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.1 x 9.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #212 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Military #1663 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Conventional #10866 in Books > History > Military > World War II
While you won't be able to assemble a set of full gear using this as a reference, this is an unbelievably good primer on the basics of German field equipment. Covers all basic items of kit very well, and gives dates of introduction, common colour shades, and extent of issue (ie to whom the items were issued and for what purposes).Illustrations and colour plates top notch - clear and well laid out, rich with detail. Photos very good also, many unpublished ones, and of a uniformly high quality. Equipment and artifact photos a little poorly done, obviously taken outside in bright sunlight, making for harsh shadows and poor detail.Overall, possibly the best basic guide out there, certainly for the money. Next step up would be Lee's SOLDAT series, which is more of an investment and lacks the clarity of Volstad's colour plates, but goes into more detail from a collector's point of view regarding variants and how to tell fakes from real items.
Must have if you are a serious model builder and want to know what all that equipment is, how they wore it, why they wore it and what colors they are. The author is a meticulous researcher and historian as well as a retired professional Soldier. Ron Volstad has done his usual superior job on the illustrations as well and there are several color plates lavishly illustrated.Of special note, the color plates are described with usually a paragraph or so for each item called out.
I'm impressed that Gordon Rottman managed to cram a comprehensive guide into 48 pages. Most of these pages are either illustrated by Ron Volstad or have photographs--many of the photos are from that period.I learned a lot from this little book. I used to think that the three-cell Mauser rifle pouches held 45 rounds in 9 chargers--Rottman wrote that the M1909 cartridge pouch did, but had been replaced by the M1911. The latter held just 2 clips (Mauser magazine chargers) of 5 rounds each for a total of 30 rounds. A rifleman usually was issued a pair of pouches and carried 60 rounds. The G43-armed rifleman replaced one set of pouches with a two-pocket magazine carrier--with three 10-shot magazines and a M1911 cartridge pouch, the G43 rifleman had the same amount of ammunition as his Kar98k-armed brother. This makes a difference to war gamers, re-enactors, and museums.What was carried in the bread bag? Was the mess kit/cook pot carried empty or full of food? When did the WWI spade get replaced by the folding entrenching tool? What equipment did a machine gunner carry? A platoon leader?I have several 1:6th-scale German WWII squads that I'm outfitting for dioramas. "German Combat Equipments 1939-45" will help me get the little things correct without having to lug around a small library. Unfortunately, the people who make those 12-inch soldiers are a little skimpy on documentation packages. Rottman's book makes up for that lack.
This is a great modeler's aide for detailing equipment, a beginning work to help those new to the military miniature hobby. Becoming skilled starts with references and this is an ideal start to those wanting to have that little extra in their work or begin a collection of military items.
This is an excellent beginner volume that covers all the basics, and in great detail. Perfect for modellers, re-enactors, or those weirdo adults who play with 12 inch dolls. Clear diagrams and pictures, and informed text captions. There is greater detail in the SOLDAT series by Cyrus Lee, and of course this doesn't compare to the now out of print work by Jack Angolia. But most people won't need all that. All the bases are covered with this one - very useful, and at a great price.
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