New SS camo ???

[krakow]

Couldn't figure out how to change the title. These soldiers in the picture are not SS.

Ran across this picture of Rommel inspecting some troops in Normandy in 44. Check out the apron like piece of clothing with the odd camo pattern.

Looking at the three soldiers on the right you'll notice how similar the pattern is on the over garment. I'd say this was painted on in the field but if so it was done by one person and he repeated the pattern over and over on each piece he did.

Also kinda odd is the fact they have no weapons. They're standing in front of a tank but tankers don't wear helmets with foliage attached.

Steve

 

[Kev Longino]

I've seen that before , I think it comes from newsreel originally and it is of SPG troops from the 21st Panzer Div in Rouen, more info and pics here

German Armored Forces & Vehicles - Rommel inspecting troops

Improvised camouflage vests - June 1944 - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

21st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hotchkiss H35 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[krakow]

Thanks Kev. Looks like it's an SP gun instead of a tank. In this pic the garment is different and it doesn't show the camo pattern. Still an interesting piece of clothing nevertheless.

Steve

 

[RogueJK]

Also kinda odd is the fact they have no weapons. They're standing in front of a tank but tankers don't wear helmets with foliage attached.

They're not SS; they're members of the Heer 21st Panzer Division. And they're crew members for self-propelled artillery pieces and self-propelled anti-tank guns, not tankers.

The two different types of vehicles they're crewing are the "10,5 cm leFH18(Sf) auf Geschützwagen 39H(f)" and the "Marder I". Those were both made from captured French armored vehicles that were modified by mounting either German 105mm artillery pieces or German 75mm anti-tank guns in a boxy armored superstructure, which had an open top. So the wearing of camouflage smocks and camouflaged helmet by the crews was a smart idea, because their torsos and heads would be visible and exposed while manning the guns. Since the vehicles themselves were camouflaged, it would be counter-productive to have uncamouflaged troops visible manning them.

Here's some other shots of both types of vehicles, showing the exposed torsos and heads of various crewmembers:

The vests are field made, and the camo pattern appears to be painted. They were likely painted by the same maintenance crew who applied the field camouflage patterns to the vehicles, and probably used similar colors as the vehicles. In the second photo posted by krakow and the photo I posted above, you can still make out a camo pattern on the vests. But there is not as much contrast as the vests in the first photo. That first crew may have a different pattern, or it may have been a trick of a camera due to different lighting conditions, exposure differences, etc.

 

[RogueJK]

It's entirely possible. Food sacks would be a readily available source of simple smock-like material.

 

[RogueJK]

Unfortunately, that 800x518 version is the largest I could find online.

But here's another, closer shot of the three men from the first photo in the thread. (These images are apparently stills taken from newsreel footage.)