Evolution Miniatures added 5 new figures to their catalog, all depicting German tankers from WWII.
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/german-tankers-from-evolution
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/german-tankers-from-evolution
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Nice sculpts, but the uniform jackets are Army and not SS. I know it’s a small detail and 99% of those looking at them will not be able to tell, but I still find it surprising that all sorts of time and money will be spent researching a particular model of armored vehicle and modifying/improving accordingly, only to couple it with figures that have some fundamental flaw in them. Of course, it’s easy to make these Army tankers by using the appropriate insignia, A bit harder to change the jackets to make them SS.
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Of course one has to be pointing… 
But he’s at least using the “knife” hand method of pointing.
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Which proves the statistic that at any given time 20% of Germans were pointing… Great set, Evolution, well done.
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You are right, if by “Army” you are referring to the larger pointed lapels and the prominent central rear seam, which are the usual quoted distinctions. However it’s difficult from the photos to decide if the front opening of the jacket is “straight” (SS) or slanted (Heer), so it’s possible the jackets contain elements of both types which is officially “incorrect”, but I have books with photos of genuine (AFAIK) SS jackets that are similarly a mixture of both. I’ve also seen photos of SS tank personnel with pink piped collars and even collar patches, which should also be a no-no. Photos of LAH personnel even show the Black Panzer and Assault Gun suits being worn with NCO tresse, which is unique to this unit. I accept that, unlike the field grey uniforms, the SS clothing factories were able on the whole to keep up with the expansion of the Waffen SS in the matter of Black Panzer Uniforms and that it was unusual post 1942 for tank personnel to wear Heer uniforms with SS badges, after all there were only seven SS Panzerdivisions. But I think on this one I’m going to give Evolution the benefit of the doubt. If researching the German forces of WW2 for half a century has taught me anything, it’s “never say never”! I think it’s pretty hard to change them back from SS to Heer; yes, you can remove the arm eagles and the runes, but then you have to source the breast eagle and (more difficult) add the deaths heads to the collar patches. On the whole I’m always a bit unsure about moulded on insignia, especially cloth badges, after all in 1/35th the thickness of a cloth badge is about a coat of paint! Interestingly, none have moulded on cuff titles, which by definition SS Panzer troops would have (apart from instances where they were removed for security reasons).
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It’s always a minefield, when it comes to this. As you correctly point out: “Never” and “always” will trip you up every time. To me, the sculpt has a slanted front, which is typical of Army jackets. Normally, SS jackets are straight up and down on the front pane, have smaller, rounded collars and no back seam. SS wearing Army jackets was an anomaly after about 1942, as you mention. The lack of cuff titles is also a bit unusual, although junior enlisted were often not allowed to wear the cuff title until after a “rite of passage” in the unit/organization. I usually use Archer products for the insignia, but I have started picking up other manufacturer insignia lately, due to the demise of Archer.
I guess I’m a “rivet counter” when it comes to the uniforms, but that was my main hobby and interest for a long time.
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