I am planning to model an RSO on the Eastern Front (in a winter setting). Would it be feasible to mark this as a Waffen SS vehicle? If so, (in addition to vehicle registration plates) what markings would be appropriate? The vehicle will be towing a 7.5cm PaK 40.
Paul
Its completely feasible for an RSO to be wearing SS plates, however I would avoid marking it as one of the “classic” SS Panzer divisions, despite photos of restored vehicles with LSSAH markings. The RSO was intended to accompany infantry, not armour as its top speed of 19mph was too slow to keep up with other mechanised transport (e.g. Panther tank had a top speed on road of between 29 and 34mph). There are plenty of SS Grenadier units which might have operated it on the Eastern Front (there is mention of two vehicles being operated by 9SS PD “Hohenstaufen” in NWE, but they were surplus to establishment, they were never specified for this unit and it’s not clear quite how they were acquired). Once you’ve decided what division you are going to use, apart from that insignia, there will be a tactical mark of the sub unit. Infantry regiments would have had a rectangle in white or black with a company number alongside. The rectangle could, since the RSO was tracked, have the symbol for tracked units under the rectangle, but this really referred to the unit as a whole, rather than individual vehicles. Most Grenadier divisions of the SS were at best partly motorised, not mechanised.