Edit: my question is can the grey pants be painted in an ss camo pattern rather than in a field grey.
I bought the Schwimmwagen crew from alpine miniature, my one question is i would like to paint the pants on my figure in Dot 44 would it be feasible to do this or are the grey pants and dot 44 camo pants to different. Below is the figure in question, looking at alpine miniatures grenadier set 35246 my initial thought is that there is no difference.
If I understand your question correctly, you are wondering about the shade of Feldgrau for his trousers. The very simple answer is, use any color you like.
Much like Olive Drab, and Zinc Chromate colors. Feldgrau, or German Green was produced by various manufacturers, thus making exact match to the color impossible. A factory here might produce it darker, a factory over there it might be lighter. This is a proven wartime fact, not just for Germany, but the Allies as well, go back to US Olive Drab…
For the sake of all the “poo poo-ers” out there, check any number of written/photographic references. PLEASE start with Deutsche Soldaten by Agustin Saiz ISBN 978-1-932033-96-0. Or any of the Histoire and Collections series ISBN 2-908-182-29-7. You can always use Osprey, any of their WWII German bookettes.
Hope this helps. As a PS, I start my figures out with Tamiya Dark Blue, or even Humbrol Blue. Then dry brush various shades of Tamiya Field Grey and lighter shades
Oh and as for the Camo Schmock, it comes down to fading and year produced. The original 1939-40’s reversible Schmock was much more even in color spectrum. Later years it tended to be much drabber and less even or bright
@Whitney_Foreman my question is would these pants also be seen in a camoflauge pattern as well? That is an interesting approach with using dark blue, I’ve always done a grey/ white highlight and black shadowing
Here’s an (wellknown) example where you can see the progress of colour and material during the war years. I dare say that the same would apply to pants.
@RonW @Whitney_Foreman thank you for the picture. I think everyone is missing my question, would the pants that the figure is wearing be able to be painted in a camo pattern. I don’t want to paint them grey i want to paint them in a camoflauge pattern.
The camo pants, really didn’t make a general appearance before 1944. That’s not to say some SS divisions didn’t get their hands on some earlier. The pants were produced in the Dacau system of camps, and as such SS personnel could have. But the SS camo pants didn’t officially see front line service until 1944
Yes if the figure is after 1943
@Whitney_Foreman from what i can gather, the SS trousers didn’t see service until august of 44. It looks like they were based off the M43 trousers which the figure appears to be wearing.
The mouse gray pants (worn over regular uniform pants) were reversible to white. A parka of the same coloring existed as well. They were issued to Heer (army units) but I wouldn’t swear the SS never got them.
You wore what was available.
This photo from atthefront.com They make reenactor replicas
@barnslayer thank you for the picture, I’ve seen these with the heer camo as the reverse as well.
Getting back to your original question, the figure you have shown is wearing a camo smock, and it’s not in the “Pea-pattern” style. It’s most likely in one of the Oak, or Plane Tree patterns, or “Smoke-patterns”. I could be wrong, but I don’t think any smocks were printed with the “Pea-pattern”. “Pea-pattern” jackets and matching pants were only issued in 1944 (as noted by someone above), and could be seen mixed with un-matching items. Camo smocks could be seen worn right up to the end of the war.
@Biggles50 yeah i figured out that the smock can’t be dot 44 pattern, but i have been told that sometimes a mix and match of dot 44 pants with a smock jacket could show someone being a veteran. So maybe i will incorporate that into my next build when painting these figures.
You are certainly right. Lots of pics of Waffen SS in Normandy wearing brand new Pea pattern uniforms with or without older pattern camo smocks.
It’s fine to paint the trousers in “Pea Pattern” with a contrasting smock in “Oak leaf” or whatever. There is a very famous photo of a dead Panzergrenadier or Pionere from 10SS “Frundsberg” taken on Nijmegen bridge in September 1944. He is wearing a smock, “Pea” trousers and marching boots, not gaiters and ankle boots, a combination that breaks all the “rules”. As said above, the mark of a veteran. (The colourisation is not original, but you get the idea.)
(dead grenadier on nijmegen bridge - Bing)
There is also a well-known photo of 17SS “Gotz von Berlichingen” troopers taken in Normandy, in which they are wearing the full “1944” suit under the smock (you can see the collar of the “Pea” jacket turned over the smock neck opening). There was good reason for doing this; the smock was showerproof, due to being made of closely woven cotton “duck”, but the 1944 suit had no water-resistant properties.
(götz von berlichingen ss - Bing)
@Hohenstaufen thank you, i had heard of this picture but couldn’t find it. This helps immensely and confirms what i needed to know. The colorization is pretty damn good if you ask me. That’s an interesting reason and fact about the smock being worn that way. I didn’t realize it was rain proof(ish).
