Heer troops in SS camo smocks?

19KUBAN43 · Post by **19KUBAN43** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 7:15 pm

I just bought a photo showing 2 troops viewing graves of fallen comrades in front of a destroyed Russian factory. The graves appear to be SS (marked with runic "arrows" not typical crosses) and the 2 troops are wearing SS camo smocks and helmet covers. One soldier clearly has Heer/Army style collar tabs on his tunic. Did the Heer wear SS tunics on special operations? Are these possibly security or SD troops? I will send a scan of the pic upon request and reciept of your e-mail address. Thanks, Jeff

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 7:59 pm

HEllo!

This of course depends on the type of camo. There are very few patterns exclusively used by the W-SS. Heer, Luftwaffe unit used camo smocks as well. The photo will help to see the type of the camo pattern. But basically spoken all branches of the Wehrmacht used camo smocks and helmet covers.

\Christoph

George Harper · Post by **George Harper** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:12 pm

Hard to say without seeing the pic but it sounds like the 4 SS "Polizei" Div. to me. They wore Police type collar patches early on. Towards the end of the war their uniforms became more like the rest of the Waffen SS.

Cheers,

George.

Rob - WSSOB · Post by **Rob - WSSOB** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:21 am

Sounds like 1941-42 4th SS troops wearing Orpo-style collar tabs - Rob

Kameraden · Post by **Kameraden** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:05 am

Definately Polizei Division.
Heer smocks were totally different Cammo pattern.
And you would see Luftwaffe Collar Tabs if it was them.

nonconformist · Post by **nonconformist** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 11:28 am

Would camo manufactured for the Waffen SS stay exclusive? What I mean is would the Heer not attempt to scrounge what they could find from them if it was lying around.

Kameraden · Post by **Kameraden** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:01 pm

No

The Heer Patterns are totally different even if scrounged.
Remember even some of the HitlerJugend SS Divison Wore Italian Cammo.
So if there was'nt enough SS cammo in later years for the SS then i doubt the Army would get any.

I have never once in thousands upon thousands of pictures seen Heer in Waffen-SS pattern Cammo.
The only non SS troops i have ever seen were troops from the Hermann Goering Division.I have'nt even seen other Luftwaffe Division troops using it.

So in my Opinion SS and HG are the only troops to wear this pattern.

Achilles · Post by **Achilles** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 2:59 pm

I have never once in thousands upon thousands of pictures seen Heer in Waffen-SS pattern Cammo

I have seen more than a few although they are very much the exception to the rule. In the 72ID divisional history there are pictures of IR124 in the summer of 1941 where whole sections\MG crews have W-SS helmet covers. There are well known photos of officers (both Heer and FJ) that show them wearing W-SS smocks...I suppose they had contacts\friends in the W-SS who had obtained them for them.

Quite where IR124 got all those helmet covers I don't know.

Kameraden · Post by **Kameraden** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:46 am

Interesting Achilles.

Any chance you can post pictures?

Thanx