Hello.I am Demonskates.I am interested in impersonating a Waffen SS sniper for Airsoft Game battle purposes.
Ive spent a number of days researching the Six diffrent Camo patterns the SS, Lufftwaffe,and Heer was expirementing with.It appears that alot of renactors,spend far to much time trying to make all their camo match,which is historicaly inacurate.(Much of the cammo issued half way though the war was a hodge podge mix of the diffrent patterns.)Ive decided to go with being a sniper,and playing that role. I will purchase a Tanka K-98 Mauser,fitted with a reproduction ZF-41 sight.I found a number of places that make outstanding reproductions of the cammo.
Im partial to the blurred edge caomo, for the smock,and springtime Oak B for the pants.The Zeltbahn i am getting is in the Oak B style as well.
I found a place that makes accurate repros of the German helmet,and found a place that makes accurate net veils,with the clips to attach them to the helmet.I learned that the Jack boots were issued in a brown color,not black.(I guess some troops managed to get black polish and changed the color from brown to black,in the field)I also found a place that has the canvas gaitors.As far as equipment,Ive found numerous places that have the Y type web gear,and K-98 amo pouches.I want to learn exactly how the SS snipers operated.When i play airsoft,I want it to be by the book,as far as my impersonation goes.I want to live the SS sniper role.Any and all info anyone has would be appreciated.
Survival is ten times camoflage,and one time firing.
I guess I should be more specific. Im Mostley interested in the sniper doctrines, Tactics and training of the Waffen SS Sniper teams. Im wondering if anyone has info pretaining to Sniper tactics of the SS.
Any type of training manuels, Or resources that any of you have come across on the net ect. Ive used the search engine here, and found limited information on this topic. Im also wondering what Units had snipers among them within the SS. IM not sure how reenactors, or air soft players rank in your opinion. For all I know you Hate us. I'Ve been a WW II Buff since I was a kid. Im 32 now. Ive played on both sides as far as airsoft goes. As an American soldier, armed with the M-1 Garand, And as A SS stormtrooper. I guess my main goal is to portray my impression as accurately as possible. I hope to one day land my self in a SS reenactors unit. Perhaps even be on film. A number of SS reenactment groups get commisioned to do film work in movies. Its somthing I have been passionate about for a long time. I became interested in the SS sniper units because of info I have read on Stalingrad. I will be a regular enlisted man. Out of respect, I would not wear a Knights cross, or Iron Cross, or por Le Merit. Those honors were awarded to men who deserved them, Who fought bled and died in many cases. I also would not wear the award rings that were issued, those were worn by men who earned them, and i feel it would be a disrespectful thing to wear such an item, when many fought and died for their country.(even if it would make my impersonation that much More authentic looking) In the end, I will Look very much like an SS sniper, without disrespcting those who died in valor.
I have no political motivations, or affiliation with National socialists, or hatred of any race. My Grandfather served with the Americans in the 71st infantry, 5th regiment, Cannon company, U.S. Army.( R.I.P.)
He Nurtured my intrest in WW II.His unit was the furthest east into Eroupe out of any unit to see combat during WW II.He was at the crossing of the Rhine, the retaking of the Magino line,(not sure i spelled that right)
He helped to liberate 80 small concentration camps, the most notable one being Gunskirchen Lager in Austria. At the end of the war, he was in Adolf Hitlers compound over looking the alps. He also was in Herman Gorings house, which was located not far from there. I have tremendous respect for all people and nations who fought in WW II. It is my keen intrest in this war that has lead me to do airsoft. Its about as close as you can get to combat, without people dying. If anyone has any Info on the SS sniper tactics ect. I hope you will share this info.
best reguards.
D.
Survival is ten times camoflage,and one time firing.
I don't know if the training and instructions recieved for the Waffen-SS snipers where any different than those for the Heer (or for that matter Luftwaffe) snipers. Here's a link (if you haven't seen it already) to a thread with many photographs of german snipers, both Heer and Waffen-SS and even some WWI (don't miss the interesting interview)...
Then there also exists two contemporary german sniper instruction films from the later war years. I suppose that these would answer many of your questions about how to re-enact as a sniper...
Intersting to hear about your Grandfather's experiences in the war. I hope that you had the possibility to meet him. That generation will not be with us for much longer...
With best regards,
Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
My Grandfather was the one who got me interested in the war. I got to hold his M-1 Garand, and a K-98 Mauser that he brought back as a souviner. So I was fortunate enough to talk with him about these things.
He brought back some other interesting things. Like the equivalent of the U.S. purple heart. It was the black wound badge, I guess for one to two wounds in combat. It was The ones that have Hitlers signature on the front and the date 1944 (I guess adlof's signature went on the wound badges after the attempt to blow him up in his bunker) He gave me a beautiful German flag, It was a red one with a giant swastika in the center in black and white, and in the upper left handf corner the Nazi eagle holding the oak leaf wreath, with ribons and the swastika in the center. It had the tag where it was manufactured, the wooden toggle at the top, and the tie on string at the bottom. It was all wool. Unfortunately it was stolen by a kid I grew up with.(If I ever see him again, Ill probably knock his teeth out for that one. It was priceless) My Grandfather said it was from Austria.(Perhaps Gunskirchen Lager, he never did specify) He also had some SS dress daggers, and an SS sword . When he passed on, all of that stuff was sold by my uncle. The thing that really bugs me about that is that my uncle has no clue what those items are worth, and the fact that My grandfathers M-1 never should have been sold. It should be in our family.
Thanks so much for the links. These should be very helpful to me.
As always, its been a pleasure.
Demonskates.
Survival is ten times camoflage,and one time firing.
I wouldn’t limit your search to just “SS Sniper” tactics. From what I have learned each man would develop his own techniques in the field. A wide variety of sources would be required to get a good overview of sniper/sharpshooter.
Thanks so much for the links Fallschirmjager. I just finished reading the top link. Very interesting. I would Love to Talk with Milan Lorman On his training, and things he discovered about sniping in the field. Im not interested in the gory details or tallies ect. Mostly the training, tactics ect.
I'd Imagine there was a set of rules or concepts that were always in his mind while doing his job as a sniper, that is what intrests me.
Again thank you, facinating links.
Survival is ten times camoflage,and one time firing.
firstly, the zf-41 was not a sniper scope intended for use by trained snipers, it was issued to regular riflemen in ordinary infantry sections in an attempt to boost their firepower and effectiveness.
If you want a sniper scope on your 98K then you have a wide choice, some models were produced and issued purely by the military but heavy use was also made of civillian hunting scopes. Zeiss scopes in particular.
You mentioned Stalingrad in connection with SS snipers. There were no SS units in Stalingrad and the battle was really before sniping in the wehrmacht got under way although some few were around.
The most successful German snipers seem to generally have been Austrian rather than German and belonged to mountain or Jäger divisions.
For detailed information on the equipment used by the German sniper, including a chapter devoted to the W-SS then look up a copy of "The German Sniper 1914-1945" by Peter R. Senich
