Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
World War II
Early War Luftwaffe Part 2
Tropical and Paratrooper Uniforms
These illustrations are from a 1943 Army manual about the German Army. They depict the various uniform and troops types within the German Army from the early years of the War. We reproduce them to give military mintiaturists an easy reference.
Note that in the printing methods of the early 1940s, color quality could vary significantly. These colors might be off slightly. Then again, uniforms themselves varied due to wear, fading, etc. Nothing is 100%, so adjust your work accordingly. What these images do is show you the cut of the uniforms and placement of insignia. That alone in valuable.
NOTE: Luftwaffe tropical gear was tan rather then olive. The uniform depicted here was quickly replaced by more practical attire.
The paratrooper (fallschirmjager) uniform shown here was soon changed. Trousers were intially Luftwaffe blue, but were replaced by field grey by 1943. Camouflage smocks were issued about the same time. In the desert and tropics, the paratrooper uniform was tan.
