Kampfgruppe Hohenstaufen

I've moved this to the open Axis thread , you might get a wider response.

I'm in. Whatever role needs filling!

*Sigh*. Why did I go for Heer gear? I've spent so much on getting my Feldgrau jacket all insignia'd up, I can't justify ditching it and getting anything else, unfortunately.

Good start Kameraden, that's three of us so far, one more and we'll have a half section, enough for an entry team for Arnhem for the fighting in built up areas. I take it, we can all standardise our kit at this early stage, oak A and helmet covers, ss sigrunen on the outside, would be probably the way forward for a basic impression.
I think. We'll need to meet up and discuss this further, in more detail and much more seriously if we want this to happen. probably need to consider a unit web site, centrally located airsoft training site, recruiting drive, establishment of a number of depot uniforms, helmets and equipment sets and weapons for any recruits, minimum kit requirements. possibly even attending non airsoft military fairs ect, to get the message accross, bit of a article in Arnies airsoft. Any other ideas out there!
Steiner, you should invest in some sigrunen and a Hohenstaufen cuff title, there's an oak A smock and helmet cover waiting for you if you want to join us!

i will get the ss runes and cuff band in time, will you need men in black ss panzer uniforms??

if so sign me up

i could always push a cardborad tank round at games

I don'f see any probs, if you want to be part of a dismounted tank crew, fighting along side us panzer grendier grunts, thats fine. I heard some wild rumours that Kermit has got plans for a cardboard King Tiger anyway, so you'll be alright, I don't see why we can't have a complete crew if that's what people want, but the core element should be grenadiers.

lol, nah, not a King Tiger (much as id love to!)

I'll wait till I move house, then I think it'll be a 222 as the first project.

Regarding kit, camo wise, I think that anything worn by the SS goes to start with - then over time, commonality will creep in naturally. How's that sound?

Regarding kit, camo wise, I think that anything worn by the SS goes to start with - then over time, commonality will creep in naturally. How's that sound?

I agree, it's more authentic too. Try finding photos of SS men with matching camo, not all that common, neither was either of the oak patterns for smocks and covers. Plane tree, in all its flavours, and to an extent Burred edge were more common. The issue was a smock, a helmet cover and a zeltbahn, it did not matter if the patterns matched. I've got photos of SS using splinter zelt for a tent mixed in with their own patterns. You wouldn't not build a tent because the required zelt was not the same pattern would you.

Yup, you're both right, basically what we need is a combination of helmet covers and issue smocks and use this as a basic building block, I'm up for helping with the 222, hell we'll even have "men in black" to ride in it!

If i remember correctly, the germans just used to call the smocks/helmet covers "camouflage" and that it wasnt until after the war that people decided that it came in several flavours (plane tree, oak, palm print, burred edge) - am i remembering this correctly?

ive decided to give up all other forms of airsoft,except ww2 axis.
im gonna sell what little remains of my "modern" gear . and theres very little left !

ive got the full ww2 usa loadout, which ill use only if the german teams are full, from now on im axis airsoft only.

i may even branch in to renactment, if this takes off.

wont be buying any panzers yet though

2 questions: would they have ever worn Feldgrau tunic and trousers?

would they have ever worn tan and water?

Can't say I've ever seen any photos of ss men in Sumpftarn, tan and water cammo.

A Gregory - you're thinking of doing what i've already done. I'd much rather do half a dozen fantastic days/weekenders in a year, than any number of "normal" open days.

2 questions: would they have ever worn Feldgrau tunic and trousers?

Yes, quite a lot of the time, always in fact, under the smock. The smock was not worn 100% of the time so plain field greys are fine.

would they have ever worn tan and water?

That is a bit of a no go. Never seen it done. You will find certain SS div in Italian camo and very occasionaly a heer chap sporting the same, thats about the extent of common camo between the arms. Excepting the zelt tent building mentioned earlier.
Until the advent of the '44 pea dot uniform by far the most common look for combat was the field grey uniform with a smock and helmet cover.
Here's one for the Doktor, the smocks worn in the film ABTF were made from post war zelts, the one with the pattern that looks like a cross between the splinter and leibermuster. Yes I have a couple and no you cant have them to chop up.

Thanks for the replies, Poacher et al. I'm gonna think about this for a while. I have a number of things to do if I want to be authentic for this. I would have to lose my collar tabs, Obergefreiter stripes, and chest eagle - all recently sewn on by my wife. Probably Krim shield also. (?) I would then have to buy collar tabs, shoulder boards and cuffband as an absolute minimum. And my tan / water helmet cover and smock would also be surplus to requirements, so I'd have to do something else with the helmet too.

For the moment, I'm staying as Heer.

If I could find a tatty one, I actually think in this case, it would be great to re-enact the movie and make a smock.
Then it's another shelter half off the market and mine become more interesting.
We once discussed this on a re-enacting forum, nothing came of it.

Having a bit of a photo shoot today with a couple of mates, I'll post a few shots, probably tomorrow, of what I would consider to be a classic panzer grenadier immpression, which is quite easily achievable at a reasonable cost. I'll also post a few on the "photos for insiration thread" of some battle poses ect.

You mean kind of an airsoft team but instead of Marprat and Blackhawk gear it would be peas pattern and StG43. Too words. Hell Yeah. But can I be the Unit Politico?