OPERATION LIGHTNING ..... KIT ???????

Spot on Andy.

Nice authentic mix of camo.

I know one thing Pete and I wanted to avoid was 'tailor made' items like trousers in anything other than feldgrau or dot44 or dot44 helmet covers etc.

Your impression is bang on i reckon.

tiny only has an oak a smock and grey trousers is the oak a acceptable ????

I would say so, Anthony. Smocks in any camo were common, but as Gadge said, camo trousers (dot44 excepted) were not. Camo tunics were custom-made and quite rare - almost unseen on enlisted men.

thanks andy, he got propper wool kecks in feldgrau so no problem there

Guys if any one has a red german battle flag we cna put on the bonnet f the vehicle as 'air identification' coudl they please bring it.

I would say so, Anthony. Smocks in any camo were common, but as Gadge said, camo trousers (dot44 excepted) were not. Camo tunics were custom-made and quite rare - almost unseen on enlisted men.

Actually, to resurrect an old discussion I just read on Kamouflage.net that the first camouflage drill uniforms were in fact OAK A (SS-Eichenlaubmeister), due to the wide availability of it. So if anybody flames me for my oak a tunic again .....

Guys we were trying to get away from 'exceptional kit' and show the rank and file.

I'm sure Pete and Del will correct me if i'm wrong but at the planning meeting we agreed.

Tops: Tunics in either field grey HBT/Wool or dot44

Smocks: any of the standard patterns

Helmet covers: no dot44

Caps: no dot 44

Trousers: field grey wool/hbt or dot44

Having looked at hundreds (probably *thousands* actually) of period photos form 1939 to 1945 I have only seen camouflage tunics and trousers other than dot 44 drill or reversible winter white/oakleaf type on senior NCOs and officers on the SS.

One of the whole points of doing operation lightning was to raise the bar and try and get close to a realistic looking and organised 'skirmish' between realistic forces of the time, not to wear our favourite things, be comfy or get an 'edge'.

While I dont doubt that trousers and tunics other then those I've listed above were in existance and worn in small quantities its not really what the event is about.

Equally feel free to kick your kit around the garden for a bit before coming on the weekend as you've just come direct from the eastern front, your kit should be battle worn etc.

The heer garrison shoudl look freshly scrubbed, clean shaven and pressed.... you guys have been in the thick of it for ages.

If the above list is a problem for anyone i have an oakleaf smock, a dot 44 uniform and two field grey ss hohenstufen tunics (schutze and scharfuhrer) i will loan out on 'mend it if you bend it' basis.

hey no problem gadge, i was pointing it out as a matter of interest thats all.... When i was deciding whatkit to put together i found a couple of pix of ss troops with oakleaf tunics.... with insignia! - sadly a hard drive failure has obliterated them... but yes i agree they were unusual. My take on it when i play normally is that as an 'old soak' I would probably have had one made in the field, to replace my somewhat worn out feldgrau, or been issued with the first drill tunics and hung on to it for dear life once the dot 44 came in to be different. Soldiers do this. but for OP lightning all requirements will be met - pointless coming to a game like this if one is going to bend the rules...!

Cheers mate, much appreciated.

Be good to game with both of you again.

we're really looking forward to it! even though i will be a bit limited ...

Well we will have the landrover in play, we can have you riding shotgun on that (heavily disguised and stripped sdown landrover too...)