In the Second World War, many pieces of equipment were used that were developed back in the late 19th - early 20th centuries: some were radically improved, others with minimal technological changes.

The Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic inherited the ammunition of the Kaiser's army. True, they began to make it from higher quality materials, improved it, modernized it, and adjusted it to the standard. With the beginning of the Second World War! The militia and rear units were already supplied with outdated equipment, and with the transfer of hostilities to German territory, so were the Volkssturm formations.

The ammunition was produced by state-owned enterprises in the system of the General Directorate for Uniforms and Equipment of the Wehrmacht, as well as various private companies. Externally, the products of the latter sometimes differed from the standard official ones - for example, in better finishing, quality of seams, and so on. of course, labeling. Some items were issued centrally, others, mainly officer items, were purchased privately. with monetary compensation for costs.

The field equipment was distinguished by rational design, strength with relatively low weight, and ease of use. By the end of the war, the quality of the materials used deteriorated: various ersatz and low-grade raw materials were used. Leather was replaced by canvas and plastic; tarpaulin, in turn, canvas, etc. At the end of 1944, an attempt was made to completely standardize equipment in terms of materials and colors, to introduce a single one - of an all-army type. But six months later the question disappeared - along with the fall of the Reich.

By the beginning of the campaign to the east, a significant part of the metal and parts - pots, shovels. gas mask cases began to be painted not dark gray, as before, but olive green. Since 1943, dark yellow became the predominant color for all military equipment - as a natural basis for applying darker camouflage, ocher painting was done directly at the manufacturer.

Along with the marked colors, the ground forces also used bluish-gray, widely used in the Luftwaffe, to paint some parts.

Many elements of the equipment were made of leather, both black and all shades of brown - even natural. Black and dark brown tones were used in soldiers' and special equipment, light brown in officer's equipment. Leather of different colors in one item was usually not used.

Canvas belts and braid are also typical for pre-war ammunition, but have become especially widespread since 1943. Sometimes the tarpaulin was replaced by cotton fabric, folded in several layers and stitched. Such products were painted in the colors of feldgrau, honey mushroom grey, green, brown, and beige. Metal fittings: buckles, staples, washers, rings and half-rings - had a natural metal tone or were covered with feldgrau or another shade of gray. The attempt to introduce a single dark gray color for all branches of the military was not entirely successful.

This stamp, embossed on the leather, along with information about the manufacturer, also indicated the place and year of manufacture. Manufacturer's stamp on the pot. Under the abbreviated company name, the last two digits (41) indicate the year of manufacture. War Department acceptance stamp on a camp flask.
Infantry shooter. He carries two 98k carbine ammo pouches. Reserve captain with a brown belt. Company commander of an infantry regiment in field uniform. He carried 2 bags with magazines for the MP assault rifle. binoculars, wiauiuem and holster.
A rifleman of an infantry regiment in 1940 with typical weapons and equipment. Different types of machines for a combat backpack, “trapeze” and bags for combat equipment. Sergeant major of the 91st mountain ranger regiment, Hungary 1944.
Typically, pouches for the MP-Z8 and MP-40 submachine guns were worn in pairs. Each pouch had 3 slots, and each contained 32 rounds of 9 mm caliber. The pictures show a brown canvas pouch with a small pocket visible on the side. Here was a device for loading a magazine. On the reverse side of the pouch you can see the knee straps for attaching to the waist belt.

Officer's equipment

The wide waist belt with a double-pronged frame buckle and an adjustable shoulder belt was covered with genuine leather in various shades of brown: light, orange, reddish. The instruction that followed in July 1943 to blacken items of equipment for camouflage was not always followed: as already noted. The brown belt was revered as a symbol of officer dignity.

The 1934 model belt was worn not only by combat officers, but also by military officials of equal rank, doctors, veterinarians, bandmasters, and senior Fenrichs. The buckle frame was made of aluminum alloy with a grained surface of matte silver or gray; the general's buckle was covered with matte gold. The two-part shoulder strap with a movable buckle was equipped with two flat carabiner hooks for fastening to the clutch half-rings.

A pistol holster was hung from the belt. and at the front and field bag - a service tablet of the 1935 model, or one of its many commercial versions, purchased by officers at their own expense, or - at the end of the war - a simplified, artificial leather "press-stoff". If necessary, a bayonet in an officer's brown blade, a saber, and a dirk were hung on the belt.

From the end of September 1939, senior officers in the active army were prohibited from wearing a shoulder belt, and soon this ban extended to all officers in combat units. In return, they were allowed to use in combat conditions: lieutenants - a soldier's belt with a badge and shoulder straps with auxiliary straps; captains and above - cavalry-type belts, with narrow straight shoulders. (Later, in 1940, the corresponding standards changed somewhat, but on the Eastern Front, officers wore belts with a frame buckle, sometimes with a shoulder belt.) And in November 1939, officers in the active army were ordered to wear soldier’s belts in combat conditions: black waist belt - up to and including the regiment commander: supporting shoulders (both infantry and cavalry) - regardless of rank. But the officers preferred their own, “original” brown equipment.

Raincoat-tent arr. 1931 with camouflage. One side of the raincoat was covered with dark “fragmentation” camouflage, and the other side was covered with light camouflage. This is clearly visible in the photo. Three short tension cables were secured with pegs. Reich, 1935. Artillerymen wear straps for cartridge bags. After the introduction of a sword belt with additional belts in 1941, in the future only officers had it. A health service soldier was stationed in front of a camouflage tent. Medical personnel often wore very visible insignia (a red cross in a circle) to perform their tasks on the ground. He usually had a metal box with first aid supplies. Helmets with red crosses were no longer used in the second half of the war.

Pistol holsters

The German army was saturated with pistols like no other. The pistol was not only the personal weapon of each officer, but also an additional weapon for the machine gunner, squad leader, tankman, and paratrooper. sapper, motorcyclist, military policeman, as well as soldiers and non-commissioned officers of many other specialties.

Officer's holsters were made of smooth leather, approximately the same color as the waist belt; for soldiers, non-commissioned officers and all SS - black. And at the end of the war, various ersatz were used for those, others and thirds. The most widespread - according to the pistols - are holsters for the P-08 Luger, better known as the Parabellum, two types of iodine Walter P-38, and for pistols of 7.65 caliber - for the "long Browning" 1910/22. Walter PP and PPK. Mauser and some others. Many small pistol holsters were suitable for multiple systems.

The iodine 9-mm Parabellum and Walter holsters were similar - wedge-shaped. with a deep hinged lid of complex round shape, with a pocket for a spare clip on the front edge of the case. The first, under the R-08, was fastened with a slanting strap with a buckle: the second, under the R-38. had a deeper lid and a vertical fastening strap, either locked with a button or passed through a bracket into the slot of a metal plate on the valve (there were other options for its fastening). Inside the lid there was a socket with a lid for wiping, and a pull-out strap was passed through a slot in the body. Two belt loops were sewn at the back for the waist belt. There was also a swing version of the Walter holster - with a side pocket for a spare magazine. The lid, in the form of a flat valve with rounded corners, was fastened with a strap to a pin button on a triangular valve that covered the trigger guard.

The 1922 Browning holster had spring straps riveted to the flat cap flap; a wide coupling for the waist belt slid along them. A hinged strap was attached to the lid pin, attached to the body by a quadrangular ring; in the nose of the holster there was a small grommet for the retention cord. The clip pocket was located on the front edge, similar to the P-08 holster.

Large holsters were usually worn on the left - this made it more convenient to pull out a long pistol. Small ones - which were used mostly by senior officers and generals, as well as rear ranks - could also be worn on the right. A wooden holster-stock for the Mauser K-96 with leather fastening pockets and straps was worn on the shoulder with the help of a sling or behind the belt, like similar ones for the Browning 07 and UP. to the long Luger.

The Wehrmacht used various types of pistols, including samples of captured weapons. Officers were required to carry pistols and often chose the 7.65 mm caliber, such as the Walther pistol (pictured #1), which was carried in a brown leather holster. The holster for other pistols P 38 (No. 2) and P 08 (No. Z), both 9 mm caliber, was made of black leather. All three holsters had a pocket for a spare clip. The 1935 pattern tablet could be made from brown or black gauge. It had two knee loops for attaching to a waist belt and was worn on the left according to the regulations. On the front there were slots for pencils, rulers and erasers. Inside the bag there were two compartments in which cards were stored in a protective case.

Tablets, bags, binoculars, flashlights

The officer's field tablet, or map bag, model 1935, was made of smooth or grained leather: brown in different shades for the army, black for the SS troops. It was also used by senior non-commissioned officers. During the war, the color changed to gray, and natural leather changed to artificial leather.

Inside the tablet there were partitions, transparent celluloid plates for cards. On the front wall of the case there were leather pockets for pencils - usually along the pocket for a coordinate ruler - and sockets for other tools. There were different options for their placement: along with standard official ones, commercial products were used.

The valve could cover the tablet entirely, half, or only its upper third, fastening either with a leather tongue with a buckle, or with a bracket passing through the slots in the plates riveted to the valve - the tongue of the lid was passed into it. Domestic field bags were closed in a similar way. German tablets were worn either by hanging them from loops on a waist belt, or on a heavy-duty strap with an adjustable buckle.

Almost all binoculars were equipped with a neck strap with a fastened leather or plastic cover to protect the eyepieces and a leather loop attached to the body frame for fastening to a jacket button. State-made binoculars were covered with black ersatz leather and painted feldgrau or dark yellow; Frequent companies used genuine leather and black varnish for these purposes. The cases were made from natural or artificial leather - black or brown, as well as from plastics such as Bakelite; On the sides there were half rings for fastening a belt, and on the back wall there were leather loops for a belt. The lid clasp was elastic. with a peephole on the tongue and a peg on the body of the case; There were also spring ones, like on gas mask cases. The location of the binocular case was determined by the presence of other equipment.

There were many examples of service flashlights with color signal or camouflage filters. The rectangular body, metal or plastic, was painted black, feldgrau. dark yellow, and turned white in winter. A leather loop was attached to the back for attaching clothing or other similar devices to a button.

The bag of the Hauptfeldwebel - company foreman, in which he kept report forms and lists personnel, writing instruments. - it had no fastenings and, according to tradition, was worn tucked over the side of a tunic or jacket.

Infantry equipment

The standard equipment of the infantryman was basic for many other branches of the military. Its basis was a waist belt - mainly made of thick smooth leather, black, less often brown, about 5 cm wide. On the right end was put a stamped aluminum or steel (and at the end of the war, bakelite) buckle with a grained or smooth surface, silver or painted in color feldgrau, khaki, gray. Stamped in the center was a round medallion with an imperial eagle surrounded by the motto “God is with us.” The buckle was adjusted using a tongue sewn to the belt with paired holes into which the teeth of the inner sleeve entered. The hook of the left end of the belt was hooked into the loop of the buckle.

The next important component of the equipment was the Y-shaped support belts - two strong ones and a back one. Similar ones were used back in the First World War, and in 1939 new ones were introduced, with riveted side straps for a backpack of the same year or a combat backrest. The tapered ends of the shoulders with sewn leather stops had a series of holes into which the teeth of the adjusting buckles entered: the galvanized buckles ended with wide stamped hooks that clung to semicircular or quadrangular rings of pouches or movable belt couplings. The length of the side straps with rings was adjusted with cufflinks and slots, as was the case with the back strap, which was hooked from below to the middle of the belt, and for a tall soldier - to the ring of the movable coupling. The backrest was connected to the shoulder straps by a large round ring with a leather washer. On the back of the shoulders. higher central ring, large half rings were sewn on to attach the upper hooks of marching or assault backpacks, as well as other ammunition.

Simplified canvas equipment for a similar purpose was used in North Africa along with leather, and after the surrender of the “Africa” army in May 1943, it began to be produced for continental troops, mainly in the Western theater of operations. However, at the end of the war, canvas belts, from greenish-yellow to dark brown, were found in abundance on the Eastern Front.

Chief sergeant major of the 3rd motorcycle rifle battalion (3rd tank division). Various items of military equipment are visible on the stroller. Army Reserve soldiers in most cases carried only one cartridge bag. Sometimes army units also used camouflage patterns like the Luftwaffe or SS troops. In the picture, two officers are wearing camouflage jackets of the Luftwaffe field division.
The second number (on the right) with a carbine and a pistol. On his back are two boxes of ammunition (each containing 300 rounds) for a machine gun and accessories for a Type 36 light grenade launcher. Hand grenades with handle mod. 24 and packing boxes for carrying them. Several cartridge boxes, a field telephone and a hand-held anti-tank cumulative magnetic mine.

Pouches for clips and magazines for small arms

Three-section pouches for clips for the Mauser rifle model 1884-98. were used back in the First World War. Standardized in 1933 as an all-army one. The pouch of the 1911 model differed from the similar one of the 1909 model... it had a smaller capacity - six clips (30 rounds). In combat units, riflemen wore two pouches - to the left and to the right of the buckle; the second echelon troops made do with one, located depending on other equipment. The hook of the shoulder strap clung to a ring on the upper part of the back wall of the pouch, the lids were fastened with straps to the pegs on the bottoms of the pockets. There were belt loops at the back.

Soldier. armed with a pistol and a machine gun model 1938-40. (usually one per squad of shooters with rifles), kept magazines for it in paired triple pouches but on both sides of the belt buckle. They also carried magazines for submachine guns of other systems chambered for the 9-mm cartridge. Each pocket for a 32-round magazine had a flap with a leather tongue fastened to a peg. The pouch was khaki or beige canvas; before the war there was also a leather pouch - with a pocket for equipment sewn onto the front of the left pouch. On a canvas pocket, a pocket with a flap on a button was sewn on the back side. 11a on the back wall of the pouch there were leather loops sewn at an angle for the waist belt, so the pouches were worn obliquely, with the lids facing forward. From the sides there were leather straps with half rings running perpendicularly for fastening to the holding straps.

Soldiers armed with a Model 1943 self-loading rifle carried four spare magazines on the left side of the belt in a two-section pouch, usually canvas, with leather trim around the edges. On the right was most often an ordinary three-section pouch made of black leather.

Machine gunner (1st number). For self-defense, in addition to the MG-34 machine gun, he also had a pistol, which was located on the left waist belt. On his right side he carried a bag with tools for the MG-34 machine gun.
The MG 34 machine gun was a wide-range weapon: it could be used as a light or heavy machine gun. Its theoretical rate of fire was 800-900 rounds per minute. The machine gunners carried a tool bag on their waist belt, which contained a cartridge ejector (1), a sight for firing at aircraft (2), a cartridge extractor (3), a fragment of a machine gun belt (4), an oiler (5), a mounting key (6), rags (7) and muzzle pad (8).
In the second half of the war, the MG 42 machine gun appeared, which was also used as both a light and heavy machine gun. The new machine gun was lighter, stronger and cheaper to produce than the MG 34. Its theoretical rate of fire was 1300-1400 rounds per minute. It gained legendary fame and remains the best machine gun of this caliber to this day. Its modified samples are still used in various armies.
Equipment worn on the belt

The blade for the bayonet of the Model 1884/98 rifle was made of leather, usually black, with a grained surface. On the tapering glass of the blade there was a slot for a hook holding the scabbard, and at the upper end, forming a loop for the waist belt, there was a swivel with a button for fastening the hilt. A lanyard was tied above the glass (it was almost never seen on the Eastern Front).

A small infantry shovel - a folding German one with a pointed end, a non-folding Austrian one with a pentagonal blade, a straight non-folding German one, a captured Polish one, or some other one used in the German army - was hung from one or two belt loops on the left hip at the back - in frame case made of black or brown leather, black ersatz press-stoff or canvas tape. A bayonet was attached to the blade in the blade, the loop of which was located between the loops of the blade cover. The bayonet could be placed in front of the shoulder blade if its cover had a single loop.

Small infantry shovel - folding German with a pointed end, non-folding Austrian with a pentagonal blade, straight non-folding German, captured Polish or some other one used in the German army. - hung from one or two belt loops on the left hip at the back - in a frame case made of black or brown leather, black ersatz “press-stoff” or canvas tape. A bayonet was attached to the blade in the blade, the loop of which was located between the loops of the blade cover. The bayonet could be placed in front of the shoulder blade if its cover had a single loop.

A characteristic feature of German equipment is a rusk bag, or bread bag. It has been used with some modifications since the last century. A large flap with a semicircular bottom completely covered the 1931 model bag, fastened with internal straps with button holes. On the outside there were two leather loops for the shoulder straps, which prevented the bag from swinging. In its upper corners, near the loops, leather ears with half rings for a pot, flask and other items were sewn. The bag, belt loops, and a strap with a hook between them were made of canvas or canvas, usually gray or feldgrau. At the end of the war, brown tones predominated. khaki, olive. Some bags were additionally equipped with a shoulder strap. The latest releases had a pocket with an external flap for gun accessories sewn onto them. Bread or crackers were stored in the bag (hence its name) - part of dry rations or NZ (“iron portion”). toiletries, shaving and cutlery, undershirt, gun accessories, cap (cap), etc. In essence, in field conditions, with a lightweight layout, it served as a small duffel bag, largely replacing a backpack. Always worn on the right back.

An aluminum flask of the 1931 model with a capacity of 800 ml, with a screw cap and an oval cup, was painted gray or black, later olive green. A strap with a buckle that fit into the brackets on the cup and went around the flask vertically in front and behind. was threaded through leather belt loops on a felt-colored or brown cloth cover, which was fastened on the side with three buttons, and its flat carabiner hook was fastened to the half-rings of equipment or a cracker bag. At the end of the war, steel flasks appeared - enameled or covered with red-brown phenolic rubber, which protected the contents only from frost - in this case, the flask had an additional strap around the circumference. Conical drinking cups could be made of steel or black bakelite; they were also pulled together by a strap pulled into brackets. Mountain troops and orderlies used one and a half liter flasks of a similar device. discontinued in 1943

The 1931 combination bowler, copied in many countries, including the USSR, was made of aluminum, and from 1943 - of steel. Until April 1941, 1.7-liter pots were painted gray, then they switched to olive green (however, the paint was often peeled off in the field). A fastening strap was passed into the brackets of the folding handle of the bowl lid. If there were old-style backpacks, the bowler was worn outside, with later ones - inside them. In a lightweight display, it was either fastened to a cracker bag next to the flask, or clung to a back strap or to a braided combat pack. NZ was kept inside the cauldron.

Introduced in April 1939, black shoulder straps were intended to support infantrymen's equipment. The backrest was connected to the shoulder straps by the knee on a leather lining. A 1939 model backpack was attached to it. The photo shows different angles of the infantryman's belt belts, including Y-shaped belts - two overstretched ones and a back one.

A dark green pot made of two parts - a lid and a body.
A camp flask equipped with a black lacquered aluminum mug was produced until 1941. It was placed in a felt bag. The photo on the right clearly shows how the flask is attached to the bread bag using a leather strap and a carabiner. The picture below shows a later flask with a small black bakelite mug and a canvas strap. Each soldier's gas mask consisted of a gas mask in a cylindrical dough case and a protective cape against liquid toxic substances. To the soldiers. Those wearing glasses were given special glasses that could be secured inside the gas mask. 1. Gas mask, model 1930. 2. Special glasses with a flat case, below is the ophthalmologist’s prescription. 3-5. From left to right: gas mask cases of the 1930 model (Reichswehr model), 1936 model and 1938 model.
Anti-chemical and protective equipment

The cylindrical gas mask canister case had a longitudinally corrugated surface and a lid with a hinged hinge and a spring latch. A shoulder strap made of braid was attached to the two brackets at the lid, and to the bracket at the bottom there was a strap with a hook that clung to the belt or to the rings of the equipment.

In the case of the 1930 model, a gas mask of the same type was usually placed with a mask made of rubberized fabric, with a round filter screwed onto the stigma and with tightening elastic straps made of rubber-fabric braid. The case for the gas mask of the 1938 model had a lid of shallower depth. and the mask is entirely rubber.

The lid contained a box with a degassing agent and napkins. The factory color of the gas mask cases was fel dgrau, but on the Eastern Front they were often repainted. and in winter they covered it with whitewash or lime. Cases from 1930 and 1938. were interchangeable.

According to the rules in the infantry, the gas mask was placed with the lid forward over the cracker bag, slightly below the waist belt, but also with the lid backwards - as in. for example, machine gunners or those whose special equipment blocked their gas mask. A shoulder strap and hook strap kept the case in a nearly horizontal position. Drivers and motorcyclists wore a gas mask on a shortened strap horizontally on the chest, with the lid facing to the right; cavalrymen - on the right thigh, passing the strap under the waist belt; in mountain troops - horizontally, behind the backpack, with the lid to the right. In transport vehicles, the gas mask case was released from the strap and placed on the knee. Well, in combat conditions it was positioned however it was more convenient for anyone - on the left side, vertically, on a shoulder strap, and attached to the equipment.

An oilcloth bag for the anti-chemical (“anti-suppressant”) cape was fastened to the strap of the gas mask case or directly to its corrugated canister.

The triangular raincoat of the 1931 model was cut from impregnated cotton gabardine with a three-color “splintered” camouflage pattern - dark on one side and light on the other (at the end of the war the pattern was dark on both sides). The slot for the head in the center was covered with two flaps. The tent could be worn like a poncho, and with the buttoned flaps it was a kind of cloak. There were ways to wear it for walking, riding a motorcycle and riding a horse. The tent was used as a bedding or pillow, and two - stuffed with hay and rolled into a bag - served as a good floating device. With the help of loops and buttons along the edges, sections of tents could be joined into large panels for group shelters. Eyelets at the corners and on the sides of the middle seam at the base made it possible to tension the panel with ropes and stakes during installation. A rolled-up tent and a bag with accessories for it were carried, attached either to shoulder straps, or to an assault pack, or at the belt. It was attached to the backpack or placed inside it. At the end of the war, tents were supplied only to selected field units. Therefore, the German army did not disdain the old square ones from the time of Kaiser Wilhelm II and captured Soviet ones with a hood.

Special infantry equipment

The rectangular black leather pouch for accessories for the MG-34 and MG-42 machine guns had a hinged lid with a strap. fastened with a button on the bottom, and on the back wall - fasteners for belts: two loops - for the waist and a four-headed or semicircular ring - for the hook of the shoulder support belt. At the end of the war, pouches began to be made from black or light beige “press-stoff”. An asbestos tack for removing a hot barrel was often placed under the outer strap of the pouch box.

Replacement barrels were stored in cases that hinged along the length, holding 1 or 2 each, which were put on over the right shoulder with a strap and worn behind the back. The commander of the heavy machine gun crew placed a case with two optical sights in the same way. All machine gunners were armed with a Parabellum (less commonly, a Walter P-38), carried in a black holster on the left side.

Hand grenades were kept in double canvas flat bags with valves and a connecting strap worn around the neck: subsequently they were carried only by the canvas handle. They also contained M-24 grenades with a long wooden handle, for which, however, there were also special bags (5 pieces each) made of coarse burlap with a knotted neck and two straps: one went over the neck, the other went around the lower back. But much more often these hand grenades were thrust into the belt, behind the tops of boots, over the side of the jacket. tied to an entrenching tool. A special vest for wearing them - with five deep pockets. stitched at the front and back and fastened with straps - it was rarely used at the front.

Since November 1939, officers in the active army were required to wear a belt on their field uniform. The waist belt was made of black leather with a number of holes and ended with a buckle with two pins. Lemon hand grenades, model 1939 Eastern Front 1941. A messenger on a motorcycle talks to the commander of the Panzer 1 Ausf.V tank. The motorcyclist has a gas mask bag on his front. This method of wearing around the neck was common among motorcyclists.
Machine gunner (1st number) of the infantry regiment. Entrenching tool. A short shovel and a bag for carrying it. The small picture below shows how to wear it. Different angles of a folding shovel and the way to carry it. Once assembled, the shovel bayonet is secured with a special nut. The bayonet of this shovel can be fixed at right angles and used as a hoe.

Traditionally, this element of the Russian military uniform arose in the 19th century - already in 1882, a raincoat was part of the equipment as a mandatory attribute. But the unit of that time was not much like modern light pieces of tarpaulin: it was accompanied by wooden stakes and stands, which the soldier was obliged to wear under his overcoat along with a heavy and bulky tent rolled up. And yet, the military were ready for this - finally, in field conditions, their heads could not get wet in the rain. The idea of ​​preserving the uniform in dry form was so to the liking of the authorities that already in 1910 the canvas triangle officially received the status of a “soldier’s raincoat-tent” and was used during inspections.

From the first years, the raincoat was produced in khaki colors, masking the location of the soldier at a rest stop. U German soldiers era of the Second World War, the coloring of the raincoat was two-sided - for “our” dirt and for “native” dirt. It was possible to zip four tents together and get one large one, complete for several people. There’s just one “but”: since those very first years - that is, since 1910, no one has bothered to change the design of the tent - our brave guys have been wrapping themselves in a short, frail cape.

Modern raincoat and its alternatives

Today, the raincoat tent has a canvas size of 180 cm and cords for tightening the hood and the raincoat itself. It can be worn either behind the back or in the form of a cape, but the buttons are replaced with those same wooden pegs. If the standard makers had allocated at least another 20 cm for the length of the side of the tent, perhaps the Russian soldiers would not have had to tuck their legs in while resting.

With the help of a raincoat, the military cleans weapons, using it as a bedding and for shooting, among other things. It is used to carry foliage when cleaning the area, to cover bunks in camp shelters, etc. Thanks to its bright glory and versatility, the raincoat-tent has gained popularity among imitators of the military style - there are those who prefer to cover themselves only with it on hikes.

We won’t argue about how convenient this is, but for more conservative people, an ordinary two-person tent is better suited. They are now made in a huge variety, from super-light structures and materials - up to aluminum and fiberglass, they are rolled up into such a tube that they can be placed in a backpack. As for the shapes, there is room to roam: domed ones are popular, but elongated rectangular ones are also suitable for tall people.

How to make a tent with your own hands?

A section for those who are especially devoted to tourism. You can make housing from six inner tubes from a road bike, ordinary polyethylene and tarpaulin. Such inflatable tents are mounted not on heavy metal, but on heavy-duty rubber tubes.

Having cut 4 chambers approximately a decimeter from the nipple, we get tubes of 120 cm each, to lengthen them, we take another 60 cm from the remaining chambers. It is necessary to glue the chambers and seal the ends. Now we cover it with tarpaulin, attaching a loop with a diameter of up to 5 cm to the ends. the nipples are left outside to pump air into the chambers.

We cut out a circle from a piece of tarpaulin and sew it to the covers - this will be the bottom of the tent and at the same time fastening the poles. That's it, now we prepare the polyethylene awning, glue it with “Moment” to the posts and additionally stitch it with nylon thread. This tent weighs no more than 2 kg, and the installation process will not take more than 10 minutes.

The raincoat-tent appeared in the equipment of the Russian soldier a very long time ago.

The raincoat-tent appeared in the equipment of the Russian soldier a very long time ago. The author was unable to trace the moment of the appearance of this very interesting piece of equipment. However, it is known for sure that since April 1882, the raincoat was already a mandatory element of soldier’s camping equipment.

True, at that time it was intended only to serve as a soldier’s individual tent. The picture shows the equipment of an army infantry soldier of the 1882 model. Among other elements, a light gray tent bundle is clearly visible, tied with a belt to an overcoat roll worn by a soldier over his left shoulder. The tent included had wooden pegs and a stand that were pushed between the tent and the roll.

For that time it was a truly revolutionary decision. For the first time, a soldier received a means of protection from bad weather both during rest and on the march. This was very important, because soldiers’ camp tents were transported in a second-class convoy, which, according to regulations, followed the regiment at a distance of half a day’s march, i.e. 20-30 versts. Consequently, previously, after a day's march, a soldier could get a place to rest and shelter from the rain, at best, by the middle of the night, and if we take into account the time required to set up tents, then by the morning. Those. by the time the next day's march had to begin. Thus, it turned out that during all the days of the march the soldier was constantly under open air and could count on somewhat normal conditions for rest only when the regiment stopped for a daily rest.

An individual tent radically changed the situation. A soldier, having arrived at his place of lodging for the night, could pitch himself some kind of tent and hide from the night dampness, rain, coolness, and dew. Having united, three or four people could already create something more similar to a real tent from their tents.

Initially, the tent was simply a canvas with holes in the corners for installation and was intended to be used only as a tent. The soldiers immediately adapted to shelter from the rain with a tent during the march. They themselves began to adapt the tent so that it was convenient to use and as a raincoat. The soldiers' ideas were noticed and appreciated by the authorities, and in 1910 the tent was modernized. From that time on she received official name\"Soldier's cloak-tent\". In a drawing of a soldier in uniform from 1912, a bundle of a raincoat with pegs stuck into it is seen tied to an overcoat roll (behind the right hand).

However, since 1910, the soldier's raincoat remained practically unchanged (except for minor changes) and was preserved in this form by the beginning of the 21st century.

Today it is hopelessly outdated. We can say that today it is neither a raincoat nor a tent.

If you put it on as a cape, it immediately becomes clear that the front panel does not even reach the knees. The water flowing from the cloth quickly makes the knees wet even if the soldier is standing. The corner tucked at the back ensures that when walking, water flows alternately into the left and right boots. If you turn the corner, then with a loud rustling he drags through the mud behind his back, clinging to all the blades of grass, twigs, etc., and trying to pull the cloak off his shoulders. In addition, the cloth itself is made of ordinary thin tent fabric without any serious water-repellent impregnation; after two or three hours the raincoat gets wet and no longer provides protection from rain. The picture shows a soldier with a machine gun (it looks like he is much shorter than average) in a modern raincoat with a machine gun in a standing shooting position.

A modern soldier's raincoat looks like this: A square cloth with a side of 180cm. There are holes in the corners of the panel, lined with durable lace or leather overlays. The edges of the cloth are double with a number of small slits and sewn wooden sticks used as buttons. A figured arc-shaped part is sewn onto the cloth, which forms a second layer of protection for the shoulders from water when wearing a raincoat-tent in the form of a raincoat. Closer to one of the edges there is a rectangular slot. covered with a plank. This slit allows the soldier to stick one arm out from under the cloak. when all the buttons are fastened. In two places, cords are passed through the cloth, allowing them to be pulled together to form the neck of the cloak and the hood.

The raincoat set includes: 1-panel, 2-two half-posts, 3-sewn cords, 4-four wooden or metal pegs.

As a rule, pegs, half-posts and sewing cords are instantly lost or outright thrown away, because at present no one is trying to use a raincoat as a tent. Agree that the structure depicted in the figure, consisting of a cloth, a stand, and four pegs, is hardly acceptable for a modern soldier.

With minimal amenities, such a tent can only accommodate a small child. And the open side allows the wind to blow into the tent, and rain can also get inside. A soldier of modern size, trying to lie down in such a tent, necessarily leaves either his legs or his head outside.

True, the design of the raincoat tent allows you to connect several panels with each other using cords. In this case, you get something like a tourist summer tent. However, the instructions for the raincoat tent are overly optimistic. For example, she claims that two raincoats make a two-person tent. But this is not a tent, just a canopy. The minimum required to create a more or less acceptable tent for one person is four sets, and six sets for two or three people. The picture shows a six-pack tent. The instructions state that this is a tent for six people. However my personal experience allows me to say that it can accommodate two or three people. If you cram six people in there, it will be torture, not relaxation.

However, despite the fact that the raincoat is currently unable to perform the tasks assigned to it according to its intended purpose, no one objects to it or demands its replacement with something more appropriate. The raincoat-tent is used as a bedding when cleaning weapons in the field; litter when shooting from a machine gun in bad weather conditions so as not to get your uniform dirty; as an improvised tablecloth when eating in the field. It is used for carrying bread and other products, dry rations. A raincoat tent is indispensable when removing swept away dry leaves and other debris. Cloak tents are used to cover bunks in soldiers' camp tents. They also replace doors in war-damaged houses. They cover windows in occupied, broken down houses (and instead of glass they provide blackout, and they will also stop a grenade thrown at the window). You never know when you need a piece of durable, dense fabric.

And for protection from rain, the well-known chemical protection kit (OZK), consisting of rubber stockings-shoe covers, worn over any shoes and a rubber raincoat with a hood and sleeves, which, with the help of simple manipulations, turns into overalls, is much more effective. And modern soldiers sleep more and more in cars, of which there are almost more of them in the army than there are soldiers themselves. So an ordinary camping tent is becoming less and less common in a soldier’s life.

But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to work on creating a raincoat that meets modern requirements and is more versatile. For example, in Afghanistan, soldiers folded two edges and stitched them with thread. Such a raincoat-tent, having threaded two sticks into the resulting fabric tubes, was used as an improvised stretcher for carrying the wounded. Yes, you even need to increase the size of the panel itself. The average height of a soldier has increased by at least 20-30 cm compared to 1909.

However, it seems that since 1910 no one has been involved in modernizing the soldier’s raincoat and no one wants to do so. But already during the Second World War, the Wehrmacht had much more comfortable, practical raincoats made of waterproof canvas fabric. In addition German raincoat had a double-sided camouflage coloring and could also be used as a camouflage coating. There are excellent examples of American poncho-type raincoats.

In general, it’s quite strange - our army adopted the German pot (the Red Army entered the war with a soldier’s copper pot from the First World War, which was just a saucepan with a handle). The modern Russian army bowler is an exact copy of the German bowler (and by the way, the Czech-style bowler is more convenient than the German one). But there is no German water flask. And it is more convenient than ours, because... closed on top by a mug. No need to have a separate mug. The German flat three-light lantern under the KSF brand was adopted, but the raincoat was not adopted. The central clothing service of the army is constantly inventing some kind of backpacks, suitcases, portable field kitchens for 5-10-20 people (who will wear them and how?). And the soldier, just as he carried his things in the orphan sidor, still carries them, just as he got wet in an outdated raincoat, he still gets wet.

In the picture there is a German machine gunner from the Second World War in a raincoat of the 1931 model (the German army was forbidden to have, and the authorities were already thinking about how best to dress the soldier of the future Wehrmacht!).

Literature

1. Manual on military engineering for the Soviet Army. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1984

2.I.Ulyanov, O.Leonov. History of Russian troops. Regular infantry. 1698-1801. Moscow. AST.1995.

3. I. Ulyanov. History of Russian troops. Regular infantry. 1801-1855. Moscow. AST.1996.

4. I. Ulyanov, O. Leonov. History of Russian troops. Regular infantry. 1855-1918. Moscow. AST.1998.

5. S. Drobyazko, A Karashchuk. World War II 1939-1945. Russian liberation army. Moscow. AST.1998.

6. S. Drobyazko, I. Savchenkov. World War II 1939-1945. Wehrmacht infantry. Moscow. AST.1999.

In addition to the external component, the functional component is also important. A soldier of any country on the battlefield must be comfortably and practically equipped.
According to art critic M.R. Kirsanova, in war they recognize friend and foe by their uniform. S.V. Struchev, a costume designer, complements this statement with the following: “So that you can see who to shoot at. Because the contact between the shooter and the enemy is visual.”

USSR

The soldiers of the Red Army were perfectly equipped at any time of the year. In summer, caps and helmets were used. The most common helmet was the SSH-40. Semyon Budyonny participated in its creation, testing the helmet by hitting a saber and firing a revolver. In winter, hats with earflaps with earflaps were introduced, which provided good protection from the frost. The lightweight uniform also included cotton tunics with breast welt pockets and trousers. Soldiers could store things in backpacks or duffel bags. They drank water from glass flasks suspended in a bag from a belt. Grenades were also worn on the belt - in special bags. In addition, the uniform included a bag for a gas mask and cartridges. Ordinary Red Army soldiers wore raincoats that could be used as raincoats. In winter, the uniform was complemented by a short fur coat or a padded jacket with a padded jacket, fur mittens, felt boots and cotton pants.

The Red Army uniform seemed to have been thought out to the smallest detail: the 1942 model duffel bag even had a compartment for an ax. This is how one of the Red Army soldiers described the condition of his clothes in a letter: “My clothes are pretty shabby and are of no value for the house.” And this is what Professor P.M. said about the army uniform. Shurygin, participant in the Battle of Rzhev: “Soon we will have quilted trousers, padded jackets, and warm underwear. They will give you felt boots with snow. The material is good quality, so you wonder where so much of this wonderful material comes from.” From the memories it is clear that the Red Army uniform was of high quality and practical. Numerous pockets and bags for ammunition made military life much easier.

Germany

The uniforms of German soldiers were sewn at the Hugo Boss factory. It included: a steel helmet with a double-sided cover, an overcoat, a gas mask case, a sword belt, rifle pouches, a raincoat, and a bowler hat. The Wehrmacht uniform was complete for European territory. The frosty Eastern Front required a completely different approach. During the first winter, the soldiers were freezing. They had already prepared for the second: insulated jackets, quilted trousers, as well as woolen gloves, sweaters and socks were introduced into the uniform. But this was not enough.

Despite the fact that the Soviet uniform was much heavier and easier to manufacture, it was considered more suitable for military operations in winter. Reenactor of the Eastern Frontier club Yuri Girev comments on the difference in the uniforms of the key powers as follows: “The uniform of a Red Army soldier was much warmer than the uniform of the Germans. Our soldiers wore cowhide boots on their feet. Boots with tapes were used more often.” One of the German representatives of the Wehrmacht wrote in a message to loved ones: “Driving through Gumrak, I saw a crowd of our retreating soldiers, they trudged along in a wide variety of uniforms, wrapping all sorts of items of clothing around themselves, just to keep warm. Suddenly one soldier falls into the snow, others pass by indifferently.”

Britannia

British soldiers wore a field uniform: a collared blouse or wool shirt, a steel helmet, loose trousers, a gas mask bag, a holster on a long belt, black boots and an overcoat. By the beginning of World War II, a new uniform was adopted. The regular units of the British Army were the last to receive it, because first it was necessary to equip recruits and those whose clothes had already lost their decent appearance. As the war progressed, minor changes occurred: the collar and other elements of clothing were lined to prevent the rough twill from chafing, and buckles began to be made with teeth.

Often British soldiers had to wear a heavy down-lined tropal raincoat. To keep warm, they wore knitted balaclavas under their helmets. Russian historian Igor Drogovoz appreciated the British uniform: “The uniform of soldiers and officers of the British army became a role model for all armies of Europe. The entire European military class very soon began to dress in khaki jackets, and Soviet soldiers took Berlin in boots with tapes in 1945.”

USA

The uniform of American soldiers is objectively considered the most comfortable and thoughtful for the conditions of the Second World War. They were guided by it even when developing uniforms in the post-war period. The uniform included a woolen shirt, a light field jacket, trousers with linen leggings, low brown boots, a helmet or cap. All these things have replaced the twill jumpsuit. All clothing of US soldiers was distinguished by functionality: the jacket was fastened with a zipper and buttons, and was equipped with cut pockets on the sides. The best equipment for the Americans was the Arctic set, consisting of a warm parka jacket and lace-up fur-lined boots.

Japan

During World War II, the Japanese had three types of uniforms. Each of them included a uniform, trousers, an overcoat and a cape. For warm weather, a cotton version was provided, and for cold weather, a woolen version. The uniform set also included a helmet, boots or boots. For Japanese soldiers, winter warfare meant operations in northern China, Manchuria and Korea. It was there that the most insulated uniform was used. Naturally, it was not suitable for the harsh climate, because it consisted of overcoats with fur cuffs, quilted woolen trousers and long johns. In general, it is difficult to call Japanese uniforms functional. It was suitable only for certain latitudes with a tropical climate.

Italy

Italian soldiers during World War II wore a shirt and tie, a single-breasted jacket with a waist belt, tapered trousers with wraps or woolen socks, and ankle boots. Some soldiers found it more comfortable to wear breeches. The uniform was not suitable for winter campaigns. The overcoat was made from cheap, coarse cloth, which did not provide any warmth in the cold. The army was not equipped with winter clothing. Only representatives of the mountain troops had insulated options. The Italian newspaper Province of Como noted in 1943 that only a tenth of the soldiers during their stay in Russia were equipped with a suitable uniform. In their memoirs, the soldiers wrote that at times the temperature reached minus 42 degrees, so many died from frostbite, and not during combat operations. Statistics from the Italian command report that in the first winter alone, 3,600 soldiers suffered from hypothermia.

France

French soldiers fought in colored uniforms. They were dressed in single-breasted jackets with buttons and double-breasted overcoats with side pocket flaps. The coat tails could be buttoned back to make walking easier. The clothes had belt loops. Foot troops wore breeches with windings. There were three types of hats. The most popular was the cap. Adrian's helmets, which had an emblem on the front, were also actively worn. Apart from its appearance, this helmet could hardly boast of anything else. It did not provide protection from bullets. In very cold weather, the French uniform expanded its range to a sheepskin coat. Such clothing can hardly be called optimal for different weather conditions.

The best uniform of American soldiers became the prototype for all modern field clothing. It was distinguished by functionality and thoughtful appearance. They didn’t freeze in it, and this was one of the decisive factors in the war.