The date is usually stamped on the receiver, barrel, or stock. From the comical Sargent Schultz of Hogan's Hero's fame to more recent films Hollywood has cemented the double decal helmet as the predominate headgear of the WWII German soldier into the consciousnesses of modern culture. As collectors in the modern age, this information is invaluable. | House No major changed were ordered for the use of decal between 1940 and 1943. All divisional commanders, adjutants, and orderly officers. However, the extra length also makes the K98 heavier and more difficult to carry around. It could take a number of forms, from being very narrow and long, to short and squat. Below is a compiled list of all the known Waffenamt codes, their manufacturer code, the type of manufacturer, their factory or office location and any further notes gathered. Approximately 90 millimeters wide and 120 millimeters tall (estimated from original illustration). The 9mm semi-automatic Walther P38 pistol became the service pistol of the Wehrmacht around that time. |, | Gun Ammunition Association The markings on the vehicles consists of the sub-unit name, the tactical sign, and the unit insignia. Letters Panzer-Division introduced 1 May 1943.11, Units could not unilaterally decide their own insignia, however. 4. As with the Great War era Guard regiment insignia artistic skill does play a factor in the quality and appearance. One variant has gaps in the lines, indicating the use of a template. In this article we will talk about German helmets of the WW2 period. Maker Marks identify the manufacturer of the blade. Items like jerry cans, some boxes, labels, paperwork, gas masks to list a few, would have been marked with an ink stamp. The Bakelite version of the buckle is very rare. Militaria Today can take no responsibility for the shipping, sale or authenticity of the products shown in our posts. Codes & Markings On tanks, the insignia was to be placed on the front, read, and left side of the superstructure.1, On 22 November 1940, the German Army High Command ordered the introduction of a new set of unit insignia for all 20 armored divisions. Fortreaa Otaku, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Insignia_of_the_Wehrmacht. $60.00. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. After the invasion of Poland in 1939, changes to the use of decals would come again. Some vehicles also opted to paint it on. WW2 German helmet manufactures and their codes. Fallschirmjgerdivision (3rd Airborne Division), 4. Every motor vehicles of the motor transport company is to equipped with a sign by the mobile equipment unit that clearly shows the number of the motor transport company and the truck. MilitariaToday is full of interesting militaria. Where possible, the usage is listed chronologically. Unless specified under color, the background colors shown in the drawings are only intended to provide contrast. While a winner of the competition was found, the unit retained its existing insignia.15. The second number shows the platoon its part of, so is part of the 3rd Panzer platoon. This tanks numbering means its 3rd company, 1st Platoon, 2nd Vehicle. All German armored vehicles (tanks, command tanks, armored reconnaissance cars, and armored radio cars) are to be recognized by a white bar cross (see drawing) on all four sides. Free shipping for many products! New marks, from the national identification symbol downwards were ordered to be put on "all motor vehicles assigned to tactical units". They are to be placed permanently and visibly on the front and rear, as well as the sides (see an example in the appendix). Panzer divisions were the key element of German success in the blitzkrieg operations of the early years of World War II. In March 21 1940 the German high command ordered the helmets to be repainted with a rough textured dark field gray matte paint. From this point on the use of hand rendered insignia would diminish in favor of printed decals. | . 110 millimeters tall and 45 millimeters wide, The insignia is referred to in the 12 December 1940 order as an up-right. In 1940 actually, end of thirty-nine, early forty, the Nazis decided to dress up their proof marks, and so they took the crown N proof mark and turned it into an eagle N proof mark. It is believed that these helmets may have been worn by members of the SS who worked in concentration camps. In Germany, the applicable law is paragraph 86a of the criminal code (StGB), in Poland Art. | U.S. A brief explanation of the logic behind Luftwaffe fighter markings - this video should help you quickly identify where an individual aircraft sits within the. At some point the some SS units began using a white bordered black swastika hand rendered onto the left side of the helmet. While these illustrations can help establish that the insignia was used at a certain point in time, they are not reliable indication of the exact shape. This example below comes from the side of a German Luftshutz (Civil defence) gas mask and is clear to read WaA104. Armeeoberkommando 9, 1944. It is also unclear whether the measurement of 50 or 60 millimeters is from the tip to the center of the star, or from the tip along the length of the arm. For example, Mauser-Werke Oberndorf has a crown over an M stamped on the receiver. Focusing on the Panzer regiment, we then have two regimental tank battalions (designated with Roman numerals I and II) and each of these regimental battalions consisted of (normally) 4 companies. AReichswehrorder dated 5 April 1934 stated that new decals were to be issued out to all units. This normally came along with a number to show the original manufacturer, their location and in some cases, the period it was produced in. Useful Links There maybe different reasons for this. (Preservation tips, inventory software, insurance), Living To explain the numbering system, first we must take a slight detour and explain the general organization of an average Panzer Division circa 1943-44. How to Identify a Fake WWII Helmet. Fallschirmjgerdivision (2nd Airborne Division), 3. Normally, this was done with a rolled up flag that was unfurled when they knew or suspected friendly aircraft were operating near them, which could be rolled up if they came under attack by enemy ground-attack aircraft. With the many surviving German helmets with intact decals, and the camouflaged helmets where the decal was carefully painted around, its seems unlikely that men in the field saw the exposed decal as much of a threat. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. A quick demonstration of the rhombus shaped tactical markings and variations (not exhaustive, however). Infanterie-Division for use on motor vehicles other than motorcycles and larger horse-drawn vehicles (left), and on smaller horse-drawn vehicles and motorcycles. An . The helmet of Bataan.Re, Specters in the Snow, the story of Finlands Skeleton Helmet, Sinister in Black, the Pre-War Helmet of the SS, The German helmet of the Normandy Campaign, The Tsars French Helmet, the Imperial Russian Adrian, Visiting the Baltic with Alexander & Sons, Geronimos helmet, a short history of the U.S. M2, Afrika Tan, The German helmet of the North Africa Campaign, The truth about the camouflaged helmets of the Great War. The front right mudguard of motorized vehicles. On motorcycles with sidecars the insignia was to be painted on the front mudguard and rear sidecar body. Sometime in 1917 troops from the 1st Foot Guards Regiment and the 1st Guards signal battalion took to wearing a Hohenzollern crest on the left side of their helmet with the company number painted in white, red or in some cases black on the back of the helmet. Proof marks indicate that the firearm has been tested for quality control purposes. These early decals are often called dry transfers. Hard to believe, but each Luger cost $19.80 to produce, while the P38 was $14.08. It appears that the application of was found to be difficult, and new water transfer decals were developed. A new version of the German helmet began to be issued out to German units in March of 1940. The most important marking is the manufacturers stamp, which will tell you where the rifle was made. The order was in response to the experience faced by German unit is Poland. The shield were hand rendered. Next up in my on-going series about tank camouflage and tactical markings will be the United States Army and Marine Corps during World War 2! The companies in the regiment would be numbered consecutively, meaning there were a total of eight numbered companies in our average Panzer regiment (yes, theres a reason I say average in that manner and it will be touched on soon). Depending on when it was made, there was also information about . Likewise, the Heeresgruppe Mitte high command issued a printed version of the order on 12 September 1944 for implementation by 1 October.9, Reproduction of original illustrations for 134. These were to be placed all motor vehicles. In this blog post, we will discuss how to decipher Mauser K98 markings. So, during the war, all of the guns PPs and PPKs are going to have an eagle N on the slide. In addition, it is clear from some such illustrations have been either simplified to create a small illustraton, or embellished make the insignia more interesting when shown in a large scale. Panzerlehr-division (Panzer Training Division), 1. This P38 at the time of writing is available from D&B Militaria in the UK and is very well marked all over. The news decal would consist of an national colors decal for the right side. Older WoT Versions At least one SS-SS-Verfgungstruppeblack parade helmet helmet has been found with a celluloid decal. The order was ambiguous or misinterpreted, The intended size did not fit on some vehicles, The shape had to be adopted for practical implementation, such as adding small gaps in an outline to allow for a cut-out template to be created, Arms 60 millimeters long from base (see notes), 250 millimeters tall on all other motor vehicles, Figure: 200 millimeters wide and 100 millimeters tall. Approximately 175 by 115 millimeters when placed on motor vehicles other than motorcycles, and approximately 135 by 90 millimeters when placed on motorcycles (estimated from original illustration). 10,450 Astra 600s had been delivered to Germany until German occupation of France ceased. As an example, R01 could become 001 then 002, etc. 12/7/2022, U.S. Longarms For a full history of the RZM, examples of genuine RZM marks 140 millimeters tall and 110 millimeters wide on motorcycles, 200 millimeters tall and 150 millimeters wide on all other vehicles, 125 millimeters tall on cars, trucks, and horse-drawn vehicles, 180 by 200 millimeters on vehicles other than motorcycles. WaffenamtWaffenamt codes were the inspection marks used on military equipment by the German Third Reich. It does not mean that the insignia was not used before or after. WWII GERMAN CODES [4] The remainder of the German order, consisting of 28,000 pistols, was intercepted by Allied forces in September 1944. Fallschirmjgerdivision (8th Airborne Division), 9. As these insignia changed during the war, it can sometimes be unclear when different insignia were used. The specified arm length does not match the length on the drawing. Later the Waffen-SS formed its own panzer divisions, and even the Luftwaffe fielded an elite panzer . Three manufacturers produced collectively over one million P.38s during the war. and Ammunition 4/7/2023 The case of Kampfgeschwader (Battle Wing) 200, or KG 200, is a different story, however.The real story of this special Luftwaffe unit has remained shrouded in mystery, and most members maintained their silence after the war. M16 has a recognizable form - it has a large peak . Markings on Mauser K98 rifles can provide a lot of information about the history of the firearm. ), and home front texts on tarpulins to be painted over. In general, a Panzer Division consisted of the following: 1 Panzer Regiment The K98 was the standard rifle of the German army during World War II. While before and during the war these decals only were meant to indicate the wearers branch of service today they serve as a recognizable representation of the largest war of all times. WaffenamtWaffenamt codes were the inspection marks used on military equipment by the German Third Reich. The bottom set is the rifles serial number. Distributor Marks identify the retail outlet which sold the edged weapon. We are still learning more and will add to it when we can. 3.Infanterie-Division (mot.) Source: https://mistertretiakpresents.wordpress.com/. Because reliably determining exact colors would be almost impossible, general colors have been chosen for all the drawings, that is, one yellow, one red, etc. Serial numbers can help you track down information about when and where the rifle was made. Proof marks are usually found on the receiver, barrel, or stock. These forces used hand rendered insignia on their helmets to identify their individual units. in Firearm History The order stated that the application of decals regardless branch of service were to be discontinued. . $199.99. With that out of the way, well get started with one of the most common set of tactical markings one would see on any German AFV during the war, its numbering. German Vehicle Markings. German 10/25/2022 There maybe no more iconic item from the Second World War than the double decal German helmet. World War II CERTIFIED Two German Coins 1,10 Rp & 50 Reichsmark Bill & Stamp $44.50 Free shipping or Best Offer World War II CERTIFIED Two German Coins 1,10 Rp & 20 Reichsmark Bill & Stamp $44.50 Free shipping or Best Offer Only 1 left! The water transfer decals were much easier to apply and did not take near the amount of time needed to apply the dry transfer version. One of the most common markings on a K98 rifle is the manufacturer's logo. A Panzer division was one of the armored (tank) divisions in the army of Nazi Germany during World War II. The lid was with rolled edges and the handle was made of aluminium. On 1 January 1942, an instructions was issued to make it more difficult for Allied intelligence services to identify German troop movements. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. This page was first created on 2021-03-14 and most recently updated on 2023-03-14. Search Fallschirmjgerdivision (7th Airborne Division), 8. This webpage is designed to illustrate the basics of certain models and manufacturers of German helmets. Phase one, two, and three of the insignia of 7. Here is a brief description of each of them. This is strictly for demonstrating historical significance and information. Sometimes, only casual representations exist, in which case the style of the drawings will try to match similar, known insignia. Aside from the Hohenzollern crest there is at least one more type of insignia found on Great War era German helmets. Inspectors The order was to be carried out by 31 December 1940. Both rifles are very similar, but there are some key differences that you should be aware of before purchasing either one. Heated debates rage on collectors forums and Facebook groups about these differences and what they mean. Over the years a few German helmet have been found bearing a hand rendered Machine gun, usually on the wearers left. Decoding these proof marks is very useful in determining the age and history of the gun. The lack of war time photos showing the use of these helmets have made many question as to whether these helmets are nothing more then post-war vet art. Proof marks are usually found on the receiver, barrel, or stock. On August 12 1935 a new order was issued by the Chief of the SS-Headquarters. On January 26,1924 the German Navy or Reichsmarine introduced their own insignia. Here you will find a very useful list of WW2 German Waffenamt markings, their respective codes & manufacturers. However, some rifles may only have one set of markings. This is undoubtedly due individual artists varying skill. Well start with this tank as an example. 1941 - 1945 Basement Main Page; . Factory If there is no explicit source for the color of the insignia, the drawing is shown in grayscale. On August 28th of 1943 an order was issued to the five different factories that made helmets to no longer apply decals. For example, tank and motorized infantry insignia were usually yellow. The decal also had the added advantage of uniformity, something not easily accomplished by a wide variety of painters with varying degrees of artistic skill. 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K98 markings was one ww2 german markings the criminal code ( StGB ), and orderly officers significance and information these! Swastika hand rendered insignia would diminish in favor of printed decals some key differences that you be... Usually yellow made of aluminium decals would come again, so is part of, is...