German Paratroopers

Karl Veltzé

Uniforms and Equipment 1936 -1945

The books will be indispensable to collectors, uniform enthusiasts and military historians alike. This three-volume work is the most comprehensive and detailed study of the World War II German paratrooper to date, providing in-depth examinations of nearly every uniform item—including all models of jump smocks—and equipment used from the airborne forces’ establishment in the mid-1930s to May 1945. It also extensively covers specific insignia and various unique ephemera. Finally, the work provides in-depth summaries of the operations the “Green Devils” fought in, from the air assaults on Norway, Belgium’s Fort Eben Emael, Holland and Crete, over ground combat in North Africa, Russia, Italy and Normandy through the Battle of the Bulge and on to the last days of the Third Reich.

The author and publisher were able to draw on an unprecedented degree of cooperation with collectors and museums from all over the world. The three volumes run to more than 1,000 pages, with thousands of specially commissioned color photographs of original Fallschirmjäger artefacts, some of them never shown before, accompanied by many unique period black and white images, many of them hitherto unpublished.


Volume I: Uniforms

Chapter I: The Blue-Grey Uniform
Chapter II: Jump Smocks
Chapter III: Paratroopers Trousers
Chapter IV: Footwear
Chapter V: Tropical and Winter Clothing
Chapter VI: Special Clothing
Chapter VII: Non-Standard Clothing

 

 

 

Contents Volume I
  • Foreword: From a Paratrooper’s Life
  • Introduction
  • Acknowledgments

Chapter I: THE BLUE-GRAY UNIFORM

  • Rank InsigniaHeadgear
  • Tunics and Blouses
  • National Insignia
  • Trousers
  • Coats
  • Shirts
  • Other Outerwear

Chapter II: JUMP Smocks

  • “M36” Jump Smock (First—Trial—Model)
  • “M38” Jump Smock (Second Model)
  • “M38” Variants Worn by Sturmabteilung Koch
  • “M40” Jump Smock (Transitional Model)
  • “M42” Jump Smock (Third Model)
  • National Insignia
  • Jump Smock Rank Insignia

Chapter III: PARATROOPER TROUSERS

  • Paratrooper Trousers, Trial Model
  • Paratrooper Trousers, First Model
  • Paratrooper Trousers, Second Model

Chapter IV: FOOTWEAR

  • Jump Boots
  • Other Footwear

Chapter V: TROPICAL AND WINTER CLOTHING

  • Tropical Clothing
  • Headgear
  • Tunics and Coats
  • Insignia on Tropical Clothing
  • Trousers
  • Shirts
  • Winter Clothing
  • Headgear
  • Outerwear

Chapter VI: Special Clothing

  • Paratrooper Gloves
  • Elastic Bindings
  • Knee Pads
  • Elbow Pads
  • Shoulder Pads
  • Dragging Suit
  • Other Special Clothing

Chapter VII: NON-STANDARD CLOTHING

  • Headgear
  • Outerwear
  • Scarves

Appendixes

  • Abbreviations
  • Specific Luftwaffe Directives, 1938
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
Getup
  • Hardcover with dust jacket
  • 368 pages
  • approx. 1000 color photos
  • 280 b&w photos
  • Format 230 × 305 mm
  • approx 2300g
  • English text
Price: 79,95 €
ISBN: 978-3-938447-86-4
Order-No. Zeughaus Verlag: 5Z134
Available
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Volume II: Helmets, Equipment and Weapons

In the 368 pages of this second of the projected three volumes of German Paratroopers – Uniforms and Equipment 1936-1945 the author, Karl Veltzé, not only takes a very detailed look at the Fallschirmjäger helmets – more than a third of this volume is dedicated to them – , but also deals with the paratroopers’ special equipment (gasmask bags, hand grenade bags, ammunition bandoleers, medic equipment). The standard field equipment is covered next, followed by a chapter devoted to the individual and crew-served weapons utilized by the German airborne forces; among these are both versions of the special FG 42 paratrooper rifle. The parachutes used by the German paras are examined on 40 pages, whilst the last chapter looks at their drop containers. 

This volume follows the development of the many pieces of equipment used by the German paratroopers from the early days to the last days of the Third Reich, describing in great detail the characteristics of the various models.

Six years of research and collaboration with some of the most important Fallschirmjäger collections have gone into these volumes so far. Collectors and military enthusiasts will be able to study some of the rarest original pieces and find a lot of interesting and new information in these pages. The full-colour photographs of the various items are accompanied by hundreds of period photos, more than 150 of them not published before, showing helmets, equipment and weapons in wear. 

From the author Karl Véltze:
I just spoke to my publisher and was very thrilled to hear that both the English and the German edition of volume 2 have been printed now and should be available from dealers from mid-November.


I hope to meet some of the forum members at the Kassel show in November, to finally put faces to the names. We’re still looking for interesting material for volume 3….

  • 132 pages dedicated to helmets, 54 to special para equipment, 40 normal equipment, 52 on weapons, 40 on parachutes and, finally, another 32 on drop containers.
  • 45 helmets, uncovered incl. all 3 models
  • 11 helmet covers
  • 11 helmets with wire camo etc
  • 7 gas mask bags
  • 4 hand grenade bags
  • 17 bandos
  • both FG 42 bandos
  • para medics’ pouches incl. rare blue one
  • all 4 patterns of parachutes, incl. some modern packing of chutes
Contents Volume II
  • Introduction
  • Acknowledgments

Chapter I: PARATROOPER HELMETS

  • “M36” Paratrooper Helmet (First—Trial—Model)
  • “M37” Paratrooper Helmet (Second—Trial—Model)
  • “M38” Paratrooper Helmet (Third Model)
  • Helmet Camouflage
  • Helmet Covers
  • Other Types of Camouflage
  • Liners and Chin Straps

Chapter II: SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

  • Gasmask Bag
  • Hand-Grenade Bags
  • Ammunition Bandoliers
  • Flier’s Knife (Gravity Knife)
  • Airborne Medical Equipment

Chapter III: STANDARD PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

  • Uniform Belt
  • Belt-Support Straps
  • Bayonet Frog
  • Bread Bag
  • Canteen
  • Mess Kit
  • Shelter Quarter
  • Dispatch/Map Case
  • Field Glasses
  • Packs
  • Combat Engineer Equipment
  • Winterized Equipment
  • Life Jacket

Chapter IV: WEAPONS

  • Pistols
  • Hand Grenades
  • Rifles
  • Submachine Guns
  • Machine Guns
  • Fire-Support Weapons
  • Assorted

Chapter V: PARACHUTES

  • The Static Line-Actuated Backpack Parachute
  • Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 1
  • Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 16
  • Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 20
  • Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 36
  • Other Parachutes
  • Accessories
  • Jump Training

Chapter VI: Drop Containers

  • Jumps with Weapons
  • Appendixes
  • Abbreviations
  • Specific Luftwaffe Directives, 1938
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
Getup
  • Hardcover with dust jacket
  • 368 pages
  • Format 230 × 305 mm
  • approx 2300g
  • English text

Click here for Volume 2 – Errata and Addenda.

Price: 79,95 €
ISBN: 978-3-938447-87-1
Order No. Zeughaus Verlag: 5Z135
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Volume III: Campaigns and Combat Operations, Decorations, Ephemera

This book concludes the three-volume series covering World War II-era German paratroopers and their uniforms and equipment. This time, the contents cover those topics not included in the previous volumes.
Initially, the operational history of the German airborne forces between 1936 and 1945 is summarized. This section includes detailed views of more than 45 accurately uniformed mannequins, over half of which were specifically assembled for this project. They illustrate the appearance of German paratroopers from their beginnings in Regiment “General Göring” through the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht in May 1945.
Aside from the exhaustively covered paratroopers of the Luftwaffe, the approximately 2,000 army and Waffen-SS paratroopers receive their own chapter in this book. Along with rare uniform items, documents and many hitherto unpublished photos are shown here.
A further chapter devotes nearly 100 pages to specific qualification and formation insignia of the airborne forces– parachutist badges, cuff bands and specific unit insignia – as well as typical decorations and awards along with their award documents.
This volume also presents service record books (Wehrpässe) and pay books (Soldbücher), as well as other personal papers used by the Wehrmacht that were also utilized by personnel of the airborne forces. The chapter also includes a section that covers paratroopers’ ID discs in detail.
The next chapter contains biographical sketches of 20 paratrooper privates, non-commissioned officers and officers, and shows pertinent items from their estates. These individuals are representative of the approximately 250,000 men who served in airborne units between 1936 and 1945.
A final chapter includes assorted memorabilia that did not fit thematically into other sections, yet is closely related to the German airborne forces.
This volume includes more than 350 period photographs, of which more than 200 have not been previously published.

  • Chapter 1: Combat Operations
  • Chapter 2: Army Paratroopers, Waffen-SS Paratroopers
  • Chapter 3: The Parachutist Badge, Cuff Titles, Formation and Unit Badges, Awards and Documents
  • Chapter 4: Identity Disks and Personal Documents
  • Chapter 5: Estates of Paratroopers
  • Chapter 6: Canteen Ware, Printed Matter, and More
Contents Volume III
  • Introduction
  • Acknowledgments

Chapter I—COMBAT OPERATIONS

  • Peacetime
  • Poland 1939
  • Scandinavia 1940
  • Belgium, Netherlands 1940
  • Greece 1941
  • Eastern Front 1941/42
  • North Africa 1942
  • Eastern Front 1942/43
  • Mediterranean Theater 1943
  • Eastern Front 1943/44
  • Normandy, Northern France 1944
  • Northwestern Europe 1944/45
  • Italy 1944/45
  • Final Battles 1945

Chapter II (a)—ARMY PARATROOPERS

  • Fallschirm-Infanterie-Kompanie and Bataillon
  • Paratroopers of the “Brandenburgers”

Chapter II (b)—WAFFEN-SS PARATROOPERS

Chapter III (a)—THE PARACHUTIST BADGE

  • Qualification Certificate
  • The Luftwaffe Parachutist Badge
  • Luftwaffe Award Documents
  • The Army Parachutist Badge
  • Army Award Documents
  • The Glider Pilot’s Badge

Chapter III (b)—CUFF TITLES

  • Landespolizeigruppe “General Goring”
  • “General Goring” Regiment
  • Fallschirmjager-Regiment 1
  • Fallschirm-Division
  • Fallschirmjager-Regiment 2
  • Fallschirmjager-Regiment 3

Chapter III (c)—FORMATION AND UNIT BADGES

  • Cloth Badges
  • Airborne Engineers
  • Fallschirmjager-Regiment 3
  • Fallschirmjager-Brigade “Ramcke”
  • Metal Badges
  • Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment
  • Sturm-Regiment Tradition Badge
  • 1. Fallschirm-Korps
  • 2. Fallschirm-Korps
  • 3. Fallschirmjager-Division
  • 4. Fallschirmjager-Division

Chapter III (d)—AWARDS AND DOCUMENTS

  • Peacetime Awards
  • Wartime Awards
  • The Iron Cross
  • Other Wartime Awards
  • Combat Badges
  • Non-Portable Awards

Chapter IV—IDENTITY DISKS AND PERSONAL DOCUMENTS

  • Wehrpass
  • Soldbuch (Pay Book)
  • Tarnausweis (Deceptive Identification Card)
  • Erkennungsmarke (Identity Disc)
  • Flugbuch/Absprungkarte (Flight Log/Jump Card)
  • Other Documents

Chapter V—ESTATES OF PARATROOPERS

Chapter VI—CANTEEN WARE, PRINTED MATTER AND MORE

  • Canteen Ware and Souvenirs
  • Printed Matter
  • Unit-Internal Items
  • Curiosities
  • APPENDIXES
  • Abbreviations
  • Bibliography
  • Endnotes
Getup
  • Hardcover with dust jacket
  • 368 pages
  • Format 230 × 305 mm
  • approx 2300g
  • English text
Price: 79,95 €
ISBN: 978-3-938447-88-8
Order No. Zeughaus Verlag: 5Z136
Available
You can order here:

BZ-300x99