Y-Straps

[Feuersturm]

Hi,
Were artillery or panzerjäger troops issued or required to wear y-straps like their infantry counterparts? I've seen quite a few pictures of these soldaten and alot don't seem to be wearing them, but I've heard both stories.

Thanks.

[DennyB]

I will give you what information that I have had passed along to me since no "experts" have stepped up to answer.
From what I understand the Y-straps were designed for infantrymen and I think they were even referred to by that designation. They were to support the equipment an infantryman would be packing, something an artilleryman wouldn't need since they usually carried their gear either on their gun, the horse & team that pulled the gun, or on the vehicle that towed their gun.
So I doubt that an artilleryman would be required to wear the Y-straps but they might have acquired a pair to help hold their belt and equipment up.
I have never seen a written order one way or the other on this.
Denny

[Feuersturm]

Thanks for the reply.

[leibermuster]

Speaking from personal experience, I believe that the Y-straps would get in the way while operating an Artillery piece. I suspect that the men would have straps issued in case they were required to wear a combat load but that they were not part of the standard gear. There were harnesses issued to Artillerymen for attaching to the gun while moving it and I think that they would not have been useful while wearing Y-straps.