Blumentarn/Grenzer colour slides

[iannima]

Genossen!
these rare colour images have been won on the Ebay capitalistic thingy and are now re-claimed for the people ...
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Enjoy!

[iannima]

This Unteroffizier (?) appears to be explaining something to the assorted troops. Notice the black leather belts, the abundance of binoculars such as the one I have and the absence of Y straps.

[iannima]

A nice portrait one:

[iannima]

This one is interesting:

It documents the mixture of equipment being used:

1. Some soldiers have black leather, some grey webbing equipment;
2. the Unteroffizier even seems to have black leather Y strap attached to a grey webbing belt;
3. the dog-handler is wearing a 2-magazine pouch which therefore slants the wrong way.
4. the chap behind him, hatless, is carrying a black leather pouch in front, probably for a camera (Praktika?)

[iannima]

This one is truly fabulous

The radio operator wears a Drillichuniform, whilst the Oberleutnant seems to be wearing summer service dress, with just the Blumentarn jacket on top. Notice the collar of his shirt or Hemdbluse, probably in dark grey. The outline of the Stiefelhose is barely visible. Not surprisingly the brown leather belt. The crown of his cap seems rather soft. has he removed the spring? I would say this combination is not in the regulations but it looks nice... It is giving me ideas

[iannima]

An obviously symbolic photograph, with the Reichstag looming in the background, representing the threat from the West ...

Both are wearing Drillichuniform with presumably Blumentarn pouches. The one at the front wears the helmet with the special liner for motorcycle riders. But not the one at the back.

[iannima]

Again Drillichuniform watching the trains:

The soldier on the left is carrying a leichtes Maschinengewehr Kalaschnikov mit Trommelmagazin (lMG-K). I do not recall seeing many like that.

[iannima]

An another lMG-K mit Trommelmagazin lurking in this watchtower:

Again Drillichuniform

[iannima]

And yet another posed shot at the Branderburger Tor:

They appear to be wearing the UN-piped Filz uniform, with subdued Kragenspiegel.
Given that most of the shots I have seen in a similar setting, showed soldiers wearing Gabardine, I would be tempted to date this one from before 1965... But it is a gut feeling more than anything more precise. Whether such a date is attributable to all the others, is obviously anybody's guess...

[Flash00TA]

These are some very interesting photographs. I especially like the one with the dog. I do have some newbie questions though. What are drillichuniform and on what occasions would they be worn versus blumentarn/strichtarn uniforms? Also, I noticed almost everyone in the photos had their pant legs tucked into their boots. I thought it was pretty standard to pull the pant legs down over top of the boots? Thanks for any insight anyone can provide! I also think the close up photo in post #3 is interesting as it appears the negative is reversed. Note how in the photo the sling is attached to the right side of the rifle instead of the left as it should be. It also appears to be an early milled receiver MPi-K as the front sling attachment point is on the gas block instead of on the lower handguard retaining band as on the stamped receiver MPi-KM. That is further given away by the fact the gas relief holes are located on the gas tube instead of the gas block and the lack of an underbarrel cleaning rod. It also appears that his MPi is wearing a muzzle cover and something also appears to be attached to the front sight of his MPi, possibly a night sight.

[Guardian 5]

Matteo - An absolute goldmine of detailed information. Thank you for so generously sharing your find with the WAF.



All the best - TJ

[iannima]

These are some very interesting photographs. I especially like the one with the dog. I do have some newbie questions though. What are drillichuniform and on what occasions would they be worn versus blumentarn/strichtarn uniforms? Also, I noticed almost everyone in the photos had their pant legs tucked into their boots. I thought it was pretty standard to pull the pant legs down over top of the boots? Thanks for any insight anyone can provide! I also think the close up photo in post #3 is interesting as it appears the negative is reversed. Note how in the photo the sling is attached to the right side of the rifle instead of the left as it should be. It also appears to be an early milled receiver MPi-K as the front sling attachment point is on the gas block instead of on the lower handguard retaining band as on the stamped receiver MPi-KM. That is further given away by the fact the gas relief holes are located on the gas tube instead of the gas block and the lack of an underbarrel cleaning rod. It also appears that his MPi is wearing a muzzle cover and something also appears to be attached to the front sight of his MPi, possibly a night sight.

You are quite right on the slide being flipped ... Here is the correct version:

1. The rifle is definitely an AK47 and not an AKM as you were saying. The bayonet handle is barely visible and confirms this, if there was any doubt. I think at the muzzle it has a rubber dust cap. The device on the front sight -according to my references- is for night-aiming.
2. If you do a search on Drillichuniform or some such term you should find more. Here is the thread where David_H posted his rare ones: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=drillich+nva
3. The wearing of the trousers covering the boots appears to be something that started with the Strichtarn or possibly with the last version of the Blumentarn, but I would need to see a pair of trousers of these to confirm it. So most of these pre-date that period.

[iannima]

The more I look at them, the more I think they are all flipped left to right ... I shall have to intervene...

[olivyaya]

WOOW MATTEO ! So you are the one who won the dias !!!!!!! Congratulations !!!!!!!!!!! VERY NICE SET !!!!!!!!!!!! The pictures are just gorgeous !!

[iannima]

They were indeed all flipped...