HG Panzer Sidecap

[Richard P]

Leroy will be signing autographs at next years SOS.

Just kidding...where would I have been without Leroy? The Lone Ranger without Tonto...Batman without Robin...Siegfried without Roy, although I'm not sure which was which, he is much older than me, so I guess I'm the sidekick. Ha ha ha...I'm only kidding Leroy, you have definitely been the voice of reason many times....especially during the C.G. wrap threads.

P.S. You can't just walk away until we vote on it, and if you do...you have to loan me your H.G. crusher for 5 years.

Richard

[Leroy]

Thanks, Chris and Richard. I really didn't anticipate any comments to what I was saying to Ben. I just wanted to convey to him that his concern over the accuracy of information is shared by others. The most dangerous thing we face in this hobby, to me at least, is the creation and acceptance of hard and fast (i.e inflexible) "rules" based either on inadequate sampling or our simple willingness to let others tell us what to think without bothering to "get our hands dirty" by doing our own research and study.

[BenVK]

Ok guys, I have a few things to admit.

I did actualy give a damn in regards to the HG wrap threads mostly because of the outstanding stitch by stitch photo based analysis conducted by Richard which set a new standard, IMO, of how to rationally go about studying a cloth garment.

I really did learn a lot from that and other people's input. It just took forever to find the interesting parts of those threads!

A few years ago, I attempted the same sort of study as Richard when it came to my Pz piped SS NCO visor cap and learn't a hell of lot and hopefuly helped a few people along the way. I also tried to take those same tools of evaluation when it came to this black sidecap earlier on in this thread and posted photos to back up my conclusions. I'm confident the cap is authentic, just not sure what insignia would have been attached.

However, let's move on in a different direction from this cap and HG wraps.

I'd like to discuss the blue tropical cap if I may.

Whlist researching the subject of depots stamps, I've stumbled on some interesting facts.

Firstly, I post these images. They speak for themselves.

More to follow...

[BenVK]

The source of these photos is a period photo album/marketing brochure for one uniform manufacturing firm which was part of the
Gettoverwaltung Litzmannstadt, Lodz in Poland.

[BenVK]

I'm rushing to post this information but I just want to get it out there before I forget.

From other source material about the Gettoverwaltung Litzmannstadt, some other information is relevant and interesting.

This has been translated from Polish, apologies if it's a bit inaccurate, the facts remain clear.

Należy zaznaczyć, że Niemcy szacowali wartość dniówki wykwalifikowanego robot-nika (rzemieślnika) żydowskiego (10 godz.) na maksimum 5 marek, zaś niemieckiego (8 godz.) na 9 marek. Z zarobków robotnika żydowskiego 40 % szło na utrzymanie getta a 35 % na konto „odbudowy Kraju Warty”. Odciągano tez ubezpieczenie i podatek. Faktycz-nie robotnik żydowski otrzymywał tylko aby mógł wykupić kartki żywnościowe. Jego wydaj-ność pracy w resortach były bardzo wysoka. W takich gałęziach produkcji jak krawiectwo, szewstwo, bieliźniarstwo, kuśnierstwo, rzemieślnicy żydowscy byli prawdziwymi mistrzami.
Odbiorami produkcji getta było 8 urzędów zaopatrzenia wojska, 1 policji, Organizacja „Todt” i Hitlerjugend oraz około 160 firm prywatnych.
Do wojskowych urzędów zaopatrzeniowych należały:
Heeresbekleidungsamt Posen
Heeresbekleidungsamt Berlin II
Heeresbekleidungsamt München
Marinebekleidungsamt Kiel
Marinebekleidungsamt Wilhelmshaven
Bekleidunksamt der Luftwaffe Berlin
Bekleidunksamt der Luftwaffe Sonneberg
Feldbekleidungsamt Breslau
Do prywatnych odbiorców produkcji getta m.in. należały: zakłady Karola Buhle w Łodzi, filie Neckermann’a, Truimpf’u, A.E.G, J.G-Forbenindenstrie itp.

"It should be noted that Germany would assess what the value of a qualified dniówki robot-nika (craftsman) Jewish (10 hrs.) To a maximum of 5 marks, and German (8 hrs.) For 9 brands. The Jewish worker earnings 40% went to the ghetto and keep 35% of the account "Warthegau reconstruction." Expressing also insurance and tax. Actual-not only the Jewish worker to receive food stamps can buy. Its yield work in the ministries were very high. In these branches of production as well as tailoring, shoemaking, lingerie, furriery, Jewish craftsmen were the true masters.
Acceptances of the ghetto were 8 production offices supply the army, a police organization, "Todt" and Hitler, and about 160 private companies.
Supply to the military authorities were:
Heeresbekleidungsamt Posen
Heeresbekleidungsamt Berlin II
Heeresbekleidungsamt Munich
Marinebekleidungsamt Kiel
Marinebekleidungsamt Wilhelmshaven
Bekleidunksamt der Luftwaffe Berlin
Bekleidunksamt der Luftwaffe Sonneberg
Breslau Feldbekleidungsamt
For private customers, among others production Ghetto were: Karl Buhle plants in Lodz, subsidiaries Neckermann'a, Truimpf'u, AEG, JG-Forbenindenstrie etc."

So, first of all, notice how many German bekleidungsamt were "customers" and top of the list is Heeresbekleidungsamt Posen, no doubt due to locality but also, and most interesting to me, Heeresbekleidungsamt Berlin II. This is the first time I've discovered actual factual evidence of the BII deopt. All the above Polish text was sourced from original documents pertaining to the financial accounts and spreadsheets of firms within the German controlled Gettoverwaltung Litzmannstadt which was a huge producer of TR uniforms.

For example.

Wielkość produkcji wszystkich resortów, w prawie analogicznym okresie, zwiera ze-stawianie produkcji getta łódzkiego za czas od 1 października 1940 r. do 31 stycznia 1943 r. (Aufstellung der Prodiuktion das Getto in Litzmanstadt im Zeintrum vom 1 October 1940 bis 31 Janner 1943) – G.V sygn. 2 943.
Wynika z tego, że w okresie tym wyprodukowano:
Dla Wehrmachtu – 32 808 320 sztuk i 4 594 475 par.
Dla sektora cywilnego – 9 791 226 sztuk i 1 582 226 par.
Łącznie 49 599 540 sztuk i 6 176 967 par.

"The production volume of all ministries, in almost the same period, contains the-putting the Lodz ghetto production for the period from 1 October 1940 to 31 January 1943 (Aufstellung Prodiuktion der das ghetto in Litzmanstadt them Zeintrum vom 1 October 1940 bis 31 Janner 1943) - GV ref. 2 943.
It follows that in this period were produced:
For the Wehrmacht - 32 808 320 4 594 units and 475 pairs.
For the civil sector - 9 791 226 1 582 units and 226 pairs.
A total of 49 599 540 6 176 units and 967 pairs."

This is just some of the information I've discovered. Time is against me at the moment though.

However, I'm confident that the tropical blue sidecap shown in this thread was manufactured in the Lodz ghetto and was marked for the Posen Heeres depot. I've also discovered evidence that the Heeresbekleidungsamt did indeed place orders directly to the clothing and hat firms but that will have to wait for another time.

[BenVK]

Some other interesting points to consider relevant to the original text I've read is that clothing firms were private industry going concerns and in it to make money. Whilst Wehrmacht contracts were favourable because they got not only priority in textiles, i.e the actual cloth to make the garments, they also had priority in transport, a fact I'd never considered before.

In a passage of text, it states that soon after Operation Barbarossa began, transport links throughout the eastern borders of the Reich were shut down to facilitate only Wehrmacht sources. Anyone producing non essential combat clothing would have problems moving it. However, Wehrmacht contracts paid the least per item, and if you couldn't meet the huge volume of orders, you would be quickly out of business.

As we can see from the Lodz ghetto sources, they didn't just produce Armed forces clothing. Civilian clothing contracts still had to be met and they were.

I don't think that we really appreciate how many of the items we possess in our collections these days were actualy made by Jewish hands in this huge Ghetto production industry in various locations right throughout the Reich, including occupied countries. Most might think of Dachau and the like but those were camps producing small scale quantities and not large areas of historical textile towns and cities utilised by the Reich to supply large amounts of their clothing needs. Also, we assume that most Ghettos had been cleared by maybe 42/43 at the latest. This isn't the case as these production figures prove I think.

[BenVK]

The next installment will look at the connection between the RAD Bekleidunksamt and Pz clothing. Some interesting facts I can assure you.

[ebony]

[QUOTE=BenVK;4940903]

I'd like to discuss the blue tropical cap if I may.


Posting for 90th Light ( Chris ). His caps not mine but he says " good idea " and excellent research, findings and photos Ben

[Richard P]

Ben,

Absolutely fantastic! As I was reading over your material that Berlin followed by the "II" stuck out like a sore thumb. The photos are great, I have never seen any of them before.

I have had three early Ravensbruck produced SS stug wraps, undoubtedly made by Jewish seamstresses, and they are 3 finely tailored pieces, stunning craftmanship throughout. They even made the E.M. shoulderboards with a quirk peculiar only to Ravensbruck that I know of.

I know a lot of Police wraps went through the Posen depot, and many are quite well made and it would not surprise me if many were not sewn by Jewish workers. I'm sure more will be learned as perhaps some Polish speakers weigh in.

Fine research...keep it up!

Richard

[BenVK]

"The production volume of all ministries, in almost the same period, contains the-putting the Lodz ghetto production for the period from 1 October 1940 to 31 January 1943 (Aufstellung Prodiuktion der das ghetto in Litzmanstadt them Zeintrum vom 1 October 1940 bis 31 Janner 1943) - GV ref. 2 943.
It follows that in this period were produced:
For the Wehrmacht - 32 808 320 4 594 units and 475 pairs.
For the civil sector - 9 791 226 1 582 units and 226 pairs.
A total of 49 599 540 6 176 units and 967 pairs."

There are errors here by the translation software of course.

It should be:

For the Wehrmacht - 32 808 320 units and 4 594 475 pairs.
For the civil sector - 9 791 226 units and 1 582 226 pairs.
A total of 49 599 540 units and 6 176 967 pairs.

[BenVK]

I was looking at the Nr.531 stamp in the blue trop cap and might have an explaination.

Here's a shipping tag to the Heeresbekleidungsamt Braunschweig in 1942 from Johann Hückel und Söhne.

Chris has already asked about this before:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru....php?p=3718966

It might be that the Nr.531 on the cap relates to the shipment or consignment number. Not a fact but a good guess I think.

When you consider the huge size of some of the Heeresbekleidungsamt, it really does make you realise that some form of inventory tracking must have been employed and have the number in the garments would have been one way to do this.

Here are images of the Heeresbekleidungsamt in Bernau. The scale of the place is massive and included uniform production facilities, train tracks etc as well as the Heeresbekleidungsamt offices themselves. I read that 1300 people worked here.
http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...26prmd%3Dimvns

[BenVK]

Some interesting info on how the Neue Synagoge, Oranienburger Straße 28-30 in Berlin became Heeresbekleidungsamt III.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Synagogue_(Berlin)

[BenVK]

Not sure why the link above isn't working!

Just google "New Synagogue Berlin"

[BenVK]

Some other possible inventory or shipping consignment stamps.

[BenVK]

Ok, so I promised evidence of the connection between Pz uniforms and RAD bekleidungsamt.

I have found one startling connection.

One maker of Panzer wrappers, the Paul Opalla company, who I'm sure you're all aware of and the RAD bekleidungsamt were based in the same building in the centre of Berlin. Greifswalder Strasse 212/213.

More excellent info on RAD markings here:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...se#post2865334

Feierabend im Werk Fortschritt II in der Greifswalder Straße 212/213, 1950.