Leather Panzer Wrap question ...

[Michael Kuligowski]

Hello !!
few days ago I become a very happy man.. directly picked up, from a vet of 1st Polish Armored Div. of Gen. Maczek, a german panzer leather wrap...
Altough I am still very excited, I have few question, I feel like leather panzer wrapper topic is not to clear.. (at last form me) because of lack of good authentic photos.. and not too many examples around..



few questions:
1. Shoulder boards - do they were attached ?? if yes .. how ?? Slip-on ?? sewn-in ?? (my jacket has no trace of loops.. ar any other shoulderboards sign)
2. Two front buttons - what for they were used ??? My jacket don't have this buttons (just holes after they were rip off) But you can see these buttons on the second picture (comes from Mr. Weitze site)



3. When they started production ?? my wrap is 44 dated (has exactly the same RBNr. number like wrap offered for sale by mr. Weitze)
4. Who used this equipment ?? SS ?? WH ?? was "all-army" use ?? or designed for some of these forces (there is a legend that was designed only for SS use ?? I think this is a overinterpretation )
5. most important: do you have oryginal pictures of this jacket in use, to share with us ?? - how was it worn (over shirt ?? wrap ?? with leather pants ??? what armor - tanks ?? Stug's ??)
Thanks for all help !! [IMG]

[Rich G]

Kuligow

Sorry I can't answer any of your questions but I have a question for you...

Is the EK2 ribbon original to the jacket? If so it's the cleanest ribbon I've ever seen on such a worn jacket! To me the ribbon looks new.

Rich

[Michael Kuligowski]

hello Richard !!
yes - ribbon was attached by me !!! Jacket has holes after oryginal ribbon - I just gently attached my ribbon in the same spot...
look s much better that way.. I also know that the throat microphone isn't panzer (it's more backpack Fug radios mic) issue. - but still manequin looks better that way
Sincerely, Mike

[DaveJ]

I have a set that I have had for years, it has the paper tags in it still, what is set on the dealers site priced at? I have not been on his site.
dave

[bnz. 42]

Kuligow, it is Nice jacket

I think if you "directly picked up, from a vet of 1st Polish Armored Div. of Gen. Maczek, a german panzer leather wrap...", you could ask him these questions

[Michael Kuligowski]

All I know from vet's daughter (He died not so long ago ) is that he picked up that jacket at Falaise, then he used that jacket in service ( serwed in Sherman's battalion). He went back to Poland in 1946 from England and put this jacket into wardrobe...
That's the whole story...
I don't know any details anout from who.. how and axactly when he picked up that jacket..

Dave - jacket plus pants is priced 3500 Euro - it's called SS jacket - think price is much too big.. and SS story - is just a legend - to make jacket more expensive..
Sincerely, mike

[Panzer]

Hi Mike,
trying to be a little more helpful answering your questions....these jackets were issued to a wide variety of personell including some outside the normal Wehrmacht area. As well as being used by Kreigsmarine personel they were issued to or "acquired by" army and Waffen SS armoured troops and also members of units like the NSKK who trained soldiers in driving etc.

Yours it would appear at least has a history with it....which is essential in that now it appears almost ANY piece of leather work uniform is readily called a "Waffen SS panzer leather uniform"......in order to sell it. Certainly there is photographic evidence of only very scarce use of these leather unforms, especially by the Army. The pattern used by the Waffen SS within mostly the LAH and the Hitlerjugend Divisions was generally the 3 pocket long tunic type and many of these (as mentioned by Jochen Peiper himself) were actually of Italian origin. These "wrap style" uniforms are mostly seen with the Kreigsmarine and the NSKK. Generally they will not have shoulder strap loops as they are workwear and as such the use of straps is regarded as non essential.

I hope this helps you a little. There is always so much discussion on these and so many are passed on as "panzer uniforms" rather than the simple "protective work clothing" that they are. For some reason like the good old Italian cammo material so many collectors want these to be more than they are. But the photo evidence shows they are extreely rare to encounter in the field. Make sure you have all the details of the man you got it from....such as his unit and where he got it....because it is very rare that this is known.

Cheers! Na Razie! Wade Krawczyk.

[Michael Kuligowski]

Dziekuje Wade !!!!
Now I will look at all armor internet sites for any picture ar trace of that jacket. As far as my research goes - I think this wrap style was designed for armor units... (I hope not KM. Think after succesfull adaptation of KM and italian leather jackets, wehrmacht decided to introduce spacial panzer leather - like the ona I have. This my idea... but let's see what other members will say

Pozdrawiam serdecznie !!

[Panzer]

Hi Mike,
I firmly believe that these "wraps" are only like the panzerjacke by coincidence or practical design. There is not really any evidence of them being issued en-mass to panzer soldat. Naturally individuals might have obtained them ( have a photo of a panzer officer wearing a fallschirmjäger smock with panzer collar tabs even!)...or even a small unit....but they were definately not intended for the panzertruppe when they were made.

Good luck and make sure you ask the veteran's daughter for all his details....they make the jacket much more valid.
Cheers! Wade K.

[Gordon Williamson]

Mike,

The "SS" style leather jackets were definitely used by the Kreigsmarine. Here is an officer on a Type XXI U-Boat wearing this style of leather jacket.

[Michael Kuligowski]

GREAT photo Gordon - thanks a lot !! Makes this problem more clear for me - am I right that he has shoulder straps (sewn in) ??
My jacket has no trace of a eagle as well.. also no M-waffenamt stamps... weird..
sometimes I wish I could get something more typical
Thanks for all help guys !! If you have more pictures of it - pleas post them

[DaveJ]

Thanks for the price info
Dave

[DaveJ]

This is my set

[DaveJ]

here are the tags

[napesica]

Leder Panzer Wrap

This is my set

I have an identical jacket.