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Germany Occupation Army Jeep
long_tom
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 04:40 AM UTC
I always wanted to depict the occupation of German after WW2 after reading about it. I thought of depicting a jeep with American soldiers and a German one, but some questions:

1) Which olive drab would be suitable? I was planning to use Tamiya T-28.

2) Where can I find soldiers with the later uniforms? Including the Tamiya kit, every such soldier seems to have the earlier uniform with the leggings.

3) By summer 1946, how much cleaning up of German cities was typically performed?
jasegreene
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 05:37 AM UTC
Your subject sounds great to me.All I can possible answer is your third question,by 1946 I would say the clean up in postwar Germany would be so-so and depending on the location.I do remember hearing that Germany did not finish rebuilding until 1985!!!
Bravo1102
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 05:50 AM UTC
It would the same olive drab as during the war. The color didn't change to the more grey tone until after Korea.

Look at sets of US airborne troops especially Operation Market Garden troops. They are wearing the later uniforms. And most US soldiers would wear airborne issue boots if they could get them.
Cookiescool2
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 06:03 AM UTC
Tamiya TS-28 or TS-5 would work fine. In my usage of both I found that TS-28 is alot greener than TS-5, which is darker and what I usually use to depict that immediate post war period. Though your preference may be different than mine.
ericadeane
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 07:50 AM UTC
Here are some pics of US Occupation troop vehicles
https://www.facebook.com/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1733465603566095
long_tom
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 08:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Tamiya TS-28 or TS-5 would work fine. In my usage of both I found that TS-28 is alot greener than TS-5, which is darker and what I usually use to depict that immediate post war period. Though your preference may be different than mine.

I have TS-5 as well. It's darker, so if there's a choice, the darker color might match the darker scenario.

I'm getting the Time-Life book on Europe: The Aftermath which should help plenty.
Scarred
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 09:14 AM UTC
I was in Berlin in the late 80's and there were some areas that were still bombed out that were undergoing clearing while I was there. Construction and demolition was often stopped to clear unexploded ordnance.
Kevlar06
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 10:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I always wanted to depict the occupation of German after WW2 after reading about it. I thought of depicting a jeep with American soldiers and a German one, but some questions:

1) Which olive drab would be suitable? I was planning to use Tamiya T-28.

2) Where can I find soldiers with the later uniforms? Including the Tamiya kit, every such soldier seems to have the earlier uniform with the leggings.

3) By summer 1946, how much cleaning up of German cities was typically
performed?


You're talking about the "Circle C Cowboys", or the U.S. Army Constabulary Corps as they were called after the war I think-- you'll note the "C" within a circle and a flash through it painted on many of the vehicles and helmet liners-- this would have been painted in bright yellow and green. Troops on duty would also have worn white shoelaces on their boots on occasion. The Constabulary was charged with keeping the peace, liaision with the other occupying forces, and general martial law duties, including searching for wanted Nazis. The equipment would have been kept spotless, as these troops were a showpiece force, drawn from units across the entire US Army Europe force. In 1946, there would be lots of left over building damage, but the Germans are very meticulous about cleaning the streets and removing damaged vehicles and equipment.
VR Russ
Bravo1102
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 11:06 AM UTC
The Cadre of the Constabulary Corps was drawn from cavalry units and they were organized along those lines with light tanks and armored cars. Keeping with that many wore tanker's jackets.

When I worked in a senior apartment I had the chance to talk to one veteran. He was chosen to be in it because he was a survivor of a unit that had been wiped out in the Bulge.

The Company of Military Historians did do a uniform plate of the Constabulary but I can't find it on their current list. It was in volume 4 of their four volume book series done in the 1980s.
russamotto
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Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 11:50 PM UTC
My dad was with the occupation forces from '46-48. He stated everything was still in ruins. In Germany piles of rubble, all carefully sorted by size and brick type were everywhere, with reconstruction underway. In spite of the destruction he was surprised at how clean they had tried to make things. In France it was not as orderly, but still had roadways clear. The equipment they used was nearly all from military use during the war, or stockpiles from war surplus stateside. His uniforms were standard issue for the time, and he had a tanker's jacket, even though he was in a finance unit. He told me he didn't have leggings, but was issued the ankle gaiters. Working in an office, he normally wore shoes rather than boots. He toured everywhere delivering payroll. When he made sergeant, for lack of available patches a single private's stripe was sewn to his corporals chevrons.
davidne
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Posted: Sunday, June 26, 2016 - 12:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I always wanted to depict the occupation of German after WW2 after reading about it. I thought of depicting a jeep with American soldiers and a German one, but some questions:

1) Which olive drab would be suitable? I was planning to use Tamiya T-28.

2) Where can I find soldiers with the later uniforms? Including the Tamiya kit, every such soldier seems to have the earlier uniform with the leggings.

3) By summer 1946, how much cleaning up of German cities was typically performed?

My father was in the Constabulary in '46, and he's told me in the past that they didn't ride with German soldiers, but with police officers. If an incident involved a German or displaced person, the police officer would make the arrest. If it involved an American, or an Allied soldier, then the Constabulary men would handle it. I don't know what differences there would be in the German uniform, but I'm sure someone here can provide that info.
long_tom
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Posted: Sunday, June 26, 2016 - 02:36 AM UTC
The jeep will be easy enough, but finding any suitable figures is going to be a headache.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Monday, June 27, 2016 - 06:17 AM UTC
Really? Figure wearing a Tanker's jacket with double strap boots. Nearly every set if US tank crewman has one.

As for German politzei, during the war they had slowly come to wear wehrmacht uniforms. So they could still be wearing them with police insignia.
Headhunter506
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Posted: Monday, June 27, 2016 - 09:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Really? Figure wearing a Tanker's jacket with double strap boots. Nearly every set if US tank crewman has one.

As for German politzei, during the war they had slowly come to wear wehrmacht uniforms. So they could still be wearing them with police insignia.


If that's how you'd model them, you're wrong. No tanker jackets. No double strap boots. These troops were the elite of the U.S. Army in the American Zone of Occupation and they dressed the part:


Quoted Text

Leading the Constabulary in 1946 was the blunt and growling Maj.Gen. Ernest Harmon, the W.W.II armored commander who whipped the Constabulary into shape from a smattering of disbanding and generally undisciplined units.
Harmon dressed his Constabulary troops in blue and gold striped helmet liners, Sam Browne belts over dress blouse or Eisenhower jacket, golden neckerchief made from parachute silk, yellow gloves and paratrooper boots, with yellow laces, polished to a gleam.
Their shoulder patch was a large blue C on a circular yellow shield, pierced by a red lightning bolt.






Have a good time finding figures to match that.

The Orpo were wearing Wehrmacht-style green uniforms since the police forces in Germany fell under the control of the SS in June 1936. The uniform changed to the feldgrau Heer uniform at the start of WWII in Sept. 1939 because police units were now being transferred to the front lines. The post-war Polizei operating with Constabulary troops still wore the Wehrmacht field uniform tunic minus the Nazi eagle badge.

long_tom
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Posted: Monday, June 27, 2016 - 03:44 PM UTC
Thanks. I remember seeing an M8 armored car photo (from 1948) with the Circle C insignia, but the soldiers inside seemed to have plain US field uniforms and helmets.
ivanhoe6
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Posted: Monday, June 27, 2016 - 07:23 PM UTC
Roy, THANKS for that link ! Lots of great photos there.
Anybody make the " Circle C Cowboys" decals ? There are some great diorama ideas in those photos.
Kulmbach GREAT beers !
Tom
GeraldOwens
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Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2016 - 02:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I always wanted to depict the occupation of German after WW2 after reading about it. I thought of depicting a jeep with American soldiers and a German one, but some questions:

1) Which olive drab would be suitable? I was planning to use Tamiya T-28.

2) Where can I find soldiers with the later uniforms? Including the Tamiya kit, every such soldier seems to have the earlier uniform with the leggings.

3) By summer 1946, how much cleaning up of German cities was typically performed?

The OD used postwar was the same shade, but units quickly switched to a semigloss shade, which reads a bit darker.
Postwar uniforms increasingly featured the short "Ike" Jacket and matching trousers. A few recent figure kits include that.

The photos show the 1941 wool uniform with the long jacket and brass buttons, which most troops used as "Class A" wear, and regarded as a dress uniform for leave and formal assignments only. During peacetime, these would often be the uniform of the day. Officers had the option of wearing the 1941 jacket with "Pinks", a type of salmon-colored trouser that was available for private purchase through the post exchange (PX) stores. One senior officer in the photo even has a pair of "Pink" riding breeches and cavalry boots.
Monsoon
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Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2016 - 07:51 AM UTC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany,_Year_Zero

You can find this movie on youtube. Filmed in Berlin in 1948, you'll see how destroyed things still are.
Headhunter506
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Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2016 - 08:21 AM UTC
Another excellent view of the destruction in post-war Germany is in The Big Lift, starring Montgomery Clift and Paul Douglas. It was filmed in Berlin in 1949.
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