Jäger troop's uniforms - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

Daniel Hockey · 04-22-2006, 04:09 AM

Hi Guys

I have heard that some Jäger troops wore field grey panzer wrappers instead of the Feldbluse. Does anyone have any photos they would like to post of troops wearing these uniforms? I think the Jägers in question were deployed in Norway and/or parts of the Eastern front. I'm interested in making up a reproduction of one of these uniforms, so any help would be much appriciated.

Thanks
Dan

**Adrian Stevenson** · 04-22-2006, 05:11 AM

Hi Dan, welcome to the forum!

You are correct. This uniform combo did exsist. There is a quite well known photo which appears in more than one book (which I now cannot find

) of a chap in a feldgrau panzer jacke with "GPF" shoulder straps and a ski jager cap badge.

Cheers, Ade.

Rami Soininen · 04-22-2006, 01:59 PM

Hi Dan,

Like Adrian said Jäger-troops used these kind of jacket's. Nevertheless, prime users of "stug-jacke" were 1.Ski-brigade, later known as 1.Ski-division.
During WW2 here in Finland were two Jäger-troop unit's. These unit's were Jägerbattallion 3 and Jägerbattalion 6. These two unit's did not wear any "stug-jacket's" here in Finland (or there is not yet surfaced photo's of it

) These two unit wore mostly model 42 jacket's(model 43 with scalloped pocket flap's).

I do myself collect jägertroop item's.

**Simon O.** · 04-22-2006, 03:15 PM

From what i've seen thus far the wearing of the field grey wrapper was something peculiar to the 1 Skijäger brigade\division, along with the FJ helmet too.

The skijäger divison and the independent jäger battalions, like the 3 and 6 mentioned by Rami are not to be confused with the jäger divisons or jäger battalions in some infantry regiments. Two completely different things altogether, the skijäger were part of the gebirgstruppe.

BTW, the 1 skijäger brigade\division was a very well equipped formation and was amongst the first to receive new weapons coming into service. For example, the brigade received it's first Stg.44's in the Autumn of 1943 along with the panzershreck.

Daniel Hockey · 04-22-2006, 07:14 PM

Hi

Thanks for all the info!

It makes sense that the wearing of the field grey wrapper was peculiar to Skijäger troops since I remember reading somewhere that the panzer wrapper was modelled from a skiing jacket that was popular prior to the war. Also, I presume that the close-fitting and streamlined nature of this jacket would have been advantageous to troops using skis.

The use of the FJ helmet intrigues me. Any ideas of why Skijägers would have been issued or perferred this helmet over the usual helmet?

Daniel Hockey · 04-22-2006, 10:51 PM

Just been doing some seaching on the forum and I've found some pics of the uniform I'm interested in on the following threads:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ght=Skij%E4ger

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ght=Skij%E4ger

**Simon O.** · 04-23-2006, 04:43 AM

You're right about the wraper being designed from a civillian skijacket of the time. I'm not too sure streamlining played a part in it practically as we're not talking downhill skiing or cross country skiing on pre-cut tracks. The design of it though seems better for stopping snow and the wind getting in compared to the regular front button types of jackt, which is a major consideration. In any case they'd wear white camouflage smocks over the top of them. The FJ helmet i can imagine was better suited due to the more secure chin strap system and the abscence of the bits that stick out. I suspect that creating a distinct identity for the new unit type and raising the esprit de corps also played it's part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Hockey

Hi

Thanks for all the info!

It makes sense that the wearing of the field grey wrapper was peculiar to Skijäger troops since I remember reading somewhere that the panzer wrapper was modelled from a skiing jacket that was popular prior to the war. Also, I presume that the close-fitting and streamlined nature of this jacket would have been advantageous to troops using skis.

The use of the FJ helmet intrigues me. Any ideas of why Skijägers would have been issued or perferred this helmet over the usual helmet?

Heide · 04-24-2006, 03:21 PM

Also, atleast for me there's a pretty annoying sound if you go skiing in a regular m35 style helmet

BergführerKiser · 04-24-2006, 04:13 PM

Grüß Gott Skijägers,

There is a German language book about the 1st Skijäger Division and the French magazine ARMS MILITARIA has several issues that have info on this unit and their unique uniform combination. Here are a few photos from the book:

Along with the FJ helmet and StG44, the Skijägers wore the GJ Windbluse/Windhose. Another interesting item that was issued to these troops was the FJ Gravity Knife.

Ski und Berg Heil!

Daniel Hockey · 04-24-2006, 05:36 PM

Hi

Many thanks for the photos and additional info. The Skijägers uniform and equipment really do seem to be a interesting assortment. I have seen one issue of 'Militaria' magazine that had quite a lot of photos of Skijägers, so I'll have to try and track a copy down.

I re-enact Gebrigsjäger here in NZ. Skijäger looks to be a good secondary impression for me to do since the two groups have some equipment in common. As I build up my Skijäger uniform I'll post some photos in the Living History forum so you guys can see how I'm going. Also it may be helpful to anyone who wants to put together a similar uniform.

Thanks again for your help. If anybody else has Skijäger photos, feel free to post them here!

wurfmine · 04-24-2006, 06:00 PM

QOUTE: Originally Posted by Daniel Hockey

"Hi

Thanks for all the info!

It makes sense that the wearing of the field grey wrapper was peculiar to Skijäger troops since I remember reading somewhere that the panzer wrapper was modelled from a skiing jacket that was popular prior to the war. Also, I presume that the close-fitting and streamlined nature of this jacket would have been advantageous to troops using skis.

The use of the FJ helmet intrigues me. Any ideas of why Skijägers would have been issued or perferred this helmet over the usual helmet?"

Hi, good thread; many SJ personel that made up the division would have already been wearing the fieldgrey Sp wrap because some of the core pj formations for this unit were preexisting Stug/ PJ units.

Mark

**Simon O.** · 04-25-2006, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Hockey

Hi

Many thanks for the photos and additional info. The Skijägers uniform and equipment really do seem to be a interesting assortment. I have seen one issue of 'Militaria' magazine that had quite a lot of photos of Skijägers, so I'll have to try and track a copy down.

I re-enact Gebrigsjäger here in NZ. Skijäger looks to be a good secondary impression for me to do since the two groups have some equipment in common. As I build up my Skijäger uniform I'll post some photos in the Living History forum so you guys can see how I'm going. Also it may be helpful to anyone who wants to put together a similar uniform.

Thanks again for your help. If anybody else has Skijäger photos, feel free to post them here!

Daniel, if you're going to do that you may also like to know that it would be fine to keep using the edelweiss in your skijäger impression. A great proportion of the brigade's men came from GJ units naturally enough and photos show they carried on wearing their insignia in many cases. The skijäger cap badge came along at some point but thus far no photographic evidence of the arm patch has surfaced.

Daniel Hockey · 04-25-2006, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon orchard

Daniel, if you're going to do that you may also like to know that it would be fine to keep using the edelweiss in your skijäger impression. A great proportion of the brigade's men came from GJ units naturally enough and photos show they carried on wearing their insignia in many cases. The skijäger cap badge came along at some point but thus far no photographic evidence of the arm patch has surfaced.

Thats very interesting, Simon. I've already got some extra GJ insignia in my collection, so at least that means I won't have to buy too much new stuff. The main things I really need to get to change from GJ to Skijäger seem to be the field grey wrapper and the FJ helmet. Of course there are lots of other little things like the FJ gravity knife. But the helmet and wrapper look to be the main points of difference uniform-wise.

Rami Soininen · 04-25-2006, 03:55 AM

Hi Dan,

As you mentioned there is Articles on Militaria mag. The Ski-jäger articles can be found from these four issue's numbered: 130,131,133 and 134. Photo's are very good and worth to get.

Those two Independent Jägerbattallions 3 and 6, which were here in Finland and part of Gebirgstruppe as Simon mentioned, did in fact wear jägertruppe insignia both in cap and sleeve.

BergführerKiser · 04-25-2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Hockey

I re-enact Gebrigsjäger here in NZ. Skijäger looks to be a good secondary impression for me to do since the two groups have some equipment in common. As I build up my Skijäger uniform I'll post some photos in the Living History forum so you guys can see how I'm going. Also it may be helpful to anyone who wants to put together a similar uniform.Thanks again for your help. If anybody else has Skijäger photos, feel free to post them here!

Servus Daniel,

What reenactment Gebirgsjäger unit are you with in NZ? I command a GJ reenactment group here in the USA.