Favorite SS uniform mod?

[Silvio Manuel]

As far as CMMOS goes, and w/ all due respect to the artists, the only CMMOS SS unis I like are Andrew TF's grey (fav) and brown (2nd fav) feldgrau SS unis. I also sometimes use Jorge MC's Waffen SS "elite uni #3" which is a blue/black/green camo pattern IIRC.

So what do you guys use? I'm looking for something similar to Big DD's SS uni in CMMOS... I really want one that looks like the the camo the SS use in Saving Pvt. Ryan.

So what's your fav/ what SS uni do you use?

I like the other German CMMOS uni choices, esp. Michael Dorosch's tan/water (reddish in color) Heer uni. Maybe I'll just have to rename those files by hand and convert them to SS (so SS at least has a good camo uni) and then use some other one for Heer.

Thanks,

SM

[ February 21, 2003, 11:59 AM: Message edited by: Silvio Manuel ]

[Dressler]

I usually use Andrew TF's grey feldbluse with a '44 dot pattern pant I got somewhere else. Generally I have armor crews in dot as well, even though it wasn't historically correct for TD/Assault gun crews. As far as cammo patterns go, there were several different patterns used on the the Type I and II SS cammo smocks. I generally prefer what collectors call "Oak B". Here's a good overview of what the different patterns looked like:

http://www.1944militaria.com/waffen_ss_smocks.htm

[Dressler]

If you're interested in historical accuracy, I wouldn't rename the tan-water smocks for SS. Heer and Luftwaffe ground units were issued totally different patterns of cammo than what the SS received and vice-versa. Heer/Luftwaffe cammo is the "splinter" and "tan-water" varieties, where SS is the "Oak A and B", "'44 dot", "Blurred Edge", "Overprint", "Plane Tree", and "Palm/Forest".

[Jorge MC]

Originally posted by Silvio Manuel:

As far as CMMOS goes, and w/ all due respect to the artists, the only CMMOS SS unis I like are Andrew TF's grey (fav) and brown (2nd fav) feldgrau SS unis. I also sometimes use Jorge MC's Waffen SS "elite uni #3" which is a blue/black/green camo pattern IIRC.

So what do you guys use? I'm looking for something similar to Big DD's SS uni in CMMOS... I really want one that looks like the the camo the SS use in Saving Pvt. Ryan.

So what's your fav/ what SS uni do you use?

I like the other German CMMOS uni choices, esp. Michael Dorosch's tan/water (reddish in color) Heer uni. Maybe I'll just have to rename those files by hand and convert them to SS (so SS at least has a good camo uni) and then use some other one for Heer.

Thanks,

SM

ever try downloading CMBB uniforms? you can use them just convert the bmp numbers to CMBO numbers. I got all my german CMBO uniforms from CMBB they look nice, maybe you will find what you looking for..

[Dandelion]

There are tons of SS camo available for study over the internet. Sadly, much of this is bogus, being various forms of Warsaw-Bloc patterns never used by SS (but often similar), now sold as "SS" camos by Militaria agents.

Studying regulation SS camos is also difficult, because there weren't hardly any around.

The Heer and Luftwaffe had regulation camo patterns, of which those used for tents are numerically the most important. There were sniper smocks and Luftwaffe ground troop smocks, including a para smock (technically a flying troop smock), also. But mostly, soldiers made smocks, helmet covers or ponchos of bits of tent, and in some cases they were designed for this use.

Soldiers and units improvised. Camo smocks were considered part of field adaption, not uniform regulation, at the time. So they picked up and used whatever they felt locally useful. Studying photos looking for regulation or parttern, you will become very confused

As for the SS, the patterns mentioned above (Eichenlaubmuster, Palme etc) were all used. However, the coloring of the cloth was very different even when following these patterns, both because they used various suppliers throughout Europe and because the SS were mostly issued with various captured foreign uniforms (2nd Panzer SS for example, used old Polish uniforms, conquered in 1939 and slightly retailored to German patterns, but still brown, not grey - the 9th SS Panzer used mainly HJ and RAD uniforms slightly adapted, i.e. brown or light grey - there are endless such examples). The ageing and sunexposure qualities of these patterns varied. The blueish Eichenlaub pattern, as visible on the URL given above, was not normally bleached by sun, as seems to be the case in the pic. It darkened and became close to grey-blackish! This was due to the dying used, which among other things had tiny amounts of silver in it.

The only real attempt at standardisation was the M-42 and M-44. But these also looked very different, not only between units but also between individual soldiers. The M-42 was a smock (the one displayed on the URL given above), used outside regular uniform. It also came as helmet covers in some units, or the soldiers made their own from, the cloth. The M-44 was a uniform. It did not include helmet covers per regulation. It is very similar to the one original to CMBO SS units (because this uses M44 as model). Sometimes, soldiers made helmet covers out of this cloth too.

The 12th SS HJ, which was equipped after the introduction of M-44, sometimes actually look a little uniform in pictures, with more than one soldier wearing a pattern similar to the guy next to him. But variations were enormous even within this unit. Beside the point is perhaps that the HJ liked U-boat uniforms, both the black leather that Panzer crews used and other various uniform details, such as the warm polo-sweater and high rubber boots. A local hobby if you like.

SS soldiers mixed patterns at will. A picture of two KIA from 2nd SS Pz is telling. One is wearing M-44 pants (patternwise, but these are simply dyed regular field-greys, not issue M-44) with an Eichenlaub smock, way too large for him. It is the blueish pattern. The other soldier is simply wearing a large piece of tent as a giant poncho, over a regular uniform. The tent-poncho has a czech camo pattern, not German. Both soldiers have helmet covers made from tent cloth, regular German Army pattern.

So, as you can see, you are rather free in choosing the camos for you SS troops. The only regulation thing about them is that they looked generally irregular and rugged. Personally, I like and use the mixed-up, rugged look of the SS troops in the movie Saving Private Ryan. The complete mix of patterns and general worn-out and darkened look I feel well reflects the battered SS units. The reason for their being mixed is that they are various re-enactment groups hired for the movie. You can study them at http://www.warandpeace.sdhost.com/show_pictures/friday/index2.htm

I got good such uniforms from extracting graphics from the Hidden And Dangerous game, reworking it of course for CM use. The HD has a mod with the M42 patterns. I also use the "Eichenlaubmuster" mod, though slightly reworked to be darkened and more rugged, as available at CMHQ. It is nice to vary some. For pants, the SS can use - apart from the mods you mention - british pants (if darkened and given a slightly more brownish nuance), even if the 3D model for SS troops does not go well with ankle boots.

I also use CMBB (Demo only though) for ordinary Heer troops, as mentioned above. Though the helmets do not work, even if the Paratroops look really smart in the darker shade of grey it produces. For Paras, the "Luftwaffe Ground troop" pattern is brilliant, if you darken it considerably and recolor the collarpatches to pale yellow. You can easily make a helmet cloth from this pattern.

Hoping this helps

Dandelion

[ March 03, 2003, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Dandelion ]