Mint Infantry Erel schirmmütze

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Nice tableau.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This work here makes plain what otherwise is in nearly every issue of the UM I have read: rationalization, simplification and americanization, i.e. Fordism, production on an industrial basis with simpler materials. The Germans never had the raw materials to wage total war even as early as 1936, and embarked on their use of replacement materials, and otherwise preparing industry and the trades for the rigors of a new blockade as in 1914-1918 and on and on. The textile issue was also always critical. From my textile sample thingy, it is also plain that doe skin was the highest quality textile used in such items.

All too droll. Very nice caps, and the Nebelwerfer is a rare Waffenfarbe at any time.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Also, the Lubstein cap with the forehead cushion and so on, the item most beloved by the cap fetishist, was made prior the declaration of the epoch of total war, with its major cut backs in consumer goods, such as they were. The Nazis were obsessed with the condition in 1918, amid hunger and the ill effects of rationing, with civil unrest. Hence, a central aspect of Nazi governance was grand theft, i.e. the whole sale pillaging of others' property to provide consumer goods to the Herrenmenschen. Your late war cap is a testament, a symbol to the failure of such a policy and its ending in defeat. Goebbels even wanted to cease production of chocolate, and Hitler, with his Viennese background, forbade such a radical idea.

[stonemint]

Another visor collector "Urban Legend" is that visors were not issued after 1944. This is an incorrect assumption. Note what what was issued to this Oberfahnrich on February 12th, 1945:

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Very interesting entry in the Soldbuch. Also use of nomenclature for Feldbluse 44 is interesting, as well.

[stonemint]

A bunch o' Erel adverts for you Erel junkies:

[SteveR]

Very nice. I enjoy looking at them.

[Glenn66]

A central aspect of Nazi governance was grand theft, i.e. the whole sale pillaging of others' property to provide consumer goods to the Herrenmenschen.

Indeed, I have recently finished reading a copy of Gotz Aly's 'Hitler's Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War and The Nazi Welfare State'. A most enlightening journey into the economic unfeasibility of the National Socialist state and the neccessity of war in order to maintain the domestic status quo at the expense of western & eastern Europe.

Hardly relevant but perhaps ironic that the book was purchased in the giftshop at Dachau.