afrika corps buckles/web gear

[jagdhorn]

I have seen brownish buckles marked as "Afrika Corps" buckles, and the same with web belting, canteens, etc.

Was it true that all/most buckles useed in Africa were painted other than the european feldgrau? Likewise, were all european buckles painted feld-grau without any other colors used? Was web gear used in other fronts, such as russia?

I just wonder since I have noot seen an order saying brownish were for Africa, and I suspect that the German army was strapped enough to not worry too much about common relatively small sized objects like buckles. Or am I way off base?
Jagdhorn

[Ben Evans]

Do you mean the paint itself? AK buckles came in various forms, you find web belts with leather tabbed steel Heer buckles, you then have the web belt with web tabbed buckle which to me is a AK belt and buckle. I suppose they would have used anything they had available with a mish mash of equipment, I would presume that front line units would have been issued with the web type belts, harnesses etc and the guys at the rear whatever they could muster.

[jagdhorn]

there is so much I don't know about, but I assume that afrika bound buckles were contracted and then produced, When the German army lost Africa, there may have been buckles in the supply chain, which I assume would not have been tossed out or even repainted. So, would it be likely to see a soldier in 1943/44 be issued these? ikewise, certainly some of hte first troops to Africa must have had regualr FG painted buckles, since I have seen vehicles coming into port painted FG/european paint.
Has anyone found buckles from Europe that were the African color? Or FG from the desert?
Berlin45