Flächentarn uniforms & equipment variation over the years.

[Jack59]

Hi everyone, time for a new thread illustrating the wide range of equipment used during the Flächentarn camouflage pattern uniforms era from 1957 to 1971.
I will use period photographs to create the set up. You are all welcome to participate, the only rule is to join the Flächentarn uniform period photo in your post.

Let's start with a Border guard who is wearing a combination of webbing belt & leather Y-straps.
He carries an AK 47 bayonet, his ammo pouch is carried way on his back.
This photo is from 1964 or later because of the collar jacket seen on the photo. (Last year of production for the hooded jacket was 1964).

[Sleepwalker]

Hello,

could you show the bayonet47 in more detail. From the side it looks like a much later variant.

Greetings

[Jack59]

could you show the bayonet47 in more detail. From the side it looks like a much later variant.

Hello Sleepwalker, as usual you have a sharp eye. You are right, the bayonet displayed is a refurbished model from later on.

A few months ago I ordered a Russian AK47 bayonet for the purposes of using it for Flāchentarn equipment display according with the time period. The bayonet received was Bulgarian! A Russian one but refurbished in Bulgaria with the Izhevsk Arsena stamping grind down & serial number added on the pommel. I'll get a Russian AK47 bayonet one day or even better an early NVA one.

Meanwhile for my displays I will use original items whenever possible. If not one of the same model but a variant. For exemple I wouldn't use an AKM bayonet when a AK47 one is seen as reference.

More on my German AK47 bayonet: Flächentarn (patterned camouflage) uniform & equipment.

Sleepwalker's excellent early German AK47 bayonets post: Flächentarn (patterned camouflage) uniform & equipment.

My Bulgarian AK47 bayonet: Ak47 bayonets.

Thank's for your observations, valuable for every one including myself. Jack

[BerlinFire]

more east german camo information.
II/65 Kampfanzug fur Fallschirmjager und Aufklarer - NVA-Tarnuniformen

[Jack59]

Berlin 1961, the wall is going up!



Two kind of equipment combination are seeing here from the back.
The first: gas mask bag, canteen & shovel.





The second combination: gas mask bag, Zeltbahn, bread bag, mess kit & canteen.









Note that the main weapons seen on the photo seems to be the Russian WWII Mosin-Nagant M44 carbine.
I cannot tell if the ammo pouches used then were Russian, NVA or a mix of both.
The bread bag was a the end of its career.
Last thing, the mannequin is big so often uniforms are tight on him.

[Sleepwalker]

Hello,

The shovel bags are probably the early multi-part pieces made of brown leather.








Regars

[Sleepwalker]

the weapons are Mosin-Nagant M44 carbines

[Sleepwalker]

The mess kit & canteen are probably also the early versions with the brown leather (brown lacquered pigskin).

[Jack59]

As you will see the "Sturmgepäck" consist of two parts, 1 & 2.
Many variants exist (colours & materials), like so many NVA equipment.
I've seen a photo of a 1959 one with leather straps.




Side by side part 1 is thinner.




Top view.


Bottom view.


Here is a view of part 1 opened.


And details about it.












Let's examine part 2.




Reinforcements were made of simili leather.


Straps were made first with a mix of canvas & Dederon, an East German kind of Nylon.
Overtime Dederon will only be used.








How they fit together.
Insert the back Y-strap into part 1 & clip into the D-rings.
At the beginning both Y-straps & the pack had D-rings, soldiers had to improvised to connect them.




Then the straps from part 1 were attached to part 2.






Not a simple system, you couldn't carry part 2 by itself.
Overtime part 2 will be enlarge & modified to fit on the Y-straps, part 1 discontinued.

Next: What went into them.

[Jack59]

There was no Flächentarn pattern camouflage winter uniform but a grey one. This impression is from the mid 60s.
Our NCO kept is leather belt, Y-straps & older type of metal canteen up until then. I couldn't tell where he got his Czech binoculars.
Ha! Those old NCOs, full of tricks! Enjoy.

UPDATE:
I was informed that this impression was one of Border guards who used the leather equipment longer than the NVA, until the late 60s.
The NVA switched much earlier for the canvas/Dederon belt, Y-straps & equipment straps.
Infantry collar tabs are white, Border troops green.
See post # 12 for the proper NVA setup, thanks





















The winter uniform will be modified over time & eventually manufactured with the Strichtarn camouflage pattern.
The leather belts, belt loops, straps & Y-straps were replaced with Dederon material (DDR synthetic nylon).
The metal canteen replaced with a plastic one.