a question for collectors?? (1 Viewer)

[sammy719]

Hi fellows, I am in the process of building a d-day diorama and have picked up a good number of waffen ss to go in this dio, I have recently purchased some of the older retired heer soldiers (ws038-ws039) I really like them, do you all think the heer soldiers will work ok with the waffen ss guys in this diorama?? thanks for any help....Sammy

 

[debrito]

Samy, IMO I don’t see any big problem with that, I do myself mix sometimes in my dioramas. In my case is because of lacking of figurines, but I think that in late war 1944-45 the German Army had a mixture of uniforms, some with camouflage other like the Wehrmacht early uniforms.

Rod.

 

[binder001]

1) The Heer (Army) was the defender of the beach areas, as the Waffen SS arrived they relieved or supplemented Heer units already engaged, and
2) the Germans were generally very good at creating kampfgruppe, collections of troops from different units fighting under common command, and
3) by 1944 the Germans wee equipping units with whatever was available, new or old gear could be seen together.

So, yes, mixing Army and Waffen SS is probably just fine.

Gary

 

[Bill Moore]

As I recall Ws-38,39,40,42,and possibly Ws-45 were supposdly The Gross Deutschland Division,a Elite German Army formation. Elements of the division were part of, if not the Main Body, for the Berlin Garrison at the time of the failed Coup to kill Hitler. My point is from a Historical prospective,while they weren`t in Normandy at the time, they were part of the German Armies Order Of Battle.

 

[Jagdpanther]

They should go fine together. I still have yet to get some of them.

 

[fmethorst]

Hi fellows, I am in the process of building a d-day diorama and have picked up a good number of waffen ss to go in this dio, I have recently purchased some of the older retired heer soldiers (ws038-ws039) I really like them, do you all think the heer soldiers will work ok with the waffen ss guys in this diorama?? thanks for any help....Sammy

Once you get to the Corps and Army sized units integration between Wehrmacht and SS troops was very common. Units would be subordinated as the situation required. As noted by binder001 German units were very flexible. At the tactical level (i.e. company and battalion sized units) there wouldn't have been mixing. For instance you wouldn't see a platoon of SS troops assigned to an Heer company. That said, I think it's entirely plausible that units would pass through each other as they moved around the battlefield.

Here is the German Order of Battle during the Normandy campaign. Note how Heer, Luftwaffe, SS and independant units are joined together.
Army Groups, Armies and Corps are bolded. The 700 numbered infantry divisions were considered static divisions incapable of offensive operations. There was considerable use of "Ost" (East) infantry as well which as the name implies consisted of people from the east (i.e. Soviets)


Army Group B
Pz.Gp.West (5.Pz.A)
LXXXVI.AK (86th Corps)
16th Luftwaffe Feld Div
21st Panzer Div
85th Infantry Div
272nd Infantry Div
346th Infantry Div
711th Infantry Div
Ost.Btl.857
Pz.Jag.Abt.657
Art.Brig.117
Werfer.Brig.9
I.SS.PzK (1st SS Corps)
1st SS Pz Div
12th SS Pz Div
89th Infantry Div
716th Infantry Div
SS.Pz.Btl.101
Werfer.Brig.7
SS.Art.Brig.1
SS.Fla.Kp.101
II.SS.PzK (2nd SS Corps)
2nd SS Pz Div
9th SS Pz Div
10th SS Pz Div
SS.Pz.Btl.102
Pz.Jag.Abt.654
Pz.Jag.Abt.668
Werfer.Brig.8
SS.Werfer.Btl.102
SS.Fla.Kp.102
XLVII.PzK (47th Pz Corps)
2nd Panzer Div
84th Infantry Div
276th Infantry Div
277th Infantry Div
116th Panzer Div
Panzer Lehr Div
Pio.Btl.600
Pz.Art.Abt.217
Pz.Btl.503
StuG.Brig.394
Art.Brig.130
AOK.7 (7th Army)
II.FJK (2nd FJ Corps)
3rd Fallschrimjager Div
5th Fallschrimjager Div
KG.Kentiner (266.ID)
275th Infantry Div
352nd Infantry Div
KG.Frobose (353.ID)
Schnelle.Brig.30
Pio.Btl.Angers
FJ.StuG.Brig.12
FJ.Aufk.Abt.12
Art.Brig.309
LXXIV.AK (74th Corps)
271st Infantry Div
326th Infantry Div
LXXXI.AK (81st Corps)
9th Panzer Div
708th Infantry Div
LXXXIV.AK (84th Corps)
17th SS PzG Div
77th Infantry Div
91st Luftlande Div
243rd Infantry Div
KG.Eithner (265.ID)
KG.Heintz (275.ID)
KG.343 (343.ID)
353rd Infantry Div
363rd Infantry Div
709th Infantry Div
STURM.Btl.AOK.7
Fallsch.Regt.6 (2.FJ)
MG.Btl.17
Gren.Regt.zbV.752
Ost.Btl.281
Ost.Btl.635
Ost.Btl.Huber
Pz.Ers.u.Ausb.Btl.100
Pz.Abt.206
StuG.Abt.902
StuG.Brig.341
Art.Brig.118
Werfer.Regt.101
Fla.Regt.30
le.Fla.Abt.298
le.Fla.Abt.873 (Cherbourg)
le.Fla.Abt.835
le.Fla.Abt.931 (St Lo)
le.Fla.Abt.996 (Caen)
III.Flak.Korps
Flak.Sturm.Regt.1
Flak.Sturm.Regt.2
Flak.Sturm.Regt.3
Flak.Sturm.Regt.4
Coastal Art
Heer
HKB.1255
HKB.1260
HKB.1261
HKB.1262
Kriegsmarine
MAA.260
MAA.608
Security
Fortress.Btl.LXXXIV
Sich.Regt.193
Sich.Regt.195
Heer
Sich.515
Sich.722
Sich.856
Sich.583
Sich.741
Sich.861
Sich.723
Sich.785
Sich.774
Sich.619
Sich.765
Sich.775
Sich.264
Luftwaffe
8/Ln.Regt.53 (Dourvers)
8/Ln.Regt.53 (Dourvers)
8/Ln.Regt.53 (Dourvers)
Le Guay
Le Guay
Kriegsmarine
Port en Bessin
Port en Bessin
Port en Bessin
Marine.Res.Kp

 

[JPB]

Yes they can mix, and please post pictures.

Thanks

JPB

 

[Blowtorch]

Weren't jackboots way gone by 1944? Jackboots always speak blitzkrieg to me.

 

[theBaron]

Not gone, but increasingly rare. Laced ankle boots were issued already in 1943, and began to replace the boots more and more, as supplies dwindled. The Germans issued canvas and leather gaiters to wear with the ankle boots, too.