German Stuff (1 Viewer)

[gk5717]

I wanted to start a seperate thread having read the LAH thread.
Why is German stuff the most popular? At least that,s the way I see it.
Is it because the big variance in uniforms? I love the German stuff better than any other line and I really don,t know why.
Gary

 

[erniesstudio]

Cause it really is the most interesting,in as far as conflict weapons uniforms and areas of engagement,let alone the scale,quite a lot for one army,

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Not that I'm a Nazi lover or anything but I am always intrigued by the variation in uniforms and overall equipment that the Germans had.Its true they had so many different tanks and other means of weaponary but still depended on the horse as a high means of transporting supplies,troops and artillery pieces to the front.Not to knock the Commonwealth troops but they just didn't have the over all flair the Germans had.Ooh thats going to probably open up a can of worms.Green,green and some more olive green.Oh well we all know the historical outcome and the German's were defeated.
Band of Brothers has a good scene showing a wide variation of uniforms at the surrendering of troops at the end of the war.It shows that the troops were wearing whatever they could find.I always liked that scene because of the speech the German General affords his troops stating his proudness of how well they fought and died for their country.Even in defeat they were a proud army.I don't imagine that happened when German troops surrendered to the Russians.Yikes!!!
I got a little off topic Gary,sorry.

 

[Gideon]

I think that there was a definate sense of style involved in designing the uniforms. The helmates and daggers, for example, were modernized versions that were first made in 1500's. Their uniforms were, for lack of a better word, cool looking, and very striking. I even like them - just not what they represent nor the people in them, for the most part.

American and british uniforms, at least for the officers, were still very utilitarian and fairly plain looking. Even the German soldiers in the field, their uniforms had a certain style which was very distinctive.

Then there is that mystique thing that the Germans had. Something fairly dark and forboding which many of us are very curious about. Even though they lost, their weapons tended to be superior, their tatics were interesting, etc. If they didn't have such completely arogant insane political leadership the war may have turned out a bit different.

 

[Flammenpanzer]

I really like collecting the German soldiers and vehicles in other scales also. They have great looking camo uniforms and vehicles that catch our eye. When I originally started to collect K&C I told myself that I would only buy the Germans, but I have probably bought almost as many U.S. figures and vehicles now. Normally I would not collect Allied stuff, but the K&C Allied stuff has so much character and detail.

 

[Cool_Guy]

The Nazi Regime and corresponding WWII German military machine was an enemy of incredible power and technology. For the modern American, Canadian, and British Alliance, there will probally never be a greater threat and foe in combat. The Germans with their panzers and planes make terrific figures to oppose the GIs and Tommies. The German vs. Russian saga is fascinating as well.
It is great stuff that is almost irrestible to collect for all those who enjoy military minatures.
The WWII Germans put the Middle East terrorists into a proper perspective.

 

[Louis Badolato]

For me its simple: the Germans had more varied and more interesting tanks, armored vehicles, planes and uniforms than our soldiers had. Andy has produced various versions of exactly four American Tanks: various M4 Shermans, an M3 Lee, an M5 Stuart and an M24 Chaffee. About the only American tank that saw service in WWII that is left to produce is an M26 Pershing. Add to that a couple of Tank Destroyers (one of which, the Hellcat, was already done) and a Priest self-propelled gun (already done) and that's about all there is to do. The Germans, in the other hand, produced Panzer I, II, III, IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger, Flak Panzers, Marders, Nashorns, Wespes, StuG III, Stug IV, Jagpanzer IV, Jagpanthers, Jagtigers, Sturmtigers, etc. Not to mention the miriad varieties of armored cars and half tracks. Andy could spend the rest of his career producing German vehicles and never run out of new stuff to do. And have you ever taken a look at the experimental planes the Germans were working on, not to mention the variety of planes that actually saw service? Andy did one of the German experimental planes, a Blom & Voss 141b (which I have in my collection), a recon plane with the cockpit out in the middle of the right wing so that the pilot and observer can have a true 360 degree field of vision. Andy also did an ME262 Swallow, the first operational jet fighter. There are just tons of really cool German aircraft as well.

 

[jazzeum]

I think what Louis says sums it up. It's not for nothing that the Allies were fighting over the German scientists at the end of the war. I could be wrong about this but isn't the B 2 based on an experimental German design?

 

[Alexdakar]

A lot of people were intrigued and impressed with the German forces. I think that concept was used in Star Wars for the darkside. I like the Stormtroopers and Tie fighters more than the Rebels and X-wing fighters.

 

[erniesstudio]

To Alexdakar...well said.

 

[VIRIATO]

Yes, Panzer I and Panzer II, why not make them, the war's early days...


Paulo

 

[CannonFodder1971]

I also enjoy having the WWII German sets as part of a balanced collection. On the wartime/pre-War distinction mentioned in this thread I suppose I could also point to something doubtless many of you have also thought about: Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority. You'll remember this one, in which a group of people were split into two groups, "teachers" and "patients". The 'patient' was strapped to a secure chair behind a partition and electrodes were attached. An authority figure would instruct the "teacher" to administer a shock every time the 'patient' needed correction. Of course what the "teachers" did not know was that they were actually the subjects of the experiment, that the "patients" were just actors and that the experiment was about the extent to which people would suspend individual judgment and submit to or obey authority. The result was of course that the "teachers", when ordered to do so, just kept administering the 'shocks', long past the levels marked 'high voltage' on their dials had been reached and, in some cases, long after the banging had stopped on the other side of the partition. Many "teachers" were in tears but just kept following the instructions of the authority figure, right up to and beyond the 'death' of their patients.
I just remembered it in the context of people talking about wartime conscripts being complicit in massacres and other atrocities. I would not have a difficulty with having Waffen SS in addition to the regular Wehrmacht sets, but I just could not see myself collecting the LAH sets.