Question about new LAH series (1 Viewer)

[Gideon]

Just got these along with the NAPS and Imperial Chinese.

As I look thorugh the marching SS I noticed that a number of them have SUD on their sleeve bands.

Can someone tell me what that denotes?

 

[OzDigger]

Sud is the German word for South, and in this instance I would guess it refers to someone on the staff in SS-Oberabschnitt (SS Main District) Sud (South area). For example in 1935 Heinrich Schmauser was Fuhrer of the SS Oberabschnitt Sud.

 

[ucla1967]

Right on OzDigger. My GI German (Ein, bir, bitte!) and two semesters in college confirm that "sud" is indeed the word for south. There is a remote possibility that it could be an abbreviation for something else.

 

[OzDigger]

Well that could be Mike, I'm not up with pre WWII uniforms and I can't speak German except for a few military terms and I don't even have any of the K & C LAH figures. However I have seen a picture (of the officer I mentioned above) showing the same sleeve band and it was written as: Sud, and I feel an abbreviation would have all capital letters.

 

[ucla1967]

Your are probably right. However, sometimes they do abbreviate them upper & lower case like in SdKfz 251 or PzKpfw IV.

 

[OzDigger]

Your are probably right. However, sometimes they do abbreviate them upper & lower case like in SdKfz 251 or PzKpfw IV.

And just to confuse the issue further those abbreviations represent combined words such as:

Sd Kfz = Sonderkraftfahrzeug = Special purpose vehicle

Pz Kpfw = Panzerkampfwagen = Armoured fighting vehicle = Tank

For example the PzKpfw IV (short barelled version) was referred to as:
Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F (Sd Kfz 161). Improved or modified versions of 'special purpose vehicles' (which covered numerous weapon types) gained additional number(s) for example the long barelled Mark IV (Ausf2) was called Sd Kfz 161/1

Btw Ausf is German for Model/Mark/Design for those that don't know.

 

[ucla1967]

And just to confuse the issue further those abbreviations represent combined words such as:

Sd Kfz = Sonderkraftfahrzeug = Special purpose vehicle

Pz Kpfw = Panzerkampfwagen = Armoured fighting vehicle = Tank

For example the PzKpfw IV (short barelled version) was referred to as:
Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F (Sd Kfz 161). Improved or modified versions of 'special purpose vehicles' (which covered numerous weapon types) gained additional number(s) for example the long barelled Mark IV (Ausf2) was called Sd Kfz 161/1

Btw Ausf is German for Model/Mark/Design for those that don't know.

I am impressed! Here is someone else who is into all the minutia regarding AFVs and especially German AFVs.

 

[OzDigger]

I am impressed! Here is someone else who is into all the minutia regarding AFVs and especially German AFVs.

I've been interested in weapons, especially German armoured vehicles, from an early age. Somewhat to the disappointment of my father who spent much time dropping bombs from Lancasters to try and destroy said vehicles etc.

My wife is well used to my 'strange' fascination by now and is no longer surprised when I bring to bed "another tank video" to watch late at night. I have the Chronos Films UK series of German tanks, aircraft and U-boats videos in addition to several hundred books - so there's never a dull moment in our house - at least not for me