Grenadier, 18th Panzergrenadier Division, Poland, early 1944

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This is the first of a planned series I'm working on which will depict the entire personnel and equipment of a Panzergrenadier Company circa 1944. For over a decade I've had a very strong interest in the German military of WWII, and feel that from years of research and study I can actually undertake a project like this. Again, this work and project are out of a historical interest, I do not condone Nazism, fascism, persecution or prejudice of any sort. If you do, and just like seeing Nazi/ German stuff because it gives you a jolly, may I kindly ask you to go f* yourself.

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#1- Basic grenadier rifleman.

I decided to start off with the very basic and most common soldier of a Panzergrenadier company- the basic rifleman. Armed with a Kar 98 rifle, I had read in some accounts that, due to supplies beginning to dwindle, some soldiers were not given full ammo capability. Where riflemen earlier in the war were given a full load of six ammunition carriers, this Grenadier's only been issued four.

I decided that I wanted this picture to depict an older, more experienced soldier- he still has his leather marching boots that were -the- issue from the beginning of the war until 1942 when more and more frontline soldiers were issued gaiters and ankle-height lace-up boots. Further, to show how supply lines have been getting mixed up and disrupted, he has a mixed outfit: it's two different sets of an M43 Reversible Winter Outfit. His pants are from a set of gray/white gear, and his jacket is a Sumpfmuster 43 camo and white.

Otherwise he's wearing his m43 reed-green workshirt and an M36 pullover sweater. Normally a soldier of his stature would be wearing the typical uniform blouse, but it's not depicted in this picture. Maybe it was so lice infested and ratted out he had to abandon it. Maybe he's just lazy that way.