14th Armored Infantry Loadout?

[garrettbragg12]

Good evening all,

 

I recently joined an armor museum here in Texas and they portray the 14th Armored Division at their living history event.

 

Is anyone familiar with what specifically a 14th Armored Division would wear uniform and loadout wise?

 

Thanks in advance!

[patches]

What's Loadout mean please?

[garrettbragg12]

What's Loadout mean please?

My apologies. Loadout would include the uniform type and any gear (M1923 belts vs bandoliers, canteens, extra equipment, etc.).

[Garandomatic]

Pretty standard fare... m1923 belt, m1924 or m1942 first aid pouch, canteen, etc. They'd almost certainly use M1936 suspenders and musette bag. Avoid the BAR. Armored infantry would get them if they could "find" them, but they weren't an offical part of the TOE. The 12th Armored in Abilene has an event or two a year, also. Never been there, but I love the 12th.

[patches]

My apologies. Loadout would include the uniform type and any gear (M1923 belts vs bandoliers, canteens, extra equipment, etc.).

Right, well they'd wear what every Dog Face would wear, two exceptions I can think of, 1: In Armored Infantry Battalions the Tanker Jacket as opposed to the M41 Field Jacket and M43 Field Jacket was very common, though these two other items were worn by some, 2: Armored Infantrymen carried the Musette Bag as opposed to the M1910 Haversack,, their Musette Bags generally left on their Halftracks.

 

A 2nd Armd Div Mortar Team.

[Vern_Eugen]

Right, well they'd wear what every Dog Face would wear, two exceptions I can think of, 1: In Armored Infantry Battalions the Tanker Jacket as opposed to the M41 Field Jacket and M43 Field Jacket was very common, though these two other items were worn by some, 2: Armored Infantrymen carried the Musette Bag as opposed to the M1910 Haversack,, their Musette Bags generally left on their Halftracks.

 

A 2nd Armd Div Mortar Team.

 

 

Although I haven't personally heard of musette bags being issued instead of 1910 or 1928 packs- If you look at armored infantry of the battle of the bulge era- you do tend to see more winter combat jackets than with other units. Likely due to them being closer to the supply chain for those (i.e. armored vehicle crews). Remember to that armored infantry often spent more time afoot than in half tracks- so they generally don't stand out in any significant way from their normal infantry brethren- its only the airborne guys that were special :-)

 

Also- in the early battles in Normandy- some 2nd armored guys trialed camouflage HBT uniforms- but were quickly pulled since it caused mis-identification and friendly fire incidents

[patches]

This would of been a good topic for photos, but they were all Photobuckets and are no longer viewable. It's a good talk though.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/53177-musette-bag-armored-infantry/

 

 

Was only able to grab one photo, that on the google for this topic.

[patches]

 

 

Although I haven't personally heard of musette bags being issued instead of 1910 or 1928 packs- If you look at armored infantry of the battle of the bulge era- you do tend to see more winter combat jackets than with other units. Likely due to them being closer to the supply chain for those (i.e. armored vehicle crews). Remember to that armored infantry often spent more time afoot than in half tracks- so they generally don't stand out in any significant way from their normal infantry brethren- its only the airborne guys that were special :-)

 

Also- in the early battles in Normandy- some 2nd armored guys trialed camouflage HBT uniforms- but were quickly pulled since it caused mis-identification and friendly fire incidents

And here's a photo of them, and we do see haversacks, one musette bag there, hmm, very hard to find photos of them actually worn in armored infantry units, musette bags or haversacks, my understanding is that because these troops were in armored vehicles/mounted in vehicles that the standard issue was musette bags just like there tanker buddies, I too was going off FM21-15. So it is a kinda of conundrum, both then used, but as mentioned in the linked topic, my WAG as to why haversacks might be seen to a good extent in the ETO-MTO is the replacements, they were pretty sure from the vast ongoing pool of individual replacements, Infantry Trained or Infantry Reclassifications that showed up and were assigned a random to replace losses in the Armored Infantry Battalions.

[patches]

For what its worth, this Halftrack of an unknown unit on the other hand seems to have all musette bags on it.

[garrettbragg12]

For what its worth, this Halftrack of an unknown unit on the other hand seems to have all musette bags on it.{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif 3d623c57a.jpg

I think I’ve decided to go with a musette bag just to change it up from the regular infantry.

 

 

Question: Texas stays hot pretty much year round, would JUST HBT trousers be acceptable or is woolen the most accurate?

[patches]

I think I’ve decided to go with a musette bag just to change it up from the regular infantry.

 

 

Question: Texas stays hot pretty much year round, would JUST HBT trousers be acceptable or is woolen the most accurate?

 

Question: Texas stays hot pretty much year round, would JUST HBT trousers be acceptable or is woolen the most accurate?

 

Yes, OD HBTs throughout both the MTO and ETO were most common, take way after Normandy and the U.S. pushed forward, HBT shirts could be found or were worn underneath field jackets, M41 and M43, the M43 pants could be seen being worn over the wool pants, all this being done for extra warmth as the weather started getting colder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patches]

And an AAA Gun Crew, Remagen, battalion unknown, maybe 442nd Ant Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion that was attached to the 9th Armored Division.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patches]

And just this one more, here troops are from the 14th Armd Div, sub unit unknown in Wintzenbach Germany, one more town we see on the crossroads is Münchhausen, date unknown, early 1945 though. Here e see a mixture of Tanker Jackets and M43 Field Jackets with some wearing M43 OD HBT pants, the one next to the Medic maybe wearing or has a Musette Bag as he's appears to be wearing the M36 Suspenders.

 

[garrettbragg12]

And just this one more, here troops are from the 14th Armd Div, sub unit unknown in Wintzenbach Germany, one more town we see on the crossroads is Münchhausen, date unknown, early 1945 though. Here e see a mixture of Tanker Jackets and M43 Field Jackets with some wearing M43 OD HBT pants, the one next to the Medic maybe wearing or has a Musette Bag as he's appears to be wearing the M36 Suspenders.

 

{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif d2a290c0.jpg

I love this one. Lots of tanker jackets and musette bags, and a colorized to boot! Thank you!

[MAW]

That is an awesome photograph....lots of details.

[patches]

A group of Armored Infantrymen from the 2nd Armored Division in April 1945 wearing M41 Field Jackets, M43 Field jackets and the Tanker Jackets,

[postmanusnac]

41st Armored Infantry at Pont Brocard, France on July 29, 1944.
 

[patches]

Armored Infantry of the 14th Armored Division again, I think that Stuart they're passing was knocked out.