artu44 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 22, 2011 I've found this nice pic on the web and soldiers are said to be germans with captured shoshos. I wonder if they wouldn't be actually americans showing enemy weapons. Puttees, leggins and something similar to a gas mask bag are quite familiar. What do you say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted January 22, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 22, 2011 not a WWI expert...but I believe that is German WWI machine gunner armor...not sure about the leggings though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artu44 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted January 22, 2011 Our french buddy Solcarlus says they are doughboys. The pic is from US National Archives photo n° 111-SC 23684 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #4 Posted January 22, 2011 Germans. I don't think you can find 4 guys, no matter the time period, that would all agree to put on heavy body armor and helmets just for a picture. But, I could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted January 22, 2011 Share #5 Posted January 22, 2011 Doughboys for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1944 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #6 Posted January 22, 2011 They look to be wearing WW1 German Issued Helmets but who knows i could be wrong. they could well have came across them very easly from the battlefields at that time frame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artu44 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted January 22, 2011 Doughboys for sure. Me too think so. The first on the left has also a tipical american stance. Germans in pics look always "frozen". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #8 Posted January 22, 2011 Germans wore jackboots didn't they? Or did they have a combination of the puttees and boots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #9 Posted January 22, 2011 Does anybody know about the rifle the gent on the far right has? Looks like some kind of anti-tank gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted January 22, 2011 Share #10 Posted January 22, 2011 Americans showing off Greman stuff. Look at the trousers, putees, second guy from left wearing leggings, shirt sleeves, Americans. Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted January 22, 2011 Share #11 Posted January 22, 2011 Doughboys showing off captured German helmets, body armor and an anti-tank rifle. Note that the Chau-chats are the US version, 30.06 with straight magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 22, 2011 Share #12 Posted January 22, 2011 THe rifle is the Model 1918 Mauser T-Gewehr.A 13mm anti tank rifle.There are a couple of them in local museums and they were brought back as souveniers in WW1.I also know of one in private hands that came back with a WW2 vet.I cant imagine trying to ship or carry one home.They are quite massive. RD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 22, 2011 THe rifle is the Model 1918 Mauser T-Gewehr.A 13mm anti tank rifle.There are a couple of them in local museums and they were brought back as souveniers in WW1.I also know of one in private hands that came back with a WW2 vet.I cant imagine trying to ship or carry one home.They are quite massive. RD THANKS. Kenneth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 22, 2011 Share #14 Posted January 22, 2011 THANKS.Kenneth Your very welcome sir :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohn#3RD Posted January 22, 2011 Share #15 Posted January 22, 2011 I think they are Doughboys, besides the putties and gas masks just their stances and cocky facial expressions Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1944 Posted January 22, 2011 Share #16 Posted January 22, 2011 Doughboys showing off captured German helmets, body armor and an anti-tank rifle. Note that the Chau-chats are the US version, 30.06 with straight magazine. Thats what was going through my mind also that they just put on this german gear for the Photo from the Battlefield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artu44 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted January 22, 2011 I think they were ordered to wear german stuff just for educational purpose. I stole a similar WWII pic where a GI was dressed like a german soldier and they think such a pic was given to newcomer just to see how the enemy is equipped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 22, 2011 Share #18 Posted January 22, 2011 I have some photos from a 14th armored vet.Couple of the guys are wearing german uniforms and caps and clowning for the camera doing "Heil"salutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QED4 Posted January 23, 2011 Share #19 Posted January 23, 2011 They are German Stormtroopers not to be confused with the WWII German political Stormtroopers. They were light infantry but very heavily armed they normally wore wrapped legging. They traveled light and were used for assaults and had no real defensive capability. If you Google WWI Stormtrooper you will find plenty of similar pictures but make sure you put in WWI or you will get the more well know Nazi Stormtroopers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted January 23, 2011 Share #20 Posted January 23, 2011 They are German Stormtroopers not to be confused with the WWII German political Stormtroopers. They were light infantry but very heavily armed they normally wore wrapped legging. They traveled light and were used for assaults and had no real defensive capability. If you Google WWI Stormtrooper you will find plenty of similar pictures but make sure you put in WWI or you will get the more well know Nazi Stormtroopers. Weren't they also known or called "trench raiders", with the studded trench clubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Bibliotecario Posted January 23, 2011 Share #21 Posted January 23, 2011 Germans. I don't think you can find 4 guys, no matter the time period, that would all agree to put on heavy bodyarmor and helmets just for a picture. But, I could be wrong. Given the number of 'gag' photos of this era; e.g. soldiers playing 'stick-um-up' with their pistols, I see this as exactly the sort of nonsense GIs indulge in. Plus they look too well fed for late WW1 German troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B229 Posted January 23, 2011 Share #22 Posted January 23, 2011 They are German Stormtroopers not to be confused with the WWII German political Stormtroopers. They were light infantry but very heavily armed they normally wore wrapped legging. They traveled light and were used for assaults and had no real defensive capability. If you Google WWI Stormtrooper you will find plenty of similar pictures but make sure you put in WWI or you will get the more well know Nazi Stormtroopers. Except that there are a number of things, most already pointed out, that would indicate they are not Germans, but Americans. Germans wore trousers, not the semi-breeches that all of these men are clearly wearing and that were a standard part of the US service uniform. No other Army, except the US Army, regularly wore shirt-sleeves...the German "shirt" was white and made of lightweight linen. Every man, except on the far right, is carrying a slung haversack for the small box respirator; German gas masks are carried in metal canisters. The man to the left of center is wearing canvas leggings, which only the US wore. The two men to the left are armed with the US machine rifle version of the Chau-chau. Not to mention this is a US Army Signal Corps photograph. They may well be just posing for the camera for the fun of it, or they may have actually been using the armor for it's intended purpose. Two light machine gunners, an anti-tank rifle and a man armed with a rifle (Gew98?)....looks a lot like a base-of-fire to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artu44 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share #23 Posted January 23, 2011 In this picture Stosstruppen after a raid with 9 prisoners and a bunch of weapons, '03s and Chauchats. November 1917. Look at the soldier on the left in tipical assault dressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QED4 Posted January 23, 2011 Share #24 Posted January 23, 2011 OK, I change my vote, I did not notice the one guy wearing the canvas leggings and if it is a Signal Corps picture that pretty much cinches it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer333555 Posted January 24, 2011 Share #25 Posted January 24, 2011 Guys- Although several readers have pointed out to some items making the soldiers in these photos as American soldiers, the use of puttees is not an indication of the soldier not being German. WW I German soldiers did wear puttees. See the following links: WWII Axis Reenactment Forum here. See the sixth photo down, the Prussian soldier, not clear but it seems to me he wears puttees over short ankle boots. Photos of First War German soldiers here. Second World War German officer wearing puttees here. Axis History Forum Second World War info on German puttees here. Luis Ramos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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