German Forces

Hurry-up and Wait-German Style

White Hell-Concord Publ.

A rifle company lines up to await transport. The lack of uniformity apparent here was very common on the Eastern Front. The men in the foreground wear Russian felt boots made of 1/4-inch (6 to 7mm) gray felt. These were worn over regular boots and proved quite warm. They had to be removed when the snow melted as they would fall apart when wet. Note the officer to the right foreground carries a small holster on his hip for one of many makes and models of 7.65mm (.32-caliber) or 9mm kurz (.380 short, but actually .35-caliber) pistols used as back-up weapons. The button-on identification stripes were changed at intervals. They are believed to have been red, black, green, and blue.