1/6 DiD D80151 WW2 German Afrika Korps Infantry Hauptmann – Wilhelm

[Asta]

From DiD's Youtube channel:

 

[Asta]

In hand photos of Wilhelm from gzr123 on the BBICN forum:

 

[amarcord]

excellent sculpt for a Ernst Vogel custom, even more fun with the smirk

Going to try to puzzle something together

 

[FlyAndFight]

excellent sculpt for a Ernst Vogel custom, even more fun with the smirk

Going to try to puzzle something together

Agreed! Great looking head sculpt.

 

[Asta]

I can't wait to get hold of him and start sorting out the shirt and tunic collars, because these unboxing shots are giving me vintage DID vibes.

 

[Asta]

In hand photos from Remington 300 on the BBICN forum:

 

[Asta]

I like the look of the futzed figure.

In his short write up, Remington 300 noted that:

This box of uniforms is a bit green, it might be better if it is a little yellow. The uniform of the North African Army should be yellow-green, not grass green.

Afrika Korps colours are a hotly debated topic.

The M40 tropical tunic began life as olive green, but was found to fade to khaki quite quickly. In the field there would've been a variety of shades on display.

DiD may have it too green, but its hard to judge. Even the uniforms made for re-enactors vary wildly, from DiD's shade, through yellow-greens to darker greens.

 

[Asta]

Just noticed that DiD have their own unboxing video up:

 

[Asta]

A video of modifications, and photos from guitar on the BBICN forum:

https://bbs.bbicn.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=379729
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1SY411p7Ad?zw

 

[FlyAndFight]

I really like the face covered look for display. An added benefit is that it would allow one to swap out the awesome head sculpt for a stand-in and use the sculpt on another figure/project.

 

[shells075]

Someone needs to put him in a black SS uniform.

 

[Asta]

Mine landed in the UK yesterday afternoon. Only six days so far, which is pretty good going from Giantoy.

(A parcel from KG Hobby is currently in no mans land, having gone into the postal system on 12th November).

 

[Asta]

I really like the face covered look for display. An added benefit is that it would allow one to swap out the awesome for a stand-in and use the sculpt on another figure/project.

Yes, with so much of the face covered you could use a variety of sculpts. It doesn't even matter if the sculpt has stubble or a short beard, as so many seem to have.

With the parts from Wilhelm and Burk there's the makings of a third figure. Wilhelm has the Y-straps, MP40 magazine pouches and MP40. Burk will have the sun helmet and overcoat. From the front the pouches cover most of the belt so a standard German belt will do. By 1943 the Afrika Korps was using a lot of continental gear in place of the topical, so the belt would work anyway, as would jackboots from 1942 onwards. By then the troops could be seen with a mix of gear.

So I already have everything I need to make that third figure, mainly to display the tropenhelm and overcoat.

 

[shells075]

One of my favourite scenes from LC was the airship scene, where Indy chucks Vogel out the window for having no ticket.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (6/10) Movie CLIP - No Ticket (1989) HD GIF | Gfycat

 

[Asta]

Another video review, with some screencaps:

https://bbs.bbicn.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=379752&extra=page=1

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gS4y197kB
(It's a longer version of the one DiD posted).

 

[Asta]

Someone needs to put him in a black SS uniform.

I don't think there's a current or recent Allgemeine-SS uniform that matches at the moment. (It would also need the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler cuff title).

His tropical version is a mystery in terms of colour, as it's too dark for summer white, and too light for SS grey.

Over the years, whenever the topic has arisen I make a search and see if anything matches.

Today, for some reason, something did turn up, but it goes back into some dark history.

Around 1935 the black uniform was found to be impractical for daily service use. The concentration camp staff (Totenkopf) were therefore issued with erdbraun (earth-brown) uniforms. The military SS (the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the SS-Verfügungstruppe) adopted an erdgrau (earth-grey) uniform.

Both erdbraun and erdgrau uniforms were based on the black version, except for having shoulder boards on both sides. (The white summer uniform only had a single board, as with the black).

The swastika armband wasn't worn with the grey uniform.


By 1939 there were new regulations for the grey uniform.

"The Head of the SS-Hauptamt
IA/O File ref.: B 44 a / 15th Sept. 38


Berlin, 7th March 1939

re: Grey work uniform of the Allgemeine SS

Distribution list IV a


In principle, the Reichsführer-SS has authorized the grey uniform (earth grey or field grey) to be worn as a work uniform by the Allgemeine SS so as to protect the black service uniform; however, this may be done only according to the following rules:

The grey uniform may be worn:

1. On drill duty by whole formations with the units, the staff companies, the full-time bands, the classes and training courses (SS-Führerschule Dachau, NCO courses etc.) as well as on technical duty by the engineer- and signals units.

2. By the drivers of service vehicles in the technical service or when driving trucks. The drivers of passenger cars wear the black uniform.

3. By the members of the SS-Hauptreitschule Riem, the SS-Übungslager Dachau, the SS-Remonteanstalt Hamburg, the SS-Kraftfahrschule Berne and the economic enterprises of the SS while within their facilities.

4. For riding duty and other sports duty of the staffs.

5. For office service, the grey tunic (drill or cloth) only, together with the black boot-cut trousers or long trousers, unless wear of the white tunic is ordered. On the way to duty and when leaving the office building, the black tunic is to be worn under all circumstances.

The grey uniform is forbidden:

1. As a walking-out uniform.
2. When visiting restaurants and other public buildings.
3. During sports events and riding tournaments.

One shoulder board is to be worn with the grey uniform.

The grey clothing will be supplied by the Verwaltungsamt-SS against payment only. Supply on loan or free of charge is not possible.

The Head of the SS-Hauptamt

[signed: Heißmeyer]

SS-Obergruppenführer"

These are examples of the earlier, double shoulder boarded erdgrau uniforms, though I have no idea whether they're genuine or reproduction:

The colour is closer to Vogel's, but his remains anomalous with its single shoulder board. There's further doubt as to their authenticity since, "In practice, earth-gray was little if any different from army field-gray (feldgrau); however, Himmler resented the army and preferred a distinct SS term."

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Uniforms_and_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel
So whether or not those earlier erdgrau uniforms really were that much lighter than the later feldgrau (green-grey) is still a mystery.


As for 1/6, the only way I'd have representations of the SS now is if it were a movie character such as Vogel, where he'd be displayed with the Indy figures. (Just as I have Kroenen with Hellboy).

 

[Asta]

Postal tracking has been getting very strange recently.

On 4th December the latest entry for Wilhem was:

2021-12-04 16:47 【LHR】 ARRIVED AT DESTINATION AIRPORT


That's disappeared now, and the latest entry is:

2021-12-07 16:55 【LHR】 ARRIVED AT DESTINATION AIRPORT


I guess they must be internal scans before handing over to Royal Mail, though they don't usually remove scans.

Hong Kong Post did something similar recently, by showing a parcel as having arrived in the country, before retracting that and setting it back to an earlier stage.

Good thing is that everything has eventually turned up.

 

[Asta]

Hauptmann Wilhelm is such a good figure!

The quality and detail is light years ahead of the only other Dragon in Dreams figure I owned: the 1940 BEF Coleman. Back then the clothing material was too thick, and I was never happy with him. So I kept his Vickers machinegun and gas mask bag, and sold the remainder.

Wilhelm has me fired up for the release of Burk and Marseille.

The flash kills the sculpt though.

One minor annoyance is the Italo-German Campaign in Africa medal.

It's factory fixed to the tunic, and doesn't want to lay flat. Before I took the photos I had it held down by the corner of the binoculars. The other problem with it is that it dates the figure, since the medal was instituted by the Italian government in spring 1942.

It might be possible to tuck it inside his pocket though.

Putting him together took an age, even though there doesn't look a lot to him, and I'm saving the MP40 magazine pouches and Y strap for another figure.

While most of the insignia comes with double sided tape already applied, the tiny shoulder board pips didn't as far as I could tell. So I stuck four of them to tape and then struggled to separate the backing from them, before trying to apply them in the correct places and in the correct diamond orientation onto the boards.

It would've been simpler to make him an oberleutnant as they only had one pip on the board, or better still, a leutnant as they didn't have any at all.

However, from the age, and smug experience, depicted by the sculpt, it made more sense to make him a hauptmann.

I also spent time undoing the boot laces, so I could tie them tighter. Out of the box they were too loose on the ankles, so there was no ankle definition.

 

[Asta]

Managed to tuck the medal inside his pocket.

(The pocket flap also flattened down after taking the photos).

The compass has a separately hinged mirror inside:

The watch is also very well done, with a leather strap:

Hiding the campaign medal allows him to be earlier in the war, since his tunic hasn't faded yet.

I'd already settled on a regiment for him: Schützen-Regiment 155 (155th Rifle Regiment).

It formed part of Division z.b.V. Afrika (Africa Special Purpose Division) when it was created on 26th June 1941.

In November 1941 the division was renamed as 90. leichte Afrika-Division (90th Light Africa Division), and the regiment was later renamed leicht Infanterie-Regiment 155 in April 1942.

When the Division became 90. Panzergrenadier Division in July 1943, the regiment became Panzergrenadier Regiment 155 until the end of the war.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Great job on the figure. I really like it, as well. I started my 1/6 figure hobby with the 21st Century/Dragon-DML figures and loved the attention to detail, at that time. These newer figures are definitely better detailed but also bring back some good memories.