In this second volume of German Paratroopers - Uniforms and Equipment 1936-1945 the author, Karl Veltzé, not only takes a very detailed look at the Fallschirmjäger helmets - more than a third of this volume is dedicated to them, but also deals with the paratroopers' special equipment (gas mask bags, hand grenade bags, ammunition bandoleers, medic equipment). The standard field equipment is covered next, followed by a chapter devoted to the individual and crew-served weapons utilized by the German airborne forces; among these are both versions of the special FG 42 paratrooper rifle. The parachutes used by the German paras are examined on 40 pages, whilst the last chapter looks at their drop containers.

This second volume follows the development of the many pieces of equipment used by the German paratroopers from the early days to the last days of the Third Reich, describing in great detail the characteristics of the various models.

Six years of research and collaboration with some of the most important Fallschirmjäger collections have gone into these volumes so far. Collectors and military enthusiasts will be able to study some of the rarest original pieces and find a lot of interesting and new information in these pages. The full-color photographs of the various items are accompanied by hundreds of period photos, more than 150 of them not published before, showing helmets, equipment and weapons in wear.

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• AcknowledgmentsChapter I: PARATROOPER HELMETS
• "M36" Paratrooper Helmet (First-Trial-Model)
• "M37" Paratrooper Helmet (Second-Trial-Model)
• "M38" Paratrooper Helmet (Third Model)
• Helmet Camouflage
• Helmet Covers
• Other Types of Camouflage
• Liners and Chin StrapsChapter II: SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
• Gasmask Bag
• Hand-Grenade Bags
• Ammunition Bandoliers
• Flier's Knife (Gravity Knife)
• Airborne Medical EquipmentChapter III: STANDARD PERSONAL EQUIPMENT
• Uniform Belt
• Belt-Support Straps
• Bayonet Frog
• Bread Bag
• Canteen
• Mess Kit
• Shelter Quarter
• Dispatch/Map Case
• Field Glasses
• Packs
• Combat Engineer Equipment
• Winterized Equipment
• Life JacketChapter IV: WEAPONS
• Pistols
• Hand Grenades
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Machine Guns
• Fire-Support Weapons
• AssortedChapter V: PARACHUTES
• The Static Line-Actuated Backpack Parachute
• Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 1
• Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 16
• Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 20
• Sprungfallschirm R.Z. 36
• Other Parachutes
• Accessories
• Jump TrainingChapter VI: DROP CONTAINERS
• Jumps with Weapons