Alert Line AL100044 - 1/6 WWII German Waffen-SS Nachtjäger

[Asta]

Alert Line AL100044 1/6 WWII German Waffen-SS Soldier

1. Head Sculpture ×1
2. Body ×1
3. Hands ×3
4. Helmet ×1
5. Leather Helmet Lining ×1
6. Helmet Cover ×1
7. Field Cap ×1
8. M44 Uniform Coat ×1 (M44 Feldbluse)
9. Pea Dot Trousers ×1
10. Reversible Winter Parka ×1 (SS-Leibermuster camouflage)
11.M45 Uniform Coat ×1 (SS-Leibermuster camouflage)
12.M45 Uniform Trousers x1 (SS-Leibermuster camouflage)
13. Sweater ×1
14. Genuine Leather Boots ×1
15. Leggings ×1
16. Leather Belt
17. Canteen
18. Mess Kit
19. Breadbag
20. Canvas Y-Strap
21. Frame Carrier x1
22. Battery Pack ×1
23. MP44 Assault Rifle ×1
24. "Vampir" Infrared Night Vision Scopex1
25. Magazine ×7
26. Magazine Bag ×2
27. Fixed Strap ×3
28. Bayonet ×1
29. Bayonet Holster ×1
30. Shovel ×1
31. Leather Shovel Set x1
32. Cap Badge ×1
33. Medal ×3
34. Eagle Emblem ×2
35. Epaulette x2
36. Collar Badge ×1
37. Ribbon ×2

 

[Asta]

Some are wetting themselves over the ZG 1229 Vampir, but the boots don't look good and he has a Heer belt buckle.


SS-Leibermuster camouflage was intended to replace all previous patterns used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, and was manufactured using special light-absorbing dyes to counter observation by infra-red night vision devices. The pattern was intended primarily for the manufacture of winter clothes and zeltbahnen, but very few soldiers seem ever to have been issued with it. (Waffen-SS Camouflage Uniforms, Daniel Peterson, 1995).

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Some are wetting themselves over the ZG 1229 Vampir, but the boots don't look good and he has a Heer belt buckle.

My first cursory guess is the Vampir must have been a late war development. ( Imagine what Germany could have developed and deployed if they had another two years....)

Maybe you are seeing what I'm seeing. To make this effective, you'd want a longer barrel, a shorter magazine, as you'd want the shooter to be prone as much as possible, and you'd definitely want a bi-pod. But again, if this is late war, then you have to work within your limitations. Should the night vision have been made at all? Or deployed on another platform, etc, etc.

 

[Asta]

My first cursory guess is the Vampir must have been a late war development. ( Imagine what Germany could have developed and deployed if they had another two years....)

Maybe you are seeing what I'm seeing. To make this effective, you'd want a longer barrel, a shorter magazine, as you'd want the shooter to be prone as much as possible, and you'd definitely want a bi-pod. But again, if this is late war, then you have to work within your limitations. Should the night vision have been made at all? Or deployed on another platform, etc, etc.

The Wiki page on it is short, but this is the last paragraph:

Vampir gear was first used in combat in February 1945. However, introduction of infrared devices for small arms began in early 1944. 310 units were delivered to the Wehrmacht at the final stages of the war. Eastern Front veteran reports consist of snipers shooting at night with the aid of 'peculiar non-shining flashlights coupled with enormous optical sights' mounted on their rifles. Similar infrared gear was fitted both to MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zielgerät_1229



When you mentioned the barrel, it reminded me of the StG-44 adapted to shoot round corners:

 

[Asta]

Alert Line have taken note of the Heer belt buckle:

Thanks for the correction, the relevant personnel have been detained!

 

[Asta]

 

[Asta]

https://onesixthkit.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=5179

 

[Asta]

 

[Asta]

He's in stock with Kit now, so I've started researching which units wore Leibermuster.

It was an extremely rare camouflage and by the war's end only a few small units were equipped in this pattern. All known original images depict Wehrmacht soldiers stationed in Czechoslovakia in May 1945, wearing both Leibermuster jackets and trousers. (Specifically north-eastern Bohemia).

There are apparently no known images of Waffen-SS members wearing Leibermuster.

The only references to specific units I've seen are 100. Jäger Division, who were stationed in Hungary and Czechoslovakia in 1945, and 1. Gebirgsjäger Division though I'm not sure the latter is correct since at the time they were further south in Hungary.



If wearing all Leibermuster plus the helmet there isn't any identifiable insignia, so it would be just as well to have the figure represent a Heer soldier.


Another consideration is the ZG 1229 Vampir equipped StG 44, of which only 310 units were built according to a Wikipedia reference. So that's another rarity that very likely makes the combination of Leibermuster and Vampir an virtual impossibility historically.


My original plan was to use the Vampir with the Leibermuster figure, but due to the unlikelihood I'll make the prime figure Waffen-SS in this configuration:

The second figure can be from the Heer 100. Jäger Division wearing the Leibermuster and helmet, with extra boots, Heer belt, holster and a map case. He'll have to lose the Waffen-SS helmet cover, which looks like SS-Palmenmuster.

 

[Asta]

https://bbs.bbicn.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=405123

Let me briefly describe how this box feels:

The subject matter is great. SS-Leibermuster was the last camouflage developed by the German army in World War II. Dragon had this camouflage in the early years, and this time the boundary line has greatly upgraded . STG44 "Vampire Night Vision Goggles", bullet packs and other rare items are definitely rare.

The fabrics are of good , the workmanship is exquisite, and the pattern is regular. Especially the Leber camouflage M45 uniform and winter coat, the fabric thickness is just right, not stretched or collapsed, very comfortable, the consistent quality of Jiexian, currently unmatched. Other accessories are made of solid materials, belts, boots, helmet linings, etc. are all made of genuine leather.

Two and a half sets of clothing + two hats. If you add a body, head sculpture, and boots, you can create two German soldiers. It is very playable. Double-sided cotton coat, turn the lining inside out, and you can create a snowy scene..., so cool!

The details of the head sculpt and the painting are also improving day by day. This one has a melancholy and cold expression, a bit like the handsome German soldier Thomas Kretschmann, which is not bad .

The shape of the leather boots needs to be improved; some joints of the body seem too tight, so you have to be careful when shaping them, haha.

 

[Asta]

As pointed out by a poster on BBICN, Alert Line have given him a Heer belt buckle instead of the Waffen-SS version.

That's not a problem for me as I want to make a 100. Jäger Division figure from the set anyway.

I have Waffen-SS belts among my spares to use for the second figure in the M44 feldbluse. He'll be the representing the defence of Berlin in April 1945, which was the time and place it was most likely, if at all, that Vampir equipped MP44s were used in combat.


My intention was to use the figure to show off the M44 feldbluse since this will be the first one in the collection, though I wondered if the weather would've been warm enough in April 1945.

Someone was still keeping records up until the 24th, and it shows there were some warm days:


https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/berlin/year-1945#april

April 1945 Berlin Weather​

Day	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Precip. (cm)
April 1	14.5	6.6	0.06
April 2	16.2	8.6	0.00
April 3	9.2	5.2	0.29
April 4	10.4	4.6	0.62
April 5	11.6	1.9	0.18
April 6	9.2	5.4	0.32
April 7	12.1	0.5	0.12
April 8	11.5	0.4	0.00
April 9	16.5	3.4	0.00
April 10	15.6	3.4	0.00
April 11	19.8	3.5	0.00
April 12	15.6	6.3	0.00
April 13	18.5	4.9	0.00
April 14	14.7	5.0	0.00
April 15	11.0	-1.6	0.00
April 16	18.2	-0.6	0.00
April 17	22.0	3.0	0.00
April 18	18.0	9.3	0.27
April 19	14.6	8.0	0.00
April 20	17.1	4.7	0.00
April 21	10.5	5.7	0.15
April 22	10.0	4.6	0.98
April 23	9.7	2.5	0.94
April 24	11.5	4.7	0.35
April 25	n/a	n/a	n/a
April 26	n/a	n/a	n/a
April 27	n/a	n/a	n/a
April 28	n/a	n/a	n/a
April 29	n/a	n/a	n/a
April 30	n/a	n/a	n/a

 

[Asta]

It's a good looking collection of parts.

The frame is very light and fragile, and the MP44 is very plastic and Dragon Models-like:

For reference, the DML figure that inspired the majority of this set was "Arno Frisch", Nachtjager, Defense of Berlin, April 1945 (Schutze):

The Leibmuster colour DML chose was a faded example, rather than the vibrant wartime original.


The first figure built from the set is an NCO from 100. Jäger-Division, prompted by the photo I posted earlier:

He has DAM Toys' SR-71 Blackbird Tommy Lee Jones sculpt, DID Freid's cap, Ujindou map case and DML P38 holster.

I was going to keep the anklets on but the straps kept undoing so it was easier just to leave them off.

 

[Asta]

I'm liking this set a lot.

All the parts used apart from the helmet and anklets:

 

[Asta]

I thought there was something wrong with the orientation of the gas mask cannister battery when I was putting him together, as the longer cable attachment point was on the opposite side to expected.

It dawned on me this morning that the whole battery box/cannister assembly had been put in back to front at the factory.

I loosened the straps and turned it round. The other giveaway should've been that the cannister strap was on the inside of the frame.

A photo with the extreme 'cool' setting: