When German ground forces went to war on 1 September 1939 all the troops were clothed according to the requirements for field service. The early campaigns were all contained within the borders of Europe, and there was little time - or need - for improvement to or improvisation of uniform clothing. However, the war in North Africa and the first harsh winter after the invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941 brought about the need for new forms and styles of uniforms and clothing garments. Camouflage clothing, for example, initially used on a limited scale and then in the main by units of the Waffen-SS (Armed-SS), very rapidly became commonplace. The need for concealment became more acute as the war progressed and especially as the Allies gradually obtained mastery of the skies over Europe. The raw materials needed for the manufacture of uniforms became increasingly in short supply, resulting in a decline in the quality of the cloth used - which in turn had a direct effect on the appearance of the uniform. Many items of clothing that did not exist in 1939 came into widespread use during the later part of the war. These can be divided roughly into two types - those produced officially and issued to the troops and those manufactured out of necessity and which, although worn universally by the armed forces, did not constitute official uniform garments. Both these categories can be seen in the specially selected photographs featured in this book.
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