German Y-Straps

[stösser]

I've always noticed that in german pictures most soldiers never wear Y-Straps. Is this because they were not issued, thrown away to lighten the load, broken or uncomfortable?

[CHRISCHA]

All combat troops were issued Y-straps, many even at the end of the war. ( Many non-front line troops were issued WW1 or captured equipment ). Pictures depicting troops without them may be because they were on leave or sometimes on static guard duty in hot weather, or around barracks. Many programmes and films show incorrectly troops fighting without full combat gear.

[Dennis Redler]

Correct. And when there was the "production " problem, they started making them from cloth webbing similar to the Afrika Korps issue.
Dennis Redler

[stösser]

All those pictures show infantry soldiers in combat around bombed out towns or shooting at somebody. Saying that they didn't wear them because they are hanging out at the barracks or pulling guard duty can't be right. my guess is that they must have been more comfortable without them on or were not issued due to supply demands of a huge army. i know that the army doesn't issue equipment for it not to be used, so I wanted to know why.

[Ike_FI]

One might think that straps would be quite useful if you have to pull a wounded man to safety while staying yourself low - you would get better grip of a man wearing them than of one without them.

[Dennis Redler]

Stosser,
Can you post a picture or two? I guess there could be many reasons why they would not be worn . I've seen men in overcoats not wearing them but can't recall seeing combat troops without them.The uniform is equipped with hooks for the belt so maybe thats the reason. The straps were just not necessary without complete full equipment.
Dennis Redler

[hohenstaufeninthehood]

I have seen many many orginal pictures (alothough most I look at are SS) and most guys pictured from mid to late war are wearing Y straps. Except in the winter, it seems that on the eastern fron, the waffen ss mainly had fur anoraks, (according to pictures) and with all that thick fur the belt supports itself (Ive worn gear while wearing an anorak and parka) same goes with a reverseible parka. I dont know about the Army though.

JIM

[Vatch]

Ive seen a few pics of Heer units wearing Zeltbahns with there standard belts but no y straps. could this be because it would be hard to wear y straps over the Zeltbahn?

[Xanthro]

The Y-Straps were nearly always worn, even in pictures where you don't see them.

While the Y-Straps were designed to be worn on the outside of Zeltbans and the great coats, soldiers preferred to wear them inside these items, thus you can't see them.

Sometimes you'll actually have someone wearing two belts, the outer one to hold the Zeltban or great coat close. You'll also see soldiers who have tied string to to the same.

Xanthro

[sfk20]

I realize that this thread ended ages ago, but I found it while searching the site for something else and now I feel compelled to reply.

Y-straps only came into use around 1939. Therefore, any pictures dating before this would not show Y-straps and troops on active duty before 1939 wouldn't have needed them. Furthermore, Y-straps are only really useful if one is using an a-frame to carry their equipment. Otherwise, a german tunic's belt hooks are just as effective in holding up an equipment belt and I've found it to be much more comfortable as well. In reply to another post, the fact that many wartime photos do not show Germans wearing y-straps or other various equipment does not mean that the photos were staged behind the lines. The only time you will usually see a German soldier wearing all his equipment is during an offensive/campaign during which a soldier would need to have all his belongings with him. In defensive positions or in occupied territory, what a soldier wore from day to day was more or less dictated by practicality and at the discretion of platoon leaders.

[CHRISCHA]

Hello.

I disagree that the Y-straps are only useful when using the A-frame.

When moving any distance the Y-straps support and distribute the weight of the water bottle, full bread bag, full ammunition pouches, bayonet and shovel let alone anything else attached to the belt.

My point about around barracks (not behind the lines) is more about when near camp or other location where equipment did not need to be carried around.

[egonzinc]

I revisit this subject every once in a while.
Eventhough the regulations indicate these Y straps were used for the 1940 cmpaign int he west, images of the time show minimal Y strap use. I don;t want to say never, but looking at images I have yet to find one using Y straps in 1940, and of course nine to be found in Poland. This changes dramatically for the summer of 1941 offense in the east.

[Fall Barbarossa]

With the internal suspenders, one does not need Y-straps. And it's quite easy to find photos of Germans at Stalingrad (1942/1943) in combat and NOT wearing y-straps.

[askropp]

This may be a dumb question, but when the three hooks were fastened to the Koppel and the ammo pouches, how were the two Hilfstrageriemen with their metal loops used? Weren't they somewhat superfluous?


Image Source: http://30thdiv.weebly.com/uploads/8/7/9 ... ig.jpg?418

[B Hellqvist]

Coming very late to the show, but the two secondary straps were used to carry the A-frame (together with the D-rings), or other equipment, like radios.