Can anyone help with this pic. Please

[WEIDINGER1945]

Hi everyone,

I need some help if possible on this. In particular to dating of tunic or pics and branch of service.

Here's the background. In 1980 I was stationed in Kaiserslautern with a U.S. Army maintenance unit.
Mr Schroder worked in my building. He had been in the Wehrmacht during the war and I believe was captured by the Americans.
In any case he went to work for the U.S. Army after the war as a civilian and was getting ready to retire.
He had a twin brother who fell in Russia. He gave me these two photos of him, one while in the RAD and the other as a soldier.
So here are my questions.

1) Can anyone date the pics approx by his tunic?

2) With a black and white photo is it possible to determine his branch of service? Example; infantry,, armor, art, etc.

I thought he told me he was in a Pazer unit but I could be wrong.

3) Last question. On his shoulder board is the number 6 clearly visible. Above the 6 is another cypher or number I cannot distinguish. Any help there?

I really liked Mr Schroder and have never forgotten him even after 40 years, but I guess I should have made notes about his service and unit and like most dumb kids I did not.

If I could determine brach of service I think I would like to colorize the photo for my home.

Help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[von thoma]

Hello WEIDINGER1945 :

Heinrich Schröder is wearing a Waffenrock tunic, authorized for walking out ( Production and issue of the Waffenrock was
suspended in 1940 ). After examining its shoulder strap, I am pretty sure is for a Panzer ' Schützen-Regiment ', later in 1943
redesignated ' Panzergrenadier ' Regiments.
They wore standard field grey field blouses ( not the AFV uniform *) with pink waffenfarbe, and an 'S' device on the shoulder
strap above the unit number, a 12 in this case.

* Armoured Fighting Vehicle Crew Uniform.

An example of the shoulder strap cypher and Regimental number ;

[WEIDINGER1945]

Thanks von Thoma. I very much appreciate your help on this and have found someone to colorize it as well.

Thanks again so much,

Dave