It is widely recognized that the military uniforms of the German army during World War II are among the most timelessly stylish in the world.

Inheriting Prussian traditions, they possess a retro aesthetic and German-style rigor. Whether it is the officers' service uniforms, dress uniforms or the soldiers' combat uniforms, they all look sharp when worn by German military personnel.

Furthermore, the "Führer" stated at the time: "Military uniforms must be handsome; only then will more young people enlist in the military without hesitation to serve."

This is also the reason why German military uniforms during World War II were deliberately designed to be so timelessly stylish.

So in this article, let's take a look together at the various types of combat uniforms used by German soldiers during World War II. From the early stages of World War II to its end, in just a few short years, German soldiers used approximately 19 styles of combat uniforms.

1.M33 Field Uniform

 The M33 Field Uniform was the first generation of combat uniforms for German soldiers issued after the "Führer" came to power. This style, like the soldiers' uniforms of the Weimar Republic period, was made of woolen fabric, with both the jacket and trousers mainly in gray-green. Moreover, each of the four pockets had a box pleat in the middle, and the pocket flaps were also fitted with metal buttons identical to those on the jacket cuffs. However, as an early combat uniform for German soldiers, the M33 had a relatively simple design in terms of pattern.

2. M34 Field Uniform

The M34 Field Uniform was improved based on the previous M33 model. In terms of pattern, the M34 did not show obvious changes compared with the M33; it used the same fabric and design. The only differences were that the collar of the M34 Field Uniform was changed to dark green, and privates began to use black shoulder straps.

Additionally, the M34 Field Uniform also had changes in details. For example, a detachable hook could be added to the abdomen-this was a device used for holding a waist belt. Moreover, the sleeve part was thickened, and the stitched topstitching on it was visible.

3.M35 Field Uniform

The M35 Field Uniform was also improved based on the previous M34 Field Uniform. It adopted the same fabric and pattern, with the most significant change being only to the shoulder straps-changing the previous round-tipped shoulder straps to dark green pointed ones.

Although the M35, along with the aforementioned M34 and M33, were all equipped by the German military before World War II, a small number of these uniforms were still used by German soldiers in combat during the early stages of World War II.

4.M36 Field Uniform

The M36 Field Uniform was the first combat uniform to be widely issued to the German military in the early stages of World War II.

The M36 integrated all the advantages of the previous M33, M34, and M35 models. It retained the dark green collars and dark green shoulder straps from the M34 and M35. Similarly, the jacket had four pockets on the chest and four on the abdomen respectively, with box pleats also featured on the pockets.

Before the 1940s, this combat uniform was extensively equipped by German soldiers. After entering the 1940s, even though newer combat uniforms such as the M40 and M42 were introduced, many soldiers still continued to use the M36. It was precisely this uniform that became a major symbol of German military personnel during World War II.

5.M40 Field Uniform

In the 1940s, German soldiers began to be equipped with simplified combat uniforms-specifically the M40, which was developed as an improved version of the M36 Field Uniform.

Compared to the M36, the M40 Field Uniform used slightly coarser fabric. Meanwhile, the previously dark green collars and shoulder straps were changed to match the color of the uniform itself. Additionally, the collar insignias were modified: from the original glossy, reflective style to a matte finish. This design adjustment reduced visibility on the battlefield and improved soldiers' chances of survival.

Furthermore, the originally silver, shiny buttons were replaced with black matte ones. This change also served the purpose of reducing visibility and enhancing soldiers' survival rates.

6.M41 Field Uniform

In 1941, a modification was made to the M40 Field Uniform, and the revised version was designated as the M41 Field Uniform. The most significant change compared to the M40 was the addition of one more button at the jacket placket-increasing the number from five to six. Another change was that the shoulder straps on the upper part of the jacket became detachable, whether for soldiers' combat uniforms or officers' uniforms.

As for other aspects, such as the pattern, fabric, and craftsmanship, there were no changes; they still maintained the same style as the previous M40 Field Uniform.

7.M42 Field Uniform

In 1942, the M42 Field Uniform was developed as an improved version based on the M41 Field Uniform.

To save materials, this style was further simplified: the box pleats on the four pockets were removed, making the pockets flatter in shape. As for the overall design, fabric, and other aspects, there remained no changes.

8.M43 Field Uniform

The M43 Field Uniform was the last traditional combat uniform of the German Army during World War II. Its overall design remained unchanged, retaining the key features of the M42. However, modifications were made to the pocket flaps: the raised edge design was replaced with a vertical edge, giving the pockets a neat, square appearance.

Additionally, in the later stages of its use, the M43 Field Uniform was produced in multiple color variations, such as green-gray, slate gray, and brown. This combat uniform was used from 1943 until the end of World War II.

9.M44 Field Uniform

In 1944, the German military began to equip a new type of combat uniform, the M44-also known as the M44 Field Uniform.

Unlike previous German field uniforms, this style imitated the design of the short combat uniforms used by the British Army at the same time. The jacket was shortened overall while the sleeve size remained unchanged; it featured a Western-style lapel, giving the entire jacket the appearance of a Western-style jacket.

Due to the shortened length of the garment, it only had two close-fitting pockets on the chest. These pockets had no box pleats and were square in shape. There was also a change in color: from the original field gray to a color leaning towards olive green.

10.M41 Tropical Field Uniform

In the late 1940s, as the German military deployed to the African front, it began equipping officers and soldiers with tropical combat uniforms to adapt to the local combat environment. The first tropical combat uniform issued in 1941 was the M41 Tropical Field Uniform.

As a uniform designed for tropical environments, the fabric used was thinner and more breathable compared to traditional combat uniforms. Furthermore, the tropical combat uniform adopted a lapel design, and the number of buttons at the jacket placket was reduced from the original six to five.

To adapt to the local combat environment, this type of tropical combat uniform was also produced in two colors: khaki and olive green.

11.M42 Tropical Field Uniform

In 1942, the M42 Tropical Field Uniform emerged. This style mainly came in olive green, and the overall design of its jacket was quite similar to the previous M41 Tropical Field Uniform-it also featured a lapel design and used thin, breathable fabric. However, the box pleats on the pockets of the M42 were removed, making the surface of each pocket look neat and smooth.

At the same time, the shoulder straps on the shoulders (used for attaching rank insignias) could be removed at any time.

12.M43 Tropical Field Uniform

 In 1943, the German military units fighting in Africa were further equipped with the M43 Tropical Field Uniform, which was improved based on the M42. This style was mainly in khaki, and there were still few changes in its pattern compared to the previous M42.

13.M36 Field Overcoat

In autumn and winter, German soldiers were also equipped with dedicated field overcoats. In the early stages of World War II, the M36 Field Overcoat was issued. It used the same woolen fabric as the M36 Field Uniform, and both the collar and shoulder straps were dark green.

The overcoat had two large hidden pockets on the sides, and featured double-breasted buttons on the chest-six buttons per row, totaling twelve. Compared to regular combat uniforms, the pattern of this field overcoat was relatively simple.

14.M40 Field Overcoat

 In 1940, the M40 Field Overcoat emerged. It inherited the pattern of the previous M36 Field Overcoat; however, compared to the M36, the M40 had a darker color. Meanwhile, both the collar and shoulder straps of the M40 used the same color as the overcoat itself, rather than using separate dark green fabric.

15.M42 Field Overcoat

In 1942, some German soldiers were further equipped with the M42 Field Overcoat. It shared the same outer design and pattern as the previous two models (M36 and M40). The most significant change lay in its materials-compared to the earlier field overcoats, the craftsmanship of the M42 became much cruder.

16. Leather Overcoat

Also in the 1940s, some German officers, as well as non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and master sergeants of the military police, were equipped with privately tailored leather overcoats. In terms of pattern, these overcoats were quite similar to the M36 Field Overcoat. However, they were not standard-issue overcoats provided by the military, so they were not common in German military units.

Towards the end of World War II, to conserve resources, the German military issued an order to abolish privately tailored leather overcoats, requiring all personnel to use standard-issue military uniforms instead.

17.Wool-Fur Overcoat

 In addition to the privately tailored leather overcoats, some soldiers also had their own custom-made sheepskin overcoats. These overcoats were entirely sewn from sheepskin: the woolen side was used as the lining, while the leather side served as the outer surface. The collars were made of woolen fabric. Though much cruder in quality compared to the official standard-issue military overcoats, they provided excellent cold resistance in winter.

18.M34 Panzer Crew Combat Uniform

During World War II, the armored units of the German military had their own dedicated combat uniforms-for instance, the M34 Panzer Crew Combat Uniform, also known as the "Panzer Field Jacket," which was issued in 1934.

The panzer crew combat uniform was completely different from the standard infantry combat uniform. Its jacket did not adopt a symmetrical design; instead, it resembled Western-style jackets: the jacket was shortened, while the sleeves appeared relatively long. Additionally, the M34 Panzer Crew Uniform was mainly black, with pink piping on the uniform itself, as well as on the shoulder straps and collar insignias. This pink color was representative of the armored troops.

Furthermore, this combat uniform was used from before the outbreak of World War II until the end of the war, and it remained one of the special-purpose combat uniforms for German panzer crews throughout this period.

19.M42 Panzer Crew Combat Uniform

In 1942, a second type of panzer crew combat uniform emerged. Its overall appearance and layout remained largely the same as the earlier M34 model; the most significant changes were that the uniform's color was switched from black to field gray, and the early skull-patterned collar insignias were replaced with ones identical to those used by the Wehrmacht (German Army).

During World War II, the number of these field-gray panzer crew combat uniforms was not as large as that of the earlier black M34 versions. They were mainly issued to assault gun units in the later stages of the war, such as the crew members of StuG III (Sturmgeschütz III) and StuG IV (Sturmgeschütz IV) assault guns.

The above are the 19 types of soldiers' combat uniforms used by the German military during World War II. If there are any errors or shortcomings in this article, we welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement. In our next article, we will continue to cover the camouflage combat uniforms used by the German military in World War II-don't forget to follow us!