Raincoat tent for the army, soldiers and officers, USSR and Bundeswehr, how to use and fold it, how to make a shelter, material and dimensions of the raincoat

The German troops always paid special attention to the weapons they supplied their soldiers with. The famous German bayonet-knife was an indispensable assistant in hand-to-hand combat. To this day, you can see German knives not only in photographs, but also in collectors, museums and among fans of military paraphernalia from the Second World War.

German bayonet from World War II.

The history of the creation of the first models

Long-brimmed outerwear became the progenitor of the epancha of the early 18th century.
Specialized clothing, vaguely reminiscent of modern raincoats, appeared in the Russian army during the time of Peter I. These were epanchas, used to protect soldiers from rain and wind. In 1761 they received collars in the form of hoods. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, such things, combining the advantages of several items, became part of military equipment in many European countries. The Russian Empire included raincoats in the equipment of its officers only in 1894; these models were waterproof.

In Soviet times, European and tsarist experience was adopted only in 1936, securing tents as standard equipment for the rank and file and command staff of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. The standard set of protective raincoats included:

Panel size 180x180 cm;
The stand is collapsible, consisting of two 65 cm rods;
Lacing rope;
Two jokes.

During the Great Patriotic War, soldiers immediately appreciated the best aspects of compact tents, using them for all sorts of needs:

Weather protection;
Use as camouflage ammunition;
Carrying wounded soldiers.

On guard duty, such equipment was used as ordinary capes, and in open areas, soldiers often built large shelters, connecting several panels together. Entrances to dugouts were also often masked with raincoats. Beginning in 1942, the defense industry of the Soviet Union began to produce camouflage models with improved camouflage properties.

Description of the classic raincoat

In this way, the entrances to the dugout are covered, although it is not necessary to build a complex wooden frame.
The standard Soviet raincoat tent is a canvas product with eyelets at the corners intended for stretching, securing and installing the cloth on stakes. There are loops on two sides of the tarpaulin, and buttons on the opposite two sides. These accessories are needed to connect several panels into one large one, which is done in the shortest possible time. With enough material, you can build a shelter for an entire company of soldiers with your own hands. During World War II, Soviet and German soldiers did this. By the way, German models were more comfortable due to their triangular shape.

The cloak has sewn ropes; with their help, a hood was quickly constructed or a necessary item was attached near the neck. To ensure that the long corner of the tent, worn as outerwear, does not drag on the ground, it is fastened higher using a special button.

Currently, in tourist stores you can find a variety of modern models, many of them have a convenient zipper, but none of them can be compared in reliability with a soldier's raincoat.

Types of German bayonets

There are two types of bayonet knives, depending on the year of creation, namely:

Modern ones, released several years ago and the type of construction resembles the original models.
Rare, that is, those that were released during the Second World War.

There is another classification; it divides bayonet knives into categories according to the purpose of use. There are four types:

models designed for attachment to firearms. They were created to eliminate manpower without the use of ammunition;
army models. They were developed for use by soldiers, they were usually used in everyday life, the most valuable models are from the period from 1941 to 1945;
bayonet-knives for firefighters;
hunting models, designed for cutting prey.

Rare German bayonet knife.
The German authorities have always treated weapons with great responsibility. They armed their soldiers with the best models of firearms and bladed weapons. They also constantly improved it, taking into account the specific tasks that were assigned to their fighters.

First products

The first model of such a weapon was released in 1885. The characteristic features of this model were the presence of a saw on the butt. Similar models can only be seen today in photographs from the First World War.

A model of a gun from the late 19th century was very popular. It was used from 1884-1898. The blade was used with the Mauser 198 rifle. Also, it was this model that became the prototype of the 1945 daggers.

This gun was produced until 1915, but the design was slightly changed. A protective plate appeared on the handle, and steel began to be used to produce sheaths. In addition, there were ceremonial bayonets.

Famous models

The weapon should not give away the fighter, which is why during development we tried to choose the optimal size. To make the weapon more secretive, it was coated with anti-glare. There are several well-known bayonet models:

police officer;
with a saw on the butt;
Gottscho systems;
the period of the First World War;
ersatz bayonet;
a weapon with a short blade.

The first models, manufactured in 1884, were designed to be mounted on a rifle. Initially, such models of knives were produced for the countries of South America, and with the beginning of the First World War they began to supply German soldiers with weapons. The length of the bayonet was 44.5 cm, with 31.5 cm per blade. The saw consisted of 25 teeth.

German police bayonet.

In 1920, the first knife for police officers was produced. The blade of such models bore the stamp of the Nazi security service.

Dr. Gottscho's knives were supplied to soldiers in Bavaria and Württemberg; the authorities tried to ban them, since the doctor had no experience in making knives and the steel was of poor quality.

During the First World War, the weapon was used only in hand-to-hand combat, so the need for knives with a long blade disappeared. The dagger became an adornment for a soldier; its curved shape made it possible to securely fix it on a firearm. It was 26.5 cm long, of which the cutting part accounted for 15 cm.

Wehrmacht knives

When the Third Reich was created, the government put a lot of effort into improving weapons. Regarding knives, we took the 1884 model as a basis. For Wehrmacht fighters, paired sets were created that included a combat and ceremonial bayonet.

The ceremonial bayonets had an eagle on the handle, and the cutting edge was engraved with the mottos of the troops.

The knife from the Second World War period was made in a strict design; models were produced to order with an engraving of the owner’s initials. The sheath was produced according to the model of the bladed weapons of the “Black Division” of the USSR.

They were steel, had a plug-in mouth and were painted dark. The weapon was secured with a leather strap, and there was also a loop for wearing on a belt.

Brand on the weapon

The most popular inscription of that time was “In memory of the service,” but sometimes battle scenes were depicted on the gun. Manufacturers also stamped them.

During the Third Reich, about a hundred companies produced edged weapons, most of which were located in Solingen. The mark was placed by stamping, the sign was located on the flat part of the blade under the hilt. Usually the company's emblem was depicted on the gun.

The mark confirmed the quality of the weapon, and in our time it is with its help that the authenticity of the blade is determined. Today, connoisseurs of edged weapons are ready to pay a large sum for an original Wehrmacht-era bayonet.

Explanation of markings

All blades intended for officers were carefully checked for compliance with all parameters. In 1934, they even created a special body that monitored the production process and regulated costs.

Wehrmacht knife with mark.

All manufacturers had to obtain a marketing permit from the Control Service, after which it was assigned a number. For example, the cipher RZM M 7/66/43 was deciphered as follows:

RZM – abbreviated name of the body that exercised control;
M – use of metal for manufacturing;
7 – product class;
66 – manufacturing company;
43 (1943) – year of production.

DIY making

With its small dimensions, a raincoat tent can be easily placed even in a small hiking backpack.
Some tourists and travelers try to make a raincoat tent with their own hands, which is quite simple to do:

Take a piece of thick tarpaulin;
Can be cut to size 180 by 180 cm or any desired size;
The fabric can be treated with special water-repellent materials;
For the hood, special lacing ropes with a diameter of no more than 5 mm with winding at the ends are used;
The stands are made of wood or steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm.

Although you can make such a raincoat tent in a few evenings, it will not turn out very neat, and you will have to spend a lot of time searching for the necessary materials, so it is easier to buy a ready-made product.

A factory-made cape will weigh only 1.5 kg, and its price fluctuates around 400-600 rubles. It folds up and easily hides in a backpack. Some craftsmen make enlarged versions of the product, claiming that with their help you can shelter several people from bad weather at once, but it’s easier to connect several standard soldier’s tents together, because that’s exactly what they are designed for.

Where to buy a German bayonet

You can purchase a modern model of bayonet in special stores or on the Internet. If you are interested in rare original models, you can buy them at auctions or antique stores. Please remember that illegal purchase and possession of German bayonet knives is punishable by law.

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How can you make a complete shelter from bad weather from a raincoat?

The simplest shelter can be made in 10-15 minutes
. A raincoat-tent can be installed in various ways, it depends on how many people are trying to hide under it, and how many products they have. The easiest way to build a weather protection shelter for one person is:

First, install the stand; in this installation option, it rests on the middle loop of the tarpaulin side;
A pull is made from the stand using a rope pulled through the loops of the fasteners;
The corners of the cloak are fixed to the ground with pins. If you don’t have them at hand, you can use heavy stones as corner fixers.

One of the main disadvantages of a shelter for one person will be the inability to close on all sides, so you need to focus on the direction of the wind.

A tent for two people is constructed as follows:

Two cloaks are connected to each other, creating two roof slopes;
The open ends are secured using half-posts and two ropes;
The free corners of each of the panels are fixed on the ground.

If there is a need to make a shelter for three, then the third raincoat-tent is secured as a side end. In the version for four people, all ends are covered with panels, and the end seams are laced.

In the history of Russian troops, it often happened that soldiers built shelters for five people; in this version, a slightly different technology was used:

Each side slope is made of panels connected to each other;
The fifth panel goes to the end;
One side does not close;
The structure is secured by 3 half-posts.

When installing shelters from raincoat tents, it is strongly recommended to use dug out turf; it is advisable to lay it out along the entire perimeter of the canvas below. This will provide a tighter fit and help the structure withstand sudden gusts of wind.

German raincoat Bundeswehr Zeltbahn 31

A shelter for several people from German raincoats is built much faster.
A German-made product of the 1931 model, which was in service with the Wehrmacht and was made of waterproof cotton gabardine, is distinguished by a triangular shape. It replaced the earlier quadrangular equipment models. The new products had camouflage colors in different shades: one side of the cloth was darker, and the other was lighter.

German raincoats could also be combined into panels and used to build large shelters for soldiers. Now similar models are found among collectors; reed-green and light bronze raincoats issued for the troops stationed in North Africa are considered of particular value. German models differed from Soviet ones not only in shape:

The size of the panel is 203 by 250 cm;
On each of the short sides there were 12 buttons with loops;
The underside had 6 small rings and the same number of button loops.

During World War II, the Germans often built large shelters with 16 seats from individual raincoats. For this purpose there were special bags with a set of accessories.

German raincoat mod. 1931 (Zeltbahn 31) replaced the previous model - a square gray raincoat, model back in 1893. The new raincoat-tent was made of dyed gabardine, had a triangular shape, was waterproof and performed several functions at once: tent , raincoat , field table, blanket, etc. Originally a raincoat mod. 1931 was painted in gray or feldgrau color, but even before the start of World War II, most Wehrmacht units were already using camouflage raincoats, thus Germany became the first country in the world to begin to use camouflage . One side of the raincoat mod. 1931 was covered with dark 'fragmentation' camouflage, and the other side was light. At the end of the war, raincoats appeared with dark camouflage . In North Africa, they mainly used the continental version of the raincoat; the special tropical raincoat was produced only in a limited edition and was covered on both sides with greenish-yellow or light beige paint.

Two sides of the raincoat were 203 cm long, and the third side was 250 cm long. There were 12 buttons and loops along the short sides. Along the long side there were six holes with a metal edging above which six buttons were sewn; a tension cable passed through these holes when the raincoat was installed just like a tent. Buttons and loops on the short sides served to connect several raincoats into one large tent, and the size of the tent depended only on the number of panels combined. In each corner of the canvas there was a large hole edged with metal, with the help of which the tent was fixed with pegs or a tension cable was passed through them, depending on the type of tent . When the raincoat was used as a cape, holes and buttons at the base of the cloth made it possible to fasten the raincoat around the soldier's legs. In the middle of the panel there was a slot for the head, closed by two small overlapping flaps. a hood was issued along with the raincoat , but it was soon stopped being used.

One raincoat tent served as a simple blanket or bedding, two could already be connected and placed as an awning for protection from wind and rain, but four panels connected together made it possible to set up a pyramidal four-person tent. There were standard designs for eight- and sixteen-person tents. The standard set for setting up a tent (Zeltausrustung) included: a black two-meter rope (Zeltleine), a four-piece 37 cm wooden pole (Zeltstock), and two pegs (Zeltflocke). A special bag (Zeltzubehortasche) was intended for carrying these items. The bag was made from gabardine or thin canvas in grey, olive green, brown or feldgrau (also chartreuse or beige for North Africa). The top of the bag was closed with a flap, which was fastened with one or two buttons . At first, the bag had two leather straps, with the help of which the bag was attached to other items of equipment (usually to the roll of the raincoat itself), and then the straps gave way to leather loops. Tent pegs were made of light alloys, steel or impregnated wood; each of them had a special hole or hook through which, if necessary, a rope was threaded, making it easier to remove the pegs from the ground.

There were three main ways to wear a raincoat as a raincoat: an option for an infantryman, a horseman and a cyclist. The cloth could also be used as a blanket, bedding or pillow , etc. One or two raincoat tents filled with branches or hay were a handy means for overcoming water obstacles. When rolled up, the raincoat could be worn, attached to a sword belt, waist belt, assault pack, or to a backpack in the form of a roll (with or without a blanket or overcoat). Due to an acute shortage of materials, since 1944, raincoats were issued only to selected field units. Other raincoats, square Kaiser ones, and various captured ones, including Soviet ones, were used in limited quantities.

In addition to the above-described raincoat mod. 1931, the Wehrmacht used a number of other army tents - headquarters, medical and other special tents.

The Zeltbahn 31 raincoat was a waterproof raincoat made of thick cotton water-repellent fabric and was used everywhere.

The Zeltbahn 31 raincoat-tent had the shape of a triangle 203x203x240 cm, on both sides it had a “broken glass” camouflage pattern, darker on one side and lighter on the other.

buttons sewn onto it , 31 on each side, and it had 30 loops.

In the middle it had a slot with a double valve. Simplified, modern version of Zeltbahn 31:

Modern (simplified) version of Zeltbahn 31:

Using loops and buttons, it could be fastened in several ways, thereby creating maximum protection in various conditions.

Four tents could be connected into one large four-person tent.

In general, it’s quite strange - our army adopted the German pot (the Red Army entered the war with a soldier’s copper pot from the First World War, which was just a saucepan with a handle). The modern Russian army bowler is an exact copy of the German bowler (and by the way, the Czech-style bowler is more convenient than the German one). But there is no German water flask. And it is more convenient than ours, because... closed on top by a mug. No need to have a separate mug. The German flat three-light lantern under the KSF brand was adopted, but the raincoat was not adopted. The central clothing service of the army is constantly inventing some kind of backpacks, suitcases, portable field kitchens for 5-10-20 people (who will wear them and how?). And the soldier, just as he carried his things in the orphan sidor, still carries them, just as he got wet in an outdated raincoat, he still gets wet.

In the picture there is a German machine gunner from the Second World War in a raincoat of the 1931 model (the German army was forbidden to have, and the authorities were already thinking about how best to dress the soldier of the future Wehrmacht!). Zeltbahn and Zeltaustrüstung (Tent Quarter and Tent Equipment)

The Zeltbahn was invented by the Austrians during the First World War, then the Zeltbahn 31 went into service with the Germans and was preserved by the Swedes as the Zeltbahn M39.
The model 31 raincoat (Zeltbahn 31) was originally known as the "Warei" type and replaced the previous model - the square raincoat tent of the model 11. Project of a standard four-person tent consisting of four raincoats. gray color.

The new raincoat had a triangular shape, was made of tightly woven gabardine, and thanks to this it was waterproof.

There were three ways to wear a raincoat as a raincoat: an option for an infantryman, a horseman and a cyclist. Initially, the model 31 raincoat was painted in feldgrau (field gray ) color, but by 1939, most military units were using raincoats with “splintered” camouflage . One side of the raincoat was covered with dark camouflage (dunklerer Buntfarbenaufdruck), on the other side with light camouflage (hellerer Buntfarbenaufdruck).

By the end of the war, raincoats appeared with dark camouflage . In North Africa, they mainly used the continental version of the raincoat; there was also a special tropical version, which was painted greenish-yellow or light beige on both sides, but it was produced in limited quantities.

Two sides of the new model raincoat were 203 cm long, and the third side was 240 or 250 cm long. There were 12 buttons and loops along the short sides. Along the wide side there were six holes with a steel edge through which the tension rope passed, and six buttons were sewn above the holes.

Buttons and loops on the short sides served to connect several raincoats into one large tent, and the size of the tent depended on the number of panels combined.

When the cloak-tent was used as a cape, holes and buttons at the base of the cloth made it possible to fasten the cloak around the soldier’s legs. In the center of the panel there was a slot for the head, closed by two overlapping flaps.

hood was provided with the raincoat , but it was soon stopped being used.

In each corner of the canvas there was a large hole edged with metal; with the help of these holes the tent was fixed with pegs or a rope was passed through them - depending on the type of tent .

One or two raincoat tents could serve as a simple blanket, four panels connected together made it possible to set up a pyramidal standard four-person tent. In addition, a special illustrated manual for using the ’31 raincoat tent contained standard designs for eight- and sixteen-person tents.

The standard set for setting up a tent (Zeltausrustung) included: a black two-meter rope (Zeltleine), a collapsible wooden pole (Zeltstock) with metal tips (consisting of four interconnected parts, each part 37 cm long), and two pegs (Zeltpflocke).

A special bag was intended for carrying these items.

The bag was made from gabardine or thin tarpaulin “splintered” camouflage, field gray (feldgrau), grey, olive green, greenish yellow (tropical version), brown or beige.

The top of the bag was closed with a flap, which was fastened with one or two buttons .

Initially, the bag had two leather straps, with which the bag was attached to other items of equipment, and then the straps gave way to leather loops. Tent pegs could have different shapes; light metal alloys, steel or impregnated wood were used for their manufacture.

At the top of each peg there was a hole through which, if necessary, a rope was threaded, making it easier to remove the peg from the ground.

The raincoat-tent could be worn by attaching it with the help of an add-on. belts to a waist belt, sword belt, to a backpack or combat backpack in the form of a roll (with or without a blanket). Due to an acute shortage of materials, in 1944, raincoats were issued only to selected field units. Other raincoats were used in limited quantities, including captured camouflage Italian ones of the 1929 model and square Soviet ones in a dirty olive color. In addition to its main functions as a raincoat and tent , the ’31 model could be used in a number of other cases: as an individual camouflage cape for military personnel and military equipment; as a blanket or pillow : as a flotation device for overcoming water obstacles (one or two rolled-up raincoats stuffed with branches or hay); How to fold Zeltbahnen

as an improvised means for carrying the wounded or items of ammunition in combat conditions;

for carrying waste during construction work;

as a simple field table.

In addition to the model 31 raincoat described above, the German army used a number of other army tents of various designs, including special headquarters and medical tents .

Heinrich Hofmann made zelt of 1941 vintage.

Raincoat-tent arr. 1931 (Zeltbahn 31) was produced to replace the earlier square model and was at first known as the "Warei pattern". The tent was a triangular panel made of waterproof cotton gabardine and was used as a multi-purpose shelter, a bedding for lying on the ground and as a raincoat. A dark camouflage pattern (dunklerer Buntfarbenaufdrud) was applied on one side and a light camouflage pattern (hellerer B.) on the other, these camouflage patterns are known to collectors as “three-color ( brown with two shades of green) splinter camouflage .” At the end of the war, most raincoats had a dark pattern on both sides. A limited number of reed green or light bronze (on both sides) samples were produced for use in North Africa, but the continental model became more widespread there. Two sides of the tent were 203 cm long, the bottom side -250 cm. On the sides (shorter ) the sides of the tent had 12 buttons with loops. On the underside there were six buttonholes and six small rings through which a tightening rope passed, and six buttons were sewn on slightly above the buttonholes. Buttons and loops on the short sides of the tent were used to attach additional sections of tents and thus make up overall tents of various sizes. If the tent was used as a raincoat, the buttons and loops at the base of the flap were fastened around the wearer's legs. In the center of the panel there was a slit for the head, overlapped by two strips of fabric; When the raincoat was first introduced, it came with a detachable triangular hood , but this was soon discontinued. Large metal rings at the corners of the tent made it possible to tighten it when installing it, depending on the design of the tent, with ropes or stakes. One or two tents could be joined together to form a rudimentary shelter from the rain in the form of a hut, four could be fastened together to form a pyramidal tent designed for four soldiers. There were standard ways to build eight- and sixteen-person tents. For this purpose, there was a set of tent accessories (Zeltausrilstung): a black rope two meters long (Zeltleine), a composite wooden tent stake ( four parts of 37 cm in length) (Zeltstod) and two pegs (Zeltpflode). All this was carried in a tent bag (Zeltzubehortasche). This gabardine or lightweight fabric bag was painted grey , feldgrau, olive green, reed green (for the tropics), brown or bronze, or covered in camouflage. It was closed with a lid with one or two buttons. Early examples had two leather straps at one end for attaching to other equipment, others had two leather loops or were produced without such means of fastening at all. Tent pegs were made of light alloy, steel or wood impregnated with phenolic plastic. Each peg had an eyelet with a loop of rope threaded through it to make it easier to remove. When using the tent as a raincoat (Regenmantel), in order to provide the greatest protection and freedom of movement for the owner, three wearing options were prescribed: on foot, cavalry and for scooters. The tent was also used as a bedding or pillow; one or two - stuffed with hay or branches and twisted - served as a reliable means of floating. Varieties of colors of Hirov Tzeltbahns and their saturation by manufacturer: Bottom row, from left to right: -1938 Liebscher & Stolle -1938 Dressel -1941 Kimnach & Brunn -19?? Heinrich Hofmann - late Salzmann & Comp -1941 JC Runken -1941 Rob. Reichelt - no date, unmarked 0/0337/0088 (might be GJ Ensink) top row, from left to right: -1942 Paul Köppen - late unmarked. -1941 Franz Weck -1944 unknown 0/0510/0058 (!possibly!Greve u. Güth) -1941 Walter Reichert — undated unknown 0/0766/0004 -1943(unknown)0/0155/0030(!possibly! EG Leuner) .

Options for using universal army equipment

You shouldn’t think that a soldier’s raincoat will save you from heavy rain; for such cases you need rubberized fabric.
Dense and lightweight tent fabric makes it possible to use this invention for various needs:

Blackouts. The structure of the material does not allow the sun's rays to pass through, from which you can hide in the summer. At night, under the tarpaulin, the light of a flashlight or the light of a match or cigarette is not visible, which can reveal the presence of a person to an outside observer or an animal. In domestic conditions, door and window openings are covered with tarpaulins;
Carrying. There is no need to explain that an accident can happen to anyone on a hike, and your comrades will have to quickly deliver the victim to a hospital or first aid station. The dimensions and density of the material can easily support the weight of an average person; in extreme cases, the cloth is used as a drag;
Blanket or bedding. The level of thermal insulation makes it possible to use a raincoat tent in this capacity. Many lie down on one part and cover with the other;
Tent. If there is no desire to make a full-fledged shelter, then the panel is stretched between two trees and secured with eyelets;
Cape from bad weather. In the army, these products are most often used this way. It is enough to pull out one lace and tie the second one in the neck area. To make a hood, you need to pull out both laces.

A regular raincoat tent is not waterproof and can only withstand light rain - this is one of its main disadvantages. To protect against rainfall, the officer version is used, which has rubberized fabric with a high level of waterproofing, but it is not multifunctional.

Despite the variety of choices in the modern world of tourist equipment, soldier's raincoats are still very popular among fishermen, hunters and tourists. The combination of low price and light weight makes it a leader in the budget segment.