Hewitt, Mike. Uniforms and Equipment of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2002

ISBN 0-7643-1680-X
288 pages

Photos; Bibliography

   Of these three books, Hewitt's offers the widest range of coverage: uniforms, undergarments, footwear, headwear, personal field equipment, extreme climate uniforms, work and specialty uniforms, soldier's personal items, and firearms of the Japanese Army. Each one of these topics is covered in a separate chapter ranging from about five to almost sixty pages. Within each chapter, a few paragraphs of text describe each sub-category of clothing For example, in "Undergarments" Hewitt writes about the service shirt, breechclout (aka breechcloth or loincloth), long underwear, socks, and gloves.

Service Shirt
   The standard service shirt was worn under the tunic and tucked into the trousers. The shirt was made of cotton and had a flannel lining. The garment was collar-less and long sleeved. Four small buttons in the front held the shirt closed. There were also two patch pockets with buttonable flaps on the chest. The shirt was light green or off-white in color.
   This uniform item came in three sizes, small, medium and large, and was marked on the wearer's outer lower left side. The shirt was marked with the size, production date and manufacturer's code.

Breechclout
   A very uniquely Japanese garment worn throughout the war was the breechclout or fundoshi. The fundoshi was worn in the same manner and for the same reason that western armies wore under trunks. Underwear, as Westerners know it, had traditionally not been worn by the Japanese. The fundoshi was simply a white cotton rectangular piece of cloth with a tie string attached to one end of it. The soldier wrapped this around his body to form an undergarment.

Long Underwear
   As part of the basic issue soldiers received white cotton long underwear for use in colder weather. These, of course, were worn under the standard trousers. The garment utilized a tie string located at the waistband to help secure it in place around the wearer's waist. There were also two tie strings located at each leg bottom to keep the garment tight around the wearer's ankles.
   Long underwear was marked on the front waist area with the clothing depot code, size (this garment came in only three sizes) and manufacture date stamps.

Socks
   The standard issue military socks were made of off-white colored cotton and were of the straight tube shape design. They were marked with a manufacturer's code and production date stamp on the open end.

Gloves
   White cotton gloves were issued and widely used throughout the Japanese Army. A tapered wrist was knitted into the gloves. The wrist area did not contain elastic.

   Each chapter also contains numerous crisp photos of collector quality specimens of clothing and equipment as well as war-era photos of the garments and gear in action. No reproductions or reenactors were used to model any items. For the prospective collector, Hewitt also provides a page with tips on what to look for and what to avoid.

Palinckx, Werner with J.F. Borsarello. Camouflage Uniforms of the German Wehrmacht. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2002

ISBN 0-7643-1623-0
278 pages

Foreword; photos; Glossary; Bibliography

   Palinckx's book limits coverage strictly to camouflage uniforms, but includes both Army and Luftwaffe. The first chapter looks at German factories where fabrics were cut and stitched, and the second at the markings stamped into garments by the factories. After that introduction, the next chapter investigates thirteen different camouflage patterns, such as "splinter WH," "splinter WH carbon overprint," "marsh 1943," and "Leibermuster." Chapters then delve into different topics: quarter shelters, headgear, Luftwaffe uniforms and equipment, Heer smocks, winter uniforms, and non-regulation clothes. Palinckx provides an introduction to each chapter and, like Hewitt, a paragraph or two about each item.

   During the first winter of the war (1939-1940) the Germans didn't provide for special winter clothing. The bulk of their troops were deployed along the French border in the Siegfried line and had warm shelters. During the second winter, the German army was mainly occupied in warmer regions like the Mediterranean. Only after they invaded Russia in 1941, did they encounter real winter conditions. The soldiers fighting at the eastern front in the winter of 1941-1942 didn't have sufficient winter clothing. They were provided with any means possible, but most soldiers wore their long coats and eventually covered them with white sheets. After the winter of 1941-1942 the OKH saw the need for heavier winter clothing, and testing began in the spring of 1942. In April 1942, Hitler approved the chosen design and the first models were issued in fall of that year in the reversible plain colored/white coloration. At the same time winter parkas with fur lining emerged. By the second winter at the eastern front, these garments were widely spread. Unfortunately, for many soldiers at Stalingrad, not every unit had received these warmer winter uniforms. At the end of 1943, and mainly in 1944, the camouflaged versions started to be issued. The winter uniform was first produced with plain colors: gray, green, blue, tan and all were reversible to white. They were produced in heavy wool, cotton or a silk-like water repellent cloth. Since there were so many varieties of these uniforms, it is impossible to cover them all here - we will only discuss a few of them here.

   Wartime photos of uniforms in the field are interspersed with modern photos of original items as well as reproductions and shots of models wearing "tailor-made" repros. In some cases, the author points out that the uniforms in the photos of re-enactors fail to pass muster. And, unfortunately, the shots of re-enactors are not always clearly labeled to distinguish them from the real thing.

Michaelis, Rolf. Die Waffen-SS: Uniforms and Insignia. Berlin: Michaelis-Verlag, 2002

ISBN 3-930849-28-3
136 pages

Preface; Introduction; photos; tables; Comparative ranks; Abbreviations and sources

   Rolf Michaelis alters the scope a bit, covering Waffen-SS uniforms and insignia. His book, self-published, includes chapters on uniforms, special clothing (such as "protective coat for motorcyclists"), winter clothing, tropical clothing, camouflage clothing, other clothing (such as underpants and socks), and insignia. Written in both German and English, page-for-page this books offers considerably more text and more explanation of the uniforms and insignia and relatively less in the way of photographs (which are the main selling point for both Hewitt and Palinckx). Here's how Michaelis describes the SS "reversible winter camouflage suit":

   On the 1st of October 1943 the SS-WVHA introduced a reversible camouflage suit lined with shoddy with additional gloves and a special hood. This suit was white on one and on the other side printed with different camouflage patterns - for spring and autumn, respectively with polka-dot pattern from 1944 and 1945 also with the Leiber pattern and worn over the field grey uniform.
   The jacket with attached hood had six metal buttons on the one and six white plastic buttons, or six metal buttons which were painted white on the white camouflage side. The buttons were covered with an additional button panel. The waist, the bottom of the jacket and the sleeve cuffs had drawstrings which, pulled tight, provided a protection against the cold.
   The elbows were reinforced with a double layer of cloth. It had two diagonally inserted side-pockets lower down. A separate cap could be worn additionally to the hood, as an extra protection against cold. The upper sleeves usually had pressed carton or plastic buttons where coloured distinguishing ribbons ("friend or foe") could be attached.
   The trousers had two diagonally inserted frontal flap-pockets and could be closed with four buttons under a frontal flap. Two braces were firmly attached crosswise to the back of the trousers and could be fastened to the front with two buttons The knees were also reinforced with a double layer of cloth. The cuffs could be pulled tight with drawstrings.
   The hood had gaps around the ears for better hearing and could be laced closed with a ribbon at the throat. The gloves were mittens with a separate index finger to make it possible to use a gun while wearing them. The gloves often were worn with a connecting string around the neck to prevent losing them. They could be pulled tight around the wrists with a drawstring and were worn on top of the sleeves.

   Although he includes a substantial gallery of color photos of uniforms (some on mannequins), for illustrations Michaelis relies more on wartime photographs and black-and-white sketches. Overall, while the Palinckx and Hewitt books have more visual appeal for folks who just want to know what the uniforms looked like, Michaelis seems to offer more detailed information about the garments and how they were used in the field.

   All of these books are available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from the publishers.
   Thanks to the publishers or providing these review copies.