Today, there are already a few of those people who remember how the German military were dressed during the Second World War, but almost everyone watched documentary chronicles or feature films about the war, filmed in the Soviet Union or in our time. Therefore, the classic image of a Wehrmacht soldier is a man in a gray uniform, in whose hands an MP-40 assault rifle. But the most interesting thing is that almost always their sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. And it was this detail that significantly distinguished them from our fighters. What was the reason for wearing such military clothing?
It should be noted right away that we are not talking about any traditions in this case. It was all about the form. The fabric from which it was sewn contained a large proportion of wool. Viscose, of course, was also added, but its percentage was too low. It was mainly sewn in prison camps. Outwardly, the uniform looked great, and its quality was high, which is very important. Only if the weather was very warm, then it was hot in these clothes.
Probably not worth explaining that natural wool is a prickly material. There can be no talk of any comfort when you put on a woolen thing on your body. Those who have walked at least once in a wool sweater, put on a naked body, need not be told about the sensations experienced at that moment. But prickly is not the only cause of discomfort.
There is also incorrect heat transfer. Therefore, it was really too hot in the woolen military uniform, in contrast to the cotton products. Over time, the German uniform began to be sewn from cotton, but wearing it like this has already become a habit. The most interesting thing is that the officers did not interfere with the soldiers. Most likely, there were no clear instructions in the charter on this score.
For the Red Army soldiers, the uniform was sewn from cotton fabric, so it was much lighter and more practical, and it was not so hot in it even at high summer temperatures. There was one more reason, which was the cut of the tunic. The sleeves in them were a little narrowed, so it was at least not very convenient to roll them up.
Want to know more? Read, what the dress uniform of the military of different countries looks like.