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Post by volkssturm on Mar 1, 2015 20:06:25 GMT -5
Things that puzzle me. Why did the Germans and Russia continue to use jack boots for so long? The US had switched to lace up ankle boots by at least the Civil War, except for cavalry. The French were using a lace up boot in the Franco-Prussia War. The Brits switched over somewhere around the 1880's I think (by the 2d Boer War their infantry used a lace up boot). The only advantages I can see to the jackboot are they're, maybe, quick to get on and off and if waterproofed you can step in a foot or so of water. And they sure look neat when well polished. On the other hand, it seems to me (I've never gone hiking in them) that getting a proper fit to make them comfortable for a long marc would be kind of problematical, compared to a decent lace up boot. And they take more material to produce, and in a long war supplies of leather could become a problem. Yet, both the Germans and Russians seemed to have a preference for tem. In WWI the German soldiers had a somewhat pejorative nickname for their Austrian allies, "Comrade Shoelaces," because the Austrian infantry wore a lace up boot.
Similarly, Germany and much of Central Europe persisted in using leather for belts and pouches through WWII. The US and Britain began changing over to cotton webbing in the 1870's-80's. Leather persisted into the 20th century, but in smaller quantities. By WWI both the Commonwealth and US troops equipment was largely made of fabric rather than leather, while Germans wore leather gear. Leather is a wonderfully durable material, at least in temperate climates and as long as it's properly cared for. It doesn't do so well in arid climates, where it tends to dry out. It's possible that American experience in the Southwest and British experience in desert areas may have made cotton webbing/fabric the more practical material.
Obviously I have too much time on my hands. The discussion is open. Thoughts?
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Post by tango on Mar 1, 2015 23:57:43 GMT -5
In 1941 or so the Soviets developed a material called kirza (a type of rubberized fabric) that was used as a substitute for leather on the shaft of the boots. Not all boots were made this way, but plenty were. Here's more info on kirza and Russian/Soviet boot history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirzawww.sovietboots.com/content/11-history
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Mar 2, 2015 0:49:05 GMT -5
Well you also got to wonder why countries were still using puttees(leg wraps) by ww2 as well. Some countries that come to mind are Japan, China, Italy and Russia(who switched from boots to puttees for some dumb reason)
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Post by volkssturm on Mar 2, 2015 13:34:21 GMT -5
I think the Russians used puttees because they had a shortage of jackboots and were getting US service shoes by the million through Lend-Lease. From what I've read, boots of any sort were in short supply on the Eastern Front, such that Russian soldiers, and sometimes Germans, would crawl out onto the battlefield at night to get boots from dead bodies.
The whole concept of puttees perplexes me. Whose bright idea was that and why did they think it was good? I did read that Chinese soldiers at the battle of Shanghai took off their leggings and used them for bandages, which must have been wonderful as far as causing infections. The US leggings are better, but whoever designed the lace up system either never had to use them or had some serious issues (OCD maybe?).
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on Mar 2, 2015 14:39:53 GMT -5
My father initially was issued wrap type putees, later got leggings (which he considered a Godsend compared to putees). He wasn't a field soldier so he never got double buckle boots but obviously they were a big step further toward ease of use. For all who have put on or taken off leggings they are a pain in the rear. I can't even imagine what puttees would have been like.
As for leather, my father grew up a cowboy and was raised on a working ranch. In europe he was blown away by the quality of leather work created by the Germans. Germans ( perhaps Europeans) really loved leather. Perhaps this contributed to the high use of Jack Boots.
Incidently He was also struck by the ever present slaughter of horses. Dead horses were everywhere.
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Post by insterburger on Mar 2, 2015 16:14:23 GMT -5
The whole concept of puttees perplexes me. Whose bright idea was that and why did they think it was good? I don't think there's too much mystery there-- they have at least some benefit in terms of keeping mud and dirt out of boots, and are cheap, cheap, cheap. I would assume in most cases it came down to a simple cost/benefit equation. Not the most effective or elegant solution, but given the ease of production they give good bang for the buck.
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Mar 2, 2015 20:49:56 GMT -5
Puttees are pretty annoying. If you don't do it right they will fall off as your running. If you don't do it right it will look terrible and an officer might reprimand you (not sure if that happened but who knows). At pur last ww2 game I was re rapping my puttees and my friend jokingly said "no wonder you (the Japanese) lost the war"
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Post by tango on Mar 3, 2015 15:57:27 GMT -5
Only about one million US service shoes were sent through lend lease, while about 15 million boots made to a Soviet supplied pattern were sent. Here are some nice pictures of a pair. www.collect-militaria.com/index/listings/page1635.htmAlso low boots did not completely replace sapogi (jackboots), they were used concurrently, plenty of pictures show a mix of both.
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