German Uniforms and Equipment

Pioneer/Engineer Assault Pack (Pioniersturmgepäck)

The engineer assault pack was introduced in March 1941 and consisted of 2 pieces,
the side pouches and the back pack.

The assult pack was for engineer units with "special tasks"and were issued to one fifth of the personnel of a pioneer battalion

The side pouches were to be worn on the belt in place of the normal ammo pouches.

The back pack was to be worn in place of the infantry assault pack (known to collectors as A-frame)

Below the front and back side of the side pouches

Normally the side pouches are connected to each other with the help of a webbing strap
but also loose pouches are encountered.

The dimensions of the pouches are aprox 23 x 25 x 7 cm

They are secured to the belt with webbing straps and strangely enough there are no D-rings attached to the pouches
to secure them to the Y-belt. Why this was done is unknown.

According to the HM (Heeres Mitteilung) 41 No, 329 the pouches were for egg grenades etc.
On pictures stick grenades can often be seen sticking out of the side pouches.
It just happens to be a fact that the side pouch can easily contain a 3Kg explosive (Geballte Ladung) and the
left pouch can contain two 1Kg explosives (Sprengbüchse 24)
 

Below the right side pouch which had one inner compartment and
an extra pouch (with often a rubber lining) which contained the gasmask.

On the left, the opened flap on the gas mask compartment.

Here, the mask has been removed, and the rubber lining is exposed.

On this picture the top flap is opened. The maker mark is also shown.

 

Detail of maker mark

name can't be read unfortunately
WIEN VII
1941

 

Here the "front"side with the four small pouches
which are used for ammunition clips

The pouches are placed over each other

In total 40 rounds could be carried in the two side pouches
(20 rounds per side pouch)

 

 

Detail shot of an opened ammo pouch

A clip of 8 x 57 ammo can be seen

Below the left pouch is shown

The opened pouch clearly shows the two compartments.

These compartments easily can hold two Sprengbüchse 24.

Also the wire eyes which are riveted to the pouches to secure the webbing straps are shown.

Below:

The back pack (front side and back side)

Thw backpack was fitted with the same D-rings with hook as the A-frame and had the same purpose.
Besides the shelter quarter with accesoires and Mess kit, there were two big compartments.

According to the HM 41, No. 329, the upper compartment was to hold two smoke grenades 39 (Nebelkerzen 39) while
the lower compartment contained a 3Kg explosive charge (3Kg Geballte Ladung)

It is specifically mentioned that in stead of the two smoke grenades, another 3Kg charge or other explosive charges
(100 g. Bohrpatronen, 200 g. Sprengkörper 28 or 1 Kg. Sprengbüchse 24)

Below:

Left side of the back pack

Clearly visible the webbing loop which holds the steel of
the engineer shovel or pick axe

Below:

Right side of the back pack

Here the compartments which hold the 3 Kg charges or
smoke pots are clearly visible

The opened pack is shown here and the Zeltbahn and Mess Kit can be seen below

Detail shot of the typical LUX harware on the closing strap.

And a detail shot of the buckle

 

On the left the maker mark can be seen on the inside of the back pack

 

 

Detail shot of the maker mark

WIRTSCHAFTSAMT
    Litzmannstadt 
     5101  042

Below some illustrations of the engineer explosive charges (Pionier Sprengmittel)
which can be found in the H.Dv. 316 Pionierdienst aller Waffen

 

On the right, the cover page of the H.Dv. 316, a 444 page manual about the
engineering duties performed by each branch in the Army

 

Index of all Pioneer explosive charges

a) Sprengkörper 28
b) Bohrpatrone 28
c) Sprengbüchse 24
d) Geballte Ladung 3 kg

 

200 grams explosive charge

 

100 grams explosive charge

 

1 Kg explosive charge

 

Picture of the 1 Kg Sprengbüchse 24

(Courtesy of www.fieldgear.org)

 

3 Kg explosive charge

 

Picture of the 3 Kg Geballte Ladung

(Courtesy of www.fieldgear.org)

 

Pictures of the Pioniersturmgepäck are not very common

A few of them can be found in the Wiener Illustrierte from September 17, 1941

An interesting point is that a picture of the same soldier as on the frontpage of the Wiener Illustrierte
can be found in Angolia's Vol. 3. This picture however cannot be found in the magazine

Below two detail pictures which show the pioneer assault pack more closely