Cam nets and sandbags

[Stigroadie]

Were combat units issued camo nets and sandbags?
Nets especially I can only find in photos of fixed, concrete positions.
You dont see German vehicles draped in nets the way a Brit tank might be.
Sandbags too seem rare in German dug positions.
Both are common in re-enacting, the sight of a few guys in a sandbag and netted hole is at every show. I cant see the same in period pics.
Am I missing something.

[Peiper]

Were combat units issued camo nets and sandbags?
Nets especially I can only find in photos of fixed, concrete positions.
You dont see German vehicles draped in nets the way a Brit tank might be.
Sandbags too seem rare in German dug positions.
Both are common in re-enacting, the sight of a few guys in a sandbag and netted hole is at every show. I cant see the same in period pics.
Am I missing something.

I thought this Stig as i have sandbags and netting myself but haven't used them so far due to the authencity
of them being used originally ??

Maybe they may have been used in captured dug outs or positions, just a thought

[Steiner]

Yes, German emplacements in woodland, for example, tend to be built from trees - very rarely a sandbag in sight.

[Pug42]

Pics I have seen of vehicles using cam nets are often of a large, heavyweight gauge - which suggests the type used for concealing field workshop and repair positions, or buildings (airfields for example). It isn't a common sight in wartime pics, which does tend to suggest they were scrounged or borrowed rather than being an issue item?

Same applies to any trench positions or dugouts - quite rare but not unknown. I've seen pics of dugouts roofed over with what are actually 'lost' schurzen plates off armoured vehicles, then covered with soil and foliage. Neat!

[paulmfjr2]

I have a translation of a German manual regarding dug positions and it does include the use of sandbags and netting, covers loads of stuff including the covering of supply trenches with netting and sandbags in bunker type situations. Saying this wood is the predominent building material. Again this is in theory, as Stig has said in reality anything close to hand would have been used. I will try post some pics.