Through the ages officers have tended to exercise more individuality in dress, largely because they could. Whether deserved or not, German officers have a reputation of being more smartly dressed than virtually any other nation, yet they too would sometimes succumb to little vanities and extravagances, or simply adopt a more practical dress according to the circumstances. This is the first World War II command set to come under our spotlight, though such sets for earlier times are becoming increasingly popular.
All German officers had a uniform, even if they were designed purely for themselves, like those of Hermann Goring. The figures in this set reflect a good range of these, with most coming from the Army (the senior service in Germany), one from the Air Force and none from the Navy. In general there are plenty of photographs of Germany's senior commanders in uniform, so it is not difficult to deliver accuracy, and these figures seem entirely accurate. Most are standing and apparently doing little, but that is again entirely appropriate, and they can be imagined in a meeting discussing plans.
Odemars do not identify any of the figures, but if we were to guess on identities then we would suggest the following names, reading along each row left to right:
First Row
- Generalmajor Heinz Guderain, tank commander
- Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Runstedt
- Generaloberst Eduard Dietl, mountain troops
- Oberstleutnant Adolf Galland, Air Force
- Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, Afrikakorps
Second Row
- Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List, uniformed for Mediterranean theatre
- Generaloberst Walter Model
- General der Infanterie Erich von Manstein
- Generaloberst Ewald von Kleist, dressed for the Russian front
- Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schorner
Third Row
- SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser, SS tank commander
- Generalleutnant Eugen Meindl, paratroop commander
- SS-Obergruppenfuhrer 'Sepp' Dietrich, SS tank commander
- Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici
The standard of sculpting is not bad, but rather rough at the edges. In one or two places a detail such as a cap peak has gone a little astray, but there is very little flash and the detail is pretty good and quite clear. This is an interesting set which covers its subject pretty well, at least as far as the Army is concerned. The one obvious omission is the Supreme Commander of the German Armed Forces, Adolf Hitler, though he has been done elsewhere in various uniforms.