Minifigure – German Imperial Army Heavy Tank NCO (Unteroffizier) WWI (LEGO Compatible)

this represents a Non-Commissioned Officer serving in a German Tank Detachment (Abteilung).

Visual Description

This is a custom-printed, high-detail minifigure representing a battle-hardened German soldier from the Great War (World War I).

• Headgear: He wears a Schirmmütze (peaked cap). While often associated with officers, NCOs in the German Imperial Army also wore these caps with specific cockades (state and national colors). The black band suggests a specialized branch, such as transport or armored units.

• Uniform: The figure is dressed in the iconic Feldgrau (Field Grey) tunic used by the German Army. The printing details include a Sam Browne belt (shoulder cross-strap), a leather waist belt with a detailed buckle (likely representing the Gott Mit Uns buckle), and ammunition pouches.

• Face: The head features a specialized “battle-damaged” print, showing scars, blood spatters, and a weary expression with facial hair, indicating he has been in the thick of trench warfare or inside a cramped tank.

• Accessories: In the top-left frame, he is holding a Mauser C96 “Broomhandle” pistol, a standard and iconic sidearm for German personnel during WWI. He is also wearing tall black marching boots with mud/weathering details.

Historical Background

During World War I, the German Empire was late to develop tanks compared to the British and French. The German tank units were known as Sturmpanzerwagen-Abteilung (Assault Armoured Wagon Detachments).

• The Machine: These soldiers would have crewed the massive A7V tank, a steel beast that looked like a moving fortress. An A7V crew was huge, typically consisting of at least 18 men.

• The Role: As an Unteroffizier (NCO), this character would likely have been a tank commander, a driver, or a lead gunner. Because tank warfare was brand new, crew members were often drawn from different branches—artillery experts to man the cannons, and mechanics/drivers from the transport corps.

• The Danger: Life inside a WWI tank was brutal. The engines filled the cabin with fumes, the heat was unbearable (often reaching over 120°F/50°C), and the noise was deafening. The “battle damage” on the figure’s face is historically accurate; inside the tank, bullet impacts on the outside would cause “spalling” (metal flakes flying off the inside walls), which frequently injured the crew members’ faces.