The S84/98 T3 Tropical Frog

As an alternative to leather and initially for use in the tropical climate of the Mediterranean, the Germans produced a new pattern of frog made of heavy cotton webbing. These frogs are found in primary colors of olive drab, reed green, a yellow ocher, tan, and indigo blue. However, some are found to have up to three colors of webbing used in their construction...one each for the frog body, pouch, and retention strap. Frogs with off-shades of tan or gray webbing are also found. In addition, the webbing is usually of two types. Frogs #1A, #1B & similar examples have the most common, more coarse type webbing. Frog #1C and the three "Multi, off-color" variants exhibit a finer, tighter weave. This is likely due to different mills which supplied the material to specific manufacturers.

There are also some variants of the M42 web & leather frog with the frog body being composed of yellowish or gray webbing, but those are another pattern altogether. A somewhat larger pattern may exist for the S98/05. This might be the result of a slightly larger than average frog having been stretched out from use with this bayonet. However, a larger web variant does exist for the Luftwaffe survival knife/machete.

The color of stitching is usually white, but black was also used. In addition, various colors of thread were utilized for reinforcement around the pouch frog stud hole, around the stud hole in one retention strap and ends of both retention straps as well. Typically there will be a small piece of leather (or later webbing), stitched to the underside of the retention strap where the stud is located...thus protecting the bayonet grip from the peened metal base of the stud. The majority of frogs encountered tend not to have any manufacturer's ink markings applied to the obverse side. Wear and exposure often obliterate such markings or render them illegible.

Frogs from top to bottom, left to right are:
1st row:
1A. Olive Drab. Obverse clearly marked in purple ink OFFERMAN|BENSBURG|1942.
1B. Reed green/no markings.
1C. Yellow Oche. Obverse in large black ink markings "892".
1D. Indigo Blue for issue to Luftwaffe.
1E. Multi, off-color pattern with yellowish frog body & variant tan pouch.

2nd row:
2A. Reed green dual-tone with tan pouch & retention strap.
2B. Tan dual-tone with reed-green retention strap.
2C. Multi, off-color pattern.
2D. "Sandy" pattern with bright yellow body, tan pouch, & bronze retention strap. Illegible contract number in green ink on obverse. I was told most of these came out of a storage facility in France sometime in the late 1970s/early 1980s, in un-issued condition.
2E. This last one is similar to the combination of webbing used in the "Sandy" variant. However, construction is different and black stitching was used.

3rd row:
3A. Unusual, uncommon variation. Constructed of very heavy webbing. Frog is actually two layers of webbing sewn together and bent over to form frog body. The initial stitching is black, with the final assembly stitch being white. Pouch & retention straps are also reinforced.
3B. A third multi, off-color variant slightly different from the other two.

Fantastic collection of web-frogs! Thanks for showing!

Web lesson

I feel like I have been to school. That is a reference work in itself.

Thanx so much for posting.

Nice! I've got one of the indigo Luft ones with the bayo my grandpa brought back. I'll dig it out and see if I can grab some decent pics to share.

Being color vision challenged, I likely cant see the subtle variations to the fullest, but non the less very cool collection. I like the later ones with the black thread.

Thanks all for your comments. More frog threads/photos coming soon. I think additional themes might be "limited production ersatz variations", "unusual manufacturer and issue markings", and "modified foreign frogs for use with the S84/98 T3 and similar bayonets"...

great post. i like how we have knowledgeable people and get informative posts on this forum about subjects across the board. A lot of knowledge here, kind of a 1 stop shop

My deepest respect for this. Thank you

Addendum to Tropical Frog Thread

Got into the frog box today and snapped photos of many of them. I had forgotten about the two pictured here, as both were relatively recent acquisitions. The first is similar to #3A in the original posting. It is constructed of two layers of coarse webbing folded over to form the frog body, but still not as robust as #3A. The white cotton stitch is quite crude and the leather pouch appears to be scrap or salvaged from something else. There is (seen on the photo) a partial oval black ink marking on the front of the frog body at the left side of the waist.

The second frog is a bit more mysterious. It may not be German...or possibly Turkish. An example which looks similar is pictured in a line drawing by Anthony Carter (AC# 328). This frog does use four steel rivets for reinforcement like those made by the Germans. I believe cloth ersatz frogs were made during WW1 by them, but never seen a example. For now will label it as "of undetermined origin", but thought to include it as well.

A new addition is a very unusual, late tropical pattern constructed of both German and British salvaged webbing. Forum member Slash stated:
"This is an original German late war ersatz frog made of web material. There are several variations of these frogs as they were made from scrap material and other repurposed webbing. In many instances captured military material was used as is the case here. This frog was crafted from captured British web gear hence the 1940 date and the "broad arrow" acceptance ink stampings. All of the stitching here is original to the piece. At least some of these frogs (as well as other gear; Y straps, etc) were produced in small shops in the Lodz ghetto. These frogs are not common." Frog courtesy of Herk1994

Web frog

You got me. I am color challenged also.

Good grief, I missed this thread. Excellent. Pic stickied for reference. Thank you pwcosol, really exceptional pieces.

Edit: The "sandy" frog, with the green numbers stamped on the back:

The piece is unused, mostly found in french depot area, which correspong with 2100 location code.

Great frog HB.

Tks Slash. Andy, the “2100” indicates manufacture in France, but lacking the first number for class of goods, and no forward slash separating the RBN number series? The “2100” fits the backstory on these.

The first digit is not so important, should be visible what for product it is, the second number 4digits are harder readable, anyway there is slash between first number and second 4digit number.