German World War II camouflage patterns explained

German World War II camouflage patterns formed a family of disruptively patterned military camouflage designs for clothing, used and in the main designed during the Second World War. The first pattern, Splittertarnmuster ("splinter camouflage pattern"), was designed in 1931 and was initially intended for Zeltbahn shelter halves. The clothing patterns developed from it combined a pattern of interlocking irregular green, brown, and buff polygons with vertical "rain" streaks. Later patterns, all said to have been designed for the Waffen-SS by Johann Georg Otto Schick, evolved into more leaf-like forms with rounded dots or irregular shapes. Camouflage smocks were designed to be reversible, providing camouflage for two seasons, whether summer and autumn, or summer and winter (snow). Distribution was limited to the Waffen-SS, ostensibly because of a patent, though variants were used by other units, including the Luftwaffe. Production was limited by shortage of materials, especially of high quality waterproof cotton duck.

The Reichswehr (Army of the Weimar Republic) started experimenting with camouflage patterns for Wehrmacht uniforms before World War II and some army units used Splittertarnmuster ("splinter camouflage pattern"), first issued in 1931, and based on Zeltbahn shelter halves/groundsheets. Waffen-SS combat units used various patterns from 1935 onwards. The SS camouflage patterns were designed by Johann Georg Otto Schick, a Munich art professor and then the director of the German camouflage research unit, at the request of an SS Major, Wim Brandt. Brandt was an engineer and the commander of the SS-VT reconnaissance battalion, and he was looking for better camouflage. Schick had researched the effect of light on trees in summer and in autumn. These led to the idea of reversible camouflage clothing, with green summer patterns on one side, brown autumn patterns on the other. In 1937, the patterns were field tested by the SS-VT Deutschland regiment, resulting in an estimate that they would cut casualties by fifteen percent. In 1938, a reversible spring/autumn helmet cover, smock, and sniper's face mask in Schick's forest patterns on waterproof cotton duck were patented for the Waffen-SS. The patent is said to have prevented the Wehrmacht from using the patterns, which became a distinctive emblem of the Waffen-SS during the war. However, patterned uniforms were worn by some other units, including from 1941 the Luftwaffe, which had its own version of Splittertarnmuster, as well as the Kriegsmarine (navy), the Fallschirmjäger (paratroops), and the Waffen-SS. The 1945 Leibermuster was planned to be issued to both the SS and the Wehrmacht, but it appeared too late to be widely distributed.

Production of groundsheets, helmet covers and smocks by the Warei, Forster and Joring companies began in November 1938. They were initially hand-printed, limiting deliveries by January 1939 to only 8,400 groundsheets and 6,800 helmet covers and a small number of smocks. By June 1940, machine printing had taken over, and 33,000 smocks were made for the Waffen-SS. Supplies of high quality cotton duck, however, remained critically short throughout the war, and essentially ran out in January 1943. It was replaced by non-waterproof cotton drill cloth.

Patterns

The German names used for the plane tree, palm and oak leaf patterns are not those that were used in the German armed forces, but were invented by postwar collectors of militaria.

Patterns designed by Schick! German name !! English name !! Date !! Image !! Notes
Splittertarnmuster
(Buntfarbenmuster)
Splinter pattern
("Colourful pattern")
1931 Being the first German camouflage pattern,
it was initially used in Zeltbahn groundsheets for the Wehrmacht branches. The pattern is also known as Splinter A.
Luftwaffen-
Splittertarnmuster
Luftwaffe
splinter pattern
1941 German Air Force variant of Splittertarnmuster; also known as Splinter B.
Platanenmuster Plane tree pattern 1937–1944 Used by the Waffen-SS. Spring and autumn variations,
first dotted camouflage pattern
Rauchtarnmuster Blurred Edge pattern 1942–1945 Used by the Waffen-SS. Photo shows the outer (left) and inner (right) patterns. There were two variants, Autumn/Winter (top) and Spring/Summer (bottom).
Palmenmuster Palm tree pattern 1941–? Spring and autumn variations,
used by Waffen-SS
Beringtes
Eichenlaubmuster
Oak leaf pattern B 1942–1945
Eichenlaubmuster Oak leaf A 1942–1945 Spring and autumn variations,
reversible Waffen-SS smocks
Also for Zeltbahn tent sheets
Sumpftarnmuster Swamp pattern 1943 Blurred and more saturated form of Splittertarnmuster, with splinter color dominance switching to green;
Smocks reversible to snow camouflage
Erbsenmuster Pea dot pattern 1944–1945 Used by the Waffen-SS. Based on Eichenlaubmuster
Leibermuster (named after the
Leiber brothers)
1945 Bold irregular pattern.
Designed to absorb infra-red. Designed to replace all previous patterns.
Saw only limited usage.
Basis for Swiss Alpenflage.[1]
Inspired postwar US ERDL pattern.

See also

Sources

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hardy Blechman. Disruptive pattern material: an encyclopedia of camouflage. 6 November 2004. Firefly Books. 9781554070114.