Germany - pre-1945

The German Empire and the Weimar Republic

As a member of the Central Powers, the German Empire fought alongside Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Ottoman Empire forces during the First World War. This was the first large-scale conflict to incorporate camouflaging techniques for military purposes, at least to any great degree. Military camouflage was initially developed to disguise artillery emplacements from aerial observation; later, camouflage designs would be applied to aircraft, ships, and even tanks. Several nations, including France, Great Britain, and the United States engaged the expertise of artists to develop camouflage designs for battlefield purposes during the early part of the 20th century. German artist and printmaker Franz Marc, a key figure in the German Expressionist movement, was perhaps the greatest contributor to the development of early German military camouflage, having been employed to create more than a dozen different designs to be printed on huge tarpaulins that would be used for the concealment of artillery emplacements. As with most other countries, the implementation of personal camouflage for German forces came later, but was relatively commonplace during WW1 in the hand-painting of various designs on the new Stahlhelm, introduced in 1916. Other techniques, including the art of sniper camouflage, saw some development by German forces during this conflict as well. In the 1930s, the Germans were also instrumental in continuing work to develop personal camouflage for use by ground troops.

• During the First World War, much of Western Europe was embroiled in a tedious campaign of trench warfare. The average infantry trench was deep enough to allow men to stand up or travel along its length completely unobserved by the enemy and protected from rifle and machine gun fire. Nevertheless, the most exposed part of a soldier under these conditions was usually his head. Introduced in 1916, the German Army M1916 Stahlhelm was a fairly advanced protective design (for the time) covering not only the crown of the head, but the sides and neck as well, with a visor to shade the eyes from the sun as well as protect them from small bits of flying debris. The first German examples of personal camouflage to emerge during the war were hand-painted helmets. Although each helmet was essentially unique as they were personally painted by their owners, the designs themselves were similar and tended to consist of geometric shapes in light colors divided by black or dark colored lines. This painting technique became known as Buntfarbenanstrich 1918 (colorful painting), and in the postwar period it was eventually approved by the Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command) for application to certain motor vehicles, artillery pieces, and even ammunition crates. For nearly twenty years the German Army would continue to apply buntfarbenanstrich camouflage to its equipment.

• The earliest known camouflage pattern developed for mass-production to German military forces was the Buntfarbendruck 31 (multi-colored print), created around 1929 and put into production in 1931. The pattern was later re-named Heeres-Splittermuster 31 (Army splinter pattern) circa 1935. This camouflage design was used on the Zeltbahn 31 - a triangular shelter quarter that would create a suitable four-man tent when buttoned together with three additional pieces. The colouration of the two sides was different but both printed in a splinter pattern. It should be noted that the German design was later copied on the Swiss Zelteinheiten 1901. The pattern would also be utilized on a number of uniform items during WW2 and was the basis of the Luftwaffe-Splittermuster camouflage pattern.

• A three color camouflage design consisting of dark russet and green blobs on a dark ochre background seems emerged for use on German tanks circa 1934. This pattern was also printed onto canvas tents, as well as ammunition boxes and even personal map cases, but is not known to have ever appeared on individual camouflage garments or on zeltbahnen. Some sources refer to this as the Reichswehr pattern. The photographs shared here, taken from Life magazine, illustrate the camouflage tents used alongside Splittermuster 31 zeltbahnen by members of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War.

The German Reich

text and photos by Henrik Clausen and Eric H. Larson

Some years after the First World War, Germany was one of the first countries to introduce mass-produced camouflage, and to apply consistent designs to military vehicles. It was not until the Second World War that camouflage development truly blossomed as a science and an art. Not only was Germany one of the original nations to implement military issued camouflage, it was unequivocably the most prolific developer and user of camouflage designs during WW2. Both the German Wehrmacht (Army) and the Waffen-SS were issued a wide variety of camouflage uniforms during the war, with many of the German designs later having significant influence on the camouflage patterns adopted by other nations. Many would consider the German camoufleurs of the 1940s to be the fathers of 20th century camouflage design, although in fact they must share that credit with developers from certain other nations as well.

Camouflage Patterns of the German Wehrmacht

• In use with the German Army since 1931, the Heeres-Splittermuster 31 (Army splinter pattern) was already well distributed within the armed forces at the beginning of WW2, and would continue so until Germany capitulated in May 1945. The Army splinter pattern was the only camouflage design to see near universal distribution during the war, as each German military combatant (even Naval Artillery and some Police formations) was issued one for his personal use. Although the zeltbahn retained a double sided printing throughout the war, in 1941 there was a brief attempt at creating a brown-dominant side for use in autumn or less verdant conditions; that idea was never pursued to any great degree, and extant samples of these experimental shelters are rare. Nevertheless, over the course of the war the coloration of individual zeltbahnen would vary depending on the time and the factory that produced it, owing to changes in availability of raw materials as well as other factors. In addition to the zeltbahn, beginning in spring of 1942 the German Army began to produce and issue a pullover smock and matching helmet cover to some personnel (both reversible to white for snow conditions). Also released in April 1942 was the Wintertarnanzug (winter camouflage outfit) consisting of padded jacket and trousers, insulated hood, and mittens. Additional items produced in HS-31 were all non-regulation and either field-made or tailor made for the end user. Some unofficial literature refers to the Army version as "splinter pattern A."

• The Luftwaffe-Splittermuster 41 was a scaled down version of the Heeres-Splittermuster 31 printed for use by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) from 1941 until 1944. The reduction of the pattern was believed to enhance its camouflaging ability. LW splinter pattern camouflage was used on a number of uniforms, most notably the knochensack (Bone sack) jump suit of the Air Force paratroopers (of which there were two types), and a special jacket worn by the Luftwaffe Field Division. It was also found on helmet covers, ammunition bandoliers, paratrooper knee pads, and on grenade bags. The pattern is also referred to in some unofficial references as "splinter camouflage B."

• The Fallschirmjägertruppen (parachute troops) of German Armed Forces utilized a unique camouflage design on the RZ20 silk parachute, consisting of large mid-green/olive green and brown blotches on a khaki/ochre background. Print samples varied, as the colors tended to blend together creating new shades, with some samples also appearing nearly solid color from a distance. Swatches of this fabric were often employed as scarves by both German and allied troops during the war.

• Incorporating similar geometric shapes as the earlier Heeres-Splittermuster 31 camouflage pattern, the Wehrmacht Sumpftarnmuster 43 or "Marsh Pattern" was first issued in 1943. The splinter design was changed by adding a dithered border around the edges of the geometric shapes giving the pattern a "puffy" or "blurred" look, and by reversing the color ratio (i.e. larger patches in green and smaller patches in russet brown). Over the course of the war, several variations were produced, which appears to be strictly related to manufacturing conditions or capabilities of the individual factories, rather than by purposeful design. This said, some versions can appear to be more green, while others can appear more tan or khaki in appearance. The sumpfmuster pattern was used to produce helmet covers, various types of smock, winter combat suits (Wintertarnanzug), and even a chemical protective suit (Gasschutzanzug)

• A second version of the Marsh pattern, Wehrmacht Sumpfmuster 44, was issued from 1944 until the end of the war. The design was altered by removing the sharp edges of the shapes thus removing the overall "geometric" sense. Instead, patches are bordered in blurred areas created by small dots that fade into the background. Production of this camouflage design appears to have been limited to parachutist jump smocks and Luftwaffe Field Division jackets, thus leading some collectors to refer to this design as Luftwaffe-Sumpfmuster.

• Leibermuster was the final camouflage pattern developed by the Germans during WW2, and was believed to deter infared technology of the period . It was issued to both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS soldiers, but it seems that it was mostly issued to Wehrmacht personnel serving in Czechoslovakia in the very end of the war. The pattern is different from the Czechoslovak Leibermuster pattern, incorporating dark green, light green, red, black and khaki/ochre. The photo shows a reproduction. This pattern was later considered for adoption by both postwar Germany and Belgium with a moderate number of uniforms being produced, but never universally adopted.

Camouflage Patterns of the Waffen-SS

The Waffen SS had its own research and development section within the SS Wirtsschafts Verwaltungsamt (Economic Administration Office) in Berlin, known as Department "T" (for tarnung - the German word for camouflage). This section was responsible for the development and field testing of camouflage designs. The department was initially led by Julius Lennekogel who patented several early camouflage patterns prior to the outbreak of war, but when Lennekogel died unexpectedly he was replaced by Professor Johann Georg Otto Schick, the man who is frequently credited with designing the majority of the patterns fielded by the SS (along with his assistant, artist Adolf Schmid). Despite extant samples of numerous experimental and variant patterns that have been brought to light over the years, there is no possibility of ever knowing for certain how many different camouflage designs may have been created and tested throughout the war, as much of the research and documentation was destroyed or lost during its final stages.

• The SS-VT block camouflage (blocktarn) pattern was issued to the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) between 1936 and 1938, and was used exclusively for camouflage helmet covers and camouflage smocks. The letters "VT" refers to Verfügungstruppe which is usually translated as "dispositional troops" but in fact were military personnel with extreme loyalty to the Nazi party and its leaders, as opposed to the regular Army.

• The Waffen-SS Plane Tree (Platanenmuster) was produced between 1936 and 1944, designed by professor Otto Schick. There are several variations of this pattern, with early designs having larger patterned areas and fewer spots as well as more open expanses. Later versions featured smaller and more heavily spotted overall appearance. Of particular note is the fact that there were two distinctive classes of platanenmuster produced. The physically numbered designs (1-2, 3-4, 5-6) were used solely for creating the zeltbahnen, and had an almost unheard of repeat to the pattern of approximately 85 inches! Each series in turn featured a slightly different set of drawings that would match up perfectly when shelters were buttoned together. The unnumbered or plain designs were used for smocks and helmet covers. The pattern was always printed in reversible design with one coloration for summer and the opposite side for autumn. The term "plane tree" refers to the Platanaceae species, better known as the sycamore in North America.

• A variation of the platanenmuster (plane tree) camouflage design was produced with a much smaller repeat (approximately 30 inches), and generally nicknamed the "Lateral" variant due to the lateral appearance of the print when viewed horizontally. This design has a more spotted appearance and is likely to have developed out of the blocktarn design. The earliest production date seems to have been 1937, running until 1940. Using three colors for each side, like other plane tree versions it was produced as reversible fabric for spring (dark green, leaf green, light brown) or autumn/fall (dark brown, brownish-green, and light brown). It has been suggested that this pattern was intended for the production of camouflage smocks, due to the specific size of the repeat, although it was also used for helmet covers.

• The Waffen-SS Palm Tree pattern (Palmenmuster) was used primarily for smocks and helmet covers, produced between 1940 and 1942. It saw widespread use by troops during the invasion of Soviet Union.

• Produced between 1940 and 1943, the "Polyspot" variation of platanenmuster (plane tree) was used for smocks, helmet covers, caps, and some zeltbahnen, although surviving samples are known to be few. There are no numeric designations associated with this particular print of "plane tree" camouflage.

• The Waffen-SS Blurred Edge (Rauchtarnmuster) or "smoke camouflage pattern" was produced between 1941 and 1944, used for both garments and zeltbahns. The pattern was printed as a three-colour "Oak Leaf" print with a black two-tone shadow in both a Spring (green/tan/light brown) and Summer (dark brown/medium brown/tan) versions.

• Presumably entering production in late 1941 or 1942, another variation of the platanenmuster (plane tree) design is seen here in both Spring and Fall colors. This version has a large repeat (the same as the numbered versions used for zeltbahnen) but without any numerals or cutting lines. Some collectors have remarked on the similarity to the screens used for the 5-6 version of the zelt plane tree pattern. Extant samples reveal this design was used to produce not only zeltbahnen but smocks and helmet covers as well.

• Waffen-SS Oak Leaf pattern (Eichenlaubmuster). There are two types of this pattern - A and B (also called "ringed" and regular). Used for garments and zeltbahns from 1941-1945. The photos show the type B:

• By 1943, a new printing technique was adopted to streamline production of the platanenmuster designs, producing a kind of "overprint" variant of the plane tree camouflage patterns.

• The Waffen-SS Erbsenmuster or "pea pattern" was the first non-reversible wartime Waffen-SS pattern, introduced in 1944. The design incorporated five colors (dark green, mid-green, olive green, dark brown, and light brown), and was intended to be used in all seasons. Produced on a wide variety of fabric types, many color variations have been documented, but there is no evidence of different shades or hues being the result of anything other than production standards. This pattern saw use briefly after the Second World War by some armed forces such as the Hungarian Army until original German stocks were depleted.

Experimental Camouflage Patterns of the German Reich

• Possibly considered for issue to Afrikakorps personnel , a tan/brown-dominant version of the splittertarnmuster design was produced in very limited numbers as one side of a reversible zeltbahn. The shapes of the design remain the same, but the grass green sections were changed to an ochre yellow shade and the rain straits are now dark brown.

Resources

Several books have been written on the subject of German WW2 camouflage. Daniel Peterson has written two - one dealing with Wehrmacht and one with Waffen-SS camouflage - both also containing information on postwar uniforms. Werner Palinckx has written a book with Dr. J.F. Borsarello on German Wehrmacht uniforms. Michael Beaver wrote with Dr. J.F. Borsarello a book on Waffen-SS uniforms

Notes

• Each German Wehrmacht soldier was issued with a Zeltbahn 31. This is an example of a Wehrmacht soldier based on the west coast of Denmark who has made his own uniform by sewing a zeltbahn like a M44 jacket and adding pieces of clothing from the zeltbahn to an old pair of trousers.