Leibermuster

Towards the very end of the Second World War a German engineer named Helmut Leiber developed a unique camouflage design intended to replace all previously issued patterns in the SS, Army and Luftwaffe. Produced in Augsburg, the uniforms were only issued to a limited number of German troops beginning in February 1945. The design, consisting of large, amoebic shapes in green and russet on a slightly pink-tinged khaki background, features carbon-laced black overprint shapes designed to foil early infared technology.

• A reproduction of the war-time pattern

• The pattern was revived by several countries after the war during discussions about creating a possible European Defense Union. In July 1955, both Belgium and Germany placed significant orders for uniforms in a modified leibermuster camouflage design, but as the European Defense Union idea crumbled so did the idea of a unified camouflage design. In the end, only trial uniforms for either country have survived.

• Czechoslovakia has been using a reversible suit that has also been called Leibermuster - but as is evident the pattern is quite different from the German. The pattern might however have been influenced by German Leibermuster uniforms captured in Czechoslovakia, as there have been numerous photos showing German troops wearing this pattern in that area in May 1945.