SS CAMO UNIFORM

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, however, 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 Johan 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 (air force). Production was limited by shortage of materials, especially of high quality waterproof cotton duck.^[1] 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,^[b] 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.^[c] 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 (air force), which had its own version of Splittertarnmuster,^[3] as well as the Kriegsmarine (navy), the Fallschirmjäger (paratroops), and the Waffen-SS.^[4][5][6] The 1945 Leibermuster was planned to be issued to both the SS and the Wehrmacht, but it appeared too late to be distributed widely.^[3]

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.^[7][8]

Patterns[edit]

The German names used for the plane tree, palm and oak leaf patterns are not those used in the German armed forces, but were invented by postwar collectors of militaria.^[4]

Patterns designed by Schick^[1]

German name	English name	Date	Image	Notes
Splittertarnmuster (Buntfarbenmuster)	Splinter pattern ("Colourful pattern")	1931		The first German camouflage pattern, initially used for Zeltbahn groundsheets
Luftwaffen- Splittertarnmuster	Luftwaffe splinter pattern	1941		German air force variant Splittertarnmuster[3]
Platanenmuster	Plane tree pattern	1937–1942		Spring and autumn variations, first dotted camouflage pattern[1]
Rauchtarnmuster	Smoke pattern	1939–1944		Summer and autumn variations[1]
Palmenmuster	Palm tree pattern	1941-?		Spring and autumn variations, used by Waffen-SS[1][4]
Beringtes Eichenlaubmuster	Oak leaf pattern B	1942–1945		[1][4]
Eichenlaubmuster	Oak leaf A	1943–1945		Spring and autumn variations, reversible Waffen-SS smocks Also for Zeltbahn tent sheets[1][4]
Sumpftarnmuster	Swamp pattern	1943		Blurred and more saturated form of Splittertarnmuster; Summer/winter variations; Smocks reversible to snow camouflage[1][4]
Erbsenmuster	Pea dot pattern	1944–1945		Based on Eichenlaubmuster[1][4]
Leibermuster	(named after the Leiber brothers)	1945		Bold irregular pattern. Designed to absorb infra-red. Saw only limited usage.[1][4] Inspired postwar US ERDL pattern[9]

Oak leaf A

 

        

   

 

SS Totenkopf divison

Franz Witt (commander of th Hitlerjugend Division (center) with J Peiper (right) and Max Wünsche (left)

Max Wünsche and SS-Obersturmführer J von Ribbentrop (on the side-car)

ITALIAN CAMOUFLAGE (source: Der Erste Zug)

While the various German camouflage patterns have been extensively studied and documented for both the Wehrmacht and the SS, information about wartime italian camouflage if very much overlooked and virtually non-existent.

The widespread use of Italian Camouflage cloth by soldiers of the German Reich coincided with the 1943 disarmament of the Italian forces. Both 1.SS Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte  Adolf Hitler" and 12.SS Panzer-Division "Htilerjugend", participated in the process. It is perhaps no surprise that members of these two divisions were the most conspicuous users of Italian camouflage material.

Following the capitulation and disarmament of most of the italian armed forces in 1943, stocks of italian material were used by German to meet the increased demand for equipment in the face of the slowly deteriorating wartime economy. The german armed forces not only issued already existing stocks of italian shelter halves and ponchos, they used the italian camouflage material to make a wide variety of uniforms and field gear items. Many uniforms items were tailor made of theater made including tunics, smocks, trousers, coveralls and caps, but the material was also used  to make some standard issue items such M31 zeltbahns and fur lined anoraks/parkas (typically made out of mouse  grey material). An important thing to note is that items made using italian camo materials were used by all branches of the german armed forces serving in the italian theater operations.

The only pattern of italian camouflage used during WWII was called the M29 camo pattern or 1929 Telo Mimetico. The pattern was first introduced in 1929 and was used through the early 1190's, thus making it the longest-used military camouflage pattern in the world.
Original wartime 1929 pattern material is made of cotton duck and is about the same eight and thickness as its German counterpart. Unlike most German camouflage, italian material is only printed on one side making it non-reversible with the back side of the material having a distinct brown (not red) color. The colors used to print the camouflage side of the material were a light greenish yellow, medium green and brown. It is important to note the wide varieties of colors found in original, wartime italian camouflage material.

Max Wüensche (blesed) wearing and Italian came.