Flecktarn (Bundeswehr)

Bundeswehr soldiers in " field suit , camouflage print"

Camouflage print is the camouflage pattern introduced by the Bundeswehr since 1991 and is worn by soldiers in the Army , Air Force and Navy in service and in combat. During development, the camouflage print was referred to as Flecktarn B (large) . The origins of the " Flecktarn " camouflage pattern go back to the 1930s and are based on the Waffen-SS camouflage patterns .

In the Bundeswehr, the term "Flecktarn", based on the motif, also denotes the field suit .

development

The Blank Office , which was responsible for equipping the Bundeswehr in the early days, also experimented with a slightly modified version of the SS body pattern from 1955 . This camouflage pattern was tested again in connection with the planned European Defense Community (EDC) and should be introduced as a common EDC uniform. The six-color printed fabrics and uniforms came from Belgium. After France briefly distanced itself from the EVG project, which was already well advanced, the issue of the body sample to the Bundeswehr, which had already begun, was discontinued at the beginning of 1956. In 1956 a combat suit in a slightly modified splinter camouflage M31 of the Reichswehr or Wehrmacht was introduced to the troops . This existed in three different versions. As early as the early 1960s, the combat suit in splinter camouflage was replaced by a single-colored olive variant in the color RAL 6014 (yellow olive ) borrowed from NATO partners .

From 1976 the interest in a camouflage pattern was awakened again. Therefore, in the second half of 1976, the Bundeswehr carried out a series of troop tests to test the effectiveness of various new camouflage patterns, some of which were developed in cooperation with the French army. Various five-color samples were tested in 1976:

the "sawtooth pattern", which took up sequences from the SS palm pattern,
the "dot camouflage pattern", which represents small, tightly printed groups of dots in three colors, as it was first seen in the pea pattern M44.
Flecktarn A, a new development that was visually reminiscent of the historical SS plane tree pattern.
Flecktarn A (small), a tone-on-tone variant of Flecktarn A, the color contrast of which was very low.
Flecktarn B (large), also a computer-aided new development, which optically also reminded of the plane tree pattern and thus confirmed the historical investigations of the 1930s.

A fifth test sample was a three-color sample tested in 1988:

Flecktarn C ("shadow camouflage"), optically also a variant of the plane tree pattern with spots and outlines in low-contrast gray-green colors.

Flecktarn B (large) of the Bundeswehr; Introduced in 1991

The camouflage pattern (Flecktarn B) selected as a result of the troop trial in 1976 was not used directly by the troops, but initially disappeared back into the drawers for financial and political reasons. It did not reappear until "Trial 88" between 1987 and 1990 as part of the "Combat Suit 90" series of experiments. A flecktarn pattern was also briefly tested between 1986 and 1987, which had somewhat smaller, narrower, but overall lighter colored spots. This pattern can be seen in the uniform collection of the tank museum in Munster. Flecktarn B (large) was finally introduced into the Bundeswehr on February 20, 1991.

The German Flecktarn B (large) was also introduced in the following countries:

Belgium
Austria (only helmets of the police special units procured in Germany )
Netherlands (never introduced here for political reasons, but only briefly assessed)
Belarus (here only with some police and militia units)
China (as plagiarism of soldiers of the People's Liberation Army in occupied Tibet; see article Flecktarn )

variants

On the basis of this camouflage pattern, the Bundeswehr initially developed the three-color pattern (dark green / dark brown / beige) for arid areas with residual vegetation or steppe areas, which was incorrectly referred to as "desert camouflage" for troop trials in Somalia in 1993/94. Currently under development is a real desert camouflage pattern for deserts without vegetation, consisting of gray and pink tones, as well as a "mountain spot camouflage" for rocky and high mountains. Another flecktarn variant that is currently undergoing various tests is a version for gravelly riverside areas. However, this variant is only suitable for covering e.g. B. small boats thought.

The winter camouflage pattern, on the other hand, is not a flecktarn variant, but consists of a few large, frayed, green spots on a white background. This camouflage pattern was originally only introduced for the mountain troops in the early 1960s, but was later adopted for the entire troop because of its good effect. So far, this camouflage pattern is considered one of the most effective in winter regions and is one of the most copied camouflage patterns in the world.

Often used, but incorrect, is the term “camouflage spot”.

Criticism and Outlook

Since its introduction, the Bundeswehr's Flecktarn B (large) has met with great approval in military circles. Until the turn of the millennium, it was the undisputed comparative winner of the NATO partners in terms of camouflage effect in wooded terrain. However, the pattern has now come under fire. The aim is to develop changeable, long-lasting camouflage that can be adapted to the terrain and the light situation and which almost completely suppresses heat radiation.

In addition to new camouflage variants , the Defense Science Institute is currently developing completely new camouflage patterns for the sea, rocky surroundings and for built-up areas. The extent to which such very specific patterns will actually be introduced depends on the financial framework of the Bundeswehr. Cross-sectional equipment is unlikely to be such a model anyway.

In February 2016, the Bundeswehr announced that the Defense Science Institute for Materials and Operating Materials in Erding had developed two new camouflage patterns. A multi-tone print for regions with a low to moderate amount of green and a new snow camouflage print.

Web links

Camopedia - Wiki with Bundeswehr and Federal Border Guard camouflage patterns
TL 8305-0290: 5-color camouflage print of the Bundeswehr (PDF; 242 kB)
TL 8305-0297: 3-color camouflage print of the Bundeswehr (PDF; 263 kB)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Heinrich Müller, Rolf Wirtgen (ed.): Armored times. 2000 years of body protection for soldiers from ancient muscle armor to bulletproof vest. Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement, 1995, ISBN 3-927038-60-1 , p. 235.

↑ In on -board duty, the on -board and combat suit is worn, not flecktarn .

^ Martin Pegler: Out of Nowhere . Osprey Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1-84176-854-5 , pp. 202 (English). Tim Newark, Quentin Newark, JF Borsarello: Brassey's Book of Camouflage . Brassey's, 2003, ISBN 1-85753-336-4 , pp.
1943 (English). Josef Henke: Personal Staff Reichsführer-SS . German Federal Archives, 1997, ISBN 3-89192-062-8 , p.
648 (Otto Schick employed as a consultant for camouflage issues with the Waffen SS).
↑ Pictorial representation of the "Felswand" pattern by L. Sendrowski, DPMA design no. 402017000878-0001, 2017 [1]
↑ In any weather, at any time: New camouflage for the troops at bundeswehr.de, accessed on February 11, 2016
↑ Pictorial representation of the Mulitarn pattern by A. Dietel, G. Hübner, U. Kraemer, DPMA design no. 402015000170-0001, 2015 , [2]
↑ Pictorial representation of the snow camo pattern, A. Dietel, G. Hübner, DPMA design no .: 402014001621-0001, 2014 [3]

[Müller_1995_235-1] Heinrich Müller, Rolf Wirtgen (ed.): Armored times. 2000 years of body protection for soldiers from ancient muscle armor to bulletproof vest. Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement, 1995, ISBN 3-927038-60-1 , p. 235.