Body samples
The body pattern is the only German camouflage pattern whose name is known. ( Swamp pattern and splinter camouflage are post-war names that were introduced by collectors for easier differentiation). The name Leibermuster was already used in 1945 in the so-called Richardson Report , in which all German camouflage patterns were examined.
Naming
In charge of the development was Professor Johann Georg Schick, who developed camouflage uniforms for the Waffen SS from 1937 onwards. The name “Leibermuster”, however, goes back to the printing technology engineer Hellmut Leiber from Freiburg (Breisgau), who acquired two patents for color mixtures and production methods with the company “Schlieper & Baum AG” from Wuppertal.
Reason and purpose
The Hellmut Leiber and Schlieper & Baum companies received a patent on May 5, 1942 for a process for the production of camouflage patterns on webs of fabric and similar flat materials . The patent for this process was granted again on March 11, 1954 for the area of the Federal Republic of Germany, whereby it was made clear that the actual inventor had requested not to be named. The patent reflects the manufacturer's considerations:
- ... All previous attempts at camouflage of this kind were based on the principle of using colors for the individual spots or figures that occur in the terrain. However, it has now been observed that the colored spots of such camouflage patterns, even viewed from a comparatively short distance, blur into one another, so that the characteristic shape of the object to be camouflaged, for example a tent, remains clearly recognizable despite the spots. This is especially true for observations from the air and is due to the fact that in the vicinity of the object to be camouflaged not only the surface coloring of things is effective, but also their illumination to a much greater extent. This manifests itself on the one hand in more or less strong light reflection towards the viewer, on the other hand in differently strong shading of other places. ...
The patent therefore recommends that
- ... the usual colors and patterns adapted to the terrain are replaced or supplemented by those which, according to the experience of painting technique, simulate three-dimensional appearances on flat structures. This results in the need to replace or to supplement these colors adapted to the terrain essentially those with a heightened contrast effect, with pronounced light and shadow tones primarily being considered. ...
It is therefore proposed to use black as the strongest contrasting shadow color, whereby the proportion of this color that is not too finely applied should make up between 10 and 40 percent of the total area. As the second strongest color on the sample, we recommend using the painting technique white, although bronze colors or glossy lacquers can also be used to increase the contrast effect. All other colors are conceivable, regardless of whether they appear on their own in the area or not. In extreme cases, the patent recommends using the pure tones of three-color printing, cyan, magenta and yellow, in addition to black and white.
The second patent applied for by Hellmut Leiber and Schlieper & Baum originally dates from March 12, 1944. Here, too, the actual inventor did not want to be named. For the area of the Federal Republic of Germany, this patent for the production of colored patterns on fabrics and other materials was granted again on October 15, 1953. The inventors dealt with the way in which camouflage patterns should be printed in the best case. The regularity that has previously occurred when printing camouflage fabrics at certain intervals is criticized. The patent therefore includes various printing processes that ensure increased irregularity of patterns during the manufacturing process.
When the German image converter devices (infrared vision devices) were ready for introduction, it was decided that IR defense should also be considered. Since Germany was a leader in the field of IR technology, it was known that the opposing nations would follow. The USSR and the USA were already working on such night vision devices themselves. It is not known whether Germany was aware of the level of development of the enemy powers.
Under Schick of the patent was one of 5 May 1942 based Tarnbedruckung developed that both the visual camouflage by Mehrfarbtarndruck the infrared camouflage offered as a means of a color solution that would irritate the IR devices of the enemy. This irritation consisted of the fact that the target could not be clearly recognized in the vision device, as these specific camouflage prints impaired a clear view of the target.
The color mixture of the camouflage pattern officially called Bunticolor Printing 45 consisted of dark green, light green, red, yellow-brown and black. This black color was made up of a high proportion of carbon , which is why IR devices could not pick up the carrier as a clear target. The outlines of the body could thus be broken up and merged better with the background.
The colors were manufactured by BASF , Hoechst and Bayer .
Use in World War II
Body pattern uniforms are the rarest camouflage patterns these days, as these did not go into production until the spring of 1945. All pictures showing soldiers in these uniforms were taken in the former Czechoslovakia in May 1945. Since a large clothing industry was located there, it can be assumed that these uniforms were mainly made in the room. It was not until 2010 that a large number of pictures emerged from the room, showing soldiers with body pattern uniforms.
Leibermuster was not a camouflage for the Waffen-SS , rather it was intended to replace all previous camouflage uniforms of the Wehrmacht (army, air force, navy) and the Waffen-SS. The known original photos so far show army soldiers in body pattern clothing, not members of the Waffen SS.
Currently only field blouses and field pants made of light drill material and in the simplified cut of field uniform 44 are known. The basic material is a natural white drill that is printed by roller printing. Since the different colors were not printed on top of each other, the camouflage spots were shifted so often, which then resulted in a thin white border between the color gradients. The print pattern was repeated every 80 cm, i.e. the circumference of a pressure roller. The camouflage course of the black stripes was mostly horizontal, but there are also parts of the uniform whose basic material was processed vertically.
A reversible parka (white / colored print) is in a US collection, but its originality has been questioned. Field hats, four-pocket skirts, helmet covers and armored suits did not exist, but these parts are offered by Asian reproduction manufacturers.
In the case of legible manufacturer codes (Reich company numbers ), the code RBNr is usually found. 0/0135/5043 .
Post-war uses and developments
Germany and Belgium
With the failure of the European Defense Community (EVG) in 1954, the Federal Republic of Germany had to take care of its own equipment and uniforms for the army to be deployed. It was planned that a uniform uniform, badge and equipment would be introduced for all participating countries. So far, German manufacturers have proposed a canteen and a camouflage suit in the Leiber pattern, of which the canteen was introduced into the Bundeswehr in 1956 (manufacturer Paul Schulze, Lübbecke, and known among collectors as model 56). The Leibermuster suit was manufactured in Belgium by the companies RAKA and K.-H. manufactured in 1955 and also shown in a press conference at the presentation of German army uniforms in June 1955. However, a camouflage uniform in the modified splinter pattern 31 was introduced. The name of the German body pattern suit was to be "Gefechtsanzug 52", the year in which development began.
In the pattern should be made: pants, button-on hood, jacket, tent sheet, tent sheet bag, tent accessory bag.
The Belgian Army ordered 20,000 suits and decided to introduce them, but withdrew the order after the failure of the EVG efforts. Belgium introduced a camouflage suit with a modified British pattern in 1956.
In 1956, the Bundeswehr introduced a tent sheet that showed the black carbon stains on a pattern similar to the splinter camouflage of the camouflage suit used. The camouflage pattern called amoeba camouflage by collectors was only introduced on the tent sheet, tent sheet bag and tent accessory bag.
Switzerland
In 1956, Switzerland introduced a combat suit that consisted of trousers, a jacket with a face veil and a backpack made from a modification of the body pattern. The camouflage pattern was called Combat Suit 53, but the suit was introduced as Combat Suit 56. The rucksack was also made of camouflage material and should be hooked into the jacket without straps, similar to the Bundeswehr concept from 1955, after the soldier had to fight "out of his pockets" and not be burdened with belt carrying equipment. The camouflage pattern was later uniformly referred to as Taz83.
The Swiss camouflage pattern consisted of a stronger red component, in which the other camouflage colors partially overlapped. Here, too, a black carbon color was used to ensure that the outlines of the soldier merge in ultraviolet light.
In some cases, the Swiss version also has the imaginary name “Alpenflage” (from Alps and camouflage ). The camouflage pattern was replaced in the 1990s by the new camouflage pattern, without red, Taz90.
Czechoslovakia
After the Second World War , the newly founded Czechoslovak People's Army used the body pattern for a few years, with the uniforms presumably coming from old stocks made for the Wehrmacht. From 1947 onwards, Czechoslovakia produced its own version of the body pattern, in which the basic color contained more green and the colors were overprinted so that no color shifts occurred. The black carbon stains have been adopted. It was not until the 1960s that the Czech body pattern was replaced by a new camouflage uniform.
literature
- Andrew Steven, Peter Amodio: Waffen-SS uniforms in color. (Europa Militaria Volume 6). Dissberger, Düsseldorf 1990, ISBN 3-924753-32-6 .
- Lothar Schuster: The equipment required for members of the Bundeswehr 1956-2010. Zeughausverlag, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-938447-47-5 .
- Werner Palinckx: Camouflage Uniforms of the Wehrmacht. Schiffer Publications, Atglen 2002, ISBN 0-7643-1623-0 .
- Francis S. Richardson: Camouflaged fabrics both plain and orinted for military use by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. July 20, 1945, reprinted London 1995.