Did Heer use camouflage smocks?

[Mojarn Piett]

Hello.

I did do a search on the subject on this forum but would like tho have a confirmation about whether I got it right.

This thread: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=51950&highlight=camouflage seems to imply that at least Grossdeutschland used them in some numbers.

Then there are two other threads:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=37901&highlight=camouflage

and

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=37787&highlight=camouflage

from which I could draw a conclusion that Heer began to issue camouflage smocks in late war. Is this correct? Also, does anybody have any info about how widespread they were?

I am a wargamer who recently purchased some late war Germans with assault rifles & camo smocks and I just want to know whether I could call them Heer kampfgruppe XX or do they have to be SS kampfgruppe XX.

[HistorianSr]

The German Army used camouflage smocks. One type was was the splinter (splitter in German) pattern. The SS used a separate pattern. Many individual patterns lack "official" names. Camouflage helmet covers were also used by both.



HSr

[Tanseel]

The Heer did indeed use camoflage smocks.
I think splinter pattern smock was used mostly by the Luftwaffe (Paratroops) but helmet covers were used throughout the Wehrmacht.
Another camouflage smock issued to Wehrmacht units were the "Marsh" pattern smocks. Marsh patten is similar to splinter pattern but the edges of the "splinters" are indistinct. These smocks normally had hoods and were reversible (snow white on other side).
I think if you are painting wargame figures (1/72?) you can use the marsh pattern. If your figures' camouflage smocks do not have hoods thats ok cos many soldiers tucked the hoods inside the smock.
You can also refer to Daniel Peterson's "Wehrmacht camouflage uniforms and post war derivatives".
Pls see the illustration (I think by Volstad) of "Marsh" smocks and splinter smocks made from zeltbahn.

Cheers.

[Mojarn Piett]

Thanks for replies!

[maschinengewehr42]

Here is a real one:

http://www.germanmilitaria.com/Heer/photos/H84055.html

[IchBinLSSAHSoldaten]

It was rare to see Wehrmacht soldiers in camo unless it was a parka or a zeltbahn. Also Tanseel, I would not base my research on box art of Dragon models. I have found most of those boxes to be extremely innacurrate.

[hughdotoh]

It was rare to see Wehrmacht soldiers in camo unless it was a parka or a zeltbahn. Also Tanseel, I would not base my research on box art of Dragon models. I have found most of those boxes to be extremely innacurrate.

Generally idealized projections of what the uniforms should have been for the period. Otherwise, though, they're OK for starters.

[koechlyruestow]

Did the wehrmacht use camouflage smocks without hoods? The only pictures I have seen of wehrmacht camouflage smocks show hoods (so you have to be carefull not to mistake them for the reversible winter parka) and Tanseel suggests that was the usual type, but I saw some web-sites claiming to have original battered wehrmacht smocks, sumpftarn splitter, none of them with hoods. You will probably have seen them too. They could be fraudulent of course, but they look real enough. Perhaps rear echelon improvisations from Zeltbahn material?