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This sniper's face mask and helmet cover are patterned in SS-Platanenmuster, while his camouflage smock displays in SS-Eich-Platanenmuster. Both designs feature enigmatic numerals, like the one that is visible on the sleeve. [Image: Daniel Peterson/The Crowood Press Ltd.]

SS-Platanenmuster (autumn–winter)
Greater German Reich

The German Reich's development of disruptive pattern camouflage uniforms, for use by the Waffen-SS, was arguably the most significant advance in uniform design in the 20^th Century. At least eight — and probably more — distinct patterns were eventually developed; and the innovations attempted and lessons learned, then, continue to influence the design of personal camouflage today. Known to collectors as 'plane-tree' or 'sycamore', SS-Platanenmuster ('plane-tree pattern' or 'sycamore pattern') was probably the earliest camouflage pattern to see service with the Waffen-SS; this claim is based on the fact that the pattern can be seen in pre-war photographs.

Like all of the Waffen-SS camouflage patterns that were designed before 1944, Platanenmuster exists in a predominantly brown autumn–winter colour scheme and a predominantly green spring–summer pattern. The autumn–winter variant, shown here, is a four-colour design of black, earth brown and yellow ochre elements on a chocolate brown background. The black overprint used for Platanenmuster and one of its derivative, SS-Eich-Platanenmuster (a hybrid of Platanenmuster and Eichelaubmuster), incorporates clear numerals — '1' through '6' — which have engendered much speculation.

The most popular explanation for these mysterious numbers is that they assisted soldiers in buttoning together Zeltbahnen with matching numbers, to achieve a flawless camouflage effect. Popular or not, this explanation seems highly improbable, since it is unlikely that any soldier would trouble himself to find comrades with correspondingly-numbered shelter-quarters, before making camp.

More plausible is the explanation posited by Daniel Peterson, in his book Waffen SS Camouflage Uniforms & Post-War Derivatives — namely, that the numerals represent specific camouflage printing screens, which were to be applied to a given roll of camouflage cloth. His opinion is supported by the numerous anomalies and imperfections seen in the black overprint, which suggests manual application by means of a silk-screen process.

kamouflage.net is grateful to Steve Grammont, for his invaluable contributions to this article. Please visit his Web site, Steve's Page of Camo.

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