"Bundeswehr Camo Uniforms - Circa 1960?" Topic

I know from reading a number of postings that the general concensus is the Bundeswehr troops generally wore a solid colored, grey-green uniform (supposedly), before the ultra-modern Flecktarn camo became popular.

However, a couple of black and white photos, from circa 1960, seem to call that into question:

Here's the link to the webpage, if the images don't work, or you want to see them in a larger format (first one is under the Cold War category, and shows a West German M47 tank; and the second shows a Spz Kurz with a couple of troops):

link

So, did some units of the Bundeswehr actually have camo uniforms?

Almost looks like US Woodland camo, but the guys in the two shots are equipped with MG3s, and one has a G3 rifle.

Perhaps the dates are incorrect, for the photo captions, though I think they stopped using the M47 rather early, when switching over to the M48, and eventually the Leopards.

Also, anyone know what kind of large bazooka that is, underneath the tree?

It is huge!

Thoughts?

In 95 when the ARRC moved to Rhinedahlen from Bielefeld the Bundeswher Warrant Officer in G2 turned up in his new multi-coloured uniform. A British SNCO (Who is on TMP!)mentioned that the uniform was very similar to that worn in Normandy in 1944 to which he replied, producing his new helmet, "that is nothing have you seen our new helmet"!

Oh cannot remember seeing any Bundeswehr in anything other than plain green in the 80s,

Tally Ho!

The pattern in the pictures looks more "angular" than Woodland or ERDL, so definitely not that.

It could be this: link

Rob

Looks like a 3.5" bazooka.

Not sure on the camo, though, there are German kit items on both… when did they stop using "jack" boots?

Chalfant

I had a couple of books by Daniel Peterson, Waffen-SS Camouflage Uniforms: & Post-War Derivatives and Wehrmacht Camouflage Uniforms and Post-war Derivatives. They both had examples of post war German army camo.
They are both on Amazon and you can look at some pages

I did´t know which camo that is and started some research. When talking to another enthusiast, he gave me the following link to a training film for recon groups, about the same time as above.

They seem to be wearing the same uniform pattern:
YouTube link

Minute 10:40 for example.

A little research on german websites turned up the following: early bundeswehr introduced a variation of wehrmacht Splittertarn, which was dropped in the 1960s in favor of the NATO olive green-grey uniform. The pictures above and the video probably show the early Bundeswehr uniform camo (Bundeswehr Splittertarn) scheme:

link

According to this site, it was in use from 1955 to 1959:
link

Hope that helps, probably too early for anyone on the board to recognize it ;)

Greetings from Germany!
BG

The Bundeswehr did not use any camo uniforms during that time.

The Bundesgrenzschutz (the Federal Police) used a pattern that looked almost like the old Splintercamo which I guess these are. Now the Grenzschutz had some fairly heavy weapons like the MG3, but no Bazookas and the tanks are definitely Bundeswehr.

I guess it mint either be, that it is either federal policemen and Bundeswehr tanks on both photos (I think is unlikely) or it might be some unit that got them due to a shortage or as a test / for a special occasion.

Cheers,

Burkhard

Burkhard, after some more research I must contest your claim that regular Bundeswehr did not use this uniform. While it was never issued to all units due to the short production time (4 years), it was definitely in use with the regular Bundeswehr (Army units). It was issued primarily to infantry and paratrooper units, but definitely used among regular Bundeswehr troops.

The camouflage was inspired by Wehrmacht samples and the BGS-camo. A small selection of sources, again:

link

link

link

As the sources state it was issued but then largely withdrawn by 1960, certainly in the 80s I never saw anything other than Olive Green uniforms,

Tally Ho!

Thanks for all the info, and links.

I really appreciate it.

This why I love TMP.

I have been thinking about German equipped mercenaries for my Congo ImagiNation project and this has given me a few ideas.

Cheers Dan.

Yea, me as well.

I'm certainly going to have to paint up at least a few West German figures in early 1960s, and/or late 1950s camo., just for grins.

As a side note, the West German public who watched that newsreel (Black Guardian's YouTube link) must've gotten quite a shiver. The intro is VERY reminiscent of Nazi propaganda newsreels that they were watching just 15 years previously

My research also suggests early BW Heer troops wearing camo. In the Motorbuch title Flugabwehrpanzer der Bundeswehr 1956 – Heute, there are a few pages showing early BW Heer troops wearing camo clothing (principally pg. 5 all on M16 MGMC half-tracks, p. 10-18 on Flakpanzer M42s). Also it is my impression that they used WWII era helmets briefly before getting the M1 style helmet. Also they used FN-Fals and not G3s (these came later).

If you do a google image search, you can come up with a few photos:

(I believe this is a re-enactor)

link

link

BTW if you simply do a Google Image search with "Budeswehr 1950's" you can get a few hits.

Damon.

As above, early BW wore WW2 style splinter, and ever so briefly had G1s aka FALs.

Much more fun than those boring green uniforms! I have an original BW splinter jacket, amongst all my other cold war uniform tat I have accumulated over the years.

Interesting.

Thanks for sharing the additional photos and links.

I know the Bundesgrenschutz also had camo similar to the WWII German scheme, e.g. "tan water scheme", or something like that, IIRC.

I think this camo uniform was worn by them in the 1970s, and 1980s.

It is a greenish beige base, with patches of red brown and olive green, and with olive green "needles", or "rain streaks" over the beige. Very similar in color to the guy just above the b&w pics, in the last posting.

I think they used the same camo uniforms in the WWII movie, "Where Eagles Dare".