Waffen-SS Generic-Camouflaged Uniforms, Smocks, & Over-Jackets:

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Various Camouflage SS-Patterns of the Smocks’:

Early on the “Palm Pattern” is a magnificent looking pattern, generally seen in its green ‘Spring Pattern colors worked well enough, it was a very unique “Multi Plant” pattern, sometimes the brown side out for the muddy thaw conditions of the East. Then various blotch patterns started showing up in greens and browns and followed in the reversible option, and what I call the Oak patterns also in green and a brown side could be used. the last two patterns are another blotchy pattern, but I’m not clear on their actual issue, late patterns I would assume, and the last, is rare and/ or experimental, in a blurred edge pattern. The picture order may differ from the actual factual order, but they are all reproductions anyway.

SS-Model 1944, HBT / 4 Pocket ‘Over Jacket’:

The Waffen-SS had made use of Camouflage for their uniforms prior to the war. And as the war progressed it went from use in shelter 1/4s and helmet covers, to smocks to wear over their uniforms, being incorporated with the Waffen-SS units. The SS was constantly experimenting with different colors and patterns. Always searching for a more utilitarian and economical uniform, and this was really the final wartime productions issued to the troops in any quantity.

From the beginning of the war, there was an obvious need for a light, warm-weather uniform, the gap filled with the bone-white fatigue training uniforms, made of light with linen and cotton, but not really suited for battle use, they soon started getting dyed a pine-green (they called Reed Green) and became a common item, the soldiers started dyeing them in the field, and carried little if any insignia. Then they started coming from the manufacturers pre-dyed already and went threw various cuts from the work fatigues to 4 pocket M-43 style battle uniform jacket and trousers.

At this time, simultaneously the military and Waffen-SS were searching for an all-season camouflage pattern. They came up with the famous Oak patterns, and blotches in greens grays, and browns.

This particular print became known as the pea-pattern, officially the 44-dot pattern. In reality, this is basically a snapshot of a European forest, at ground level, out to 2 meters, blurring shades of leaf patterns over other greens and browns and pinkish hues of the forest floor.

The pattern proved to be popular and worked well with the troops, and was deemed appropriate for all-weather, save winter, and so the pattern went into production and was made into jackets and trousers, for the most part, then winter-over uniforms and reversible insulated uniforms, and even SS-Fallschirmjagers smocks. Caps came later from scraps, and tailor-made from local unit-tailors, cutting up use ripped up camouflaged uniforms. But this style uniform was made-big- as an over uniform to wear over the regular uniform, but often they were, worn by themself, and they looked baggy and that’s actually true they were.

Issued to many of the new recruits of the 12th SS Division “Hitlerjugend” they found themselves being teased by the local civilians for wearing “Carnival Costumes” as they looked like patchwork clothing worn by a courts jester! The uniforms had been issued with loops for the shoulder boards, and a SS Sleeve Eagle on them, while other platoons had the 1 piece ‘Jump-Suit’ in the Italian camouflage patterns, and some ‘Spring’ Green-side out-smocks. The 4-pocket overjacket’s, often had the soldiers insignia added to them, taken right off the field gray uniforms. And soon the Allied invasion of France came- and pictures of these uniforms with the 12-ss in use were seen everywhere, and applied to the sinister-Waffen SS image for both sides.