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Photo:
Second Pattern Waffen-SS Cloth Helmet Cover.
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Camouflage
in World War II |
| A variety of methods were
used to camouflage German helmets during World War II. This
included bailing wire, chicken wire, paint, mud, cloth covers, and
various straps or netting used to attach foliage. Cloth covers
of various styles and camouflage prints were
manufactured exclusively for the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. These
cloth covers differed from one another in cut and style and were
intended to fit the basic shape of the helmet for which they were
intended. The nature of camouflage depended on both terrain and
seasonal factors. The use of cloth covers and netting was highly
dependent on supply and whether or not a unit was even equipped with
such items.
While the application of camouflage paint
was not as wide-spread as some might believe, sufficient numbers of
men had access to paint if they served with units that had spray
painting equipment, paint, and a need for camouflage. Men with the
best access to camouflage paint served in units that had armor,
motorized vehicles, artillery, or anti-tank weapons. To the extent
that men serving with Fallschirmjäger units had access to paint, it
was quite common to camouflage helmets on all fronts where they were
deployed.
Due to an
ever-increasing shortage of materials, little emphasis was placed on
camouflaging helmets late in the war. The fact that front line troops
were engaged in fierce and continuous fighting resulted in fewer
helmets being camouflaged even when units had access to paint. However
Allied units fighting German forces in France following the Normandy
invasion often encountered helmets that had been sufficiently
camouflaged with paint. Camouflage helmets were widely used
among Luftwaffe units serving in a variety of ground combat and field
support roles. This was certainly true of men serving in
Fallschirmjäger units on all fronts. |
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Overview
Each section of German-Helmets.com
is divided into separate Information Tracks that outline important
details, facts, and historical notes pertaining to steel helmets used by
the German Armed Forces during World War II.
Information Tracks are organized
by subject matter and their content is directly related to the service arm
or organization to which each topic is related. Topic areas that
bridge one subject matter to another are cross linked within each Information Track.
This Information Track provides historical
facts pertaining to camouflage techniques used by the Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht
1933-1945. Individual links related to this subject are
outlined below.
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