The Sumpftarnmuster or Marsh Camouflage [1] was one of a family of German World War II camouflage patterns, derived from the earlier 1931 Reichswehr design, Splittertarnmuster or more commonly referred to as Splinter Camouflage. The pattern was first issued to Wehrmacht units in 1943 in the form of smocks, helmet covers, and winter overpants. [2] [3] The pattern resembles a saturated version of the Splinter Camouflage with the color dominance switching from beige, to green to better blend into forest environments. [4] [5] [6]
Sumpftarnmuster was developed from the earlier splinter camouflage. The smocks and overpants reversed to white, [2] [3] for the abundance of snowy areas in the Soviet Union during the winter.
The two piece uniform was meant to be worn over the common issue wool or Drillich uniforms. The pattern was intended to be effective throughout the year.