Items on this page are NOT for sale.
This page features photos and information about original WWII German winter uniforms. Most of this information I have learned from examining original uniforms, both ones I own as well as those of other collectors, and searching through period photographs. I consider these the most accurate means of determining what was and was not worn during the war. However, one must realize, that not every variation or modification was photographed, much less survived the conflict. This information is for public consumption and you may link and copy photos without restriction. Likewise, if there are errors or you have some more info, feel free to send it over. Greatcoats will be addressed on another page at some point in the future.
German Winter Uniforms
The German armed forces entered the War with a winter uniform little different from that which was used in the First World War. It consisted of long underwear, a sweater, scarf, knit gloves and a wool overcoat. This was adequate for most of western Europe, but was found to be severely lacking on the eastern front. The winter of 1941-42 saw thousands of unnecessary casualties due to a lack of proper winter cold weather clothing and equipment. An improved winter uniform was desperately needed and a crash program was initiated to fill the need.
By the second winter, a new uniform had been introduced. This new winter uniform was a layered system consisting of a parka, trousers, mittens, head cover and liner.
The liner varied in material and pattern. Many collectors and reenactors don't realize that there was this "under uniform". The liner consisted of a jacket and trousers, normally made with a thin pile material with a cotton or satin shell. The jacket had no collar and was closed by ties or buttons. Some were made from sheepskin or wool.
The outer garments were designed to be reversible- originally these were gray or field gray on one side and white on the other. By 1943, the gray was superceded by several camouflage patterns. This precluded the need for two uniforms. In theory, once it snowed, the soldier simply reversed his uniform to match the terrain and continued on. However, in practice this proved troublesome as the white side rapidly got dirty and it was nearly impossible to clean it when outdoors in freezing temperatures. Some soldiers even resorted to painting over their soiled uniforms in order to restore their camouflage properties. By 1944, non-reversible uniforms appeared- camouflage or gray on one side with the inside lined with the gray satin seen in many tunics. For snow camouflage, overwhites made from thin cotton sheeting were issued. It proved simpler to change these than to wash the quilted uniforms in cold weather.
Aside from different outer colors, this design of the uniform remained the same for the entire War. There was however, a wide variety of materials, camouflage patterns, lining materials, buttons and components used. The outer fabrics were usually a thin cotton/ rayon poplin. (A few gray or field gray parkas use a unique woolen twill.) Sandwiched between the two fabrics was a medium weight wool fabric- the thickness and content varies. What water repellency it has is due to the tight weave of the cloth (much like zeltbahns) rather than any sort of coating. Most examples use some shade of gray wool, but I have seen a few parkas where it is apparent that recycled or donated civilian blankets of various sorts were used.
Numerous camouflage patterns were used on the colored side. For the Heer and Luftwaffe troops, Splinter A, Tan & Water as well as their variants (all except Splinter B) were manufactured. SS uniforms used Oak Leaf A & B, Blurred Edge and 44 Dot (although the latter saw very limited use). Original parkas and trousers come in three sizes- I, II or III. Heer Parkas are usually marked under the storm flap with a roman numeral for size and manufacturer name or RB number. SS parkas simply have an arabic 1, 2 or 3 at the collar on the white side.
Wear & Issue
I believe a few of the winter uniforms can be found in photos from early 1942, but wide-spread issue did not take place until the winter of 1942-43. 6th Army troops at Stalingrad were well-equipped with the uniforms. It appears that combat troops were given precedence for winter uniforms. Although greatcoats are seen in all units through the end of the War, a higher percentage of the front line troops are usually equipped with the reversible uniforms. In principle, all troops were issued with greatcoats when they entered the military. The winter uniform was intended to be issued to units on an as-needed basis. Many veterans have stated that they were issued in the Fall and had to be turned in in the Spring. The greatcoat was actually part of the soldier's personal kit. According to various sources, troops with winter uniforms left their greatcoats with the baggage trains.
Fashion Victims
Many troops wore mis-matched sets. It is easy to find photos of men wearing a camouflage jacket with gray pants and vice-versa. It's more difficult to differentiate Splinter from Tan & Water in a black & white photo- especially when the uniforms are filthy. SS troops can clearly be distinguished wearing not only gray/camo mixtures, but also Oak/Blurred Edge combinations, as well as Splinter and Tan and water uniforms. When it's freezing out you accept what comes off the supply truck and be grateful that you have warm clothes. Warmth is of primary importance- not "correctness".
Materials & Lining
Some gray and field gray winter uniforms are made from a wool/rayon twill fabric. The other styles all use a thin rayon/cotton poplin for both the colored and white sides. The lining is usually a coarse, low quality blanket wool of varying thickness. These different weights of lining are a result of mass production and improvisation- they do not represent an intentional selection of insulation for different temperatures as one recent reference book claims. (The author is mistaking the "1, 2, and 3" size markings for insulation weight.) Most linings are a shade of gray, but recycled civilian blankets have also been seen. Sometimes very non-military prints (like nice floral patterns) are visible through the white fabric. In addition to blankets, wool & fur coats donated by German civilians in winter help drives, the concentration camp system confiscated (and sorted) thousands of tons of similar property from those being "resettled". Many civilian contractors, not just SS run textile operations, utilized these materials. I have heard of some unifroms using fur for the lining, but I have never seen one. Someone may have confused one of the many varieties of liners (some of which are fur or animal skin), confused a parka with an SS anorak, or it may indeed have happened. All are within the realm of possibility.
 Typical parka lining. Thank a rat for providing the "viewing port" |
Markings
Typically, parkas are stamped under the storm flap, on the white or colored side, with "Gr" or "Große" ("Size" in German) followed by 1, 2 or 3 in roman or arabic numerals. Trousers are similarly marked somewhere along the waist. RB numbers or company names also appear. Occasionally, the full sizing specs are present, as in a tunic. SS uniforms are marked on the white size with an arabic 1, 2 or 3- at the neck in parkas and at top rear of the waist on trousers. I have never, ever seen "SS BW" or any other markings in them. Toques are usually marked with the metric head size and an RB number. Mittens sometimes a maker or RB number or nothing at all.
Mouse Gray Uniforms
At this point, I do not have any photos of original "mouse gray" parkas. Although common in period photos, original examples are not as easily found as the camouflaged models. Perhaps, being earlier production, fewer survived or they were simply less attractive to souvenir hunters. I have examined several over the years and they are identical in cut and pattern to the camouflage models. Both reversible and non-reversible models exist.
There is a wide variety of colors that are encompassed in "mouse gray" winter uniforms. Many are field gray, while others are panzer (dark) gray and others much lighter. A few have a bluish tint which are often pimped out as "Luftwaffe". The colored fabric is usually the same cotton/rayon poplin of the camouflage uniforms, but a notable percentage are made from a wool/cotton/rayon twill.
Gray winter uniforms appear to have been issued to all branches of the German military- Heer, Waffen SS and Luftwaffe. Assumedly Kreigsmarine troops would also have had them.
Splinter Winter Uniforms
Made in the same design as the mouse gray variety, the splinter uniforms exhibit many minor variations in buttons, lining, and fittings. Many shades of splinter camouflage were used, which was a consequence of imperfect printing methods and numerous subcontractors. Like all winter uniforms, it's not uncommon to see panels of different shades on the same garment. Most splinter uniforms use pebbled buttons, while the later, non-reversible models often use gray "urea" or glass buttons. Waistband, cuff tape and drawcord materials vary a bit. Trouser suspenders are either all white or white with camouflage ends.
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 Rear detail |
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 Rear details |
 Mittens illustrated a few of the different shades of splinter |
Splinter 44 Uniforms
I am making up a new name- the current reference books have named this pattern "Tan & Water with Splinter Colors" or "Splinter with Fluffy Edges". The former is too long and awkward while the latter is just plain gay. Since every garment I have seen in this pattern (about 10) is dated 1944, I think "Splinter 44" is much more workable and a bit less metrosexual. All I have seen in this pattern are winter uniforms and smocks. Knowing the Germans, it's quite possbile that other items existed, but that's here nor there. In black & white photos, it's difficult enough to distinguish Tan & Water from Splinter patterns, and this one is impossible.
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Tan & Water Winter Uniforms
Sometimes referred to as "Marsh" or "Marsh 43 & Marsh 44" pattern. The details are similar to the splinter uniforms. Later production trousers often use wooden toggles in lieu of buttons for attaching the suspenders. Non-reversible models also exist. I have seen a few that were "LBA" (Luftwaffe Bekleidungs Amt) marked, but there they were otherwise indistinguishable from other Tan & Water uniforms.
 Wide color variations. Mittens exist both with and without trigger fingers |
 Typical Tan & Water parka. '44 dated. |
 Markings for near-sighted soldiers. |
 Note the wooden toggles replacing the buttons. |
Waist details |
Waffen SS
Although the SS was issued some gray reversible uniforms in the Winter of 1942-43, the fur lined anorak appears to have been far more prevalent. Until the end of the War, many SS troops are seen wearing these in lieu of the reversible uniforms. The reversible SS camouflage uniform appeared in late 1943 or early 1944, but they are the minority in photos. It was not until the final winter of the War that they become commonly seen.
SS reversible winter uniforms exist in the following patterns: Fall colors, Oak A, Oak B, and Blurred edge. Spring colors: Oak A. Most SS camouflage parkas differ from the other patterns in 3 ways- they have scalloped pocket flaps, elbow reinforcements and a dart in the hood. Most also have pressed-paper buttons on the white side, instead of the pebbled shank type. Whether the SS contracted their own mouse-gray uniforms and if these exhibited the same details I am unsure. However, many of the camouflage parkas in Spring (green) colors are cut like "army" parkas- this and comments made by a few SS veterans indicate that the green oak uniforms may have been early (1943) production.
Non-reversible SS uniforms have not been seen.
 Oak A SS Parka. Note the multi-colored sleeve. |
 Rear. Although difficult to see, the hood is also a different shade than the body. |
 Waistband & cuff details. The straps are sometimes made from camo material. |
 Typical markings. Just a "2". |
 White side. Note the fabric is so thin as to show the lining. |
 The shaded appearance is the poor quality of the fabric- not dirt. This parka is unworn. Note the paper buttons. |
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 The drawback of reversible uniforms. Once soiled, this isn't easy to clean- especially in a trench at Cherkassy... |
 Oak A trousers. Once again, multi-shaded. The German apparently weren't worried about "matching." |
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 Oak A "toque". |
 Mittens- Oak B on the left and Oak A on the right. |
Other references on this subject. These are the best books I have seen to date:
Camouflage Uniforms of the German Wehrmacht by Werner Palinckx
Camouflage Uniforms of the Waffen-SS by Micheal Beaver