When did Sumpftarn appear at the front?

[jurggie]

Can someone tell me when Sumpftarn jackets first appeared at the front? I've been looking for an answer on the internet but I couldn't find anything.

Were these around in autumn '43?

[jurggie]

Don't tell me that not a single person on this board knows the answer?

[anmarlodz]

Simply write sumpftarn in searching engine here on WAF and you will find your answer.

[jurggie]

Off course I've tried that. Various topics of people who are looking for a parka, checking of their's is real, etc. But that's not what I'm looking for.

[Paul Walmsley]

i

[Paul Walmsley]

Im assuming you mean the summer hooded type? (not the winter padded type.)
Not sure that's known - I would say some time in 1943. (Given that sumpftarn 43 is assumed to be designed in 1943)
I would say fall 1943 is a good guess- given inevitable delay between design and production and distribution. There is a hoodless smock with 1943 dates shown in Palinckx book with the early style ("pattern 43") sumpf.

What is also interesting is when Splittertarn (hoodless summer) smocks were first issued - I think they are of first seen in any number in photos from summer 1943, at Kursk. (Grossdeutschland Pz Grenadiers in particular- where they may have been field-testers of the new equipment)
(a French "Histoire" book puts it as early as fall 1941.)

Werner Palinckx book doesn't give a date for the splitter smocks.

Winter Padded reversible Jackets: Palinckx dates splitter winter camo as late 1942- early 1943. The sumpf winter smocks were later and- as they were made initially in sumpf 43- were probably available at the front- in small numbers in late 43/early 44

[jurggie]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your extensive answer! I mean Sumpftarn in general and more specifically the parka (as I own a non-reversible, hooded, padded one).

But apparently it's not very clear when these appeared exactly, as you cited different authors with different dates.