Ok....
1st picture shows:
A - upper left corner ss vt zeltbahn 1939 "3" pattern, fully handscreened (these do only exsist in fully handscreened)
B - lower left corner fully handscreened ("early") platane zeltbahn ca. 1944 "3" pattern
C - upper right corner fully handscreened ( "early") platane zeltbahn ca- 1943-44 in "2" pattern
D -lower right corner is a roller printed zelt in the oak A pattern, ca. 1944 issue
Note that the pattern is nearly the same on A and B although there were 8 years in between (from 1936 when the original 3/4 pattern was developed - 1944 when it was dsicontinued, just as any zelt prints except of oak) both are 3/4 prints and only these numbers remained nearly the same during the war whilst the other patterns were heavily modified, especialy the 5/6 patterns are very different to the original VT 5/6 prints which were very large spotted. The later 5/6 patterns had smaller spots of camo print and was more fine whilst ss vt was "rough" with large printed spots.
The pattern of C is a number "2" pattern that was introduced in ca. 1940, before that date the geometric shapes of the number "2" print were also rather rough. It represents more or less the majority of the platane zelts, this style is what you will "usually" find. Of course in different numbers (1,2,3,4,5 and 6). The zelt that started the thread is of this type, also ca, 1943-44 with a "early "fully handscreened print. The term "early" is irretating and reffers to the printing method, which was the "early" (which means the first used) printing method. "Early" = fully handscreened, it doesn't reffer to any date. The method that followed the "early" method was the "overprint", which means that the backround was printed using a machine and the overprint platane was applied by hand. The method following the "overprint" was the fully machine printed method...blurred edge, palm, oak A and oak B....also "dot" and "leiber" were such prints...although there is no period dot zelt, neither is there a piece of cotton duck cloth that was printed in dot. Zelts, smocks (except of some in HBT), covers, caps and combinations were made of cotton duck.
However, "early" fully handscreened and "overprint" patterns were in production up to 1944, after that all patterns were completely machine printed (roller printed) patterns and the patterns that resulted out of the early production methods were no longer made.
As a side note it might be of interest that the army and luftwaffe used roller type prints from the beginning on, including the well known "splinter pattern" on wehrmacht zeltbahnen which were also used by the ss in larger amounts well into 1940, ss troops can be seen during the campaign in poland being equiped with splinter pattern zelts.
D is a common oak zeltbahn, in this case here a oak A pattern. The oak pattern was a machine print and was in the first palce developed as a backround pattern for platane and blurred edge prints. In these backround prints the pattern consist of two tones, whilst as a "stand alone" pattern with no overprints ( oak A and Oak B) a 3rd color tone was added.
Because of the roller print patterns were printed using a roller ( I know, I know
) the patterns repeat on those items that are large enough (zelts, smocks, combinations and others). That means that on a "overprint" zelt you will be able to recognize the same sections of the oak backround print in different areas of the zelt...If this is not the case then you have a fully handscreend (aka "early") pattern zelt.
1st picture shows:
A - upper left corner ss vt zeltbahn 1939 "3" pattern, fully handscreened (these do only exsist in fully handscreened)
B - lower left corner fully handscreened ("early") platane zeltbahn ca. 1944 "3" pattern
C - upper right corner fully handscreened ( "early") platane zeltbahn ca- 1943-44 in "2" pattern
D -lower right corner is a roller printed zelt in the oak A pattern, ca. 1944 issue
Note that the pattern is nearly the same on A and B although there were 8 years in between (from 1936 when the original 3/4 pattern was developed - 1944 when it was dsicontinued, just as any zelt prints except of oak) both are 3/4 prints and only these numbers remained nearly the same during the war whilst the other patterns were heavily modified, especialy the 5/6 patterns are very different to the original VT 5/6 prints which were very large spotted. The later 5/6 patterns had smaller spots of camo print and was more fine whilst ss vt was "rough" with large printed spots.
The pattern of C is a number "2" pattern that was introduced in ca. 1940, before that date the geometric shapes of the number "2" print were also rather rough. It represents more or less the majority of the platane zelts, this style is what you will "usually" find. Of course in different numbers (1,2,3,4,5 and 6). The zelt that started the thread is of this type, also ca, 1943-44 with a "early "fully handscreened print. The term "early" is irretating and reffers to the printing method, which was the "early" (which means the first used) printing method. "Early" = fully handscreened, it doesn't reffer to any date. The method that followed the "early" method was the "overprint", which means that the backround was printed using a machine and the overprint platane was applied by hand. The method following the "overprint" was the fully machine printed method...blurred edge, palm, oak A and oak B....also "dot" and "leiber" were such prints...although there is no period dot zelt, neither is there a piece of cotton duck cloth that was printed in dot. Zelts, smocks (except of some in HBT), covers, caps and combinations were made of cotton duck.
However, "early" fully handscreened and "overprint" patterns were in production up to 1944, after that all patterns were completely machine printed (roller printed) patterns and the patterns that resulted out of the early production methods were no longer made.
As a side note it might be of interest that the army and luftwaffe used roller type prints from the beginning on, including the well known "splinter pattern" on wehrmacht zeltbahnen which were also used by the ss in larger amounts well into 1940, ss troops can be seen during the campaign in poland being equiped with splinter pattern zelts.
D is a common oak zeltbahn, in this case here a oak A pattern. The oak pattern was a machine print and was in the first palce developed as a backround pattern for platane and blurred edge prints. In these backround prints the pattern consist of two tones, whilst as a "stand alone" pattern with no overprints ( oak A and Oak B) a 3rd color tone was added.
Because of the roller print patterns were printed using a roller ( I know, I know
) the patterns repeat on those items that are large enough (zelts, smocks, combinations and others). That means that on a "overprint" zelt you will be able to recognize the same sections of the oak backround print in different areas of the zelt...If this is not the case then you have a fully handscreend (aka "early") pattern zelt.
Comment