Zeltban??????

[Tim Miller]

It looks German all right. The Swiss splinter pattern has a different look, any close up will quickly reveal that. The features of this are all German too. Someone shoudl check the early Angolia Wehrmacht series to see if they discuss this piece.

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm going to save this piece from the "chopping block". I do like it and am now very curious to find out exactly what it was used for. The loops. What purpose did they serve? The "V" pattern? Guess I have alot of research to do. If anybody does find out what it is, please let me know. Thanks again and take care.

Tim

[helmhunter]

Hello all,
After WW II France reused a lot of german zeltbans and uncut rolls of material (heer and ss). It could be a french reused for indochina war ?
Phil

[Katrin]

yes its swiss dont know the where and hows but it sure is swiss

costs about 30 euro's

[CWP]

I have handled a lot of the Swiss so-called "Squarebahns" since they are bought by reenactors, cut up, and turned into repro German stuff. I have never seen a Swiss zelt without the very distinctive large Swiss buttonholes. I think this could be German.

Chris P.

[Peter Wiking]

West German/Bundeswehr border patrol units 1948 to 1960 ??? Just a wild guess.

Cheers.
Peter

[david stone]

That V of loops should have a piece of small rope in it...usually it is permanently sewn to the middle loop. When wearing the Zelt as a rain cape, you pull the cord in that V around your neck to keep it on your shoulders. Those loops across the middle, you will find, will now be horizontal as you are wearing it. Under those loops goes your zeltlinie, or tent cord. You tie this about your waist to keep it from flapping around. It is comfortable and covers you pretty far down the legs too, and is easier to put on than the WWII type - at least, you don't have to pull your helmet, or cap, and glasses off to squeeze your head through.
The Swiss ones have an extra row of loops halfway up, to gather the thing over the shoulders to make a Perline..not sure of the spelling. But - like what some other folks have said - it ain't Swiss.

Dave

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm going to save this piece from the "chopping block". I do like it and am now very curious to find out exactly what it was used for. The loops. What purpose did they serve? The "V" pattern? Guess I have alot of research to do. If anybody does find out what it is, please let me know. Thanks again and take care.

Tim

[Willi Z.]

Gees....it is not Swiss. The Swiss splinter pattern (don't really feel like finding mine to photograph) is different. They were printed with different rollers, which have left certain marks on them. You don't find these marks on German splinter, which makes it easy to spot a fake splinter garment made from a Swiss shelter half. The Swiss ones are marked too, without a RBNr. The Swiss ones, as someone stated, have different fittings.The Bundesgrenzschutz, of the late 40s and 50s, also used a different splinter. Easy to distinguish from wartime splinter.

[Peter Wiking]

There might be some info here:
http://www.zeltbahn.net/types.htm

Cheers.
Peter

[MikeNZ]

Hi all, please let me contribute to the confusion as well After spending 13 years in the Swiss Army I am pretty sure it is swiss. I have pictures at home, same pattern, same size, I just cannot upload them. If there is a volunteer to do so, please let me know.

[MikeNZ]

I have been asked by a member to provide the pictures.. So I did, he will upload them for you all... Thank you, Michael

[Frosch]

This Zeltbahn is a bit of a puzzle to me. The material, button holes, buttons and aluminium eyes are all absolutely right for a wartime German type. BUT, the basic shape and loops to retain the cord that turns it into a cape are typical characteristics of the pre-31 pattern "Zeltbahn alter Art", which is also referred to as the 1892 pattern by some sources, and many of the post-war variants used by armies of the Warsaw Pact and Switzerland.

Square Zeltbahnen in grey, green and various shades of brown were made for and used by the RAD, HJ, SA and various party organisations until at least the outbreak of the war. The "Buntfarbendruck" splinter pattern was only used for the triangular 31 pattern Zeltbahn as far as I know. I tend not to entertain the wartime "variation" theory for an item that remained virtually unchanged from its introduction in around 1932 until 1945.

Judging from the arrangement of the eyes next to the central seam and the seam itself, I am tempted to say that it is a immediate post-war item made as an expedient or for use by civilians or some organisation other than the Wehrmacht, possibly for POW tentage.

Whatever you decide to do with it, it would be a shame to cut it up.

/David

[jcwater]

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[MikeNZ]

Hi jcwater,

thats exactly the zeltbahn I loved to hate..After a day of rain, you got soaking wet.. Swiss Army, you can even see the button KMV= Kriegsmaterialverwaltung and the Swiss Cross with serial no. Thanks for sharing,
MikeNZ