German Army Reversable Winter Uniform

Reversible Winter Uniforms -Umkehrbare Winteranzug des Deutschen Heeres

Introduced during the winter of 1942-3 as the result of the bitter experiences of the previous winter when thousands of German troops fighting on the Eastern Front suffered from the extremes of cold.

These uniforms proved to be extremely comfortable and, as a combat uniform, they gave freedom of movement and use of equipment whilst at the same time affording protection against severe cold as well as overheating during periods of exertion.

Both patterns consisted of a heavy reversible double-breasted over jacket and matching over
trousers. The uniform and trousers were designed large enough to be worn over the normal Field Service Uniform including basic field equipment, although German troops favoured wearing their equipment over the Winter Jacket.

Because it was a completely reversible item of clothing, including the trousers, features such as
pockets, draw strings and buttons located on the camouflage or mouse-grey side were duplicated on the white side.


The jacket was double-breasted for extra frontal warmth, with double buttoned overlaps to the flaps of the jacket at the front which when securely fastened provided a windproof closure. There was a 'hidden' waist belt which could be gathered in around the wearer’s waist from the outside of whichever side of the jacket was being worn outermost. The bottom edge to the jacket also had a draw string and the ends of the cuffs were also adjustable. The jacket had long sleeves as well as an attached draw-string adjustable hood, also reversible. Six buttons were visible worn down the front of the coat and there was one button to each pocket flap on both sides of the coat 'skirt'.

These metal buttons were field-grey when used on the camouflaged/mouse-grey side of the coat and white painted on the white side. Two small fibre buttons were located approximately 20cm from the shoulder seam on both sleeves and positioned on the two seams of both jacket sleeves. These were intended to be used to button on the bands of coloured cloth used by forward German Forces to help identify friendly troops. Like passwords, these bands of cloth were changed every day and a new colour was used for this purpose.

This arrangement could be used on both sides of the jacket as the small fibre buttons were sewn on to the white side as well as the coloured side of the jacket. The trousers worn with this jacket were of the same quality, colouring and manufacture. They were shorter in the leg than normal cloth trousers and could be worn either tucked inside the German Army marching boots or worn over the top of the boots with the ends of the trousers gathered in by the draw strings and tied around the calf of the boots.

The trousers were extra thick, as was the jacket, and was completely reversible—which included the pockets. The buttons used on the trousers were large smooth black plastic ones each with four eye holes and used stitched on to both the camouflaged and the white side. There were built in braces made of white webbing. They were sewn into the waist of the trousers at the rear and crossed behind the wearer’s shoulder blades passing over the shoulders and being buttoned in the front on either side of the front opening. The braces were adjustable to one of three
positions on the front of the trousers.

The trousers had two reversible pockets with large reversible button down pocket flaps. There were four buttons used down the fly front. Two tapes were sewn into the rear of the waist to allow the waist band to be drawn in tight. There were tapes at the bottom of each trouser leg.

Both the mouse—grey and the camouflage reversible winter uniforms were identical in design and manufacture. Both patterns of German Army camouflage were used for the camouflaged version, i.e. the green splinter pattern and the tan water pattern.

No form of insignia decoration or badge other than the special rank insignia designed for this type of clothing was worn on this uniform.

Brian L. Davis, "German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945", The World Publishing Co., 1972