Alpenflage
Alpenflage is the commercial/collector name applied to Swiss Army TAZ 57 and TAZ 83 (Tarnanzug 57/Tarnanzug 83 meaning "camouflage dress") military surplus camouflage clothing that came on to the Army surplus market in the 1990s. The pattern is based on an experimental all-terrain pattern that saw limited service in World War II by Germany's Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht called Leibermuster.[1]
TAZ 57 is a six-colour camouflage pattern consisting of a tan-coloured background with white random flecks with light green body overprinted with a green, red/reddish brown and black leaf shapes. The choice of red and green would at first glance seem to make this pattern very bright for something intended to conceal, but it works well for FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas) environments and alpine terrain. Swiss soldiers have referred to it as "Vier farbe Pischema", which translates loosely as four colour pyjamas.
TAZ 57 was issued from 1957 to 1993 when it was replaced by TAZ 90, a print of identical pattern in traditional colours of green, brown, and black.
See also
References
- ↑ Hardy Blechman (6 November 2004). Disruptive pattern material: an encyclopedia of camouflage. Firefly Books.