Strichtarn

East German Border Guard soldiers at the Berlin Wall in 1989.

The Strichtarn was adopted by East Germany in 1965 in service with the National People's Army to replace the Flächentarn, which was adopted in 1958.[1] In East German service, it was known as "Kampfanzug 64" (English: Combat Suit 64).[3]

When the pattern was used in South Africa, it's known as "rice fleck".

Strichtarn was designed with broken vertical red-brown lines on a grey-green field, which was also known as the raindrop pattern.[1][2] The patterns made for the Strichtarn consisted of Type 1, which was made from 1965 to 1967.[2] The Type 2 was made from 1967 to 1990.[2]

The pattern is also seen as helmet covering for the M56 helmet.

•  Croatia: Numerous Strichtarn variants were used by Croatian forces in the Balkan Wars.[1] Most were acquired as surplus gear alongside M56/76 helmets and used until 1992.[4]
•  Czechoslovakia: Strichtarn was adopted as the vz. 60 Jehlicí or the Oblaky by Czechoslovakian forces; the Czechoslovak version differs by having a two-tone background.
•  East Germany: East Germany adopted Strichtarn in 1965.[5][6]
•  Poland: The Polish Army adopted a Strichtarn-like pattern known as wz.58 "Deszczyk" (rain) in 1958, first issued to airborne units.[7] The camouflage pattern was then issued to other parts of the armed forces and remained in use to the 70's before being replaced by wz 68 "Mora".
•  South Africa: The South African Defence Force used the pattern.[2] Clones were made for South African Special Forces operators during the South African Border War.[8]
•  Uzbekistan: Large quantities of surplus East German Strichtarn camouflage uniforms and fabric were at one point obtained by the Uzbek government through German sources. These uniforms were refitted to Soviet and Uzbek standards and were worn by Airborne and Special Task Force personnel of the Army from approximately 2002-2006.[9]

• Among non-state actors, SWAPO and UNITA made use of Strichtarn in the 1965 war in Angola.[5][2]

• Krauß, Michael (2016). Die getarnte Sommerfelddienstbekleidung der DDR 1956 bis 1990: Band 2. Norderstedt: Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3741289668.
• Mikulan, Krunoslav; Thomas, Nigel (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (1): Slovenia & Croatia 1991–95. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-0850457308.
• Pitta, Robert (27 May 1993). South African Special Forces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-295-0.
• Rottman, Gordon L. (1987). Warsaw Pact Ground Forces. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-0850457308.
• Zaloga, Steven (1985). Soviet Bloc Elite Forces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0850456318.

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