ABC Protective Tarpaulin (ABC Schutzplane)
General Information
Name: ABC Protective Tarpaulin (ABC Schutzplane).
Country of Origin: West Germany (Bundeswehr).
Date of Production: 1963
Manufacturer: Yet to be identified.
NATO Stock Number (NSN): 8465-12-140-3283.
Colour: Field Grey.
Size:
Open: 230cm x 130cm.
Folded: 21cm x 15cm.
Weight: 425g.
Waterproof: Yes.
Similar Objects
History
The ABC Protective Tarpaulin, known as the ABC Schutzplane in German, can be traced back to German soldiers who carried it during World War II. It was an important part of a soldier’s chemical protection equipment. During this period, it was carried in a small bag strapped to the outside of the gas mask canister or across the left side of the chest. The tarpaulin was fabricated from a thin cotton cloth soaked in oil to resist liquid agents, but it eventually fell into disuse towards the end of the war.
By the late 1950s, the Tarpaulin was reintroduced, now made from an early form of plastic. It was carried in a pouch attached to the left side of the chest. By the early 1960s, a new version of the Tarpaulin, measuring 2.4 metres by 1.4 metres, was fabricated from a heavy-duty plastic sheet reinforced with a nylon mesh grid for added strength. Every soldier carried one in the right thigh pocket of the field trousers or inside the gas mask carrier, folded for easy deployment.
The tarpaulin provided hasty protection for individual soldiers before the gas mask was worn, shielding them against liquid agents. It could also be used to create a clean area in contaminated zones and could be cut in half for use as footwear protection with sections of paracord. Over time, the role of the protective tarpaulin was eventually replaced by the issue poncho.
Description
The Tarpaulin is fabricated from heavy-duty plastic reinforced with a nylon mesh grid. The top corners feature yellow sections used as grab points when unfolding, while the bottom corners have metal discs that serve as anchor points for the feet to hold down and facilitate quicker unfolding.
Examples
Example One
Example One is shown still in its plastic bag, unissued. It would have been removed from the bag before being carried in the field trousers or gas mask carrier.
The black and white diagram shows how the tarpaulin is meant to be used and comes from a West German army soldier’s handbook from the 1970s.
Object Number: 7582-2761-44102.
