By August 1944, the Wehrmacht was mostly on the defensive. The Allies had broken out of their Normandy beachhead while the Red Army was rampaging westward after the success of Operation Bagration. During this change in fortune, the Allied air power proved decisive; making movement during daylight hours near impossible and menacing the trapped German forces mercilessly during the encirclement at Falaise.
It was during this time that the German tank factories were instructed to apply a new type camouflage scheme as part of the manufacturing process. The scheme become known as Hinterhalt-Tarnung or Ambush camouflage and was designed to aid in the concealment of combat vehicles under trees and other such foliage.
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