Andrew Hills

British Zimmerit Andrew Hills

The 'Zimmerit' material, developed in Germany in 1943 was ostensibly a coating applied to some German tanks and armoured fighting vehicles to prevent magnetic mines from sticking to them. When the British first encountered Panzers covered with this material following the D-Day invasion in June 1944 they were both curious as to what it was made of, and more importantly, how to use it for their own purposes. The British undertook lengthy experiments trying to imitate and then copy Zimmerit for a protection against magnetic mines such as those used in the Far East by the Japanese and in Europe by the Germans but more than that too. The British saw the potential of this material as a visual camouflage and, later even considered it for use in protection against detection by radar and infra-red. Experimental work was too late to see service in WW2 for the British. It did, however, continue after the war until suitable materials were developed although work on the subject was discontinued in 1947. By this time, the British had developed the German Zimmerit into their own material, improved and with a potential well beyond a simple coating to stop magnetic mines sticking to a tank.