Lone Sentry Blog » camouflage

Retro-Camouflage

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 19:46:12 +0000

An E/A-6B Prowler and E/A-18G Growler of Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ 129 photographed at NAS North Island near San Diego. The aircraft are painted in three-tone camouflage paint schemes honoring U.S. Navy combat aircraft that fought in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II, including Air Group 85 which operated from USS Shangri-La (CV 38, nicknamed “Tokyo Express”). U.S. Navy Photographs, SP2 Joseph Moon & SP2 Briana C. Brotzman.

U.S. Army Camouflage Uniform

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:19:14 +0000

The rather rare U.S. Army camouflage HBT (herringbone twill) uniform being worn by soldiers of the 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division during training. [Source: LoneSentry.com Collection.]

Snow Camouflage for 90mm AAA Gun Battery

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:40:53 +0000

Diagram of snow camouflage for 90mm antiaircraft gun battery, from “Antiaircraft Artillery Notes,” No. 9, December 1944:

Disruptive Camouflage of Vehicles

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:41:22 +0000

How useful is disruptive camouflage on tanks and military vehicles? The following excerpt on camouflage is taken from the A Military Encyclopedia Based on Operations in the Italian Campaigns 1943-1945 by the G-3 Section, Headquarters 15th Army Group, Italy. The encyclopedia was designed to compile the knowledge gained by experience in operations in Italy by the 15th Army Group, including both the U.S. Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army.

Camouflage of Vehicles – Disruptive Painting

The general consensus of opinion among camouflage officers was that pattern painting was of dubious value because:

a. Varied terrain in Italy made standard patterns and colors impracticable.

b. When a unit was shifted from one sector to another, as was often necessary, their patterns and colors were revealing rather than concealing. Repainting before a move was nearly always impossible because of insufficient time.

c. Security was lost and units easily identified when units moved to different sectors.

d. Camouflage paints and personnel for supervision were often not available.

As a result of extensive study and experiment, all disruptive painting of vehicles in this theater was discontinued, except where specifically directed for a particular operation. The British discarded pattern painting of vehicles in favor of a lusterless olive drab.

Photograph of a New Zealand M4 Sherman tank showing a disruptive camouflage pattern.

Another view of the same New Zealand Sherman tank and its crew from a U.S. veteran's photo album in the website's collection.

Dummy Tanks

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:22:25 +0000

U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph from the site collection showing German dummy tanks in France which have been constructed on farm wagons:

Original Caption:

ETO HQ 44 25496 13TH NOV
CREDIT… US ARMY SIGNAL CORPS
PHOTOG… PFC. J.W. LAPINE… 166
Dummy tanks used by Germans in attempt to mislead Allied air observation as to the number of tanks and guns deployed by them in the Luppy sector of France.
Passed for Publication as Censored, 14 NOV 1944, SHAEF Field Press Censor

Japanese Army Uniforms

Lone_Sentry_Admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:09:13 +0000

The February 7, 1944 issue of NEWSMAP illustrated Japanese uniforms, equipment, and insignia:

Two examples of the detail drawings:

PRIVATE, INFANTRY RIFLEMAN: M1938 BLOUSE, FRONT
Nitohei
Sampachi (Meiji 38) rifle, rubberized fabric or leather cartridge pouches; gas mask carrier under left arm. The chevron worn on right arm is a diligence stripe.

CAMOUFLAGE JUNGLE JACKET
The fibre material of which the jacket is made may vary with the color of the foliage in the area in which jacket is worn.

(For another view of the Japanese camouflage uniform, see Japanese Camouflage Garment, Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 14, Dec. 17, 1942.)

Source: NEWSMAP, Volume II, No. 42F, February 7, 1944 by Army Information Branch.