Citizendia

An example of common camouflage
An example of common camouflage

Camouflage became an essential part of modern military tactics after the increase in accuracy and rate of fire of weapons during the 19th century. Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism Military tactics ( Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating Despite camouflage's demonstrated value, until the 20th century, armies tended to use bright colours and bold, impressive designs. These were intended to daunt the enemy, foster unit cohesion, allow easier identification of units in the fog of war, and attract recruits. The fog of war is a term used to describe the level of ambiguity in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations Not until these uniforms covered the bodies of men in long windrows across the battlefield was there a clear pressure for change. A windrow is a row of cut (mowed Hay or small grain crop It is allowed to dry before being baled combined or rolled

The main intent of camouflage is to disrupt a soldier's perceived outline as seen by the human eye by merging in with the surroundings, making them a harder target to spot or hit. Different countries have undergone different evolution stages towards the development of military camouflage.

Contents

History

The Bronze Horseman camouflaged from German aircraft during the Siege of Leningrad (August 8, 1941)
The Bronze Horseman camouflaged from German aircraft during the Siege of Leningrad (August 8, 1941)

United Kingdom

Main article: British Army uniform

In England, irregular units of gamekeepers in the 17th century were the first to adopt drab colours (common in the 16th century Irish units) while using rifled firearms, following examples from the continent. The Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade ( Russian: блокада Ленинграда ( transliteration: blokada Leningrada The British Army uniform developed along roughly the same lines as Uniforms in other European armies The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally A later example of a camouflaged unit would be the 95th Rifle Regiment, which was created during the Napoleonic Wars to strengthen the British skirmish line. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own was a regiment of the British Army, and the first to use Military camouflage. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions As they carried more accurate Baker Rifles and engaged at a longer range, they were dressed in a rifle green jacket, in stark contrast to the Line regiments' scarlet tunics and following the jaeger tradition of rifle troops in Europe. The Baker rifle (officially known as the Infantry Rifle) was a Flintlock Rifle used by the Rifle regiments of the British Army during the See also Green This article is about notable Tints and shades of the Color Green. For other uses see Jäger. Jäger (plural also Jäger, ˈjɛːgɐ (егерь yeger was adopted in the Enlightenment era The British in India were forced by casualties to dye their white summer tunics to neutral tones, initially a muddy tan called khaki (from the Hindi-Urdu word for "dusty"). For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British A tunic is any of several types of Clothing for the body with or without Sleeves and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles The name of the color khaki comes from the Persian word khak meaning dust and khaki meaning dusty dust covered or earth colored Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised This was only a temporary measure. It became standard in Indian service in the 1880s, but it was not until the Second Boer War that, in 1902, the uniforms of the entire British Army were standardised on this dun tone for Service Dress. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ' Service Dress' was the name of the new khaki uniforms introduced by the British Army for use in the field from the early 1900's following the experiences of a number of imperial

France

Other armies retained brighter colours. At the beginning of World War I, the French retained red (garance) trousers as part of their uniform. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Military of France encompasses an army, a navy, an air force and a military police force. This was changed in early 1915. The French Army also adopted a new "horizon blue" jacket. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest The Belgian Army started using khaki uniforms in 1915. The Land Component (French Composante Terre, Dutch Landcomponent) formerly the Belgian Army, is the land-based service of the Belgian

The French also established a Section de Camouflage (Camouflage Department) in 1915, briefly headed by Eugene Corbin and then by Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola. The camouflage experts were, for the most part, painters, sculptors, theatre-set artists and such. Technological constraints meant that patterned camouflage uniforms were not mass-produced during World War I. Each patterned uniform was hand-painted, and so they were restricted to snipers, forward artillery observers, and other exposed individuals. READ DISCUSSION PAGE BEFORE MAKING ANY EDITS TO CAPTION BELOW http//en Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine More effort was put into concealing larger pieces of equipment and important structures. By mid-1915 the French section had four workshops (one in Paris and three nearer the front) mainly producing camouflage netting and painted canvas. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making Sails Tents Marquees Backpacks and other functions Netting quickly moved from wire and fabric to use raffia, burlap, and cocoa—the integration of natural materials was always recommended. The Raffia palms ( Raphia) are a Genus of twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar, with one species Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which Chocolate is made

Other nations

The United States, who had green-jacketed rifle units in the Civil War, was quick to follow the British, going khaki in the same year. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Russia followed, partially, in 1908. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Italian Army used grigio-verde ("grey-green") in the Alps from 1906 and across the army from 1909. The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. The Germans adopted feldgrau ("field grey") in 1910. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification

20th century wars

World War I

World War I Stahlhelm with camouflage pattern applied in the field
World War I Stahlhelm with camouflage pattern applied in the field

Units of Camoufleurs who were artists, designers, or architects in civilian life were also largely used by the forces of the United Kingdom (Camouflage Section established in late 1916 based at Wimereux) and the U. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Stahlhelm (plural Stahlhelme) is German for "steel helmet" The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located S. (New York Camouflage Society, established in April 1917; official Company A, 40th Engineers, set up in January 1918; and the Women's Reserve Camouflage Corps) and to a lesser extent by Germany (from 1917, see, for example, Lozenge, possibly the earliest printed camouflage), Italy (Laboratorio di mascheramento, established in 1917), Belgium and Russia. Applications Modal logic In Modal logic, the lozenge expresses the possibility of the following expression Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The word camouflage first entered the English language in 1917. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Camouflage added to helmets was unofficially popular, but these were not mass-produced until the Germans began in 1916 to issue Stahlhelm (steel helmets) in green, brown, or ochre. Stahlhelm (plural Stahlhelme) is German for "steel helmet" Ochre or Ocher (pronounced /'əʊkə(r/ from the Greek ὠχρός yellow is a Color, usually described as golden - Yellow Mass-produced patterned, reversible, cloth covers were also issued shortly before the end of the war. Net covering was also examined, either fitted with natural vegetation or with coloured fabric strips called scrim. The term scrim has two separate meanings in terms of fabric In each case it refers to woven material one a finely woven lightweight fabric widely used in theatre the other a heavy

Specialist troops, notably snipers, could be supplied with various items of camouflage, including patterned veils for the head and gun, hand-painted overalls and scrim-covered netting or sacking—an adaptation of the rag camouflage used in Scotland by anti-poaching wardens, gillies, the first ghillie suits. READ DISCUSSION PAGE BEFORE MAKING ANY EDITS TO CAPTION BELOW http//en Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Poaching is the illegal Hunting, Fishing or Harvesting of wild plants or animals A ghillie suit, or yowie suit, is a type of Camouflage Clothing designed to resemble heavy Foliage.

The Interwar period

The first mass-produced military camouflage material was the Italian telo mimetico ("mimetic cloth") pattern of 1929, used to cover a shelter-half (telo tenda), an idea copied by the Germans in 1931 but with her own camouflage history, beginning in 1918 with the German Buntfarbenanstrich. The Red Army issued "amoeba" disruptive-pattern suits to snipers from 1937 and all-white ZMK top-garments the following year, but it was not until hostilities began that more patterns were used. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya

World War II

With mass-production of patterned fabrics possible, they became far more common on individual soldiers in World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Initially, patterning was uncommon, a sign of elite units, to the extent that captured camouflage uniforms would be often "recycled" by an enemy.

Germany

German Military tent camouflage from 1931
German Military tent camouflage from 1931
The SS-plane-tree pattern (autumn variation)
The SS-plane-tree pattern (autumn variation)

The Germans had experimented before the war, and some army units used "splinter" pattern camouflage. Waffen-SS combat units experimented from 1935 with various patterns. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The initial, and much other, Waffen-SS camouflage was designed by Prof. Johann Georg Otto Schick.

The Sumpfmuster ("swamp pattern") is a Wehrmacht camouflage and was first introduced in 1943. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Another variation was introduced in 1944.

Apart from "Leibermuster", the official names of the wartime German camouflage patterns are not known: the names above are those used by military historians and collectors.

USSR


United Kingdom

Developed in the 1930s, khaki Battle Dress was issued widely from 1939. Battle Dress was the specific title of a military Uniform adopted by the British Army in the late 1930s and worn until the 1960s With the return of war, camouflage sections were revived. The British set up the Camouflage Development and Training Centre in 1940 at Farnham Castle, Surrey. Farnham Castle is a Castle in Farnham, Surrey England ( First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Early staff included artists from the Industrial Camouflage Research Unit such as Roland Penrose and Frederick Gore, and the stage magician Jasper Maskelyne (later famous for his camouflage work in the North African campaign). Sir Roland Penrose ( 14 October 1900 – 23 April 1984) CBE, Kt, was an English artist historian and poet Jasper Maskelyne (1902–1973 was a British Stage magician in the 1930s and 1940s During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from June 10, 1940 The British did not use disruptive-pattern uniforms until 1942, with the hand-painted Denison smock for paratroopers, followed in 1943 with a similar style M42 garment. The Denison smock was a coverall jacket issued to Special Operations Executive (SOE agents the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, Air Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.

United States

July 1944, U.S. soldier wearing a two-piece herringbone twill (HBT) camouflage which was used by marines in the Pacific, but was quickly abandoned in the European theater because of the similarity to the uniform of the Waffen SS
July 1944, U. S. soldier wearing a two-piece herringbone twill (HBT) camouflage which was used by marines in the Pacific, but was quickly abandoned in the European theater because of the similarity to the uniform of the Waffen SS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began wide-ranging experiments in 1940, but little official notice was taken until 1942 when General Douglas MacArthur demanded 150,000 jungle camouflage uniforms. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel General MacArthur redirects here for other meanings see General MacArthur (disambiguation. A 1940 design, dubbed "frog-skin" or "leopard spot", was chosen and issued as a reversible beach/jungle coverall — soon changed to a two-part jacket and trousers. It was first issued to the U.S. Marines fighting on the Solomon Islands and worn by Marine Raiders and Paramarine units as well as by many regular Marine units in the Battle of Tarawa. The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare The Paramarines (also known as Marine paratroopers) was a short-lived specialized unit of the United States Marine Corps, trained to be dropped by Parachute Battlefield experience showed that pattern was unsuitable for moving troops, and production was halted in 1944 with a return to standard single-tone uniforms.

During 1944, specialized units of the 2nd Armored Division serving in Normandy were issued with "frog skin"/"leopard spot" camouflage pattern uniforms, but an apparent similarity to the battledress worn by Waffen SS troops in the theatre led to some friendly fire incidents, and it was withdrawn [1]. The 2nd Armored Division of the United States Army &mdashnicknamed Hell On Wheels &mdash played an important role during World War II in the invasions The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron"

Full "leopard spot" uniforms continued to be worn by the USMC Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (whose role was reprised by the USMC Force Recon units from 1954) and by Combat Swimmer Reconnaissance Units (later to evolve into the Navy SEALs). United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance detachments or FORECON units are special-purposes units roughly analogous to the U

Postwar

France

The Lizard pattern is a kind of military camouflage pattern used by the French Army on uniforms beginning in the 1950s up to the late 1980s. The Lizard pattern is a kind of Military camouflage pattern used by the French Army on uniforms beginning in the 1950's up to the late 1980's The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest A Lizard pattern has two overlapping prints, generally green and brown, printed with gaps so that a third dyed color, such as a lighter green or khaki, makes up a large part of the pattern. In this, it is printed like earlier British patterns used on that country's paratroops' Denison smocks, and can be said to descend from those patterns. The Denison smock was a coverall jacket issued to Special Operations Executive (SOE agents the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, Air Lizard patterns have narrower printed areas than the British patterns, and have a strong horizontal orientation, cutting across the vertical form of a man's body. Other patterns descend in turn from Lizard patterns, either by direct imitation such as Cuba's Lizard pattern, or innovation, such as the tigerstripe patterns produced during the Vietnam War. Tigerstripe is the name of a group of Camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle during Jungle warfare. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

United Kingdom

Battledress continued in use until the late 1950’s. While serving during the Korean War (1950-53), troops had found the existing combat uniform inadequate: It was too hot in the summertime, and not warm enough during the harsh Korean winters. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Soldiers were at first issued Jungle Green (JG) uniforms for hot weather, and battledress in the wintertime, but this had to be augmented with additional warm clothing (often from the U. S. Army) as well as caps with ear flaps and fur linings. A solution was rapidly pursued, and towards the end of the Korean War a windproof and water-repellent gabardine combat uniform was issued. Gabardine is a tough tightly woven fabric used to make Suits Overcoats Trousers and other garments The trousers followed the tried and tested battledress design, while the bush jacket had several pockets inside and out, closing with zips and buttons, a hip length skirt with draw-strings to keep out the wind, and a similar arrangement at the waist. The uniform was produced in a greyish green colour (OG), similar to the U. S. Army Olive Drab (OD). See also Green This article is about notable Tints and shades of the Color Green.

With the end of National Service conscription in 1961, the Army looked for a new uniform: Something that was smarter than battledress, but also more comfortable, while still having a military air about it. "National Service" redirects here For national service in other countries see National service. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Using the Korean War combat clothing as a basis, various new items of field wear were developed for the 1960-pattern Combat Dress, including the so-called Canadian pattern combat jacket, which was well made, with a lining above the waist and reinforced elbows. The 1960s was a period of transition for the Army, and this was reflected in the changes that were taking place in soldier’s uniform. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969

Disruptive Pattern

Main article: Disruptive Pattern Material

The new, smaller, all-volunteer Army could also now afford to equip every soldier with his own camouflaged uniform, and a pattern, based on the brushstroke design of the Denison Smock, was designed in 1960, called Disruptive Pattern (DP). Disruptive Pattern Material ( DPM) is a Camouflage pattern used by British forces as well many other armies worldwide particularly in former colonies The Denison smock was a coverall jacket issued to Special Operations Executive (SOE agents the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, Air The camouflage is more commonly known by the name given to the cloth printed with the pattern: Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM). Disruptive Pattern Material ( DPM) is a Camouflage pattern used by British forces as well many other armies worldwide particularly in former colonies By the late sixties it was being issued in limited quantities on 1960-pattern jackets and trousers, making Britain the first country in the world to issue regular troops with a standard camouflaged combat uniform. Known as ‘66-Pattern, it was soon superseded by the ’68-Pattern, which had a very slightly revised camouflage design on a new uniform, featuring minor changes over the preceding 1960/66-Pattern kit, most notably: a full lining for jacket and trousers. DPM became official army-wide issue only in 1972.

Various redesigns of the uniform since 1984 have seen changes to the size of the pattern and the tone of the colours, but DPM is always easily recognisable, and remains effective. Many countries worldwide use it, or a variation of it[1].

United States

A U.S. Marine dressed in a "boonie suite" during the Vietnam War.
A U. S. Marine dressed in a "boonie suite" during the Vietnam War.

Many war surplus "leopard spot" uniforms were sold to allied nations reforming their armed forces. Worn by French Parachutists in the First Indochina War, the "leopard spot" was later marketed to civilian hunters under the name "duck hunter". The First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War, the The Anti-French War, the Franco-Vietnamese War, the Franco-Vietminh War,

The CIA supplied "leopard spot" or “duck hunter” camouflage uniforms for Brigade 2506 Cuban exiles in the Bay of Pigs invasion and South Vietnamese and Montagnard Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) counter-guerrillas until the pattern was replaced by the tigerstripe pattern in the mid-1960s. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Brigade 2506 was the name given to a CIA -sponsored group made up of 1511 Cuban exiles who fought in the Bay of Pigs Invasion at Playa Girón For the United States invasion at the Bay of Pigs see Bay of Pigs Invasion. Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG pronounced "sid-gee" is one several South Vietnamese Irregular military units during the Vietnam Tigerstripe is the name of a group of Camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle during Jungle warfare. [Blechman H & Newman A, 2004].

During the Vietnam War, U. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia S. troops were issued a "boonie suit" in a single dull shade of green for blending into the jungle. From the late 1950s the USMC had been issued with a variation on their World War II reversible helmet cover and shelter half. This had a tan and brown “brown clouds” side (printed with large identification numbers) and a green jungle side with a jagged “wine leaf” (incorrectly known as “Mitchell”) pattern. Rangers and Special Forces units (aka Green Berets) adopted the Vietnamese "Tigerstripe" pattern with its distinctive horizontal slashes of black, green, and tan. The United States Army Rangers or simply Army Rangers are specialized elite American light infantry and Special operations troops Although this style became popular among the troops, it was not an official government issue uniform. It was procured by private purchase from civilian tailors. This is also called the "John Wayne pattern" as the design was featured in Wayne's 1968 film The Green Berets. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American The Green Berets is a 1968 film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, and Aldo Ray, Also in 1968, the brightly colored division shoulder patches worn since World War II were gradually replaced with a "subdued" green and black version. Name tags and other insignia patches soon followed.

U. S. Woodland camouflage

M81 Woodland
M81 Woodland
Main article: Woodland (camouflage)

Another, four colour U. M81 Woodland is the official name of the default Camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors M81 Woodland is the official name of the default Camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors S. pattern, designed in 1948 by the Engineer Research & Development Laboratory (ERDL) based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was later revisited for use in the Vietnam War. The United States Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory was a US Army Corps of Engineers research facility located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Named ERDL Leaf pattern, it was first issued to elite reconnaissance and special operations units in early 1967[2]. M65 ERDL Leaf pattern is a camouflage pattern developed by the United States Army at its Engineer Research & Development Laboratories (ERDL in 1948 but first issued It was initially produced in a lime dominant colourway, consisting of large organic shapes in mid green and brown, black ‘branches’, and light green ‘leaf highlights’. Shortly thereafter a brown dominant scheme (with the light green replaced by light tan) was manufactured. The two patterns are also known as ‘Lowland’ and ‘Highland’ ERDL respectively. The brown ‘Highland’ version was adopted as standard issue by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from 1968, and later introduced on a wide scale in Southeast Asia by the U. S. Army, so that by the end of the Vietnam War American troops wearing camouflage combat dress had become the norm[3]. Following the withdrawal of the U. S. Army from the Southeast Asian Theatre in 1973, camouflage clothing was no longer routinely issued in that arm though the 1st Battalion 13th Infantry Regiment in Baumholder, Germany wore the Lowland ERDL in the early 1970s as an experiment. The USMC continued wearing a transitional ‘Delta’ ERDL pattern that was issued in the mid-1970s. It was not until 1981 that the U. S. Quartermaster Dept. approved another camouflaged uniform with the fielding, from September (not officially introduced until 01 October, however), of the battle dress uniform (BDU) in M81 Woodland pattern[2]. Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU) is the name of the Military uniform that the armed forces of the United States have used as their standard uniform for Combat Although based on the Vietnam era brown dominant ERDL Leaf camouflage, but enlarged (by 60%)[3], and with the thicker black ‘shadows’ of the ‘Delta’ variant, the pattern was designed primarily for use in Europe. For the next two decades, this was the standard issue BDU for all arms of the U. S. military. Solid olive drab uniforms were rapidly phased out, such that by the time of Operation Urgent Fury in 1983, all participating units were clothed in M81 BDUs. The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was an Invasion of the nation of Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea 100 miles north

U. S. Desert camouflage

The "chocolate-chip" desert camouflage pattern.
The "chocolate-chip" desert camouflage pattern.

The formation of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) in 1979, with its remit to operate in the Middle East, and protect U. In 1977 a presidential directive called for a mobile force capable of responding to worldwide contingencies but to be established without diverting forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization S. interests in the Persian Gulf region, saw the issue of the first U. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the S. desert camouflage clothing, a six colour Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU), that had been originally designed in 1962. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Desert Battle Dress Uniform (abbreviated DBDU, often called Chocolate-Chip Camouflage, Cookie Dough Camouflage, or the Six-Color Desert Pattern With a base pattern of light tan overlaid with broad swathes of pale olive green and wide two-tone bands of brown, the clusters of black-on-white spots scattered over it resulted in it being nicknamed the "chocolate chip" pattern. It was worn by U. S. troops taking part in the biennial Bright Star exercises in Egypt during the 1980s, and by FORSCOM peacekeepers in the Egyptian Sinai. The American military gives the name Operation Bright Star to two different operations 1 This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. United States Army Forces Command ( FORSCOM) is the Army's largest major command The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء Feedback from these users indicated that the design contrasted too much with the terrain. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the dark areas of the pattern warmed up more than the paler parts under desert sunlight, and retained the heat longer. The six colours were also more expensive to manufacture than three or four colours, and so the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center began the search for a substitute. The US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC also known as the U Samples of sand and earth from the Middle East were measured for optical and infrared reflectance, and seven trial patterns were created using these statistics. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The patterns were evaluated in fourteen different desert locations and narrowed down to one favourite. The resulting "Desert Camouflage Pattern: Combat" was standardized in 1990, but was not ready before troops deployed to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War of 1990-1991. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Consequently U. S. forces wore the six colour DBDUs during the campaign. An initial batch of desert BDUs in the new scheme was enroute to the Middle East when hostilities ceased[4]. The pattern, officially issued with the new Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) in 1993, consisted of a subtle blend of large pastel green and light tan shapes, with sparsely placed, narrow, reddish brown patches, leading the design to be unofficially nicknamed the “Coffee Stain” pattern. Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU) is the name of the Military uniform that the armed forces of the United States have used as their standard uniform for Combat This remained in service for over a decade, most notably during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia Currently this pattern is being replaced by various digital pixel patterns.

Digital camouflage

The CADPAT is an example of digital camouflage pattern
The CADPAT is an example of digital camouflage pattern

Digital camouflage is a pattern devised by utilizing small micropatterns, as opposed to larger macropatterns for effective disruption. CA nadian D isruptive PAT tern (CADPAT, is the digital camouflage pattern currently used by the Canadian Forces (CF From 1978 to the early 1980s, the American 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment stationed in Europe used a digital camouflage pattern (dual-tex) on its vehicles. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment ( 2CR) is a military unit within the United States Army. During 1979 and 1980, the Australian Army experimented with digital camouflage (dual-tex) on helicopters. The Australian Army is Australia's military land force It is part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF along with the Royal Australian Navy and the

More recently, battledress in digital camouflage patterns has been adopted by the Canadian Forces (CADPAT), the United States Marine Corps (MARPAT), United States Army (Universal Camouflage Pattern), the Italian Army (Vegetato), Estonian Defence Forces (ESTDCU) and much of the military of Jordan. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence CA nadian D isruptive PAT tern (CADPAT, is the digital camouflage pattern currently used by the Canadian Forces (CF MARPAT (short for MAR ine PAT tern is a pixelated Camouflage pattern in use by the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP also known as ACUPAT (Army Combat Uniform PATtern and ARPAT (ARmy PATtern is the Military camouflage pattern currently The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. The Estonian Defence Forces ( Eesti Kaitsevägi is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The ESTDCU is the Estonian version of the digital camoflage uniform References and links Jordan Royal Jordanian Land Force Royal Jordanian Air Force Royal Special The South Korean Army recently, possibly around August 2006, adopted a digital camouflage pattern that is somewhat similar to the USMC's MARPAT — it is currently being supplied to the Army Special Warfare Command units. The Republic of Korea Army ( ROK Army, ROKA, Korean: 대한민국 육군 Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍 is by far the largest of the military branches The Finnish Defence Forces introduced the digital M05 camouflage in 2007. The Finnish Defence Forces is responsible for defence of Finland. The M05 family of Military camouflage patterns are used by the Finnish Defence Forces on uniforms and other equipment The Chinese People's Liberation Army introduced the digital Type 07 camouflage in mid-2007. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. Type 07 is a new family of Military uniforms to be used by all branches of the People's Liberation Army (PLA and People's Armed Police (PAP of the The German and Danish armies today use camouflage that involves dots instead of patterns (flecktarn). The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Royal Danish Army forms together with the Army Home Guard the land forces of the Military of Denmark. Flecktarn ( German: "pattern Camouflage " also known as Flecktarnmuster, Fleckentarn or simply Fleck) is a 3- 4- 5- or This type of camouflage is especially effective in woodlands or jungle areas.

Vehicle camouflage

A vehicle with camouflage.
A vehicle with camouflage.

The purpose of vehicle and equipment camouflage differs from personal camouflage in that the primary threat is aerial reconnaissance, like fighter or reconnaissance planes or satellites. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information The most important task is to cover the characteristic shape of the vehicle that stands out from the air. Draping a camouflage net over the vehicle is not enough for this: poles or tree branches are added under the net to conceal the characteristic rectangular shape.

Ship camouflage

A modern Royal Navy destroyer blends into the skyline while docked
A modern Royal Navy destroyer blends into the skyline while docked


Until the 20th century, naval weapons had a very short range, so camouflage was unimportant for ships; the men on board them had no need for camouflage, of course. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Paint schemes were selected on the basis of ease of maintenance or esthetics, typically buff upperworks (with polished brass fittings) and white or black hulls. For other uses of the term see Buff Buff (colour Buff is a pale Yellow - Brown colour that got its name from the At the turn of the century the increasing range of naval engagements, as demonstrated by the Battle of Tsushima, prompted the introduction of the first camouflage, in the form of some solid shade of gray overall, in the hope that ships would fade into the mist. The Battle of Tsushima ( Japanese: 対馬海戦 tsushima-kaisen, Цусимское сражение Tsusimskoye srazheniye) commonly known as the

First World War

These schemes were used on merchant ships and smaller warships. Battlefleets continued to be painted in various shades of gray.

Second World War

In the course of the war, the United States Navy introduced several camouflage measures designed for a wide variety of ships and situations.

Except in measures 11 and 21, decks were a blue gray shade.

A Royal Norwegian Navy craft, in a splinter camouflage pattern
A Royal Norwegian Navy craft, in a splinter camouflage pattern

Between the wars, British naval ships were generally dark gray in northern waters, and light gray in the Mediterranean or tropical waters. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) In the first year of the war British captains largely painted their ships as they saw fit. As the war continued, the Admiralty introduced various standardized camouflage schemes. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy.

British decks were usually dark gray.

Kriegsmarine ships before the war were either light gray overall or had dark gray hulls. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the Many retained this scheme during the war. Others had dazzle camouflage, usually in combinations of pale gray, dark gray and sea blue. Smaller ships were painted a very pale gray to blend in with the mists of northern European waters. Larger ships often had their bows and sterns painted a different shade from the rest of the hull. German decks were a very dark gray.

Mussolini's navy retained its pre-war scheme of light gray overall for its smaller ships, but the larger units mostly had dazzle camouflage of dark gray, light sea blue, light sea green and light gray. The Regia Marina ( Italian Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. Italian foredecks had a high-visibility pattern of red and white diagonal stripes so that their own aircraft would not attack them.

Japanese ships largely retained their pre-war dark gray paint scheme, although some major units like aircraft carriers changed to a dark sea green. For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with Some aircraft carriers had their flight decks painted in a dazzle camouflage, but this seems to have been ineffective.

Soviet ships were dark gray overall, sometimes with medium gray upperworks. The Soviet Navy ( Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally "Naval military forces of the USSR" was

The French Navy used light gray before the war and under the Vichy regime. The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Free French ships that operated with the British adopted one of the British schemes. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces Those that were refitted in American shipyards were usually repainted in the American measure 22.

After the Second World War, the universal adoption of radar made camouflage much less effective. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships

Aircraft camouflage

A Ukrainian Su-25 painted with earth colors on the top and sky color on the bottom
A Ukrainian Su-25 painted with earth colors on the top and sky color on the bottom

The design of camouflage for aircraft is complicated by the fact that the appearance of the aircraft's background varies widely, depending on the location of the observer (above or below) and the nature of the background. The Ukrainian Air Force (Повітряні Сили України Povitryani Syly Ukrayiny) is a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout For this reason, many military aircraft are painted light blue below (to match the sky), but blotchy, darker colors above (to match the ground). The higher speeds of modern aircraft, and the reliance on radar and missiles to defend against them, have reduced the value of visual camouflage, while increasing the value of electronic camouflage ("stealth") measures.

Military camouflage in fashion and art

The transfer of camouflage patterns from battle to exclusively civilian uses is not a recent phenomenon. The first military camouflage was used by the French on their trucks and automobiles (the only military vehicles of the day) and within three weeks of the German invasion of France in 1914, the couturiers of Paris, having observed them, had turned those abstract patterns into women's clothing. It symbolized modernity to them, the first industrial war. Ironically, this means that it was used for civilian clothing long before it was used for uniforms. Dazzle camouflage also inspired a trend of dazzlesque patterns used on clothing in England, in 1919 Chelsea Arts Club held a "Dazzle Ball", those attending wore disruptively patterned black and white clothing. The earliest camouflage artists were members of the Post- Impressionist and Fauve schools of France. Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and Art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. Les Fauves ( French for The Wild Beasts) were a short-lived and loose grouping of early The camouflage experts were, for the most part, painters like Forain, Camoin, Villon and Marcoussis, sculptors like Boucher and Despiau, and theatre set artists [4]. Jean-Louis Forain ( October 23, 1852 - July 11, 1931) was a French Impressionist painter lithographer watercolorist and Charles Camoin (1879 –1965 was a French painter associated with the Fauves. Jacques Villon ( July 31, 1875 - June 9, 1963) was a French Cubist painter and printmaker Louis Marcoussis, formerly Ludwik Kazimierz Wladyslaw Markus or Ludwig Casimir Ladislas Markus, (born 1878 or 1883 Warsaw - died October 22 1941 Cusset was a painter A French sculptor, Alfred Boucher ( September 23, 1850 – 1934 mentor to Camille Claudel and friend of Auguste Rodin Charles Despiau ( November 4 1874 – October 30 1946) was a French sculptor Camouflage schemes of the First World War and Interwar periods that employed disruptive patterns were often described as "cubist" by commentators, and Picasso is even said to have claimed "We invented that (camouflage)". Despite this, there is little evidence that the cubists themselves were employed as camoufleurs.

While many hundreds of artists were involved in the development of camouflage during and since World War I, the disparate sympathies of the two cultures restrained the use of "militaristic" forms in works other than those of war artists. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A war artist, also known as a combat artista captures the experience of War in an Artistic manner whilst based in the battlefield Since the 1960s, however, artists have seized upon camouflage as a means to twist and subvert it away from its military origins and symbolism. The concept of camouflage - to conceal and distort shapes - is also a popular artistic tool.

Artists using camouflage include:

Camouflage garments had a similarly hesitant adoption, although military styling has a long history of civilian use. Military patterns initially found civilian markets amongst hunters and, through military surplus, in those seeking clothing that was tough, well-made, and cheap in the United States and other countries. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. Military surplus are goods usually Matériel, that are sold at public Auction when no longer needed by the Military. The steady output from countries using a national service model was influential, and several countries (initially the 'winning' sides of World War II, where there was less negative connection with military-wear) became significant markets. National service is a common name for mandatory or voluntary government service programs (most often focusing on military service In the United States in the 1960s, military clothing became increasingly common (mostly olive drab rather than patterned camouflage); interestingly, it was often found worn by anti-war protestors, initially within groups such as Vietnam Veterans Against the War but then increasingly widely as a symbol of political protest. See also Green This article is about notable Tints and shades of the Color Green. Opposition to US involvement in the Vietnam War is significant because domestic protest in the U Vietnam Veterans Against the War ( VVAW) is a tax-exempt Non-profit organization and Corporation, originally created to oppose the Vietnam War In the years after the Vietnam War, camouflage military clothing became very popular among many people, replacing olive-drab military clothing.

The "rebellious" links of civilian camouflage diminished through the 1970s and beyond as more mainstream groups adopted a style seen as youthful and anti-establishment. Fashion has since become increasingly eager to adopt camouflage - attracted by the striking designs, the "patterned disorder" of camouflage, its symbolism (to be celebrated or subverted [vide its use by Hello Kitty]), and its versatility. Fashion design is the Applied art dedicated to Clothing and lifestyle Accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time full name, is the best-known of many simply drawn Fictional characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Early designers include Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (1975-), Roland Chakal (1970), Stephen Sprouse (using Warhol prints, 1987-1988), and Franco Moschino (1986), but it was not until the 1990s that camouflage became a significant and widespread facet of dress from streetwear to high-fashion labels - especially the use of "faux-camouflage". Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, also known as JC/DC, born 28 November 1949 in Casablanca Morocco, is a fashion designer Stephen Sprouse ( September 12, 1953 - March 4, 2004) was a Fashion designer and Artist credited with pioneering the 1980s Francisco Moschino (born February 27, 1950 - September 18, 1994) was an Italian Fashion designer remembered for his unusual Producers using camouflage in the 1990s and beyond include: John Galliano for Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garçons, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana, Issey Miyake, Armani, Yves Saint-Laurent, and others. Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano Guillén, CBE, RDI (born November 28 1960) professionally known as John Galliano, is a Gibraltarian Christian Dior ( January 21, 1905 &ndash October 23, 1957) was an influential French Fashion designer, best known as the Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963 in New York City) is an American Fashion designer He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton ( pronounced /lwi vɥitɔ̃/ or sometimes shortened to LV, is a French luxury fashion Comme des Garçons, French for "like boys" is a Japanese fashion label headed by Rei Kawakubo, who is also its sole owner Chanel SA ʃəˈnɛɫ) is a Parisian fashion house created by Coco Chanel. Thomas Jacob Hilfiger (born March 24, 1951 in Elmira New York) is a American Fashion designer and founder of the brand Tommy Dolce & Gabbana (ˈdolt͡ʃe ænd gaˈbana is an Italian Fashion house. is a Japanese Fashion designer He is known for his technology-driven Clothing designs exhibitions and fragrances Giorgio Armani SpA is an Italian fashion company The company designs and manufactures products in several categories including fashion accessories apparel cosmetics Yves Saint Laurent is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé.

Certain companies have become very closely associated with camouflage patterns (such as Maharishi and mhi, Zoo York, Addict, 6876, A Bathing Ape, Stone Island, and Girbaud), using and overprinting genuine military surplus fabric, and have also extended the patterns by creating their own designs or integrating camouflage patterns with other symbols. Zoo York is a style and Social philosophy inspired by the New York City graffiti art subculture of the 1970s A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) is a Japanese Clothing company founded by Tomoaki "Nigo" Nagao in 1993 Stone Island is a make of designer fashion clothing The label was set up by Italian Designer Massimo Osti in 1982 as a Marithé François Girbaud is a French based High-end Clothing company founded in 1969 by husband and wife François and Marithé Girbaud The use of original patterns in new (often bright) colors is also common.

Some countries such as Barbados, Aruba, and other Caribbean nations have strict laws that prohibit camouflage clothing from being worn by non-military personnel, including tourists and children. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting These laws may be motivated by the fear that a tourist might be mistaken by government troops for insurgents, or vice versa, and fired upon.


References

  1. ^ Blechman/Newman, Hardy/Alex (2004). DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material. Department of Publications, Maharishi. ISBN 0-9543404-0-X.  
  2. ^ Blechman/Newman, Hardy/Alex (2004). DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material. Department of Publications, Maharishi. ISBN 0-9543404-0-X.  
  3. ^ Newark, Tim (2007). Camouflage. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-51347-7.  
  4. ^ Blechman/Newman, Hardy/Alex (2004). DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material. Department of Publications, Maharishi. ISBN 0-9543404-0-X.  

External links

Further reading

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic