Info needed: correct colours for WWII Aust vehicles

[Tony Wheeler]

Lang if you’re referring to the two Mortar carriers and the 2pdr carrier, I believe these are in Khaki Green / Light Earth scheme, which Young criticized on 13 Sept 42: “These colours are useless for disruption as they are much too close in tone and merge at a very short distance.” You can see what he means in that photo.

027529 Sydney 12 Dec 42 carriers parade KG3 Light Earth camo - Copy.JPG

Note also the enlarged frontal pattern on the AT carrier and gun shield compared to the trial pattern, which is otherwise identical. Early disruptive patterns under MC301 were way too small, especially 3-tone patterns, and instructions were issued to make them “bolder”. I believe they were designed originally by Victorian DHS committee and not Dakin himself, although he seems to have approved them. I guess we need to bear in mind that disruptive camo was in its infancy.

4120551 (2).JPG

[Lang]

Yes, I can see the panels in direct sunlight do merge their colours.

Lang

[Lang]

Just had a look at Dakin. Interesting bloke. Absolutely no military experience or qualifications on the requirements of battlefield camouflage but knew a lot about fish.

In the end, a camouflage system can only be judged subjectively by human observation and probably anyone with a bit of common sense could have come up with equally efficient, or inefficient, schemes given the facilities and trials he had access to.

Still, nobody in Australia was an expert in 1940, so they must have figured a bloke who knew how fish avoided being eaten must be just the shot for hiding tanks on a battlefield.

Lang

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dakin-william-john-5863

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lang

Absolutely no military experience or qualifications on the requirements of battlefield camouflage

Yes but you could say the same about CSIRO scientists consulted by Army in modern camo development. That’s all Dakin was for the military – a technical consultant. He only had authority over civil camouflage.

Originally Posted by Lang

anyone with a bit of common sense could have come up with equally efficient, or inefficient, schemes given the facilities and trials he had access to.

“In point of fact, excellent results can often be obtained by the exercise of common sense, imagination, and attention to detail; it is only in exceptional cases that the services of a specially trained officer should be required.”

EXCEPT…

“Disruptive painting is a positive menace when executed by the inexperienced; it should be left to experts.”

(Training memo 1940)

Originally Posted by Lang

Still, nobody in Australia was an expert in 1940

Exactly Lang, that was the whole problem, all the experience and expertise was within AIF and RAAF who were absent at the time. Plus of course Dakin had the ear of Menzies and promoted himself as Technical Director of Camouflage.


Simple Rules for Camouflage. Extract from Training Memorandum No.36 of 1940.jpg

War Cabinet April 1941 Establishment of Camouflage Organization. - Copy.jpg

[Lang]

A great deal of effort was wasted on camouflage of vehicles and fixed establishments as there are so many "tells" that the ones actually hidden are outnumbered in nearly every occasion by those clearly identifiable.

Here is a huge scale camouflage scheme (Boeing, Douglas, Vultee and others had similar schemes). What a waste of time! Any town street directory from pre-war would have the factories clearly marked and their positions are in flashing lights with rivers, bridges and other major features as bomb aiming indicators. How do you hide a major runway system?

http://iloveww2warbirds.com/fake-roo...of-wwii-video/

Lang

[Lang]

Here are a couple of Salvo vehicles. Effectiveness of paint seems to depend on sunlight.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Lang

Here are a couple of Salvo vehicles. Effectiveness of paint seems to depend on sunlight.

At least there is no doubt regarding the colour of the shield logo

Unless somebody wants to discuss the myriad variants of red

The second pic : The darker disruptive colour has a noticeable shine to it . Hmm