[Bit-coin]

Although the European powers utilized khaki in the colonies, this practice wasn't carried on in Europe – so when the armies marched to war in 1914, some soldiers were still outfitted in bright uniforms that were more practical on the parade ground. This was most evident with the French Army, which wore a uniform little changed from that of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and included a dark blue jacket and red trousers – similar to the British uniform, it matched the colors of national flag.

[lusid]

While the DCU was considered an improvement over the DBDU, the U.S. Military sought to standardize the camouflage so that one Army Combat Uniform (ACU) could be worn in any environment. This led to the development of the U.S. Army's Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), which blended tan, gray and green to work equally well in desert, woodland, and even urban environments. The United States Marine Corps developed its own version in the Marine Pattern (MARPAT), while Canadian Forces utilized a similar pattern.

[chmod755]

In developing the DCU, desert soil samples from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were examined, and it was widely adopted by the late 1990s. The DCU was used in the October 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

[mcmoneysack]

What is unique about the UCP is that black is omitted from the uniform after it was found to be highly visible to both to the naked eye and modern optics. Instead several shades of gray are incorporated. This pattern is sometimes known as a "digital camouflage" as the colors resemble computer pixels.

[TylerJordan]

The diversity (and paucity) of colors and patterns used by the combatants during the war was striking, and in some respects reflected each nation’s character. Arguably the most artistic were the aircraft camouflage patterns of the Italians. German schemes were a marvel of practical efficiency and identity addressing both the wide array of field conditions, from arctic/winter to desert, as well as the need for friend/foe recognition, both air-to-air and ground-to-air. The British (with the startling exception of using pink for their reconnaissance aircraft) utilized an understated blending of earth tones that evoked images of flowing mud. The Soviet Union attempted through its heavy-handed bureaucracy to regulate camouflage schemes, but regional climate requirements and patriotic fervor on the factory floor largely defeated that effort. The Japanese, with the exception of a jaguar-like blotch pattern, employed a flat two-color coating (one for the top, another for the bottom). American AAF and Navy camouflage paint schemes (based on the Army-Navy Aircraft, or ANA, color standard adopted in June 1943 that combined two previous standards) also tended to be two flat monotones, more a reflection of the priority placed on high volume aircraft production.

[Kaporen]

Regardless of which figure is correct – and one would also have to take into account paint loss due to friction and other factors – pilots and crews noticed that all non-painted aircraft were faster, which helped boost morale. Squadrons of gleaming aluminum aircraft over enemy territory also sent another message – that the AAF had achieved air superiority to such an extent that it was no longer necessary for its warplanes to “hide.” more

[marcpage]

A B-24 “Liberator” of the 15th Air Force releases its bombs on the railyards at Muhldorf, Germany on March 19, 1945. The decision to not paint aircraft also sent a powerful message that air superiority had been established. U.S. Air Force photo more

[Dekember]

No record exists about how much a gallon of paint used on the aircraft weighed. Contemporary reports stated that with the elimination of the paint, fighters would be “fifteen to twenty pounds lighter” and heavy bombers would “lose seventy to eighty pounds.” One recent study on the subject noted that the paint during this period was undoubtedly lead-based and “probably copper fortified.” A gallon of such paint could weigh as much as 30 pounds, though for aircraft it was more likely to be in the 10-pound range. A B-17 has a surface area of 4,200 square feet and took about 35 gallons of paint to coat. If the paint weighed 10 pounds a gallon wet, after accounting for evaporation the weight would be roughly 300 pounds. Given that figure, eliminating the paint would indeed be a major weight reduction.

[tddert]

I ran into this problem recently when I purchased a Blackhawk Patrol Pack in ACU pattern. It was the exactly the backpack I wanted but not the exact color. So, I did a little Google-fu magic and discovered some great threads – particularly on ARFCOM – about dyeing nylon gear using Rit Dye. I decided to give it a try and see if I couldn’t get the bag to the color I desired.

[Hneal741]

Many of the instructions I found online had you boiling water while submerging the pouch in the pot and adding the dye. For the backpack, this was not feasible given the size of it and the fact that I did not have a pot big enough. So, I came up with plan B. I went to Home Depot and bought a 21 gallon galvanized metal tub from the garden section that will ultimately end up as a planter for me. I set it on the back deck and placed the backpack in the tub. I then used the two biggest pots I had to boil up water. The plan was: more

[melvster]

Water boiling on the stovetop. more

[Daniel]

In 1944 a further redesign of the two piece camouflage uniform was adopted. The jacket had larger, deeper breast pockets with a snap closure, accessible from outside or inside. The trousers had large cargo pockets front and back, also with snap closures. This uniform first saw service in Saipan (June 1944) and was used mixed with the earlier versions of the uniform through the end of the war. The photo to the right shows Marines in Saipan, firing a captured Japanese artillery piece (July 1944). here

[hamiltontak]

The U.S. Marine Corps used camouflage uniforms and gear in World War II, but only in the Pacific where camo fit naturally with the jungle fighting encountered there. In the ETO, where few Marines were deployed, German camouflage uniforms created the possibility of confusion so U.S. camouflage uniforms were rarely used.

[macje6645]

By the time of the landings on Guadalcanal (August 1942), the Marines had been outfitted with the then-new M1 steel helmet. In USMC use, the helmet was covered with a camouflage cloth cover, almost universally seen as the symbol of a Marine in combat. The cover was a component of the 1942 camouflage uniform ahd had the dual reversible color scheme. The 1944 version had slits pre-cut to attach locally obtained materials to the cover for further concealment. The photo to the left shows Marines landing on Okinawa, in Higgins boats, early April 1945. here

[redwine]

When used by the Marine Corps, the left breast pocket of both the one-piece and two-piece camouflage uniforms had "USMC" stenciled over the Eagle, Globe and Anchor Marine Corps symbol. here

[BillyBobBob]

There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.