Allied Aircraft Winter Camouflage

[palmtree]

Hi,

Can anyone help me please?

Excluding Soviet aircraft, did the Allied aircraft ever "sport" winter camouflage?

Thanks

Pt.

[Bill Walker]

I seem to recall photos of US aircraft in temporary winter schemes for exercises just before Pearl Harbor.

[Graham Boak]

There was a specific camouflage drawn up for Hurricane operations in Norway, with the light Sky Grey colour underneath and taken up the fuselage sides, but it was not used on the aircraft that actually went.

Other than that, and it's marginal enough, I can't think of any.

[brewerjerry]

Hi
only thing that springs to mind are the meteors, in holland.
cheers
Jerry

[vingtor]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

There was a specific camouflage drawn up for Hurricane operations in Norway, with the light Sky Grey colour underneath and taken up the fuselage sides, but it was not used on the aircraft that actually went.

Other than that, and it's marginal enough, I can't think of any.

It is believed by several people that this scheme was applied to the Gladiators of 263 Squadron that were sent to Norway, using a poor quality photo as "evidence". However after seeing a good quality copy of the same photo it is quite clear that the standard green and brown colours were used.

Many Norwegian Air Force aircraft were painted in winter camouflage in April/May 1940 though, if these count as Allied aircraft.

Nils

[atckyrre]

Apparently the Meteors in Holland were painted white for ID and not for winter camo. As genuine winter camo I can only think of the Norwegian planes in 1940 and possibly Finnish aircraft in late 1944 early 45, though I can't say if I have any proof of winter camo in that time frame.

[Graham Boak]

I have also seen it argued that one of the 263 Sq aircraft was a borrowed Sea Gladiator, which would also have this high demarcation and Sky Grey undersides.

But not as a winter scheme, no.

Painting the Meteors white overall suggests that this was indeed for ID purposes, as otherwise only the uppersurfaces need be painted.

Not Allied, but possibly outside the the original poster's thought, the Japanese did use a light camouflage for aircraft on the northern islands. I don't believe that the Americans did in the Aleutians.

[vingtor]

263 Squadron did receive a Sea Gladiator because the squadron lost one of its own Gladiators on the carrier.

This is the photo that has been used as "proof" of the Arctic scheeme being applied to the Gladiators:



I have however seen a much better copy of this photo, not a copy of a copy of a copy like the one above but one made directly from the original negative. This reveals the camouflage pattern on the fuselage sides that correspond with the standard camouflage scheme for RAF biplane fighters as described in Air Diagram 1162. Myth busted!

Nils

[CJE]

A Winter camo, what for?
Apart for a very short time in Norway, no Allied aircraft fought in the snow.
Even the US 11th AF in the Aleoutians thought they could do without it, persistent fog being a much better camouflage than a coat of white paint.

[Graham Boak]

Winter 1939/40 in Northern France,and the same area in 1944/45, when the British and US Armies adopted limited white camouflage. Winter in Northern Italy. Operations over Norway, and parts of the British Isles any normal winter. The Aleutians. The RAF at Murmansk, and operating from Iceland.

There are enough possible examples to make it a sensible question, though the answer is no.