Camouflage- a dumb question

[amiers]

For many years i have wondered about the use of camouflage on aircraft, as in does it really hide the aircraft when it is in the air? i can understand when it's on the ground. however German camo has always baffled me because of the yellow or white theater markings.

wouldnt a BF 109 with the whole nose, the tail and wing tips in yellow stand out like a sore thumb?

[obdl3945]

Hi, Amiers...

As I understand it, the yellow cowlings, wingtips, tailplanes etc were a means of quickly identifying friendly aircraft, and were used for the express purpose of 'standing out like a sore thumb', if you like. If a Bf109 was in a dogfight during the Battle of Britain, for example, it would have been an easy way to distinguish your fellow countrymen flying past at relatively close quarters, perhaps even unexpectedly. German bomber crews would have been able to tell the difference sooner whether or not the small black dots in the distance which were rapidly catching them up, were the escorting Bf109s or the attacking RAF fighters, and could act accordingly.

During the invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece, it should be remembered that both those countries had received Bf109s and Dornier Do17s (Yugoslavia) and Henschel Hs126s (Greece) from Germany prior to those campaigns, so again, from a distance, the German machines would have been recognised by their countrymen more easily, and the same would go for the early battles in the soviet Union.

Naturally, as the war deteriorated for Germany, the rapid I/D colours were largely dispensed with. I think there was always a need for some sort of easy recognition, hence the colourful Reichverteidigung bands on the home defence units, and on a couple of machines I can think of, an Fw190 and an Me410, completely white vertical tail surfaces. Even in the final months, I believe an order went out to air force units to clearly mark their machines with yellow once again. I know of one Fw189, 5H+RK, W.nr.125715, of Nahaufklärungsgruppe 16, (page 108 of Aufklärer by David Wadman, John Bradley and Barry Ketley - Hikoki Publications) with rudders, cowlings and quite possibly upper and lower wintips in yellow.

Germany wasn't alone in this pracitce though, but application differed, if you like. Japanese aircraft for example, almost always had a rapid I/D yellow strip along the wing leading edges, and presumably the aircraft of Vichy France were intended to be seen with their not-so-shy-and-retiring bright red and yellow engine cowlings.

Regards...

[Modeldad]

Simple answer is "air superiority". When you you have it you can afford to be more colorful / colourful. When you don't have it, you retreat to minimal markings and increase use of camouflage.

Classic example is the USAAF late '44 and '45. Natural metal finish with bright colors on the nose. Not just for IFF, but for Squadron pride.

[Graham Boak]

There are several different requirements, which change in priority with time and nation. I suggest the following, not in order of priority.

The first is concealment on the ground

The second is concealment in the air

The third is deception as to movement and/or shape

The fourth is quick identification at a distance - the yellow Luftwaffe markings you mention or the early-war RAF black/white undersides. Or D-Day stripes.

The fifth is national identification, according to the respective international treaties.

The sixth is unit/individual identification.

It is the interplay between these competing requirements that makes aircraft camouflage and markings such a fascinating and ever-changing subject.