Small KM Patrol vessel Norway 44-45

Erich · #1 (**permalink**) January 30th, 2008, 06:35 PM

same ship note the camo from both sides ............ interesting eh ?

T. A. Gardner · #2 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 01:43 AM

Appears to be a converted trawler. The Camoflauge looks fairly typical of many smaller German vessels. The contrasting splinter pattern seems to have been popular with the KM. I don't think there was any official pattern involved but rather such things seem to have been left up to the ship's captain. My guess is that the colors are white, light grey, and black. Note the addition of a false bow wave. I doubt that was of much value but it does add interest.

JCFalkenbergIII · #3 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 03:05 AM

I love the dazzle type camo.

Von Poop · #4 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCFalkenbergIII

I love the dazzle type camo.

Me too.
Modern application of the technique:
Dunsfold Collection

Cheers,
Adam.

PzJgr · #5 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Poop

Me too.
Modern application of the technique:
Dunsfold Collection

Cheers,
Adam.

Ow, what a thing to do to a Landy. Not a fan of the L3 but I'll take the rest. Thanks for the link.

BTW, are you aware that the Indian Company TaTa Motors is purchasing Land Rover.

Erich · #6 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 02:09 PM

the last so-called dazzle pattern like the patrol vessel Elbe above was very effective in breaking up the ship to the ocean background and surface, it was even experimented on a very brief scale with S-boots but the boot was so small and the portions of white and very light grey worked quite well alone.. of course the use of full scale netting and brush trees as well in the case of use on the Ost frontier like Finland..........Kai should know this craft ?

also an S-boot in the same area

Erich · #7 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 02:35 PM

another interesting shot of an S-boot in one of the rare camo modes, possibly taken in the Med under Kemnades leadership-his Flottilla

JCFalkenbergIII · #8 (**permalink**) January 31st, 2008, 11:56 PM

I like the camo on Bild5. The scheme makes it look like two smaller ships LOL.
This site is pretty good and informative BTW.
Kreigsmarine Camouflage 1939 - 45 Pt 1

T. A. Gardner · #9 (**permalink**) February 1st, 2008, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erich

the last so-called dazzle pattern like the patrol vessel Elbe above was very effective in breaking up the ship to the ocean background and surface, it was even experimented on a very brief scale with S-boots but the boot was so small and the portions of white and very light grey worked quite well alone.. of course the use of full scale netting and brush trees as well in the case of use on the Ost frontier like Finland..........Kai should know this craft ?

also an S-boot in the same area

Actually, the US Navy did what amounts to probably the most extensive and scientific study of camoflauge of naval vessels to date very early into WW 2. One of their first findings was that small patterns like those shown above were of virtually no value on ships. This was because at typical combat ranges for ships (eg., thousands of yards plus) and against aircraft such patterns were not sufficently large for the eye to resolve. That is, they just blended into one color.
The result was that their own use of blotches (an unofficial "measure") was limited to the very early war period after which they fell out of use. The exception was on small coastal craft and landing craft operating inshore. On these the use of "greens" was authorized in several measures to allow such craft to be camoflauged against a coast at close range.
Instead, the US came up with basically one of three variants of camoflauge:

Solid color: Light colors for minimizing surface detection and against submarine detection. Dark colors were used for minimizing detection by aircraft.

Splinter patterns: These were large two or three high contrast color systems using either light or dark colors to add a degree of course and target deception to the camoflauge.

A solid hull stripe: This was a dark color band on the hull above which the ship was a solid light color. This was a compromise between the solid dark and solid light systems.

The US Navy was also unique in consistantly carrying over camoflauge patterns onto decks and horizontal surfaces. Overhangs on light systems were frequently required to be painted white to minimize shadows.

Erich · #10 (**permalink**) February 1st, 2008, 12:45 AM

true Terry one reason the KM got rid of the wild look by mid war, the S-boot arm as well and turned to the Schnellboote Weiße ~

T. A. Gardner · #11 (**permalink**) February 1st, 2008, 01:51 AM

As with the British Western Approaches scheme and US measure 14 of similar design white is highly effective in hiding a naval craft from surface detection and submarines in conditions of low visibility like fog, heavy cloud cover, and poor weather conditions. A good choice that the Germans likely copied from the British as the Americans did.

JCFalkenbergIII · #12 (**permalink**) August 16th, 2008, 09:16 PM

One of the first threads I posted on

. Thought I would bring it back up

JCFalkenbergIII · #13 (**permalink**) August 17th, 2008, 12:09 AM

Erich · #14 (**permalink**) August 17th, 2008, 08:54 PM

thanks for bringing this thread back JC I had totally forgotten about it .......

small ship Artillerie boot Bremse

the Prinz and a Zerstörer pounding the Soviets in the Finnenbusen in fall of 44

Nachtjagdshiff Togo

with loss of all sea space it was evident that the KM had to do it's best to conceal any and all it's shipping with many sailing at night, exposed they were sitting ducks the colour of the plain Jane grey-ocen/se-grey was used in effect.

two other sips in pre-43 break up camo

the Steuben

JCFalkenbergIII · #15 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2008, 04:04 AM

My pleasure

. I happened to like it and it was one of my first to respond to

.