What is camouflage? ( it can also be known as cryptic coloration) camouflage is a mix of different colors, materials, or illumination to conceal
or hide the person who is wearing it no matter what environment it is. The amount of time camouflage has been around for the amount of time animals have been around.
A good example of camouflage back in ancient times is octopuses where Aristotle noted the color-changing characteristics of the octopus. for thousands and millions of years, animals have always had color-changing characteristics.
The Evolution of Military Camouflage. The first people to use camouflage were centuries ago but up until the long-range rifles were made in the 15th century a lot of military personnel used to wear bright-colored clothing which made them very easy to spot which then made them switch to khakis to blend in with the environment or surroundings.
By the time world war one started a lot of soldiers had to worry about many more things other than guns. The development of camouflage sped up while military strategists did everything to conceal buildings, soldiers, ships, etc.
They also used the hide straight from zebras, armies also made “dazzle” which meant they painted boats and ships in different color combinations to blend in with the environment and also made it harder to determine their size and speed.
Concealment was mostly used on guns and also vehicles, concealment is the most common use of camouflage. The way camouflage is achieved is by altering the appearance of the object, like the shape, color, and characteristics. Camouflage artists create designs that are irregular but also blend in with the environment making it hard to determine its outline and size.
Germany during the First World War gave the crew and elite stormtroopers helmets that were painted in a disruptive pattern. Also, many British snipers painted their uniforms to blend in with the environment. Many of the helmets were painted and the technology to start printing the helmets was not made until the 1920’s
Visual deception is the other main form of camouflage technique. Unlike regular camouflage visual deception relies on the target to be seen by the opponent. The main reason for this type of camouflage is to make the opponent think that the object holds significant value which tricks the enemy into making bad decisions based on what they saw. An example would be a sniper shooting a mannequin thinking it’s a person revealing their position.
Related Stories
- https://www.heddels.com/2020/08/discernable-history-camouflage/
- https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/5-facts-about-camouflage-in-the-first-world-war
- https://armycadets.com/features/army-cadets-experts-explain-the-history-of-camouflage/
- https://ufpro.com/us/blog/military-camouflage?srsltid=AfmBOop68ezf0THiTtDJhsRCtaUm_zMoT-2HU2TJmHAJlb1hHRWmsaRK
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-war-of-deception.htm
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