Australian camouflage
Paul
Best bet is to find a picture of the vehivcle you wish to model and post it here for people to explain in detail.
You may be interested in the following information drawn from original documents. I would, however, note that the following information is the offical line on camouflage and only half the story. The second part is how these instructions were interpreted and implemented by individual units.
Military Board Instruction MBI 94
15th August, 1940.
Adoption of “Paint, Khaki Green, No. 3”
All Military vehicles, artillery equipment and general stores, previously painted in service colour will be painted in Khaki Green, No. 3
Mechanization Circular No. 301
2nd. January, 1942.
Mechanical Vehicles- Camouflage Disruptive Painting.
Approval to paint all mechanical vehicles in disruptive camouflage. The “Geneva” cross on A.A.M.C. vehicles must not be obliterated.
Gas-resisting paint to be used along with camouflage paint, Type B, Australian Standard Specification, Emergency Standard No. (E) K.507 to be used for colours other than gas-resisting.
Basic colour of vehicles for use in Australia is Khaki Green No. 3: those for the A.I.F. being Light
Stone B.S.C. 61 (British Standard Colour No. 61). Both gas-resisting.
One coat only of disruptive paint is to be applied, either by brush or spray, on top of the basic colour, in either the following three-tone or two-tone designs. All edges are to be kept sharp, it may be necessary to paint the boundary between two colours to obtain sharp definition.
The colour combinations employed:
__________________________________________________ _______________
Light Tone Medium Tone Dark Tone
__________________________________________________ _______________
Three-Tone
1. Light Stone N. Light Brown P. Khaki Green J.
2. Light Green H. Khaki Green J. Black U.
3. Light Stone N. Light Green H. Khaki Green J.
4. Light Stone N. Khaki Green J. Dark Green M.
5. Light Stone N. Light Brown P. Basalt Red S.*
Two-Tone
6. Light Stone N. Khaki Green J.*
7. Light Brown P. Khaki Green J.*
__________________________________________________ ________________
The colour combination selected should approximate to the colours of the country in which it is expected the vehicle will operate.
-For Australian Coastal areas use Sets No. 2, 3, 4, or 6
-For Australian Central and Northern Areas use Set No.5 or 7
Set No.1 will merge under almost any circumstances.
The registration number will, after disruptive painting, be clearly painted in white on the rear of the vehicle and on both sides of the bonnet, or equally suitable locations where bonnets are not available.
The dimensions of letters and figures will not be less than:-
Height .. .. 3 ½ inches
Overall Width .. 2 ½ inches
Width of every part of each letter.. 5/8-inch.
Or figure
Mechanization Circular No. 319
28th July 1942.
Mechanical Vehicles-Camouflage Disruptive Painting
Replace Mechanization Circular No. 301, 309 as applicable and 311.
All vehicles painted according to MC. No. 301 shall not be repainted unless G.O.C deems that existing pattern is unsuitable.
Vehicles carrying the “Geneva” cross will not be camouflaged.
Basic colour for vehicles for use in Australia is Khaki Green A.S.C. “J”, gas resisting and the disruptive colour is to be Light Earth A.S.C. “W”.
Only one coat of disruptive colour is to be applied, either by brush or spray on top of the basic colour. All edges are to be kept sharp, it may be necessary to paint the boundary between two colours to obtain sharp definition.
G 1918 Mechanical Vehicles- Camouflage Disruptive Painting
14th November 1942
Referring to G 1862 of 8th November 1942 :
(a) Delete Khaki Green and substitute Veh Dark Green.
(b) Delete Light Earth and substitute Veh Light Gray.
SM 4809. Mechanical Vehicle – Camouflage Disruptive Painting. 4th March 1943
This instruction will supersede and cancel Mechanization Circular No. 319
Vehicles (excluding vehicles bearing “Geneva Cross”) will be painted in disruptive camouflage in accordance with charts.
Only one coat of disruptive colour is to be applied, either by brush or spray on top of the basic colour. All edges are to be kept sharp, where painting is by hand. When application is by spray diffused colour boundaries will be permitted.
Charts display disruptive schemes of Vehicle Dark Green, Vehicle Medium Green and Vehicle Grey.
Allied Forces in S.W. Pacific Area, Master-General of the Ordnance. 21st December 1943.
Disruptive camouflage shall be applied in the field in operational areas only when local conditions makes a camouflage scheme desirable; this will be carried out in conformity with SM 4809 which will be amended by deleting Medium Green and substituting Khaki Green No. 3 as the basic colour.
Aust Adv. Ord. Depots are instructed to re-demand Paint on the following percentages: -
Khaki green No. 3 86%
Dark Green 7%
Grey 7%
General Routine Orders No. 278.
28th July 1944.
Painting of MT Vehicles
Vehicles will, in future, be painted in a single colour, namely Khaki Green No. 3, and will be finished in “egg-shell” in lieu of existing “matt” finish.
Disruption of the basic colour (Khaki Green No. 3) will be permitted in operational areas only, at the discretion of the G.O.C, and shall be in accordance with pamphlet “Painting of Mechanical Vehicles (including camouflage painting)(Interim)”
All previous instructions regarding the painting of MT vehicles is cancelled.
Hope this is of some help
Shane Lovell
Canberra, Australia
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