Strange camouflage

[stona]

I was trawling the German state archives for Ju88 piccies and found the image below. Definitely an unofficial scheme with the blotches on the lower surfaces. What possible purpose do they serve?

Answers on a post card please!

Also having posted a Walrus being pulled by an elephant, here is a Junkers being pulled by the German tug of war team. They don't look like they are trying to me.

Enjoy

Steve

[Guest]

You got me on the mottle fuse there mate, but I see there is also a band of "spots" on the underside of the wings just outboard of the insignea,strange

Theuns

[spanner570]

Steve, just a thought....Do you think it might be done to try and break up the outline/shape and confuse anyone attacking from below? Rather like the dark dazzle lines effect you can see on warships to 'alter' the silhouette.

Probably miles off but it's all I can come up with!

Ron

[Guest]

it got shot by a tommy gun lol

[stona]

I really don't know. I haven't seen it on a Luftwaffe bomber before. I think Ron may be on the right lines. Some Italian camouflage wrapped around the front of the wings in stripes or mottles and I believe that some RAF units in North Africa imitated this on their Hurricanes. Whether this was for the camouflage when attacking ground targets, or to look Italian head on I don't know.

That bomber is from I./KG77. My knowledge of Luftwaffe bomber groups is limited and all I know is that they were in the Mediterranean theatre at this time.The Ju88 was originally designed as a dive bomber,though it seems not to have been used operationally in dives steeper than 45 degrees. I don't think that aircraft has the dive brakes fitted to early versions but it may certainly have been making fairly low level ground or shipping attacks.

Theuns, I noticed that on the wings too as well as the entire underside of the horizontal stabilisers. I think the "spots" are in the darker of the two upper colours which would be RLM 70 (black green). Everything else looks regulation.

Steve

[Guest]

Struggling to find any further data relating to the spots on the underside, other than the wikipedia search however here's a good reference book on Scribd JUNKERS JU 88 IN ACTION, PT 1, SQUADRON 1085 and JUNKERS JU 88 IN ACTION, PT 2, SQUADRON 1113...the nearest such camo effect was painted on the underside of a torpedo squadron.

Hope this helps in some small way. Cheers.

Chris

[stona]

Thanks for that Chris,most helpful. There are a few good piccies in them. I'd seen a Ju88 from a torpedo squadron with a sort of mottle underneath and a few units applied the scribble or meander pattern in a way that encroached on the underside though I think this was a mis-interpretation of the relevant order! Luftwaffe camouflage really is a bit of a minefield. I think the intentional application of some kind of camouflage pattern to the lower surfaces may be linked to low level air to ground or anti shipping operations. I suspect the Luftwaffe may have copied this from their Italian allies.

Another weird mottle (obviously not a torpedo bomber):

Thanks again.

Steve

[Guest]

Guys, just as a matter of interest.Most SAAF tactical transport and recon planes were painted in a dark earth dark green on the undersides of the wings and tail also.Only the fuse was painted a mid grey on the C130/160's

The Cessna 185's ect were cammo all over eccept for a bit white " T" applied to the top if a big operationn was on,this was to be able to see a downed plane.

But then the SAAF did operate mostly between 50' and a 100' agl over SAW and Angola, there were stinger missles about!

Sorry for hijack.

Theuns

[stona]

Hi,Theuns,that is low level.That's not a hijack and anyway leads me on to this. You may have seen pictures of the restored Vulcan bomber (XH558) flying over here. Her Grey/Green camouflage covers both upper and lower surfaces and this was for low level operation or,as someone said,"to hide against a hill side" Now that's a big airplane to fly that low in.

BTW it costs £2 million a year to keep her in the air and she receives no public money,it's all down to us, so if anyone wants to give a couple of quid check out this site:

Vulcan 50th Birthday Appeal | Homepage

7 million people attended air shows in the UK last year,in no small part due to the presence of this magnificent machine.That's less than 30p each,a bargain by any standards.

Here she is:

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

That's an excellent vid Steve, shame I can't get the full glory of that amazing airplane's engines through my laptop speakers! But if you want bombers going low.... have a look at some nutty Russian driving a Backfire as though it's a fighter!

Patrick