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Sergeant: "I didn't see you at camouflage class this morning Private?" Private: "Thank you Sergeant"

My grandparents live near the NATO training grounds of Bergen in Germany. I was out in the forests there as a child and eventually discovered the edge of a tree line to what looked like a very large, open and quite sandy area, which was dotted with various large clumps and islands of bushes and birches. I was fascinated at seeing loads of spent cartridges, no doubt results from the training we had heard over the past weeks, strewn across the ground. A massive bush, just 50 m from me, turned its turret to me and laughed gayly as the soldiers inside caught sight of little me jumping out of my skin in shock and surprise. I’d totally overlooked a deadly chieftain tank, which in turn had been heavily camouflaged with bush material. An opening hatch revealed a smiling squady and eventually a whole troop who kindly fed me chocolate, a cup of tankers tea and let me sit on the turret. Childhood awesomeness moment

I would love to know why the Brits used pink for desert camo instead of plain sand beige, and why the Germans decided on grey instead of green for the early vehicles.

My UAV Unit went to Afghanistan in 2011. We were scheduled to support 10th Mountain in the north so our vehicles and equipment were all painted in woodland patterns. At the last minute we were assigned to the Marines in the southern desert area (Camp Dwyer). Nothing like being completely out of place.

Camo net is an horror to setup and stow. Hard on the hands, hard to setup, hard to remove. On exercises we moved twice a day so handling the net was a constant pain.

My father was in the North African desert (and Italy) from 39’ to 43’ he said in the field, unofficially they resorted to painting and throwing sand over the wet paint , tanks and trucks etc. he said it was as good as anything at camouflage, the art of camouflage is a fascinating subject 👌🏻😎

In 1946 and 1947 war surplus camouflage nets were used to disguise ski huts and caravans from the authorities at Mt Buller in Victoria Australia. Despite the post war ski boom in Australia, the state government was reluctant to authorise new ski lodges on the mountain, so people built huts or hid caravans just below the treeline and covered them with camouflage nets to stop them being detected by aerial surveillance. A few were found, but most were not. The huts only lasted a few years because a new subdivision was authorised in 1949 and an extra 21 ski lodges were built that year.

Fun fact: Nowadays they use specially designed paints, as your common wall paint (that they often used in WW2) will actually shine in UV, making it super-obvious for enemy sensors. Paints with reduced UV signature are very expensive, but pretty much a must-have if you want to stay hidden on a modern battlefield.

I appreciate that you showed an S-tank while explaining all the various S's of camouflage :)

With a big enough cannon, you can make almost anything disappear.

Early Klingon cloaking devices had the disadvantage of not being able to fire while cloaked. They fixed that flaw and tested it more or less successfully at the Khitomer Conference in 2293. Oh wait, wrong channel... 😅

Pity that you didn't mention soviet pre war school of painting armour it was actually something, even putting white for the winter wasn't as straightforward as it seems. There were instructions to put white paint in net patterns of different line thickness to make different shades of off white / green colour. And in cold war era eastern block tank crews were taught to paint camouflage patterns on their tanks in case of war. Plain green was peace time option to keep west as unaware or at least unfamiliar with wartime camo as possible. Nevertheless great and pleasurable to watch as always

Camouflage is an important factor on the modern battlefield that is often overlooked, nice to see it covered!

I read a few years ago that BAE simply slapped some LCD screens on the side of a tank with opposite side cameras as a test. This actually made the tank optically vanish from about 20 meters away. Given we now have low energy flexible OLED tech, it wouldn't surprise me if this actually has progressed further in testing.

That Maltese stonewall camouflage pattern looks great. Maybe it's time to buy a Matilda II model.

Can't argue with Chris' description of using a camnet, he did mention snagging on everything but buttons (on uniform) seemed to be a particular favourite!

There was another, rather unconventional, type of Soviet winter tank camo, that could work only in the extreme cold. A wet newspaper. They just quickly soaked a newspaper in water, layed it on the armor and in a matter of seconds it was frozen solid. A few years ago camo like this was spotted on the Belarusian tanks.

Oh! I didn't know the smoke grenades were made of red phosphorus. I always assumed it was white phosphorus (and other magical chemicals) because it obscures the tank from visible and IR light, showing basically a gigantic white blob on thermals. Thanks! Love learning small details like that.

A project at Aberdeen Proving Grounds was so effective that a range officer drove out to observe their progress. He pranged his jeep into a sitting armored vehicle, not having seen it.

Nice seeing the Malta scheme, I'm working on a Vulcan Light Tank Mk VI bearing that scheme. What a challenge, but fun to build.

When we were building the MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in the late 1980's I had the privilege of attending a four-day meeting on how we were going to paint the aircraft. The mission was to fly into deigned areas, usually at night to drop off or pick up people and cargo. We discussed one color, two color, three color and four-color schemes. The one-color schemes included what shade of color and flat or how glossy it should be. The multi color schemes included shades, gloss, and what to paint what in each color. I never saw so many people fight so hard for their pet paint scheme. Everyone was adamant they had the best idea. We ended up having a couple more meetings and settled for a variation of European Lizard.

The Israelis use a textured surface on their tanks to reduce shine and to give the crew a less slippery surface to walk on. Spaced floodlights can be very effective at certain distances to make vehicles virtually disappear along the horizon. Not tank camouflage, but I was impressed seeing British ski troops wearing white pants with green jackets. At first I thought they'd be visible at any range been when seeing them move in the distance near a tree line they became surprisingly difficult to see. Sometimes effective camouflage is rather counterintuitive.

You instantly reminded me "How not to be seen" by Monty Python;-D

These pictures at 2:44 are the first time I’ve ever understood dazzle camouflage. I genuinely always figured they were just a bit mad back then 😂

That was excellent. Whoever thought of including the ginormous Humbrol paint pot , clip , deserves a sense of humour gallantry medal, …😂. Did well whoever you are .✅

Wow one of my favourite Tank Museum videos in a while! Well done all involved.

I love how the Somua is cunningly camouflaged to be virtually invisible when behind a tank museum narrator. Exactly the same colours! :)

You'd be suprised what you cant see if youre not looking for it, especially at distance.

In ww1 and mid ww2 it was easy to camuflage a tank, everything was black and white😏

Imagine your grandpa telling stories of being in the 102nd inflatable Artillery Regiment or some such 9:02

Informative, fun to watch and well edited! Well done to the whole team

Interestingly, the first 'digital' camouflage, Dual-Tex, was invented specifically for tanks and other armored vehicles. (The idea was to add smaller blobs to the existing camouflage, to allow it to blend in when viewed at closer ranges or through binoculars.)

Amazing German skill of the moderator! Oliv(e)-Grün" or "Hinterhalt-Tarnung" were pronounced correctly, so I’d guess this Gentleman was on duty in Germany?!

Mr Tank has learned the first rule of Not Being Seen.

I was a red leg in the US army and can confirm camo nets are a nightmare to deal with. My worst experience with a gun net is when we were rolling one up a fingernail got caught in it and the net ripped most of it off. Not a fun time.

That Berlin camouflage was quite good in the demonstration.

A former German tank driver said about the Allied tanks in Normandy that the solid dark green used made them easier to see as they stood out as a regular shaped green lump.

A simple idea. A complex requirement. A clear explanation of the issues and solutions over the years. Excellent presentation.

Thank you so much, for the effort and expertise you bring to public. Your channel is truly a jewel in the UKposts military channels. (though you should do at least one video in a robot voice with stock footage just to remind us of all the effort and research your team puts into thier work).

I rread somewhere that a lot of WW2 firefly crews just painted the front half of the barrel white to reduce its apparent length from a distanc.

It would have been nice to hear about the modern tank "jackets" which also hide thermals.

Phenomenal video, that 20 minutes just flew by. Tank Museum’s videos just get better and better

I remember a Sgt instructor starting his lecture. .... Camouflage is all about hiding, and it's an aspect of war I'm very keen on. Then he explained shine shadow shape, and all the other hints and tips for staying alive. It was entertaining and useful.

I remember a video about an electric APC. No more noise and heat. It wasn't any smaller though. And Germany had a stealth Leopard for tests. Worked well, but wasn't adopded.

I appreciate your frustrations with camo netting. Great video.

Having served in the SADF as a gunner in the artillery, I can attest to the comment on the difficulty of deploying printed camo nets. Trying to spread it or taking it down without without it snagging on anything and everything was impossible. And sometimes, as soon as everything seems to have settled down, the cry "cease fire, hook up" was heard. Enough to make a gunner use language that would not be acceptable in polite society. But...the chaps who manned the G5's in Angola during the Bush War were never discovered by the Angolan Air Force or the Cuban pilots searching for them. Strict fire discipline, superb camouflage and effective surveillance of the opposition's movements allowed the guns to be used to maximum effectiveness.

excellent production with excellent information.

waaaauw this is so much more interesting i would have ever imagined. 10 minutes in. Thank you for this deep information even with RAL!! This is fantastic. And it contains my favourite tanks too. Who cares about the new stuff. Different people will do that in 75 years or so

A very interesting video. While I knew some of it at least on some level through off-hand mentions as well as from experience in video games, this was a well put together collection of all the important aspects and a bunch of interestin details.

This is very interesting AND informative! Thank you.

Well, you cannot hide how brilliant this episode is. I just love it when people who have served present as they have the inside knowledge. I still cringe thinking about those damned camo nets to this day.

I used to hunt extensively.( in the states) and it was poor- kid subsistence hunting, not for sport. I noticed that the Mourning Dove has a coloration which blends into almost any ground environment. It may not be the best in every situation, but as a generalist it is by far the best. If you look at it closely it seems to be a combination of gray and pink. It blends in sandy soil, a plowed field, gravel, grass, etc.

Thank you. A really interesting informative video

Very informative. Many thanks.

Fascinating. Thank you. 👍🏻

I never knew about the vision ports (04:05). That is darn smart, and -- pun intended -- so evident to do that!

Thanks for this, I'm always on the lookout for new camo schemes for my Warhammer 40K Imperial Guard tanks :D

Aside from the well made and interesting video, I may point out the almost flawless german pronounciation. Well done.

What I missed is that tank crews often hang up an old carpet at the front of the tank, and let it hang down between the treads. The "hole" below the tank chassis can be highly visible.

Another brilliant video. Thank you

Camouflage has to by the coolest part of anything! Animals, vehicles, people. It's my favorite subject

Absolutely wonderful and informative video

Sublimely Shakespearian introduction with it's sublte repetition of the letter(s) "s", and another loverly glimpse of our beloved Stridsvagn S, I also fondly remember Humphrey Bogart in a Grant/Lee in "Sahara" (1943) from long-gone screenings on the telly as a child. Looked a bit like my dad he did too, or vice versa, but we didn't have too many tanks during WWII, so dad did his bit as a sparky in the Swedish Navy, as did my uncle who was on minesweepers at the time. But I do miss Workshop diaries.

When I was activated for Desert Storm, all our tanks and HUMVEEs had this awesome woodland pattern for combat in Eastern Europe. Our maintenance guys had to knock out hundreds of vehicles in desert sand color. Even the road wheels, treads, and tires were painted. It wore off, but looked comical coming out of the motor pool. I can still remember that smell of new paint.

Thank you for the comments on the cammo nets... Gods what a bugger to deal with!

Great in-depth chat by Chris into the age of camouflage from the early days of fighting tanks. Through to the modern digital era camouflaged tanks. We also mustn’t forget this was adapted into the very first aircraft used for war, to the stealth paints used in modern aircraft to reduce signatures in the air. The use of camouflage in WWI was important baby steps used by soldiers not so much uniforms until WW2. Even then it was limited use due to the possibility of blue on blue targets, mistaking them as Germans.

If you want to make tanks disappear employ accountants!

Great historical information., presented very well.

I find this topic exceptionally interesting and I would totally love in-depth videos about its aspects. The evolution of paint colours, other characteristics of paints, characteristics and design of surfaces, noise and infrared camouflage, different smoke screens, everything with its pros and cons. Why were the desert rats pink? Why aren't there steady racks for camo netting on tanks that would help throw the netting over like a tent? Why aren't temporary quick-apply paints used that can be easily washed off? I believe there is very very much to tell.

A friend of mine was a tank driver in Germany in the 1980s. They were told it would likely take 15 minutes before they would be overrun by the masses of Russian armor.

Really interesting, thanks

"In this picture there are forty people. None of them can be seen. In this film we hope to show you how not to be seen." Sorry, I could not resist.

Want to say I appreciate the honesty of stating that the paint is a reconstruction. Far too many places would be willing to go "oh that beautiful paint job that sits upon our wonderful display, totally from the war!" I remember going to a castle museum in Germany where there was a suit of armor on display listed as 100% real and non-restored but there were Philip's head screws on the side of the helmet. Wonderful piece but "restored for display" would be been far more honest.

Missed those amazing sky blue mixed with something else sort of camo, for costal or arid areas to blend with sky/sea backdrop Bright blue camo looks amazing too

The coolest in camo these days have to be the new stuff for the CV90 vehicle.. The adaptive camo that can make the IR signature change to more or less whatever you wish.

"Possibly the future tank will be like our stealth-tank" But I never saw a stealth tank in the video! AAAAhhhhhh!! Great video!

BAE Systems that make the CV90 has also made a variant/concept of this model. It’s called “the ghost”. It uses hexagonal shaped heaters to camouflage its heat signature and blend in with its surroundings.

Love the Christmas Advertisement. Top Marks.

Many thanks!i learned a much👌

I applaud your shoe horning of Olympic into this presentation. Maritime history and tanks are my two favorite things to learn about. When I get the opportunity to travel to the UK, Bovington and the White Swan Hotel are two must visit stops I will make.

Well done. Again

During the Gallipoli Campaign the Australian troops used water tanks made by a Melbourne company Furby. Because of the fact that different troops met and chatted they swoped and spread rumours and tall tales these became known as Furbies. So deception spread by water tanks. Furby is now remembered by being the name of a beer.

Thanks!

This was epic

Fab. Thanks!!

Great video

It's a really interesting video, but did not understood why this man is talking about tanks in an empty museum, also found really strange how he could sometimes float in the air.

Day 158 PLEASE DO MORE EVALUATION OF TANK DOCTRINES and evaluate of tank veiw ports and parascopes

Danke!

Impressive imagery.

Another camouflage method someone told me about was distraction. A small group went to a place where the force wasn't and lit a fire. As soon as the fire was going they got the heck out of there. The method seemed to work because they did it again later.

Tanks are also very good at helping to camouflage other vehicles. Park one on top of a car for example, and former becomes almost completely invisible.

The mantra shape, shine, shadow & etc was lost on our senior ranks. In 1970 our bronze green equipment was taken away for repainting and came back a few days later with the new black/green camouflage scheme, nice and dull. The first thing we were told to do was... polish it!

I love how everything old eternally seems to be new again... A few examples include: - "There's no more 'other' side of the hill" (as argued from the invention of the hot air balloon to the aeroplane to the satellite to the drone) - "The tank is dead (as argued from before its inception when the British army said trenches weren't important enough to warrant such a machine to the invention of anti-tank rifles and use of artillery in a direct fire mode to the invention of man-portable rocket launchers, ATGMs and now drones) - "Cheap and simple is best" (as argued everytime a revolutionary but expensive military technology is invented and / or introduced)

Camouflage nets were created from fishing nets - camouflage material was tied in at the "Netzboden" where the nets were made by net makers

I have to admit I once almost drove into a tank once that was crossing the road across Salisbury Plain. Thought wow I didn't see that there, then reflected and realised that that was the point of the tank really.

1:19 Wow! That’s an incredible silhouette.

Very interesting video thanks. Especially the difference between offensive, and defensive thinking - which was perhaps glossed over a little) All effective camouflage is defensive - hide, and don't move. Move, and it's all over - why bother with camouflage indeed.

Another great video.... Huzzah!!! 😊