Great Britain RAF - Day Fighter Scheme (August 1941 to end of 1940s)
Germany (Nazi) Luftwaffe - 1940 Fighter Scheme (Since May 1940)
Slovakia SVZ - Khaki Camouflage Scheme (1939 - 1944)
USA USAAF - OD Green Scheme (1940 - 1953)
Finland Ilmavoimat - 1940 Camouflage Scheme (1938-1942)
France Armee de l'Air/Aeronavale - Multicolour Scheme (1938-1942)
Yugoslavia VVKJ - 1938 Camouflage Scheme (1938-1941) VVKJ - 1939 Fighter Camouflage Scheme (1939-1940) VVKJ - Modified Three-tone Camouflage Schemes (1940-1941)
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FranceArmee de l'Air/Aeronavale - Multicolour Scheme1938-1942
On December 6, 1938, the French Air Ministry issued an official circular [Instruction
No.1422], calling for the immediate camouflage of all land-based operational aircraft.
Initially, the order only specified Kaki for the upper and side surfaces, and [Gris bleu
clair] for the undersides. The [French Kaki] paint had in fact a more or less yellowish olive
green shade. Both colours had a matt finish and were applied following a 'flowing'
soft-edged demarcation line along the fuselage flanks and the wing leading edges.
As this measure was deemed insufficient, it was stipulated that these two basic shades were
to be further mixed using [Vert fonce, Ombre calcinee, Terre de Sienne naturelle, Blanc,
Noir], and even [Rouge] and [Bleu] in order to obtain various darker colours that should be
applied in large soft-edged blotches, with no particular geometrical shape, over the upper
and side surfaces of aircraft. As can be easily imagined, the resulting variations in tone
and shade could only be described as almost infinite.
A certain degree of standardization was attained, however, with the issue of standard colour
charts by the paint producers during 1939-1940. Thus, the [Gris bleu fonce] and the [Terre
foncee], used almost universally thereafter in combination with the ubiquitous [Kaki], made
their debut. In late 1941, a new official note instructed that the demarcation line between
the upper surfaces camouflage colours and the undersides [Gris bleu clair] was to be
re-situated higher up than before on the fuselage sides for a better air-to-air concealment.
The aircraft already in service were progressively camouflaged by the units during 1939,
while the new machines got their camouflage finishes at the factories. The painting of the
latter was made following the instructions issued by the [Direction Technique et Industrielle
- DTI], which gave them, if not a perfect harmonization, at least a certain degree of
uniformity according to series, type or factory. In general, the camouflage was applied
without following a precise pattern, and although some types ([MB.174, LeO 451]), received a
more or less homogeneous scheme, all that can be said for sure about the application of the
[WWII French multicolour scheme] is that it remained fairly random throughout the entire war.
 Kaki |
 Gris bleu fonce |
 Terre foncee |
 Gris bleu clair |
Note: Due to the lack of an official standard colour chart, the colour of French
paints could have different values depending on the manufacturer or even the production
batch. The samples above must be considered only illustrative, as the shades of the actual
camouflage paints applied onto aircraft could vary slightly in hue.
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ANF-Les Mureaux 117 (N174/'2')
GAO I/551, Attigny, France, September 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Bloch MB.131 (N92/'1')
2e Escadrille, GR I/14, Martigny-les-Gervonveaux, France, September 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Dewoitine D.510 (N261/'5')
2e Escadrille, GC I/8, Hyeres, France, September 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Potez 630 (N44/'2')
3e Escadrille, GC II/1, Buc, France, September 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Morane-Saulnier MS.406 (N59/'9')
2e Escadrille, GC I/7, Sfax, Algeria, December 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Amiot 354 (N4)
GB II/21, La Ferte-Gaucher, France, May 1940. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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ANF-Les Mureaux 115 (N119)
GAO I/520, Morhange, France, May 1940. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Arsenal VG.33 (N7)
GC I/55, Bordeaux, France, June 1940. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Bloch MB.131 (N12)
Centre d'Instruction au Bombardement, Toulouse, France, May 1940. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Bloch MB.152 (N136/'8')
4e Escadrille, GC II/1, Couvron, France, May 1940 (Pilot: Sergent-Chef Roquerbe) Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Bloch MB.174 (N30)
3e Escadrille, GR I/52, St. Dizier, France, May 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Bloch MB.210 (N41)
GB I/21, La Ferte-Gaucher, France, May 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Breguet Br.693 (N1021/'I')
2e Escadrille, GBA I/51, Toulouse-Francazal, France, June 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Caudron-Renault CR.714 (N18/'11')
1e Escadrille, GC I/145, Dreux, France, June 1940 (Pilot: Podporucnik Marian Lukaszewicz) Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Curtiss H-75A-1 (N84/'14')
1e Escadrille, GC I/4, Dunkirk-Mardyck, France, May 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Dewoitine D.510 (N75/'5')
Centre d'Instruction a la Chasse, Etampes, France, June 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Dewoitine D.520 (N90/'2')
1e Escadrille, GC I/3, Meaux-Esbly, France, May 1940 (Pilot: Sous-Lieutenant Michel Madon) Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Douglas DB-7 (N79)
GB II/32, Algiers-Maison Blanche, Algeria, June 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Glenn Martin 167F (N187,'3')
GB I/62, Toulouse, France, June 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Liore et Olivier LeO.451 (N43/'35')
3e Escadrille, GB II/12, Persan-Beaumont, France, May 1940 (Pilot: Capitaine Knipping) Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Morane-Saulnier MS.406 (N803/'11')
6e Escadrille, GC III/6, Coulommiers, France, May 1940 (Pilot: Sergent Arnould de Gerviliers) Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Potez 39 (N?)
GAO 504, Cannes-Le Bocca, France, October 1939 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Potez 633 (N21R)
2e Escadrille, GBA I/51, Etampes, France, May 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Potez 63.11 (N814/'5')
1e Escadrille, GR I/14, St. Simon-Clastres, France, April 1940 Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
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Amiot 143 (N86/'1')
4e Escadrille, GB II/38, Troyes-Barberey, France, May 1940 Note: The original Bleu fonce finish has been retained on the undersides after the upper surfaces got the new camouflage colours in 1939. Artist: © Andre Jouineau |
by Stephen Sender
Last update: 05/08/2013
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