| D. mech. /CC S e c r e t 2nd January , 1942 MECHANISATION CIRCULAR NO. 301 MECHANICAL VEHICLES - CAMOUFLAGE DISRUPTIVE PAINTING 1. Approval has been given for all vehicles to be painted in disruptive camouflage . The Geneva Cross on A.A.M.C. vehicles must not be obliterated by the camouflage painting. 2. Action is to be taken to ensure that the disruptive painting design and colour combination employed are selected to suit each type of vehicle , having regard to the operational role and locality of the unit concerned . This selection is to be made by Command or District headquarters in conjunction with the state representatives of the Defence Camouflage Committee , where such exist . 3. Gas resisting paints should be used , if available , but disruptive painting is not to be postponed on this account . Camoflage paint, Type B , Australian Standard Specification, Emergency Standard No. ( E ) K.507 is to be used for colours other than gas resisting . Paints are to be purchased locally . Australian paint manufacturers are at present supplying gas resistant paints in Khaki Green No. 3 and Light Stone B.S.C. No. 61 ( British Standard Colour No. 61 ) 4. The basic colour for vehicles for use in Australia is Khaki Green No. 3 ; those for the A.I.F. being Light Stone B.S.C. 61 . As a result of diversions of certain vehicles originally intended for the A.I.F., there are some vehicles in Commands and Districts which are painted Light Stone colour. It should not be necessary to repaint any such vehicles. 5. Above paints may be purchased which are textured during manufacture . This is intended to prevent the development of sheen with consequent loss of camouflage effect . Such paints are desirable but not essential . If it be found that any paint develops a sheen , it may be textured with sand . As a guide , a satisfactory texture may be obtained by adding 30% by weight of sand , the sand to consist of one third 60 / 72 mesh and two thirds 72 / 100 mesh . Using commercial silversand , a 40 to 50% loading will be required . As an alternative method , it has been found that very satisfactory results can be obtained by lightly oiling any surface which shines and dusting same with sand or earth. It is important , if sand is used, that silica be avoided in order to preclude the possibility of reflection of light from facets . 6. Some vehicles, owing to the difficulty in obtaining canvas of the correct type and colour , have been fitted with canvas covers of , say , a light shade of khaki or natural colour. It is essential in these cases for the cover , including cab fittings of canvas , to be painted with the basic colour to give the correct base for the disruptive scheme . A proportion of soft soap by experiment mixed in with the paint may result in better duralbility and adhesion on canvas . 7. One coat only of disruptive paint is to be applied , either by brush or spray , on top of the basic colour , in accordance with one of the attached charts , in colour combinations of either three tone or alternatively two tone designs . Units having numbers of vehicles on charge should alternate three tone and two- tone designs to avoid regularity . The colour combination employed is to be selected from the following sets of colour combinations -: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Set no. 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 combinations selected , vide para. 2 above , are to be those which approximate most nearly to the colours of the country in which it is expected that the vehicle will operate e.g. :- For Australian Coastal Areas use sets No. 2, 3, 4, or 6 . For Australia Central and Northern Areas use set No. 5 or 7 Set No. 1 will merge under almost any circumstances . 8. The procedure to be followed is outlined below :- ( i ) Commencing with the roof ( or top ) chalk out the pattern to resemble the appropriate chart . ( ii ) Continue on the sides , front and back ; co-ordinating the pattern with the roof . NOTE 1 It is not necessary to exactly copy the pattern. NOTE 2 No chart is provided for motor cycles ; these may be camouflaged locally if considered necessary by Command or District Head quarters . NOTE 3 The tones or colours on the finished vehicles will not conform to the tones on the chart , because the chart is diagramatic only . 9. All edges are to be kept sharp . It may be necessary to brush paint the boundary lines between two colours to obtain sharp definition . The pattern must be repeated on the reverse of sides of canopies to ensure continuity of camouflage when sides are rolled up . All fittings , such as tool boxes , spare wheel carriers, etc., are to be included in the disruptive scheme . Tyres must not be painted ; wheels and hubs will be painted with the exception of the nuts securing disc wheels of the divided type , which nuts are to be painted red . Trailers fitted with boxes , tanks, platforms, etc,. will be camouflaged as a complete unit and treated in a manner similar to that described above . Certain types of trailers and lorries are fitted with superstructure of steel sections , e.g., small box girder bridge , folding boat and pontoon carrying equipment . These will be painted in the medium tone of the selected colour combination , vide para . 8 above . 10 . The quantities of paint required are approximately :- _______________________________________________________________________________ Colour 15 cwt. Vehicle 3 - Ton Vehicle _______________________________________________________________________________ Light Tone 2 pints 4 pints Medium Tone 4 8 Dark Tone 2 4 Turps or substitute 1 ½ 3 _______________________________________________________________________________ Paint brushes , if no spray paint is used , will be required as follows :- 4 inch . . 1 ) per 20 vehicles 2 ½ inch . . 1 ) If spray paint is available , the quantity of brushes can be accordingly reduced , but brushes will be necessary for outlining the design and for finishing . Nozzle design is important if textured paint is applied by spraying . 11 . Certain vehicles have hinged windsreens . When these screens are opened they are to be either :- ( a ) Fitted with a canvas cover where such is provided , or ( b ) Lightly oiled on glass and other reflecting surfaces and dusted with sand or earth , except that sufficient clear apertures will be left to allow for necessary vision in the closed position . 12 . Fixed windscreens and windows will be either painted or treated as in para. 11b above . 13 . The registered 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 the letters and figures will not be less than :- Height - 3 ½ inches Overall width - 2 ½ inches Width of every part of each letter or figure - 5/8 inch 14 . Separate instructions will be promulgated regarding black out lighting equipment for mechanical vehicles . Notes written by Mike Kelly : The above circular illustrates that the painting of MT in Australia during WW2 was to some extent AD HOC . Para. 3 states Paint is to be purchased locally , this probably means that some units sourced disruptive paint from local sources in their respective areas . To what extent the colours and tones were rigidly enforced as per this circular is a debatable unknown . Another little realized fact is , paint thinned with turps usually fades quickly when exposed to harsh climates e.g. the tropics . It is clear that the disruptive paint measures described are not meant to be a long term solution to camouflage requirements and vehicles would require repainting at regular intervals in order to maintain a good level of effect . |
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| MECHANISATION CIRCULAR NO. 31 JANUARY 1942 |