Idflieg Camouflage Directive.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gentlemen:
I was browsing through the Idflieg Bau=und Lieferungsvorschriften fur (umlaut on the u) Militarflugzeuge,(Umlaut on the a.) And I finally found in an amendment the instruction on camouflage. The Amendment is undated but I can place the date approximately with the date of the instructions on the white border on the Iron cross. The approximate date is early October
1916, An amendment dated 29 october 1916 give instruction on the night aircraft will not have white borders on the black crosses and day aircraft will have 5 cm white border surrounding the black cross. My translation of the Idflieg Directive is as follows:
"While the earlier wings were white, which we now disregard. From now on, the wings will be suitable earth colors of greens and browns. These colors will make it more difficult for the enemy to see our aircraft.
The underside of the wings have been white (natural fabric), now they shall be painted light blue.
Speaking of aircraft for special duty, such as night bombers, it becomes manifold the make the night aircraft as invisible as possible against the enemies searchlights, from now on the undersides shall be painted Grey."
There gentlemen is the original instructions. The comments in parenthesis are mine.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[StephenLawson]

Dan San...most impressive.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gentlemen:
I have been thinking about the day Camouflage Scheme directive date, I had thought early October. It had to be earlier than October, it would have to have been as early as the Idflieg order for the Alb.D.I! They were delivered camouflaged to Jasta 1 and Jasta 2 in September 1916. I have not seen a copy of that order, just the amendments. I suspect to aircraft order contained a specification requirement for a Day Terrain Camouflage. The order date of the Alb.D.I, D.II and D.III prototype aircraft was June 1916. The first production order for the Alb.D.I, serial numbers, D.421- 470/16, was July 1916.
I reviewed the finish of the fighters ordered in July 1916, all were delivered in a Day Terrain Camouflage Scheme.
Either a directive was issued for the Day Terrain Camouflage, or it was part of the specifications of the aircraft in the contract to each manufacturers. U know believe the day camouflage scheme was established in June 1916 and came into effect with the orders placed by Idflieg in July.
I have just reviewed the 1916 orders and Idflieg ordered 40 Rol.C.II 2700 to 2739/16. These were camouflaged in green and brown! It now appears that the order had come into effect in June 1916.
I wish someone in our group had in his records the Idflieg directive for the Day Camouflage scheme.
Blue skies,
Dan-San