How use of the term "Lozenge" got started after all...

[charles]

I was reading Gorrell* on Footnote.com - The place for original historical documents online and came across the text in English translated from a French report in which is described German camouflage fabric is described as "colors dvided in lozenges and hexagons giving an undecided affect." I think it is easy to see from this how the term "lozenge" may have come into use although as I think has often been pointed out it is not really correct.

If you didn't aleready know this, you can access Gorrell for free by signing-up for a free membership. I don't work for them, just giving you a suggestion. Loads of things to mine from Gorrell.

*Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hi Charles:
In the five color pattern there is a lozenge, a four sided diamond. And lozenge is the correct term, however, all the others are five and six sided pologons. It is odd the lozenge has stuck. Whenn the printed fabric is described in combat reports, (and not often) it is referred to as hexagons.
Merry Christmas Charles,
Dan-San

[ManfredT]

Elsewhere at the Aerodrome a piece of Flugzeugstoff ( the night version, rarer than gold) is promised to someone who could show a lozenge with the Flugzeugstoff.

A lozenge is at least a diamond, or a rhombus, or a parallelogram, or a dual polygon:
2 equal sides
2 equal angles

The foursided polygon with the Flugzeugstoff consists of:
4 different sides
4 different angles

and is therefore no lozenge.

ManfredT

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hello Manfred T:
I agree with you, the four sided pologon was not in reality a Lozenge. I was repeating the term used by the original author who used the term along with (also incorrectly) hexagon, of which there are none on the five colot pattern. This is exactly why I use, irregular pologons. Thank you for pointing this out, hopefully some of the readers will understand the distinction.
Merry Christmas Manfred,
Dan-San

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hello Manfred T:
I agree with you, the four sided polygon was not in reality a Lozenge. I was repeating the term used by the original author who used the term along with (also incorrectly) hexagon, of which there are none on the five color pattern. This is exactly why I use, irregular polygons. Thank you for pointing this out, hopefully some of the readers will understand the distinction.
Merry Christmas Manfred,
Dan-San

[Mode One]

Question, Is there any history about why this camo pattern was developed?

Obviously, the Germans felt it to be a worth while camouflaging process. However, to me, at the distances where it was to be effective, the overall effect would simply be a dark color, probably as effective as simply painting the fabric an overall dark color.

At any rate, I'm interested in how the pattern was developed.

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hi Mode one:
In 1916 an Leutnant Reimschneider, an artist assigned to Idflieg, invented the printed fabrics as a means of camouflaging German Aircraft. It was patented in Germany in Leutnant Reimschneider name and the rights of the patent assigned to Idflieg.
There was a serious shortage of dyes, materials for dope and oils for paints. This would replace the painted camouflage on German military. It required less dope in finishing all aircraft.
Merry Christmas Mode one,
Dan-San

[Mode One]

Thanks Dan_San!

Merry Christmas to you too!

[Hans]

Dan-San, I would think, that it saved labour (compared to three tone camouflage / two tone camouflage), therefore faster production times and it saved pigments (some of them has to be imported). But did it save dope or laquer/paint? I think it needed the same amount of dope plus clear laquer to waterproof the dope, the same process like "clear doped linen".

H

[Mode One]

The pigmented coatings were DOPE, weren't they? Yes, I can see the lozenge fabric saving on the amount of dope and making the process of covering and coating faster.