USMC Vietnam camouflage

March 14th, 2010

Filed under: enart.xn--i1uv10c.com | edit

  • Why it's called the Mitchell pattern?


  • Hi Mark, Thank you for your clarification. Perhaps another researcher will have better luck. Best regards, tlspiegel


  • Hi markski, I have sent an email to a source who might be able to provide the information. I'll post more after I receive a reply. Best regards, tlspiegel


  • Your welcome. Happy New Year and Best of luck to you! tlspiegel


  • Hi tlspiegel, Unfortunately that's where I get stuck myself. I was trying to do the search under the same categories and end up in the same places. Google search is just not enough here. The Mitchell's bomber have nothing to do with this pattern. That's I know. The "Leaf" pattern also called Mitchell was designed back in 1955 by US Army Field Force Board in Fort Benning, GA and USMC Supply Activity center in Philadelphia. It was issued by the end of 1959. Therefore have nothing to do with the Korean War period. The early USMC camo called "Frog" or "Duck Hunter" was designed by the Californian horticulturist Norvell Gillespie, therefore also have nothing to do with mentioned Mitchell-fellow. To be honest, I was hoping for some military historian or camo-expert try to answer this one. I've been looking in every book about this subject and never come across one explanation. Internet search is unfortunately not much better ... SORRY but regardless your time and effort I did not get my answer. Sincerely, Mark


  • Unfortunately that's where I get stuck myself. I was trying to do the search under the same categories and end up in the same places. Google search is just not enough here. The Mitchell's bomber have nothing to do with this pattern. That's I know. The "Leaf" pattern also called Mitchell was designed back in 1955 by US Army Field Force Board in Fort Benning, GA and USMC Supply Activity center in Philadelphia. It was issued by the end of 1959. Therefore have nothing to do with the Korean War period. The early USMC camo called "Frog" or "Duck Hunter" was designed by the Californian horticulturist Norvell Gillespie, therefore also have nothing to do with mentioned Mitchell-fellow. To be honest, I was hoping for some military historian or camo-expert try to answer this one. I've been looking in every book about this subject and never come across one explanation. Internet search is unfortunately not much better ... SORRY but regardless your time and effort I did not get my answer. Sincerely, Mark


  • THANKS FOR TRYING!


  • Hi markski, I'm going to post my findings for you and if you feel this answers your question, please let me know and I'll post in the answer box. I've been researching your question for several hours and can't seem to quite connect the dots. I'll start at the beginning... After several hours of research last night, I emailed the contact listed at The Vietnam Database. "Hello, I am a researcher for Google Answers, and have a customer who wants to know why is the USMC Vietnam camouflage uniform called the Mitchell Pattern. Do you have any history on the origin of that name? I have searched all over the net and found no reference to the name as to it's beginnnings. Any information would be appreciated." Today I received this reply: "Hi xxxx, You have asked or at least a customer has asked a difficult question. I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that one, nor is there any reference to where the name came from . I once asked this question to an expert of US military camouflage and he didn't know. I do know that in the early years it was referred to frog and leaf and the pattern was designed back in the Korea War. I can give you bit more info about the camouflage if it is helpful, but not the answer to your question. It would be nice to think that the Mitchell refers to the name of the person who invented it, but I just do not know. Regards, xxxxxx" ========= Today my colleague, tutuzdad sent me this information: "If it's any help, I don't think the answer lies in the name of a particular person, so much as it probably relates to a specific thing. I think you will probably find your answer by researching the camouflage pattern that was originally applied on the North American B-25J, a WWII era aircraft known affectionatley as "The Mitchell"." http://www.pmf.at/B25J.html ========= From this I located the following: The Vietnam war brought combat and camouflage paint schemes to help protect the planes from attack. In the 1950's and for most of the 1960's, SAC bombers were shiny aluminum with the bottom painted white to reflect heat from a nuclear blast. But during the Vietnam war combat and camouflage paint schemes helped to protect the planes and servicemen from attack. ========= http://hometown.aol.com/rtoartilleryfo/questions.html 4. What is a "Mitchell Pattern" helmet cover? The "Mitchell Pattern" helmet cover was the helmet cover used by the Army and Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. The Mitchell Pattern camoflage was lime green with varios shades of green oak leaf shapes. Thus the camo pattern is sometimes called the oak leaf pattern. The helmet cover was reversible. It's reverse had brown spots on the other side. 5. What is ERDL Camoflage? ERDL is the acronym for the Army's Environmental Research and Development Laboratories. The ERDL camoflage used during the Vietnam War was developed in 1948. ========= http://www.gunboards.com/militaria/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1256ᩛ The Army went to the Mitchell and then ERDL pattern cover during Vietnam. ========= Background http://cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/build_am_b-25b.shtml The B-25 series started life as a drawing board concept at North American Aviation, designated NA-40. Developed as a light bomber for the 'peacetime' Army Air Corps, the NA-40 was a twin-engine, twin-tailed aircraft that was competing for limited funding. The NA-40 was adopted, with some changes, as the B-25. The B-25 and B-25A were both procured in small numbers and used for training, as these aircraft were not configured with self-sealing fuel tanks and other combat necessities. The B-25B would be the first version that was combat-ready, and the RAF dubbed the aircraft as Mitchell Mk.I. The aircraft was named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, whose maverick style tended to get him into political trouble, but his message was belatedly understood loud and clear. Airpower was a force to be reckoned with, and aircraft can be used to sink even the most powerful battleships. Mitchell foresaw the future of aviation, and like many outspoken visionaries, he was court-martialed and stripped of his military career. Japanese planners also recognized the truth in Mitchell's vision and proved him correct on December 7, 1941. The B-25 was going to war. ========= http://www.strategic-air-command.com/patch/Intro.htm The Strategic Air Command was officially organized in 1946, but it's roots go back to the 1920's when General Billy Mitchell developed the concept of strategic bombing. At that time American bombers were under the command of the Army Air Corps and traditional army officers, who saw the airplane as nothing more than airborne artillery that could used to support ground battles. Such tactical missions would later be assigned to fighters. General Mitchell's strategic bombing concept advocated using large, long-range bombers to destroy factories, transportation facilities and cities and thus the ability and will of an enemy to wage war. [edit] In the 1950's and for most of the 1960's, SAC bombers were shiny aluminum with the bottom painted white to reflect heat from a nuclear blast. The Vietnam war brought combat and camouflage paint schemes to help protect the planes from attack. ========= The Vietnam Database http://www.thevietnam-database.co.uk/USarmy/Helmet.htm Description: The Mitchell leaf pattern was a disruptive camouflage pattern using selected organic dyes and resin bonded pigments. A duotone reversible cover with leaf patterns in green colours for spring and summer wear, and brown colours for fall and winter operations. ========= http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b25_1.html The B-25 is one of the few American military aircraft to have been named for a person. The aircraft carries the name of Colonel William C. "Billy" Mitchell (1879-1936), an Army officer of the early 1920s who had been the assistant Chief of the Army Air Service. He was court-martialed for insubordination in 1925 as a result of his outspoken views on the future of air power. His views were ultimately vindicated, and he was posthumously promoted to Bragidier General. Even if the Mitchell bomber had never done anything else in its career, it would have achieved immortality for its most famous mission, the Doolittle Raid on Japan in 1942. ======== http://www.fansview.com/racing/061998a.htm See photo - 4th down on the right: A more subtle camouflage paint scheme adorns this B-25 Mitchell bomber. Another WW II workhorse, Mitchells bombed and strafed their way across all theaters of the war, including the famed Jimmy Doolittle-led raid on Tokyo. ======= A short history of camouflage uniforms - Henrik Clausen 2003 http://www.henrikc.dk/camouflage/history.asp Post World War 2 The American ERDL (US Army Engineer Research & Development Laboratory) developed the leaf pattern which in 1981 became the woodland pattern (enlarged). The leaf pattern was heavily used by US troops in Vietnam after 1967. ========= Best regards, tlspiegel







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