Cold War camo

Early 1950sFrench Lizard (TAP 47)

France · In use: Early 1950s; withdrawn in mainland France in 1962 · Also called: lézard, 47/51, 47/52

Horizontal streaks, worn by French forces in Indochina and Algeria. According to two French collectors’ sites, the “47” dates the cut of the uniform, and the camouflage print itself arrived in the early 1950s.

The Musée de l’Armée says the army withdrew it in mainland France in 1962 because it “rappelle de mauvais souvenirs”, bringing back bad memories of the Algerian War. It was kept overseas. Some English sources say it was used until the late 1980s; the museum’s account corrects that.

It also went to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces say that “in 1964, the French army donated surplus camouflage uniforms”, and in 1968 they became the formal uniform of several brigades, including Golani.

On screen: according to the costume supplier WWII Impressions, 7 Days in Entebbe (2018) used French Lizard for both the Ugandan and the Israeli characters.

Sources: Musée de l’Armée, reconstit.fr, alger-roi.fr, Israel Defense Forces, WWII Impressions

1950sSwiss Alpenflage

Switzerland · In use: From the 1950s · Also called: Vierfruchtpyjama (four-fruit pyjamas)

According to the Swiss Armeemuseum and Wikipedia, Swiss troops nicknamed it “Vierfruchtpyjama”, four-fruit pyjamas. According to Wikipedia, it was based on Germany’s 1945 Leibermuster.

Sources: Armeemuseum (Switzerland), Wikipedia

1957 or 1968Berezka (KLMK)

USSR · Also called: berezka (birch), serebryanyi list (silver leaf)

Disputed: Soviet “birch” camouflage. According to Soldier Systems, the KLMK suit in this pattern came in 1968, reportedly to defeat NATO night-vision equipment. Other sources in our research date the Berezka pattern to 1957. The two dates may refer to the pattern and the suit, but no source says so.

Sources: Soldier Systems

1958Polish wz.58 “deszczyk”

Poland · In use: From 1958 · Also called: little rain

A Polish “rain” pattern of thin vertical dashes, typical of the Warsaw Pact. According to an article in Defence Science Review and Wikipedia, it dates from 1958 and was nicknamed “deszczyk”, little rain.

Sources: Defence Science Review

1 January 1965Czechoslovak vz. 60 “jehličí”

Czechoslovakia · In use: About 25 years from 1965 · Also called: pine needles

According to the Czech broadcaster ČT24, the “jehličí” (pine needles) pattern was officially introduced on 1 January 1965 and served for about 25 years.

Sources: ČT24

c. 1965Rhodesian Brushstroke

Rhodesia · In use: c. 1965 to 1980

Bold brushstrokes worn through the Rhodesian Bush War. According to Wikipedia, it was designed by Di Cameron of David Whitehead Textiles and was “considered very effective”, although the locally made fabric was poor.

Sources: Wikipedia

1968British DPM

United Kingdom · In use: Produced 1968, issued 1969 · Also called: Disruptive Pattern Material, 1968 pattern

The Imperial War Museum and National Army Museum date DPM to 1968, with issue from 1969, and say Britain was the first force to adopt camouflage for everyone. A date of 1966 often seen online rests only on wikis. The IWM holds 1968-pattern DPM smocks from the 1982 Falklands campaign.

According to a 2017 University of Bristol study by Talas and others, DPM is “the only example in the military literature… where a pattern is explicitly designed to help soldiers recognise each other”. We have not found an official reason for why Britain adopted it.

Sources: Imperial War Museum, National Army Museum, Talas et al. 2017

1976Dual-Tex

United States

The first pixel pattern. The US Army says it was developed by Timothy O’Neill at West Point, on the idea that big shapes work at a distance and small ones up close. In his words: “We painted the pattern with a two-inch paint roller (to make two-inch squares)”.

Disputed: whether square pixels actually help. O’Neill argued clear pixel edges give a better “texture match”. Slate, reading the later MARPAT patent, says the squares were chosen because they were easier to print.

Sources: US Army, Slate

1981Chocolate chip (six-colour desert)

United States · In use: Designed c. 1960, issued 1981 · Also called: DBDU, Desert Battle Dress Uniform

Modelled on the rocky desert of the south-west United States, with black and white spots for “pebbles and their shadows”. The Imperial War Museum says it was adopted in the early 1980s.

It didn’t work well in the Gulf: it “contrasted too much”, and the dark patches held heat.

On screen: according to IMFDB, Black Hawk Down (2001) accurately shows US Rangers in 1993 wearing the newer desert uniform with the old chocolate-chip helmet covers.

Sources: Wikipedia, Safariland, IMFDB

1990Swedish M90

Sweden · In use: From 1990 · Also called: M/90

According to Wikipedia, it was designed for Swedish forest and mixed terrain at about one kilometre.

The Swedish Armed Forces say the Nordic countries now share one uniform system, but “varje land behåller sitt unika kamouflagemönster”: each country keeps its own camouflage pattern.

Sources: Wikipedia, Försvarsmakten

20 February 1991Flecktarn

Germany · In use: From 1991

English sources usually say 1990. The Bundeswehr says Flecktarn was phased in “from 1991”, and a Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik book cited by dewiki gives 20 February 1991, after trials from 1987 to 1990.

There is no official reason for the dots. According to the German magazine WirtschaftsWoche, the colours follow “mitteleuropäischen Mischwald”, Central European mixed forest.

Sources: Bundeswehr, dewiki (citing the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik), WirtschaftsWoche

Date still to confirmWoodland (M81)

United States · Also called: M81 Woodland

Large leafy blotches, and the camo most people picture. Grailed says “when most people think about camouflage they tend to think about… woodland camo”, and Heddels calls it “easily the most duplicated and modified pattern ever invented”. We have not yet sourced its introduction date.

Sources: Grailed, Heddels

Date still to confirmDanish M/84

Denmark · In use: Until the M/11 was announced in 2011

The Danish armed forces announced its replacement, the M/11, in 2011. We have not yet confirmed the year M/84 was introduced.

Sources: Forsvaret (Denmark)