Pistol Grips& Gun Accessories

Camouflage

Smaller, irregular units of scouts in the 18th century were the first to adopt colors in drab shades of brown and green. Major armies retained their color until convinced otherwise. The British in India in 1857 were forced by casualties to dye their red tunics to neutral tones, initially a muddy tan called khaki (from the Urdu word for 'dusty'). This was only a temporary measure. It became standard in Indian service in the 1880s, but it was not until the Second Boer War that, in 1902, the uniforms of the entire British army were standardised on this dun tone for battledress.

The United States was quick to follow the British, going khaki in the same year. Russia followed, partially, in 1908. The Italian army used grigio-verde ("grey-green") in the Alps from 1906 and across the army from 1909. The Germans adopted feldgrau ("field grey") in 1910.

Other armies retained brighter colors. At the beginning of World War I the French experienced heavy losses because the troops wore red (garance) trousers as part of their uniform. This was changed in early 1915, partly due to casualties and partly because the red dye was manufactured in Germany. The French army also adopted a new "horizon blue" jacket. The Belgian army started using khaki uniforms in 1915.

The Bronze Horseman camouflaged from the German aircraft during the Siege of Leningrad (August 8, 1941).The French also established a Section de Camouflage (Camouflage Department) in 1915, briefly headed by Eugene Corbin and then by Lucien-Victor Guirand de Sc vola. The camouflage experts were, for the most part, painters, sculptors, theatre set artists and such. Technological constraints meant that patterned camouflage uniforms were not mass manufactured during WW I. Each patterned uniform was hand-painted, and so restricted to snipers, forward artillery observers, and other exposed individuals. More effort was put into concealing larger pieces of equipment and important structures. By mid-1915 the French section had four workshops - one in Paris and three nearer the front - mainly producing camouflage netting and painted canvas. Netting quickly moved from wire and fabric to use raffia, hessian, and cocoa - the integration of natural materials was always recommended.

Units of Camouflage who were artists, designers, or architects in civilian life were also largely used by the forces of the United Kingdom (Camouflage Section established in late 1916 based at Wimereux) and the US (New York Camouflage Society established in April 1917, official Company A, 40th Engineers set up in January 1918 and the Women's Reserve Camouflage Corps) and to a lesser extent by Germany (from 1917, see, for example, Lozenge - possibly the earliest printed camouflage), Italy (Laboratorio di mascheramento established in 1917), Belgium and Russia. The word camouflage first entered the English language in 1917.

Camouflage added to helmets was unofficially popular, but these were not mass-produced until the Germans began in 1916 to issue stahlhelme (steel helmets) in green, brown, or ochre. Mass-produced patterned, reversible, cloth covers were also issued shortly before the end of the war, although hand-made examples were in use from late 1914. Net covering was also examined, either fitted with natural vegetation or with colored fabric strips called scrim.

Specialist troops, notably snipers, could be supplied with various items of camouflage, including patterned veils for the head and gun, hand-painted overalls and scrim covered netting or sacking - an adaptation of the rag camouflage used in Scotland by anti-poaching wardens, gillies, the first ghillie suits.

Two HMMWVs, one in desert "camouflage", one in woodland.The first mass produced military camouflage material was the Italian telo mimetico ("mimetic cloth") pattern of 1929, used to cover a shelter-half (telo tenda), an idea copied by the Germans in 1931. With mass-production of patterned fabrics possible, they became far more common on individual soldiers in WW II. Initially patterning was uncommon, a sign of elite units, to the extent that captured camouflage uniforms would be often 'recycled' by an enemy. The Red Army issued "amoeba" disruptive pattern suits to snipers from 1937 and all-white ZMK top-garments the following year, but it was not until hostilities began that more patterns were used.

The Germans had experimented before the war and some army units used "splinter" pattern camouflage. Waffen-SS combat units experimented with various patterns, including palmenmuster ("palm pattern"), sumpfmuster ("swamp pattern"), erbsenmuster ("pea pattern"), and also telo mimetico ("mimetic cloth") using fabric seized from the Italians in 1943 - the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler division often wore this pattern.

The British did not use disruptive-pattern uniforms until 1942, with the hand-painted Denison smock for paratroopers, followed in 1943 with a similar style M42 garment.

A Royal Norwegian Navy craft, in a splinter camouflage pattern.The US Corps of Engineers began wide-ranging experiments in 1940, but little official notice was taken until 1942 when General MacArthur demanded 150,000 jungle camouflage uniforms. A 1940 design, dubbed "frog-skin", was chosen and issued as a reversible beach/jungle coverall - soon changed to a two-part jacket and trousers. It was first issued to the US Marines fighting on the Solomon Islands. Battle-field experience showed that pattern was unsuitable for moving troops and production was halted in 1944 with a return to standard single-tone uniforms.

With the return of war camouflage sections were revived. The British set up the (camouflage) Development and Training Centre in 1940 at Farnham Castle, Surrey. Early staff included artists from the Industrial Camouflage Research Unit such as Roland Penrose and Frederick Gore, and the stage magician Jasper Maskelyne (later famous for his camouflage work in the North African campaign).

From 1978 to the early 1980s, the American 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment stationed in Europe used a digital camouflage pattern on its vehicles. During 1979 and 1980 the Australian Army experimented with digital camouflage on helicopters. More recently, battledress in digital camouflage patterns has been adopted by the Canadian Army and Air Force (CADPAT), the United States Marine Corps (MARPAT), and much of the military of Jordan.

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2006 Alabama Primary Run-Off Elections, Tuesday, July 18!
The 2006 Primary Run-Off elections are being held Tuesday, July 18! For further information about voting in Alabama, please go to www.sos.state.al.us/downloads/election/2006/2006-Voter-Guide.pdf. Be sure to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, July 18!

Public Hearing on Potential Ban on Concealed Handguns in Lincoln, Nebraska!
There will be a public hearing on Monday, July 31, at 5:30 P.M. concerning Mayor Coleen Seng s proposal to ban concealed handguns within the city limits. At this point Mayor Seng has three council members who support her ban, three who are undecided, and one who wants to delay action for a year. It is crucial that all NRA members attend this hearing and voice their opposition to this proposed ordinance. The meeting will be held Monday, July 31, at the County-City Building on 555 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, 68508 at 5:30 P. M. If you are unable to attend, please contact the city council members and urge them not to support Mayor Seng s proposal by visiting http://www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/city/council/lista.htm.

2006 Missouri Primary Elections, Tuesday, August 8
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! For more information about voting in Missouri, please use the following link: www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=voters. Be sure to Vote Freedom First! on Tuesday, August 8!

U.S. Senate Votes To Protect Second Amendment Rights During Emergencies
On July 13, the U. S. Senate overwhelmingly passed (84-16) an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441). This amendment, offered by Senator David Vitter (R-La.), prohibits the use of funds appropriated under H.R. 5441 for the confiscation of lawfully possessed firearms during an emergency or major disaster.

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The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! For more information about voting in Connecticut, please use www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/VoterGuide/VoterGuide.htm. Be sure to Vote Freedom First! on Tuesday, August 8!

Missile Defense Element Successfully Flight Tested
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As reported in last week s Alert, on July 13, 2006, all 55 Republicans, joined by 28 Democrats and 1 Independent, voted to pass Senator David Vitter s (R-La.) amendment to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds allocated under the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441) to be used to confiscate lawfully-possessed firearms during an emergency or major disaster. Sixteen Senators opposed the prohibition.

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by David Crane
david@defensereview.com



2006 Oklahoma Primary Elections, Tuesday, July 25
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, July 25 for early voting dates and general information about voting in Oklahoma, please use the following ling: www.ok.gov/~elections/index.html ! Be sure to Vote Freedom First! on Tuesday, July 25!

Exclusive Video: AA12 Machine Shotgun/FRAG-12 Grenade Weapon System Test Fired
by David Crane
david@defensereview.com