camouflage (redirected from Cryptic colouration)

camouflage (kăm`əfläzh), in warfare, the disguising of objects with artificial aids, especially for the purpose of making them blend into their surroundings or of deceiving the observer as to the location of strategic points. The principle, of course, is observed in the world of nature (see protective coloration) and has long been used by humans. Scientific camouflage was greatly developed in World War I, when the French, in particular, used elaborate devices to conceal military objectives and industrial plants. False landscapes were created, using wire screens as a foundation for foliage, and ships were dazzle-painted to conceal their course by distortion of perspective. In World War II camouflage was further developed and was used on a large scale by all belligerents. With the development of radar and aerial photography (see aerial and satellite photography) during that war, camouflage diminished greatly in utility; however, camouflage again became important, particularly in the guerrilla campaigns of the Vietnam War.

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camouflage

Art and practice of concealment and visual deception in war. Its goal is to prevent enemy observation of installations, personnel, equipment, and activities. Camouflage came into wide use in World War I in response to air warfare. Aerial reconnaissance (and later aerial bombardment) required concealment of troops and equipment. By World War II, long-range bombing threatened warring countries in their entirety, and almost everything of military significance was hidden to some degree, using mottled, dull-coloured paint patterns (green, gray, or brown), cloth garnishing, netting, and natural foliage. Dummies and decoys, including fake vehicles and airfields, tricked enemy planes into bombing harmless targets. It remained an important technique after World War II, used with notable success by communist guerrilla units in the Vietnam War.