Camouflages & Markings of the Luftwaffe 1933–1945

This book is the most significant update to the subject already addressed by Jean-Claude Mermet in his Aérojournal special issue, published in 2010 to undeniable success. The considerably broader scope of investigation in the present work made it possible to cover the period beginning in 1925 with the clandestine Luftwaffe of the Weimar Republic, whose pilot training school was based at Lipetsk, in Russia — then the USSR. This also allows a look at the gliding instruction organisations that would supply virtually all the pilots of the future Luftwaffe.

The core subject remains the period from 1933 to 1945. The author reviews, beyond the organisation of this air arm, the various official colours, schemes and patterns issued by the Air Ministry for application from 1936 onwards. One must indeed speak of camouflage types in the plural, as these evolved in step with military events.

Flamboyant in 1935 to proclaim the rebirth of the Luftwaffe to the entire world, the colour schemes darkened as the sounds of war in Europe began to be heard. After a period of conquest and air supremacy came the time of defence, and consequently the camouflage schemes evolved further to adapt to the conquered territories and to evade detection by Allied air forces.

In the final phase of the conflict, from the autumn of 1944, the excessively large number of workers "fit to bear arms", according to the desperate Nazi leadership, forced them to reduce the workforce by saving time on the painting of military materiel, including aircraft.

This lavishly illustrated book contains over 500 illustrations, including 230 black-and-white photographs and 64 in colour, around sixty profiles and 150 diagrams — among them several colour charts — all drawn from official documents or photographic evidence.