R. Watkins Posted March 18, 2019 Share #1 Posted March 18, 2019 Does anyone happen to know just when this type of canopy was introduced during WWII, and during what specific combat operations they were used. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Av8er Posted March 18, 2019 Share #2 Posted March 18, 2019 Again, your best bet will be Rigger Depot chiming in. My understanding is that the camouflage canopies began being introduced for the T-5 personnel parachutes in late 1943 and became the standard canopy on the T-7 personnel parachute in 1944. I believe I read that approximately 80 percent of the American Airborne canopies used in Normandy drop were the camouflaged pattern, the rest still being the white canopies used in previous Airborne operations. I think Joshua of Rigger Depot has posted some of this information on his website. I’ll see if I can find the link and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Av8er Posted March 18, 2019 Share #3 Posted March 18, 2019 Here is the link on Rigger Depot regarding camouflage canopies and their history. Other pages on the website detail the transitions on the harnesses and pack trays. A lot of fascinating information, we owe him kudos for his detailed research. https://www.theriggerdepot.com/camo-parachutes.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Watkins Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted March 18, 2019 Great write-up on that link you posted; answered every question I had on this topic. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWII Parachutist Posted March 18, 2019 Share #5 Posted March 18, 2019 Thanks for posting the link to the website. Although the article I wrote probably answers most of your questions, just a quick note with some extra info I didn't add on the website. The picture you posted is the first pattern camouflage print, which was very short lived, being standard for only a little more than 6 months. Notice how the green "blobs" overlap very little on each other and are more disjointed. If you find a parachute with that pattern, it is virtually guaranteed that it is a WWII canopy. The second pattern is the one you commonly see today, where the green blobs have a very high contact with each other. As far as combat operations, you start seeing a few in Sicily, but it isn't until Normandy that you see roughly 95%-plus with the camouflage. Then again they were standard for Holland and Varsity. You see a mixture of them late in the war in the Pacific as well. There is no easy date when the issuance of camouflage chutes was made - it was a complex transitional period, marked more by the intricate mechanism of the supply arm than necessarily the orders on paper. Our door is always open for questions - feel free to shoot us an email anytime through the website. Joshua DeJong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted March 19, 2019 Share #6 Posted March 19, 2019 Great info I have a canopy from a local 507th vet who jumped it into Varsity.He used it as a sleeping cover and then sent it home to his father.He also had a couple ties made out of it and a scarf(I have the scarf too)Said that they came across a couple Russian POWs and one made the items as he gave him a couple packs of cigarretes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Posted March 19, 2019 Share #7 Posted March 19, 2019 Joshua, Your website is perfect. Congratulations. Best regards Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted March 19, 2019 Share #8 Posted March 19, 2019 Great info. Any chance of showing the actual camo on the type 1 ? I have never seen it before. owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWII Parachutist Posted March 21, 2019 Share #9 Posted March 21, 2019 Great info. Any chance of showing the actual camo on the type 1 ? I have never seen it before. owen The first picture posted is the Type 1 pattern...or are you looking for the full print? The 1st pattern canopies I have are all packed up in their original pack trays as issued, but I might have a scrap section that I can photograph. The hard part is, the parachutes have so many smaller sections sewn together that it is hard to find a single section that has the entire block of pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted March 25, 2019 Share #10 Posted March 25, 2019 Pretty much ! Would just even love to see a section Owen Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted April 11, 2019 Share #11 Posted April 11, 2019 Huh, the first version looks very similar in both shapes and color to a pattern used by the PAVN. Is it possible these early parachutes were used in indochina/vietnam at any point? Maybe with OSS supporting the Viet Minh during WWII or could these early parachutes have been given to the French in the late 40s or early 50s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted April 11, 2019 Share #12 Posted April 11, 2019 This is the camo I refere to. It was used by elite PAVN soldiers. 7 members of OSS deer team / team 13 parachuted into indochina on 16 July 1945 and 30 July 1945. This is a very small number and also late in the war for these parachutes, although maybe whatever base they left from didn't do too many parachute jumps and had some old stock? It's also very likely this camo was manufactured in China for the PAVN like most of their uniforms. Perhaps the Chinese acquired some parachutes from OSS missions in China? Were cargo parachutes camouflaged? All of these are long shots but the camouflages look so similar I have a hard time believing it is coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWII Parachutist Posted April 17, 2019 Share #13 Posted April 17, 2019 Huh, the first version looks very similar in both shapes and color to a pattern used by the PAVN. Is it possible these early parachutes were used in indochina/vietnam at any point? Maybe with OSS supporting the Viet Minh during WWII or could these early parachutes have been given to the French in the late 40s or early 50s? Yes, the OSS is known to have contracted a number of these for their use during the war. Additionally, loads of surplus T-5/T-7 parachutes with camouflage canopies were given to the French after the war, who used them for quite a few years. Cargo parachutes are not camouflaged though. I have no idea what bearing it may have on the Chinese pattern though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted April 17, 2019 Share #14 Posted April 17, 2019 Vietnam8.jpg This is the camo I refere to. It was used by elite PAVN soldiers. 7 members of OSS deer team / team 13 parachuted into indochina on 16 July 1945 and 30 July 1945. This is a very small number and also late in the war for these parachutes, although maybe whatever base they left from didn't do too many parachute jumps and had some old stock? It's also very likely this camo was manufactured in China for the PAVN like most of their uniforms. Perhaps the Chinese acquired some parachutes from OSS missions in China? Were cargo parachutes camouflaged? All of these are long shots but the camouflages look so similar I have a hard time believing it is coincidence. What are you talking about here ????????? Very odd indeed. owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWII Parachutist Posted April 18, 2019 Share #15 Posted April 18, 2019 Great info. Any chance of showing the actual camo on the type 1 ? I have never seen it before. owen Owen, I had a chance to snap a picture while repacking a parachute today. Here you a go, a perfect comparison of the 1st and 2nd pattern camouflage...mix and matched on the same parachute panel! Joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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