Application Techniques

For troops assigned to units with vehicles, the most common form of application was with a pneumatic spray gun.  Many armored vehicles were equipped with compressors and spray painting equipment.  This was most certainly the usual technique used to apply paint when helmets were camouflaged in rear areas or supply depots.  When camouflaged, the helmets were simply placed on the ground and painted leaving anywhere from a thin to thick covering depending on the mixture used.  In many cases, camouflaged helmets exhibit a hand painted primary finish with additional colors sprayed over the base paint.  The combination of these two elements are unmistakable under close examination.

Service decals on the sides of the helmet were sometimes masked, but were often painted over during this process.  Some helmets had decals partially obscured through a thin veil of paint.  Avoiding helmet decals was much easier if the helmet was painted by hand.  Many helmets had decals that were carefully painted around.  Helmets painted by hand often had a thicker finish because the paste did not have to be thinned as much compared to when it was applied with a spray gun.  The hand painted technique left for a wide degree of individual variation among helmets due to the skill level of the soldier that was applying the paint.

When painted by hand, the most common instruments used included paint brushes, cloth rags, and burlap sacking.  The latter materials were used as make-shift paint brushes when none were available at the front or in the supply depot.  Examination of the hand painted finishes on original camouflage helmets bears this point out completely.  Often times the paint from the rag or the burlap leaves an impression in the camouflage paint finish.

Camouflage Paint Main

Application Techniques

DAK Camouflage Schemes

Normandie Camouflage Schemes

Period Photos of Camouflaged Helmets

Photo Gallery of Camouflaged Helmets

Cloth Helmet Covers

Helmet Netting

Wire Configurations