Why Pink Camo Worked
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Camouflage was an integral part of military strategy during WWII, and aircraft used it too. For the most part, aircraft were painted in simple colors to help disguise them from the enemy.
However, did you know that during the war, the British Royal Air Force would paint some of their Supermarine Spitfire pink?
One of the War’s Most Famous Aircraft
The Spitfire is one of the most famous aircraft in the war, and capable of doing some of the most amazing maneuvers and high speeds. The Spitfire would continue its service throughout and fly thousands of sorties, in various theaters.
Most of these planes would be in simple camouflage colors although the first Spitfires would feature one wing black and the other white. This was to help identify them as friendly. It also allowed German planes and anti-aircraft gunners to identify them quickly.
This was promptly changed- most colors were standard and painted in patterns that mimicked their surroundings. Most European Spitfires would be a brown and green or a gray and green color but the strangest color of all is definitely pink.
Pink Aircraft
These aircraft were painted pink for a very simple reason. They mainly flew their operations at dawn or dusk when the sun was sitting at a height that threw pinks and reds. They would fly at low altitudes which bettered their chance of blending in with the sky at that time. Many of the Spitfires that feature the pink color were reconnaissance planes. The machine guns and cannons in their wings were replaced with extra fuel tanks allowing them to travel well into Germany.
One of their essential roles would be to capture photographs of target areas following bombing missions. Although these pink planes were not large in number, they certainly played a role in the war. The role of camouflage meant that trying something outrageous to link a pink aircraft actually paid off since these planes were extremely difficult to spot during the early morning or late afternoon and therefore, did exactly what their color intended to do.
