Frog skin camouflage

Frog skin
Frog skin camo fabric
TypeMilitary camouflage pattern
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1942–1960s
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
DesignerNorvell Gillespie
No. produced150,000 (Initial Numbers)

Frog skin, also known as duck hunter, is a camouflage pattern with mottle and disruptive coloration to blend into the environment. It is named for its similarity to a frog's crypsis skin.

The frog skin pattern was the United States military's first attempt at disruptive coloration camouflage.

Description

Frog skin camouflage consists of two variants, a five-color pattern of green and brown shapes on a pale green cloth base intended for use in wooded and jungle areas, and a three-color pattern of brown shapes on a pale tan cloth base intended for wear on beaches and other plant-bare terrain. The pattern was cost used the US Army's M1942 Reversible Spot Pattern and U.S. Marine Corps' P42 Camo utility uniforms, which were made from herringbone twill (HBT) cotton fabric and featured reversible construction, with the jungle pattern on one side and the beach pattern on the other.

History

World War II

The US Army began experiments with camouflage in 1940–1941. The frog skin pattern was designed by Norvell Gillespie, a civilian horticulturist and the gardening editor for Better Homes & Gardens magazine, at the request of the US military. 150,000 uniforms in the pattern were ordered.

In 1942, the Marine Raiders were the first issued a frog skin pattern uniform, using it in the Pacific Theater. The uniform was also worn by the Marines in other campaigns, notably the Battle of Tarawa.

In the European Theater, during the summer of 1944, certain Army infantry units were issued the uniform, like the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division.

By January 1944, production of the pattern was stopped. The uniforms were later sold as military surplus. Surplus uniforms became popular among hunters, which led to the common alternate nickname duck hunter camo.

Later use

A private of the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment wearing the two piece herringbone twill (HBT) camouflage in Normandy. July 1944

The United States Marine Corps revived the pattern during the Korean War for limited use as helmet covers.

The frog skin pattern was issued to France's 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment and 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment during the First Indochina War.

In 1961, the Cuban exiles Brigade 2506 were issued the frog skin pattern by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

During the Vietnam War, United States Special Forces issued frog skin to the Montagnard for their guerrilla warfare activities. Navy SEALs and Rangers resorted to using the camo due to a lack of a standard camouflage. Army Special Forces advisers, sailors and marines attached to the Military Assistance Command Vietnam — Naval Advisory Group and the CIDG also used it before tiger stripe camouflage uniforms were issued.

Users

French troops in Indochina 1953

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Frog Skin Camouflage Pattern: From Marine Raiders to the CIA". 28 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Eastman: Frog Skin pattern". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Exploratorium: Frogs Disappearing Act". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  4. ↑ Stanton 1991 p106-107
  5. ↑ The Complex Guide to Camo
  6. ↑ "1939-45.co.uk". 1939-45.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Duck Hunter Camo | the History of a Legendary Camouflage". 20 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Frogskin Camo". 30 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 179.
  10. 1 2 3 "A Short History of Camouflage". Toronto Standard. Toronto Standard Media Company Limited.
  11. ↑ Jowett 2016, p. 40.
  12. ↑ Jowett 2016, p. 46.
  13. ↑ "Brazil - Camopedia".[better source needed]
  14. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 141.
  15. ↑ Colombia, Ejército Nacional de. "Evolución histórica del uniforme de campaña del Ejército Nacional - Ejército Nacional de Colombia". www.ejercito.mil.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  16. 1 2 Larson (2021), p. 269.
  17. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 229.
  18. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 228.
  19. ↑ Conboy (2007), p. 6.
  20. ↑ Armies of the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988 (Elite), David Campbell, Osprey Publishing; 1st edition (January 18, 2022), ISBN 978-1472845573[page needed]
  21. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 163.
  22. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 415.
  23. ↑ Javier (2024), p. 43.
  24. ↑ "MARPAT Camouflage of the United States Marines Corps". 18 June 2020.
  25. ↑ "The Marine Raiders". 2 November 2014.
  26. ↑ Larson (2021), pp. 450.
  27. ↑ Larson (2021), p. 334.

Bibliography