Colour Blind Bombers

**tantalus** · 25 Jul 12,, 20:29

read this recently in Dawkins book, "Unweaving the Rainbow"

bomber crews in the Second World War liked to include at least one colour-blind member, who could penetrate
certain kinds of camouflage on the ground.

Is he correct ? and how common was the practice ?

**Native** · 25 Jul 12,, 21:09

Not an educated answer, but doesn't sound realistic to me.

I do know when I was in the Navy, if you were color blind you could not be an electrician but could be in Intelligence. Someone who claimed to be color blind told me he could see things better in an image. /shrug

**bigross86** · 25 Jul 12,, 21:26

Considering that wires are color-coded, that makes sense...

**Zad Fnark** · 25 Jul 12,, 23:33

I have heard this before, but long ago. It sounded like an urban legend to me.

If only...

...coming from someone whose tried to find a military career field while being bigtime colorblind. I lost my nav slot when USAF realized they forgot to test me.

Ed-

**Gun Grape** · 27 Jul 12,, 17:51

I don't see it.

Only one crewmember would see the target. The bombardier. And most formation attacks dropped off the lead plane.
SO only the bombardier in the lead plane looked for the target.

What would be the point, or use , of having a colorblind crewman?

**tantalus** · 27 Jul 12,, 20:25

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

I don't see it.
What would be the point, or use , of having a colorblind crewman?

Presumably to see past certain kinds of colour camo.

Consider,

Color blindness is not always a disadvantage, according to University of Calgary primatologist Amanda Melin and her colleagues, who found that wild color-blind capuchins in Costa Rica are better at detecting camouflaged insects than individuals with broader color vision.

To determine how color vision affects insect hunting, the researchers used DNA samples to distinguish capuchins that were partially color-blind from those with a wider spectrum of color vision. Observations of capuchins foraging for surface-dwelling insects showed that color-blind capuchins made nearly 20 insect-capture attempts per hour, compared with only about 16 for those with normal color vision.

One possible explanation for the color-blind advantage is that a reduction in color signals makes the differences in texture and brightness more apparent, so it’s easier to see past color camouflage, says Melin.

Could similar effects have caused color blindness to arise and persist in humans? It’s hard to tell. “Two things could have happened; there may have actually been some advantage for color-blind early humans—they might have been hunting animals with camouflage,” says Melin. “Or selection pressure for maintaining color vision could have relaxed because it wasn’t a big advantage in the habitat or types of hunting used at the time.”

The Upside of Color Blindness | Senses | DISCOVER Magazine

**omon** · 27 Jul 12,, 21:57

sounds like bs to me.
according to most charts (color bubbles) i'm totaly colorblind, yet i see all colors just fine including shades, i work fine with wires, not a single time in my life i felt i didn't see the color right. but i can't make out 90% of pics on those bubble charts.
most ppl think color blind ppl see everything in b\w, no it isn't the case, some might not see green as good, or red ....., but every case of it is different. no 2 color blind ppl see or don't see the same thing.

**Zad Fnark** · 27 Jul 12,, 22:42

Yep, exactly.

Although at night, I do have trouble with traffic lights at a distance. From far away in the dark, I have problems distinguishing reds from yellows.

Ed-

**zraver** · 28 Jul 12,, 02:07

My ex-father in law was color blind couldn't see a green handled screw driver on a red hood, but he had never hit a deer. He could see them better than the rest of us.

**Gun Grape** · 30 Jul 12,, 03:57

Originally Posted by tantalus

Presumably to see past certain kinds of colour camo.

Consider,

The Upside of Color Blindness | Senses | DISCOVER Magazine

But the only crewmember that has a view of the target area with enough detail for that advantage to be of use is the bombardier.

If the colorblind crewmember isn't in a position to do targetting then his colorblindness does no good.

If the book said that bomber command liked to have the lead bombardier be colorblind, I could see that as having a hint of possibility. But not that they liked to have a colorblind crewmember.

**junoth1001** · 30 Jul 12,, 10:28

Originally Posted by tantalus

read this recently in Dawkins book, "Unweaving the Rainbow"

Is he correct ? and how common was the practice ?

The RAF practise, was to get all the aircrew together in a hanger and then let themselves sort out, who was in what crew. In the various accounts that I have read of men who went through this selection process, they make no mention of anyone being colourblind. More to the point, when I was in the RAF, I had a mate who medically downgraded because of his colourblindness.

**tantalus** · 31 Jul 12,, 23:43

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

But the only crewmember that has a view of the target area with enough detail for that advantage to be of use is the bombardier.

If the colorblind crewmember isn't in a position to do targetting then his colorblindness does no good.

If the book said that bomber command liked to have the lead bombardier be colorblind, I could see that as having a hint of possibility. But not that they liked to have a colorblind crewmember.

I understand.

I had a look online for info. Found anecdotal remarks that crews liked to have atleast 1 colour blind man (I understand there are different types of colour blindness) to help in the analysis of coloured aerial photographs (in locating german camps). Another webite mentioned the inclusion of colour blind pilots in spy planes. Neither provided sources so I havent bothered to link them. Nothing concrete.

**Versus** · 02 Aug 12,, 07:27

Well,I am colour blinded too,but it never stopped me from becoming a quite successfull painter and I finished industrial design college with no problems. From my military experience, being deployed in the actual war zone,being colour blind has the advantage over colour camouflage cause ,since colour information does not exist, the eye sees shapes or form more easily, simply cause there is less information to process and thus faster time to react.
I guess it is like with cats and dogs, they don't see all the colours but that doesn't stop them to be top of the line predators,brain focuses more quickly.

**Taurkon** · 15 Aug 12,, 03:41

Originally Posted by Versus

Well,I am colour blinded too,but it never stopped me from becoming a quite successfull painter and I finished industrial design college with no problems. From my military experience, being deployed in the actual war zone,being colour blind has the advantage over colour camouflage cause ,since colour information does not exist, the eye sees shapes or form more easily, simply cause there is less information to process and thus faster time to react.
I guess it is like with cats and dogs, they don't see all the colours but that doesn't stop them to be top of the line predators,brain focuses more quickly.

Colour blind here, and I'm messed up all the time. Shades of Red and brown can look similar, as well blue/purple and orange/red/green. Sold floor covering right after High School and always mixed up pinks and greys... embarrassing some times! That being said, I've never seemed better or worse at picking out wildlife and we've spent a lot of time in the Rockies. I don't believe there is any advantage in this scenario.

Cheers!
Taurkon