Results 1 to 14 of 14
Like Tree1Likes
  • 1 Post By bigross86

Thread: Colour Blind Bombers

  1. #1
    Contributor
    Join Date
    09 Oct 10
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    491

    Colour Blind Bombers

    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 ?

  2. #2
    Military Professional
    Join Date
    30 Mar 07
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA
    Posts
    209
    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

  3. #3
    Staff Emeritus
    Military Professional
    Mostly Harmless
    bigross86's Avatar
    Join Date
    07 Aug 03
    Location
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    Posts
    13,036
    Considering that wires are color-coded, that makes sense...
    Native likes this.
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

  4. #4
    Regular Zad Fnark's Avatar
    Join Date
    06 Nov 09
    Location
    Neenah
    Posts
    89
    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-

  5. #5
    Resident Curmudgeon Military Professional Gun Grape's Avatar
    Join Date
    12 Mar 05
    Location
    Panama City Fl
    Posts
    6,701
    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?
    Its called Tourist Season. So why can't we shoot them?

  6. #6
    Contributor
    Join Date
    09 Oct 10
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    491
    Quote Originally Posted by Gun Grape View Post
    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

  7. #7
    Field mechanik Senior Contributor omon's Avatar
    Join Date
    01 Nov 06
    Location
    bk
    Posts
    3,439
    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.
    "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

  8. #8
    Regular Zad Fnark's Avatar
    Join Date
    06 Nov 09
    Location
    Neenah
    Posts
    89
    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-

  9. #9
    Staff Emeritus
    Military Professional
    Contrary by Nature.
    zraver's Avatar
    Join Date
    22 Oct 06
    Location
    Arkansas
    Posts
    11,553
    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.

  10. #10
    Resident Curmudgeon Military Professional Gun Grape's Avatar
    Join Date
    12 Mar 05
    Location
    Panama City Fl
    Posts
    6,701
    Quote Originally Posted by tantalus View Post
    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.
    Its called Tourist Season. So why can't we shoot them?

  11. #11
    Contributor junoth1001's Avatar
    Join Date
    01 Feb 08
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    345
    Quote Originally Posted by tantalus View Post
    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.

  12. #12
    Contributor
    Join Date
    09 Oct 10
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    491
    Quote Originally Posted by Gun Grape View Post
    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.

  13. #13
    Senior Contributor Versus's Avatar
    Join Date
    03 Jul 06
    Location
    Belgrade
    Posts
    988
    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.
    Last edited by Versus; 02 Aug 12, at 11:15.
    When I grow up I want to be Ed Harris

  14. #14
    Patron
    Join Date
    05 Dec 06
    Location
    Calgary, Ab
    Posts
    200
    Quote Originally Posted by Versus View Post
    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

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. The Third Reich in colour
    By bolo121 in forum World Affairs Board Pub
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 13 Oct 09,, 11:15
  2. Trooping the Colour
    By Shiny Capstar in forum The Field Mess
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 14 Jun 09,, 09:00
  3. World War 2: Germany in colour
    By bolo121 in forum World Affairs Board Pub
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 19 Feb 09,, 17:47
  4. Yellow colour of the new generation
    By lemontree in forum International Politics
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 10 Nov 06,, 04:31
  5. Background Colour
    By ZFBoxcar in forum WAB Information Center
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04 Mar 05,, 10:42

Share this thread with friends:

Share this thread with friends:

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •