Tiger Stripe Camouflage (Part 2)
South Vietnamese Tiger Stripe Camouflage Patterns
Tiger stripe is the name of a group of camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle during jungle warfare by the South Vietnamese Armed Forces and adopted in late 1962 to early 1963 by US Special Forces during the Vietnam War.
Variations of the "late war" pattern were produced in three fabric weights: Lightweight, Mediumweight, and Heavyweight. As with its sparse cousin, the dense versions of this tiger stripe design appear to have been introduced around 1969. Extant samples of these patterns can be found in a multitude of color blends, once again attributable to varied dye combinations, repeated laundering, and exposure to sunlight and other extreme weather elements. As unissued examples of these patterns can be difficult to obtain, we offer a number of variations below, organized by fabric weight (light, medium, and heavy)
Often nicknamed "zig-zag" pattern, the tiger design seen here may have developed out of the original drawings of the JWD tiger stripe. The earliest documentation of its use is 1964, seeing service almost exclusively with CIDG & other regional militia forces, as well as upon custom garments for US and ARVN military personnel. Although not always visible in every example of the pattern, the clear black outline of an erect phallus can be observed in some extant samples. This has prompted some within the collecting community to nickname it the "penis pattern." It has been suggested that this imagery was incorporated into the pattern as a kind of impudent slight to the indigenous tribes that were part of the CIDG program, but as yet this information is only anecdotal and has not been officially substantiated except as rumor. Fabric is heavyweight cotton twill, printed in a four-color scheme incorporating bold, black stripes with light tan and brown highlights on a foliage green background.
Introduced mid-war (1969), the "splotched" tiger pattern seen here, featuring blotchy black stripes over a background comprising two shades of olive green upon a greyish-tan background, is only known to have seen service with CIDG units. It is often just called "CIDG" (historically pronounced "sid-jee") pattern.
Most sources suggest the pattern seen here was introduced very late in the war, probably in 1974. Nicknamed "Thai Late War Large" or simply "Thai Large," the pattern reflects an enlargement of the typical "tadpole" design, making all the features significantly larger than previous incarnations. This design appears to have been used only by the Vietnamese Marine Corps (VNMC). Colors are originally black, dark moss green and olive green on a pale olive green background, but even with light use (as is typical with many of the dyes used during the war) the black generally faded to more of a purple color. A version printed on ripstop fabric is also known to exist, although it is unlikely to have seen actual service with Vietnamese units.
Other Tiger Stripe Camouflage Patterns
Outside of Vietnam, Thailand has been one of the most prolific manufacturers of tiger stripe designs since the Vietnam War. Illustrated below are a handful of these patterns.
Another major producer of tiger patterns has been Ecuador, well known for its "red" or "orange" tiger designs seen below.
El Salvador produced its own crude copy of tiger stripe camouflage during its long civil war.
Members of the Guyana Defence Force wear a bright green tiger pattern.
The Philippines have also produced quite a number of variants of tiger pattern over the years, some of which are still in use by special units.
Special operations units of the Russian Ministry of Interior and Armed Forces have worn variations of the tiger stripe design since the early 1990s.
Dating to the 1960s, the vertical pattern seen below was produced in South Korea and is printed on heavy cotton HBT fabric. Surviving samples of this pattern suggest it was privately acquired by US military personnel and may have been worn in theater during the Vietnam War, or on TDY in Asia.
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