Dazzle camouflage of warships was adopted by the U.S. Navy during World War II, following research at the Naval Research Laboratory. Dazzle consists in painting obtrusive patterns on vertical surfaces. Unlike some other forms of camouflage, dazzle works not by offering concealment but by making it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed and heading. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to make it more difficult for the enemy to recognize different classes of ships. The result was that a profusion of dazzle schemes were tried, and the evidence for their success was at best mixed.
Dazzle camouflage patterns used on cruisers are presented here. Patterns designed for cruisers were suffixed with the letter C, but many cruisers were painted in adapted patterns originally designed for other ship types (A for aircraft carriers, D for destroyers etc.)
Colors
+Typical color combinations MS-31 MS-31a MS-32 MS-33 MS-33a HorizontalsHaze Gray 5-HHaze Gray 5-HLight Gray 5-LLight Gray 5-LPale Gray 5-PPale Gray 5-PLight Gray 5-LOcean Gray 5-OOcean Gray 5-OOcean Gray 5-ODull Black 82Ocean Gray 5-OHaze Gray 5-HHaze Gray 5-HOcean Gray 5-ODeck Blue 20-BDull Black 82Navy Blue 5-N Dull Black 82Navy Blue 5-NOcean Gray 5-O
Some patterns were designed to be used for either Measure 31, 32 or 33 depending on the colors used; these pattern sheets were marked, e.g., MS-3_/3D; in the following table the effective Measure is listed in parentheses after each ship in the last column. In addition, many ships were painted using colors for a different Measure than that marked on the sheet; these are indicated in footnotes.
Patterns + Cruiser designs Name Description Pattern sheet Photo Known examplesMS-32/1C for antiaircraft cruisers Flint (CL97) MS-32/2C for light cruisers Honolulu, St. LouisMS-32/3C for light cruisers not usedMS-32/7C for large cruisers GuamMS-33/8C for light cruisers not usedMS-31a/9C for heavy cruisers not usedMS-31a/10C for light cruisers AmsterdamAdapted designsMS-32/11A(aircraft carrier) adapted to light cruisers Montpelier, Duluth MS-32/1D(destroyer) adapted to light cruisers Raleigh adapted to light cruisers Columbia, Topeka, Houston, Miami adapted to large cruisers AlaskaMS-3_/3D(destroyer) adapted to light cruisers Detroit (MS-32), Richmond (MS-32)MS-33/3D(destroyer) adapted to light cruisers Columbia, Denver, VincennesMS-32/5D(destroyer) adapted to light cruisers Phoenix MS-33/6D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Louisville adapted to light cruisers Birmingham, Vicksburg, possibly BiloxiMS-32/7D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Portland, IndianapolisMS-32/9D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers ChesterMS-33/10D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers PensacolaMS-33/13D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Tuscaloosa, San Francisco MS-32/14D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Pensacola, Salt Lake City adapted to heavy cruiser not usedMS-3_/16D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Baltimore (MS-32)MS-3_/18D(destroyer) adapted to heavy cruisers Canberra (MS-32), Quincy (MS-32), Pittsburgh (MS-33)MS-33/21D(destroyer) adapted to light cruiser NashvilleMS-33/22D(destroyer) adapted to antiaircraft cruisers San Juan, Flint MS-33/24D(destroyer) adapted to antiaircraft cruisers San Diego, Reno adapted to light cruisers Pasadena, Springfield, Topeka, Astoria, Wilkes-Barre, AtlantaMS-33/2F(stores ship) adapted to light cruisers Concord, Trenton
See also World War II ship camouflage measures of the United States Navy World War II US Navy dazzle camouflage measures 31, 32 and 33: aircraft carriers World War II US Navy dazzle camouflage measures 31, 32 and 33: battleships World War II US Navy dazzle camouflage measures 31, 32 and 33: destroyers
References