World War II US Navy dazzle camouflage measures 31, 32 and 33: aircraft carriers

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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 aircraft carriers are presented here.[1]

Colors[edit]

Typical color combinations
MS-31 MS-31a MS-32 MS-33 MS-33a Horizontals
Haze Gray 5-H Haze Gray 5-H Light Gray 5-L Light Gray 5-L Pale Gray 5-P Pale Gray 5-P Light Gray 5-L Ocean Gray 5-O
Ocean Gray 5-O Ocean Gray 5-O Dull Black 82 Ocean Gray 5-O Haze Gray 5-H Haze Gray 5-H Ocean Gray 5-O Deck Blue 20-B
Dull Black 82 Navy Blue 5-N Dull Black 82 Navy Blue 5-N Ocean Gray 5-O

Patterns[edit]

Aircraft carrier designs
Name Description Pattern sheet Photo Known examples
MS-33/1A for USS Ranger (CV-4) Ranger
MS-3_/3A for Essex (CV-9) class Hornet Intrepid (MS-32), Hornet (MS-33), Franklin (MS-32),[a] Hancock (MS-32)
MS-32/4A for Bogue (CVE-9) class Bogue Bogue, Card, Core, Croatan, Prince William
for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Mission Bay Mission Bay, Tripoli, Guadalcanal, Solomons, Kasaan Bay, Fanshaw Bay, Tulagi
MS-33/4Ab for USS Enterprise (CV-6) Enterprise
MS-3_/6A for Essex (CV-9) class Franklin Franklin,[a] Bunker Hill
MS-33/7A for Independence (CVL-22) class San Jacinto Princeton, Cowpens, San Jacinto
MS-3_/8A for Independence (CVL-22) class Bataan Independence (MS-33), Bataan (MS-32)
MS-32/9A for USS Long Island (CVE-1) Long Island
MS-33/10A for Essex (CV-9) class Wasp and Yorktown Yorktown, Ticonderoga, Wasp, Shangri-La
for Sangamon (CVE-26) class Chenango
for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Petrof Bay Corregidor, Wake Island, White Plains, Kalinin Bay, Nehenta Bay, Kadashan Bay, Petrof Bay, Shamrock Bay, Sitkoh Bay, Thetis Bay
MS-32/11A for USS Saratoga (CV-3) Saratoga
MS-32/12A for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Anzio Casablanca, Anzio, Manila Bay, Kitkun Bay, Steamer Bay, Cape Esperance, Takanis Bay
MS-33/14A for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Savo Island Natoma Bay, Savo Island, Saginaw Bay, Attu
MS-32/15A for Casablanca (CVE-55) class St. Lo St. Lo, Gambier Bay, Marcus Island, Ommaney Bay, Rudyerd Bay, Sargent Bay, Shipley Bay
MS-32/16A for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Hollandia Makassar Strait, Makin Island, Hollandia, Roi
for Commencement Bay (CVE-105) class Commencement Bay Commencement Bay, Bairoko
MS-32/17A for Essex (CV-9) class Bennington Randolph, Bennington, Bon Homme Richard, Antietam
MS-33/18A for Casablanca (CVE-55) class Lunga Point Hoggatt Bay, Windham Bay, Lunga Point, Bismarck Sea, Salamaua, Bouganville
for Commencement Bay (CVE-105) class Block Island
Adapted designs
MS-33/3D
(destroyer)		 adapted to Independence (CVL-22) class Monterey Belleau Wood, Monterey
adapted to Casablanca (CVE-55) class
MS-32v6/10D
(destroyer)		 adapted to Essex (CV-9) class Essex

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Franklin wore 32/6A from commissioning until April 1944 and 32/3A from May until the end of the year. In April–May she carried 3A on her port side and 6A to starboard.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers (CV)". Retrieved 2023-09-23.

See also[edit]

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