"Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

One of the most impressive anti-submarine "Confusion" schemes (confuses me anyway) applied to "HANCOCK" on commision, photo is Aug. 1944 en route to Pearl Harbour with Air Group 7 aboard; this is Measure 32/3A also authorised for "INTREPID" and "FRANKLIN". Before her "horseshoe" tail symbols were marked on (SR-2E ordered 21-6-44 but effective from 7-10-44), tail numbers only carried as on her Helldivers here.
By 26 Feb. 1945 "HANCOCK" was in the much simpler Measure 12 (C-S19-7/631).


Nick


https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/021983b.jpg


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_...s_carriers.jpg

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

The goal of this and other patterns was to cause enough confusion under differing lighting conditions that could result in the delay of a torpedo being fired.

I wonder how many of these patterns continued to exist after the war.

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

Hi Ed. Ship type and target angle too, also part of the design was visible and part lost as recognised in "SHIPS-2" March 1943. "BuSHIPS C-519-7/631 20 Feb. 1945 ordered Measures 12/21/22 for surface ships superceding "Dazzle" schemes, including carriers in service and under construction ( MS12 on "Hancock") these were simpler schemes; on 10 Aug. 1946 12CL-46 revised the scheme for all surface vessels as Measure 13 Haze Gray.

Regards
Nick

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

Dazzle camouflage (of which that Hancock photo is an amazing example, by the way) goes back to the Great War, with a number of Britain's then-modern artists involved in producing schemes for the armed forces, some of which also figured in their own paintings.

Edward Wadsworth: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Liverpool.jpg

C.R.W. Nevinson: https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.ne...M_5275-001.jpg

Uncredited: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205183559

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

Thanks Nick. The Camel is an-ex night fighter in experimental scheme; the top of the upper wing had diagonal dark stripes angled forward and oval cocardes, the lower wing bottom had light stripes.

Nick

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

In early 1945 with the reducing threat from subs and surface ships and the increase in air attacks (primarily Kamikaze) the "Dazzle" schemes 31/32/33 were discontinued and a BuShips Washington instruction on 26 Feb. ( C-S19-7-631) specified Measures better suited to reduced visibility from the air. These were darker blues and grays, a good match for the upper surface camouflage on deck-spotted aircraft ( Semi-Gloss Sea Blue and Sea Blue Gloss).

For carriers these were Measures 12 and 21 (22 on destroyers and cruisers) assigned as per the Feb.26 Order.......
http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Shi...5_S19_631.html

For some reason "Lexington" CV16 was never assigned a Dazzle scheme and remained in her Measure 21 to mid-1945 when she adopted MS 12. At about the same time that carrier camouflage was changed a Technical Letter ( 06040) assigned geometric tail and wing symbols to identify Air Groups aboard CVs, CVLs and CVEs replacing the 1943--44 designs.

Nick

Re: "Deceptive" camouflage US Navy
 

Geoff Sinclair has asked me to post this:


https://phys.org/news/2025-03-reveal...world-war.html