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

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 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

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 edit

Cruiser designs
Name	Description	Known examples
MS-32/1C^[a]	for Atlanta-class antiaircraft cruisers	Flint (CL97) ^[1]
MS-32/2C	for St. Louis-class light cruisers	Honolulu,^[b] St. Louis
MS-32/3C^[c]	for Omaha-class light cruisers	not used
MS-32/7C	for Alaska-class large cruisers	Guam
MS-33/8C	for Brooklyn-class light cruisers	not used
MS-31a/9C	for Baltimore-class heavy cruisers	not used
MS-31a/10C	for Cleveland-class light cruisers	Amsterdam
Adapted designs
MS-32/11A (aircraft carrier)	adapted to Cleveland-class light cruisers	Montpelier, Duluth
MS-32/1D (destroyer)	adapted to Omaha-class light cruisers	Raleigh
	adapted to Cleveland-class light cruisers	Columbia,^[d] Topeka,^[e] Houston, Miami
	adapted to Alaska-class large cruisers	Alaska
MS-3_/3D (destroyer)	adapted to Omaha-class light cruisers	Detroit (MS-32), Richmond (MS-32)
MS-33/3D (destroyer)	adapted to Cleveland-class light cruisers	Columbia,^[d] Denver, Vincennes^[f]
MS-32/5D (destroyer)	adapted to Brooklyn-class light cruisers	Phoenix
MS-33/6D (destroyer)	adapted to Northampton-class heavy cruisers	Louisville
MS-33/6D (destroyer)	adapted to Cleveland-class light cruisers	Birmingham, Vicksburg, possibly Biloxi
MS-32/7D (destroyer)	adapted to Portland-class heavy cruisers	Portland, Indianapolis
MS-32/9D (destroyer)	adapted to Northampton-class^[g] heavy cruisers	Chester
MS-33/10D (destroyer)	adapted to Pensacola-class heavy cruisers	Pensacola^[h]
MS-33/13D (destroyer)	adapted to New Orleans-class heavy cruisers	Tuscaloosa, San Francisco
MS-32/14D (destroyer)	adapted to Pensacola-class heavy cruisers	Pensacola,^[h] Salt Lake City^[e]
MS-32/14D (destroyer)	adapted to heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45)	not used
MS-3_/16D (destroyer)	adapted to Baltimore-class heavy cruisers	Baltimore (MS-32)
MS-3_/18D (destroyer)	adapted to Baltimore-class heavy cruisers	Canberra (MS-32), Quincy (MS-32), Pittsburgh (MS-33)
MS-33/21D (destroyer)	adapted to light cruiser USS Nashville (CL-43)	Nashville
MS-33/22D (destroyer)	adapted to Atlanta-class antiaircraft cruisers	San Juan,^[f] Flint^[f]
MS-33/24D (destroyer)	adapted to Atlanta-class antiaircraft cruisers	San Diego,^[f] Reno
MS-33/24D (destroyer)	adapted to Cleveland-class light cruisers	Pasadena,^[f] Springfield, Topeka, Astoria, Wilkes-Barre,^[f] Atlanta
MS-33/2F (stores ship)	adapted to Omaha-class light cruisers	Concord, Trenton^[f]

^ The colors specified, Ocean Gray and Pale Gray, would normally be a Measure 33 scheme
^ Honolulu of the very similar Brooklyn class used a variant of the St. Louis MS-32/2C design
^ The colors specified, Navy Blue, Haze Gray and Pale Gray, would normally be a Measure 33 scheme
^ ^a ^b Columbia received MS-33/3D in Measure 32 colors in early 1944 probably during her January drydocking at Espiritu Santo; she was repainted in MS-33/1D not later than the Philippines operation, most likely during her refit at Mare Island that summer.
^ ^a ^b Used Measure 33 colors
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Used Measure 32 colors
^ the pattern sheet is marked "CA-27 class;" CA-26 Northampton had been sunk in November 1942
^ ^a ^b Pensacola wore MS-33/10D from October 1943 until May 1944, when she was repainted in MS-32/14D

References edit

^ "USN Dazzle Home". www.usndazzle.com. Retrieved 2017-12-11.

[1] The colors specified, Ocean Gray and Pale Gray, would normally be a Measure 33 scheme

[3] Honolulu of the very similar Brooklyn class used a variant of the St. Louis MS-32/2C design

[4] The colors specified, Navy Blue, Haze Gray and Pale Gray, would normally be a Measure 33 scheme

[Columbia-5] Columbia received MS-33/3D in Measure 32 colors in early 1944 probably during her January drydocking at Espiritu Santo; she was repainted in MS-33/1D not later than the Philippines operation, most likely during her refit at Mare Island that summer.

[MS-33-6] Used Measure 33 colors

[MS-32-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Used Measure 32 colors

[8] the pattern sheet is marked "CA-27 class;" CA-26 Northampton had been sunk in November 1942

[Pensacola-9] Pensacola wore MS-33/10D from October 1943 until May 1944, when she was repainted in MS-32/14D

[2] "USN Dazzle Home". www.usndazzle.com. Retrieved 2017-12-11.

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[1]

[b]

[c]

[d]

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

Contents

Colors edit

Patterns edit

See also edit

References edit