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

Last updated May 21, 2024

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. As a result, a profusion of dazzle schemes were tried, and the evidence for their success was at best mixed.

Colors

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

Destroyer designs
Name	Description	Pattern sheet	Photo	Known examples
MS-32/1D	for Gridley (DD-380) and Bagley (DD-386) classes ^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Starboard Port	Mugford	Bagley,^{[lower-alpha 2]} Helm,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Mugford,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Ralph Talbot
	for Sims (DD-409) class	Port and starboard		Anderson
	for Fletcher (DD-445) class	Port and starboard		Taylor, Mullaney, Bush, Hoel,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Hall, Halligan, Newcomb

MS-32/3D	for Wickes (DD-75) and Clemson (DD-186) classes	Port and starboard		Lea, Badger, Breckinridge,^{[lower-alpha 5]}^{[lower-alpha 6]} Barney, DuPont, Bernadou, Cole, Bainbridge
	for Porter (DD-356) class ^{[lower-alpha 7]}	Port and starboard		Selfridge,^{[lower-alpha 8]} Moffett, Phelps
	for Mahan (DD-364) class	Port Starboard		Downes
	for Somers (DD-381) class			Somers, Warrington, Sampson, Davis, Jouett
	for Benham (DD-397) class			Mayrant, Trippe, Rhind
	for Sims (DD-409) class			Russell, Wainwright
	for Benson (DD-421) and Gleaves (DD-423) classes^{[lower-alpha 9]}	Starboard Port	Farenholt	Benson, Mayo, Niblack,^{[lower-alpha 5]} Charles F. Hughes, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Lansdowne,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Mervine, Quick, Farenholt, Doyle, Endicott, McCook,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Frankford, Kendrick,^{[lower-alpha 5]} Laub, MacKenzie, Baldwin, Thompson, Cowie, Knight, Butler, Tillman, Rodman,^{[lower-alpha 5]} Harding ^{[lower-alpha 5]}
	alternate for Benson (DD-421) and Gleaves (DD-423) classes^{[lower-alpha 10]}			Buchanan, Kearny,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Lardner,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Boyle, Champlin ^{[lower-alpha 5]}
	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Radford,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Haraden,^{[lower-alpha 3]} Paul Hamilton, Hickox, McNair
	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class			Ingraham, Cooper, English, Walke, Laffey, O'Brien, Meredith, DeHaven, Mansfield, Hyman, Shannon,^{[lower-alpha 11]} Adams,^{[lower-alpha 11]} Brush, J. William Ditter^{[lower-alpha 11]}

MS-31/6D	for Farragut (DD-348) class			Dewey, Hull, Dale, Aylwin
MS-31/6D	for Benson (DD-421) class			Woodworth,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Bailey, Meade
MS-3_/6D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Colhoun	Jenkins (MS-32), Capps (MS-31), Ross (MS-32), Rowe (MS-31), Twiggs (MS-32), Bearss (MS-32), John Hood (MS-32), Monssen (MS-31), Colhoun (MS-32)

MS-31/7D	for Farragut (DD-348) class			Farragut, Monaghan^{[lower-alpha 4]}
MS-32/7D	for Gamble (DM-15) class^{[lower-alpha 12]}			Gamble, Preble, Sicard, Pruitt
MS-32/7D	for Chandler (DMS-9) class^{[lower-alpha 13]}			Dorsey, Hovey, Hamilton
MS-3_/7D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Waller	Waller (MS-32), Pringle (MS-32), Evans (MS-31), Porterfield (MS-32), Callaghan (MS-31), Cassin Young (MS-32)
MS-3_/7D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class

MS-31/9D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Saufley, Van Valkenbugh, Cotton, Hopewell, Uhlmann
MS-32/9D	for Dunlap (DD-384) class			Dunlap, Fanning
MS-32/9D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class		Ault	Moale, Charles S. Perry, Ault, Waldron, John W. Weeks, Wallace L. Lind, Lyman K. Swenson, Maddox, Blue, Taussig

MS-3_/10D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Boyd	Daly (MS-32), Boyd (MS-31), Stembel (MS-32), Bullard (MS-31), Kidd (MS-31)

MS-31/11D	for Sims (DD-409) and other single-stack classes		Stack	Ellet, Stack,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Sterett,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Hughes
MS-31/11D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Fullam, Watts, Killen, Metcalf,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Hale, Chauncey,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Jarvis, Gregory, Rooks ^{[lower-alpha 4]}

MS-32/13D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Morrison	Hudson, Stanly, Anthony, Kimberly, Morrison, Prichett, Robinson, Sproston, Cogswell, Knapp, Bennion, Richard P. Leary, McGowan, Picking, Halsey Powell, Norman Scott, Irwin, Preston, Porter

MS-3_/14D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		William D. Porter	Terry (MS-31), Wadsworth (MS-32), Aulick (MS-32), Charles Ausburne (MS-32), McKee (MS-32), Wickes (MS-32), William D. Porter (MS-32), Lewis Hancock (MS-32), Marshall (MS-32)

MS-31/16D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Leutze, Isherwood, Hailey, Smalley, Stoddard, Claxton,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Dyson, Young, Hart, Braine, Hunt, Cushing, Little
MS-31/16D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class		Haynsworth	Allen M. Sumner, Haynsworth, Hank, Gainard, Barton, Laffey, Collett,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Harry F. Bauer,^{[lower-alpha 11]} Tolman,^{[lower-alpha 11]}^{[lower-alpha 4]} Harry E. Hubbard, Lowry
MS-32/16D	for Benson (DD-421) and Gleaves (DD-423) classes ^{[lower-alpha 10]}			Meade, Edwards, Thorn

MS-32/18D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class	Port Starboard	Luce	Foote, Luce, Heywood L. Edwards

MS-31/21D	for Dahlgren (DD-187) class^{[lower-alpha 14]}			Thornton
MS-31/21D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Ringgold, Conway, Cony, Healy
MS-32/21D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			Beale, Twining, Bradford, John D. Henley, Longshaw, Burns, Albert W. Grant, Stockham

MS-31/22D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Howorth	Howorth, Wedderburn
MS-32/22D	for Porter (DD-364) class ^{[lower-alpha 7]}			Selfridge^{[lower-alpha 8]}

MS-31/23D	for Mahan (DD-364) class		Smith	Mahan, Cummings, Drayton, Lamson, Flusser, Reid, Conyngham, Smith
MS-31/23D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class			O'Bannon, McCord, Wren, Bryant,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Hickox ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
MS-32/23D	for Benson (DD-421) class^{[lower-alpha 15]}			Frazier, Kalk

MS-32/24D	for Fletcher (DD-445) class		Ammen	Nicholas, Ammen, Hazlewood, Heermann

MS-31/25D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class		Henry A. Wiley	Borie, Walke, Purdy, Massey, Robert H. Smith,^{[lower-alpha 4]}^{[lower-alpha 11]} Thomas E. Fraser,^{[lower-alpha 4]}^{[lower-alpha 11]} Henry A. Wiley,^{[lower-alpha 4]}^{[lower-alpha 11]} Shea,^{[lower-alpha 4]}^{[lower-alpha 11]} Gwin ^{[lower-alpha 4]}^{[lower-alpha 11]}

MS-33a/27D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class			Alfred A. Cunningham

MS-33a/28D	for Gearing (DD-710) class		Southerland	Gearing, Frank Knox, Southerland, Chevalier

MS-33a/30D	for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class			John R. Pierce
Adapted patterns
MS-32/11A (aircraft carrier)	adapted to Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class		Aaron Ward	Compton, Soley, Mannert L. Abele, Drexler, Samuel N. Moore, Putnam, Willard Keith, Lindsey, Aaron Ward

MS-31/2C (cruiser)	adapted to Fletcher (DD-445) class			Fletcher, Converse, Spence, Thatcher, Yarnall,^{[lower-alpha 4]} Harrison, Charles J. Badger, Benham
MS-32/2C (cruiser)	adapted to Sims (DD-409) and other single-stack classes			Patterson, Morris

Notes

↑ This sheet calls for the unusual combination of Ocean Gray and Haze Gray
↑ Used Black and Light Gray (MS-32) to starboard and Ocean Gray and Light Gray (MS-33) to port
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Used Measure 31 colors
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Used Measure 32 colors
1 2 3 4 5 6 Port and starboard patterns switched
↑ Used Navy Blue instead of Black
1 2 Sheet marked "DD-357 [Selfridge] class;" Porter had been sunk in October 1942
1 2 Selfridge received the MS-32/22D pattern in April 1944; by April 1945 she was wearing MS-32/3D
↑ Sheet marked "DD-421 class," but used on both
1 2 Sheet marked "DD-423 class," but used on both
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 As Robert H. Smith (DM-23) class minelayer
↑ Minelayer conversions of Clemson class DDs
↑ Fast minesweeper conversions of Clemson class DDs
↑ Seaplane tender conversions of Clemson-class DD's
↑ Sheet marked "DD-598 class"

Related Research Articles

The Gearing class was a series of 98 destroyers built for the U.S. Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the Allen M. Sumner class, whereby the hull was lengthened by 14 ft (4.3 m) at amidships, which resulted in more fuel storage space and increased the operating range.

The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.

The Wickes-class destroyers were a class of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917–19. Together with the six preceding Caldwell-class and following 156 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they were grouped as the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" type. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World War I, including USS Wickes, the lead ship of the class.

The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers. The class was named for Allen Melancthon Sumner, an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Often referred to as simply the Sumner, this class was distinguished from the previous Fletcher class by their twin 5-inch/38 caliber gun mounts, dual rudders, additional anti-aircraft weapons, and many other advancements. The Allen M. Sumner design was extended 14 feet (4.3 m) amidships to become the Gearing class, which was produced in larger numbers but did not see significant service in World War II.

Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle or dazzle painting, is a family of ship camouflage that was used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a rejected prior claim by the zoologist John Graham Kerr, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours interrupting and intersecting each other.

The Paulding-class destroyers were a series of United States Navy destroyers derived from the Smith class with the torpedo tubes increased from three to six via twin mounts. They were the first destroyers in the US Navy with oil-fired boilers. The 21 Pauldings doubled the number of destroyers in the US Navy. The Paulding class derived its name from the class's lead ship, Paulding, named for Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding (1797–1878). Like the Smiths, they were nicknamed "flivvers" after the small and shaky Model T Ford once the larger "thousand tonner" destroyers entered service.

USS Clemson (DD-186/AVP-17/AVD-4/APD-31) was the lead ship of her class of destroyers which served in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Midshipman Henry A. Clemson (1820–1846), who was lost at sea when the brig USS Somers capsized in a sudden squall off Vera Cruz on 8 December 1846 while chasing a blockade runner. Entering service in 1919, the ship had a brief active life before placed in reserve in 1922. Converted to an aircraft tender in 1939, the ship reactivated in 1940. In 1943, Clemson reconverted to a destroyer and served in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. In 1944, the ship was converted into a high speed transport and transferred to the Pacific taking part in several invasions. Following the end of the war, the ship was taken out of service again and sold for scrapping in 1946.

USS Selfridge is the name of two ships in the United States Navy.

Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by an armed force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. In practice, this means applying colour and materials to military equipment of all kinds, including vehicles, ships, aircraft, gun positions and battledress, either to conceal it from observation (crypsis), or to make it appear as something else (mimicry). The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the concept of visual deception developed into an essential part of modern military tactics. In that war, long-range artillery and observation from the air combined to expand the field of fire, and camouflage was widely used to decrease the danger of being targeted or enable surprise. As such, military camouflage is a form of military deception in addition to cultural functions such as political identification.

Destroyer minesweeper was a designation given by the United States Navy to a series of destroyers that were converted into high-speed ocean-going minesweepers for service during World War II. The hull classification symbol for this type of ship was "DMS." Forty-two ships were so converted, beginning with USS Dorsey (DD-117), converted to DMS-1 in late 1940, and ending with USS Earle (DD-635), converted to DMS-42 in mid-1945. The type is now obsolete, its function having been taken over by purpose-built ships, designated as "minesweeper (high-speed)" with the hull classification symbol MMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everett Warner</span> American painter

Everett Longley Warner was an American Impressionist painter and printmaker, as well as a leading contributor to US Navy camouflage during both World Wars.

The 3"/50-caliber gun in United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 calibers long. Different guns of this caliber were used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard from 1900 through to 1990 on a variety of combatant and transport ship classes.

Ship camouflage is a form of military deception in which a ship is painted in one or more colors in order to obscure or confuse an enemy's visual observation. Several types of marine camouflage have been used or prototyped: blending or crypsis, in which a paint scheme attempts to hide a ship from view; deception, in which a ship is made to look smaller or, as with the Q-ships, to mimic merchantmen; and dazzle, a chaotic paint scheme which tries to confuse any estimate of distance, direction, or heading. Counterillumination, to hide a darkened ship against the slightly brighter night sky, was trialled by the Royal Canadian Navy in diffused lighting camouflage.

In 1935, the United States Navy Naval Research Laboratory began studies and tests on low visibility ship camouflage. Research continued through World War II to (1) reduce visibility by painting vertical surfaces to harmonize with the horizon and horizontal surfaces to blend with the sea, or (2) confuse identity and course by painting obtrusive patterns on vertical surfaces. Some camouflage methods served both purposes. American captains were permitted less freedom of interpretation with these schemes than their British Commonwealth counterparts applied to Admiralty camouflage schemes.

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 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 identity, 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.

Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro was a major shipbuilding company on Terminal Island in San Pedro, California owned by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. To support the World War 2 demand for ships Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro built: US Navy Destroyers and after the war tugboats. The yard became involved in World War II production in the early shipbuilding expansions initiated by the Two-Ocean Navy Act of July 1940. At its peak during the war about 6,000 worked at the yard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro shipyard was opened in 1918 as Southwestern Shipbuilding by Western Pipe & Steel. Western Pipe & Steel sold the shipyard to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in 1925. Shipbuilding ended after World War 2 in 1946. In 1983 the shipyard was sold to Southwest Marine. In 1997 Southwest Marine operated four shipyards, which they sold to The Carlyle Group. Carlyle Group renamed the shipyard US Marine Repair. In 2002 US Marine Repair sold all six of its yards to United Defense Industries. In 2005 it was sold to BAE Systems but the yard was not used and the yard is now part of the Port of Los Angeles. The shipyard was located at 1047 South Seaside Ave, San Pedro.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] This sheet calls for the unusual combination of Ocean Gray and Haze Gray

[2] Used Black and Light Gray (MS-32) to starboard and Ocean Gray and Light Gray (MS-33) to port

[MS-31-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Used Measure 31 colors

[MS-32-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Used Measure 32 colors

[rev-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Port and starboard patterns switched

[6] Used Navy Blue instead of Black

[Porter-7] 1 2 Sheet marked "DD-357 [Selfridge] class;" Porter had been sunk in October 1942

[Selfridge-8] 1 2 Selfridge received the MS-32/22D pattern in April 1944; by April 1945 she was wearing MS-32/3D

[9] Sheet marked "DD-421 class," but used on both

[Gleaves-10] 1 2 Sheet marked "DD-423 class," but used on both

[Smith-11] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 As Robert H. Smith (DM-23) class minelayer

[12] Minelayer conversions of Clemson class DDs

[13] Fast minesweeper conversions of Clemson class DDs

[14] Seaplane tender conversions of Clemson-class DD's

[15] Sheet marked "DD-598 class"

[lower-alpha 1]

[lower-alpha 2]

[lower-alpha 3]

[lower-alpha 4]

[lower-alpha 5]

[lower-alpha 6]

[lower-alpha 7]

[lower-alpha 8]

[lower-alpha 9]

[lower-alpha 10]

[lower-alpha 11]

[lower-alpha 12]

[lower-alpha 13]

[lower-alpha 14]

[lower-alpha 15]

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

Contents

Colors

Patterns

Notes

See also

Related Research Articles