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The
Development of Naval Camouflage 1914 - 1945 By
Alan Raven (Article reprinted courtesy of Plastic Ship Modeler Magazine issue #97/3) MEASURE
1C Used
from first week of December 1941 to early 1942 for experimental purposes on the
destroyer FLUSSER of the Pacific Fleet. Colors:
5-N Navy Blue. MEASURE
2 Used
from early 1941 to mid 1941 on many ships of the Atlantic Fleet from battleships
down to destroyers. Used from mid 1941 to early 1942 on a few cruisers and
destroyers of the Pacific Fleet. Colors:
5-D Dark Gray, 5-0 Ocean Gray, 5-L Light Gray. MEASURE
2A Used
for experimental purposes on the battleship TEXAS in the spring of 1941 and on
the destroyer LAMSON in October 1941. Colors:
(TEXAS) 5-D Dark Gray, 5-0 Ocean Gray, 5-L Light Gray. MEASURE
3 Used
in the spring of 1941 for experimental purposes on the cruiser SALT LAKE CITY
and on the destroyer WAINWRIGHT of the Atlantic Fleet. Colors:
5-L Light Gray, 5-D Dark Gray. MEASURE
4 Used
on carriers WASP and RANGER, the cruiser MEMPHIS, and the destroyer ROE of the
Atlantic Fleet for a brief period in the spring of 1941 and one squadron of PT's
in the Mediterranean in 1943/44. Colors:
Black, 5-D Dark Gray, 5-L Light Gray. MEASURE
5 Painted
bow wave used on a few ships of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets from carriers
and battleships down to destroyers. The
outline of the wave to be painted in white, the body of the wave to be painted
in Dark Blue, or Dark Gray. MEASURE
6 Paint
a six" gun cruiser to simulate an 8" cruiser. MEASURE
7 Paint
a 6" gun cruiser to simulate a four stack destroyer. Colors
used to be as for Measure 6 above. MEASURE
8 Paint
a 6" gun cruiser to simulate a two stack destroyer. Colors
used to be as for Measure 6 above. Note:
It is not known if any cruisers were ever painted in the above three measures
during 1941, but in 1943 the heavy cruiser MINNEAPOLIS did wear Measure 8. MEASURE
9 Used
by the majority of the Submarine Fleet during 1941, and by all of the fleet from
early 1942 until mid 1942 when some boats began to wear Measure 10. Color:
Black. MEASURE
10 Used
on several Pacific Fleet submarines from mid 1942 until late 1944. MEASURE
11 Developed
directly from Measure 1A. Used on a few cruisers and destroyers of the Pacific
Fleet in the last weeks of 1941 and the first months of 1942. Colors:
5-S Sea Blue, 20B Dark Blue. MEASURE
12 Developed
directly from Measure 2A. Used extensively on ships of the Atlantic Fleet from
mid 1941 to the end of 1941. Used on carriers and battleships down to escort
vessels. Used experimentally on the Pacific Fleet destroyer MAHAN from December
1941 until April 1942. Colors: Initially (mid 1941 for a few weeks only) 5-D
Dark Gray, 5-0 Ocean Gray, 5-H Haze Gray, 20B Deck Blue. Later
(summer and autumn 1941) 5-S Sea Blue, 5-0 Ocean Gray, 5-H Haze Gray, 20B Deck
Blue. The above instructions for vertical surfaces did not apply to carriers, which were to be painted as follows. |