U.S. Navy Ships in WWII Dazzle Camouflage 1944-1945

Cruisers

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Heavy & Large

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for CA-32

Design 13D

for CA-32

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for CA-32
Measure 31a
Tuscaloosa (CA-37)

Measure 33
New Orleans (CA-32)San Francisco (CA-38)
Drawing

This is the drawing for Design 33/13D drawn for the New Orleans class heavy cruisers dated February 3, 1944. The Measure 33 vertical colors specified were ocean gray (5-O) and light gray (5-L) with the horizontal surfaces having a pattern of deck blue (20-B) and ocean gray (5-O). Measure 33 could also use vertical colors of navy blue (5-N) and light gray (5-L) or pale gray (5-P). There was an almost identical drawing for Design 32/13D (NARA 80-G-170020 and 80-G-170021) for the New Orleans class heavy cruisers issued on the same date with vertical colors dull black and light gray.

The first drawing for Design 13D was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for Gridley class destroyers. Design 13D was issued for the Buckley class destroyer escorts on December 30, 1943 with open vertical colors. Later, probably in January 1944, a drawing for 13D for the Fletcher class destroyers was drawn up and worn by at least 16 destroyers of the Fletcher class. Design 13D was then drawn as well as for the New Orleans class heavy cruisers as above on February 3, 1944, and was used by the heavy cruisers USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) using 5-N and 5-L and by USS San Francisco (CA-38) using 5-O and 5-L or possibly pale gray (5-P). These later versions of Design 13D differed from the Buckley class destroyer escort design in the area of the port bow.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-105506 and 80-G-105507.

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