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

Cruisers

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Light

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for CL-55

Design 3D

for CL-55

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for CL-55
Measure 33
Denver (CL-58)Vincennes (CL-64)
Drawing

The composite of the two design drawings for Measure 33/3D for the Cleveland class light cruisers drawn on December 23, 1943. The vertical colors were specified to be pale gray (5-P), haze gray (5-H) and navy blue (5-N) with a pattern of ocean gray (5-O) and deck blue (20-B) on the horizontal surfaces. Measure 32 colors would usually be light gray (5-L), ocean gray (5-O) and dull black (BK) on the vertical surfaces.

A Design 3D drawing was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for the DD-380 Gridley class of destroyers. Design 3D was also drawn for every other class of destroyers and destroyer escorts and for most other classes of major warships including the Independence class light carriers, the Casablanca class escort carriers, Omaha class light cruisers and Cleveland class light cruisers. The battleship USS Colorado (BB-45) also used Design 3D beginning in October 1943. A handful of ships of the Livermore class of destroyers and some destroyer escorts used a mirrored version in which the port pattern appeared on the starboard and the starboard pattern was painted on the port side. I have identified this as 3D rev (reversed) even though there seem to be no USN drawings that would depict this.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-109713 and 80-G-109714.

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