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

Battleships

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for BB-38

Design 3D

for BB-38

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for BB-38
Measure 32
Pennsylvania (BB-38)
Drawing

This is the composite drawing for Design 3D drawn for the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) using Measure 32 colors probably dated January 1944. The Measure 32 colors are dull black (BK), ocean gray (5-O) and light gray (5-L) vertically with ocean gray (5-O) and deck blue (20-B) on the decks and horizontal surfaces. This camouflage was probably never used by Pennsylvania.

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-157915 and 80-G-157916.

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