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

Aircraft Carriers

View by Design Number

Fleet Carriers

View by Design Number

for CV-9

Design 10D

for CV-9

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for CV-9
Measure 32
Essex (CV-9)
Drawing

The drawing for Measure 32 Design 10D for the Essex class carriers dated probably July or August 1943. The vertical colors were specified to be dull black (BK) and light gray (5-L) with the horizontal surfaces deck blue (20-B). USS Essex (CV-9) wore this camouflage beginning in April 1944. This drawing has been labeled Design 6-10D. The number 6 comes from a table used in some memos between the Bureau of Ships and Pacific Fleet around August 1943. This table listed camouflage designs and the sixth listing in the table under “Patterns” was Design 10D.

A Design 10D drawing was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for the DD-384 Dunlap class using Measure 31. USS Pensacola (CA-24) appeared at Pearl Harbor in October 1943 in 33/10D. Design 10D was drawn up for the Fletcher class destroyers on December 9, 1943. Design 10D was also drawn for the Buckley class destroyer escorts on December 30, 1943.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-157409.

ship_image