Cruisers

This is the drawing for Camouflage Design 32/9D drawn for the Northampton class heavy cruiser USS Chester (CA-27) dated March 18, 1944. The Measure 32 vertical colors were dull black (BK), ocean gray (5-O) and light gray (5-L) with a pattern of deck blue (20-B) and ocean gray (5-O) on the horizontal surfaces. Note the similarity of the port and starboard patterns but reversed bow to stern. These patterns consist of a wedge of ocean gray and black centered near the bridge area flanked by false perspective “stairs” with dark sets to the left and light sets to the right.

The first drawing for Design 9D was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for the Fletcher class destroyers. This design was redrawn on April 6, 1944, for the Allen M. Sumner class destroyers; and again on May 1, 1944, for Evarts class destroyer escorts; and on May 10, 1944, for the Dunlap class destroyers. The cruiser USS Chester (CA-27) appeared in Design 9D as above beginning in June 1944. The camouflage worn by USS Ranger (CV-4) in July 1944 was a very good match for Design 9D even though the design was identified as 33/1A. Design 32/8Ax was an almost exact copy of 9D and was used by most of the ships of the Kenneth Whiting class of seaplane tenders.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-173263 and 80-G-173265.