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

Destroyers

View by Design Number

Fletcher Class

View by Design Number

for DD-445

Design 11D

for DD-445

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for DD-445
Measure 31
Fullam (DD-474)Eaton (DD-510)
Owen (DD-536)Stephen Potter (DD-538)
Hale (DD-642)Black (DD-666)
Gregory (DD-802)Rooks (DD-804)

Measure 32
Bennett (DD-473)Tingey (DD-539)
Watts (DD-567)Killen (DD-593)
Metcalfe (DD-595)Wiley (DD-597)
Chauncey (DD-667)McDermut (DD-677)
Mertz (DD-691)Jarvis (DD-799)
Drawing

The drawing for Design 31/11D for the Fletcher class dated March 8, 1944. The specified vertical colors were dull black (BK), ocean gray (5-O) and haze gray (5-H). Some ships that used this design seem to have used light gray (5-L) instead of haze gray to produce Measure 32. The original U.S. Navy produced drawing did not include the whaleboats on each side view. Thus, the whaleboats were interpreted from the photos and added, so not all ships agree precisely with this drawing in this area.

The first drawing for Design 11D was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for Benson class. This design was drawn up for the Buckley class destroyer escorts on December 22, 1943, and also for the Sims class destroyers on March 1, 1944. The earlier design for the Buckley destroyer escorts had its patterns almost reversed port and starboard; the prominent panel of the Fletcher port bow was on the Buckley starboard bow. An “experimental” version of this design was also sent to the battleship USS Indiana (BB-58) on September 16, 1943, and worn by her by October.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-170934 and 80-G-170935.

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