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

Cruisers

View by Design Number

Heavy & Large

View by Design Number
CA: Heavy cruisers were armed with 8-inch guns.
CB: Large cruisers armed with 12-inch guns.

Ships in red are not confirmed by photographic or textual research.
Click on a blue ship's name or design number to see photos.
Hull NumberNameClassCamouflage DesignDesign DatePaint DateNotes Other
CA-24PensacolaPensacola33/10D10/?/43*1
CA-24PensacolaPensacola32/14D5/?/44*1
CA-25Salt Lake CityPensacola33/14D4/14/445/?/44*2
CA-26NorthamptonNorthamptonNA - Lost 12/1/42
CA-27ChesterNorthampton32/9D4/8/445/?/44*3
CA-28LouisvilleNorthampton33/6D12/17/43*3
CA-29ChicagoNorthamptonNA - Lost 1/39/43
CA-30HoustanNorthamptonNA - Lost 3/1/42
CA-31AugustaNorthamptonAssigned Atlantic used Measure 22
CA-32New OrleansNew Orleans33/13D2/10/44*4
CA-33PortlandPortland32/7D4/13/44*3
CA-34AstoriaNew OrleansNA - Lost 8/9/42
CA-35IndianapolisPortland32/7D4/13/44*3
CA-36MinneapolisNew Orleans*5
CA-37TuscaloosaNew Orleans31a/13D10/12/44
CA-38San FranciscoNew Orleans33/13D2/10/4410/13/44*6
CA-44VincennesNew OrleansNA - Lost 8/9/42
CA-45WichItaWichIta32/14D7/4/44*7
CA-68BaltimoreBaltimore33/16D4/6/4410/18/44*8
CA-69BostonBaltimore32/16D12/28/43*3
CA-70CanberraBaltimore33/18D1/1/441/18/44*9
CA-71QuincyBaltimore33/18D3/18/443/24/44*10
CA-72PittsburghBaltimore33/18D7/8/44*11
CA-73Saint PaulBaltimoreCommissioned 2/17/45 in Measure 21
CA-74ColumbusBaltimoreCommissioned 6/8/45 in Measure 21
CB-1AlaskaAlaska32/1D2/18/446/17/44*12
CB-2GuamAlaska32/7C5/10/44

Notation

Indicates the date that the Bureau of Ships sent to the ship or shipyard drawings and instructions to paint that camouflage design. That directive was usually followed and camouflage completion photos were returned to the Bureau. For the rows that are marked red, no verification memos or photos have yet been found.
Indicates the earliest date that memos or photos confirm painting in that design.
Not applicable.

Footnotes

CA-24 wore 33/10D beginning in October 1943 based on 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips which assigned camouflage Designs to ships assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Later in May 1944 CA-24 was painted in 32/14D at Mare Island using the 32/14D drawing that had been used for CA-25.
CA-25 was assigned 33/10D in the 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips, but was sent 32/14D on 4/14/44 and painted in May at Mare Island using Measure 33 colors.
Camouflage Measure and Design was assigned in 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips which assigned camouflage Designs to most ships in the Pacific Fleet.
CA-32 was assigned 32/13D in 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips, but was sent 33/13D on 2/10/44.
CA-36 was requested by CominCh to use a special camouflage similar to Measure 8 from SHIPS-2 to resemble a Porter class destroyer on 7/2/43. Photos show CA-36 in this camouflage at Mare Island in August 1943 and later at Peleliu in September 1944. An official drawing for this camouflage has yet to be found. Measure 8 was intended to be used by a light cruiser to resemble the silhouette of a two-stack destroyer.
CA-38 was assigned 32/13D in 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips, but was sent 33/13D on 2/10/44 and painted in 33/13D using ocean gray (5-O) and light gray (5-L) at Mare Island on 10/13/44.
CA-45 was assigned 33/14D in 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips, but was sent 32/14D on 7/4/44.
CA-68 was assigned 32/16D in 10/11/43 ComServPac letter #0937 to the BuShips, and was sent 32/16D on 4/6//44, but by 10/18/44 painted using 33/16D at Mare Island.
CA-70 was sent 33/18D on 1/1/44 and reported completion on 1/18/44, then was sent a drawing with modifications on 5/2/44.
CA-71 was scheduled to receive 32/18D, but requested approval from ComServPac to paint 33/18D. CA-71 also requested from BuShips minor changes to the 18D pattern on 3/24/44 and received a drawing with modifications on 4/27/44.
CA-72 was also sent 31a/9C on 11/24/44, but it was never used.
A BuShips memo on 8/4/44 to the Philadelphia Navy Yard identified CB-1 as having been sent 32/3D on 2/18/44, but this was probably a typo since CB-1 commissioned on 6/17/44 in 32/1D.