Confusion from Stern Drawing Interpretations

Many camouflage drawings allowed more than one interpretation for how to apply the pattern. This was especially evident concerning the stern views. Multiple interpretation was probably the result of having crews applying paint that were unfamiliar with reading plans or blueprints. My guess is that in some cases crews were handed paint and drawings and instructed to “Make it look like this.” The result was often a bit unpredictable. Once the pattern had been applied, repainting for maintenence only required painting the same color in any particular panel. Thus, any oddities tended to live on until a total repaint or Measure change. I have attempted to document many oddities that I have found in my research. Follow the links below to see some of what I have assembled so far.

Fletcher Class Destroyer Camouflage Stern Variations

Select a design number



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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 1D drawing showing the port rear black panel edge-on and that the starboard rear dull black panel wraps halfway across the stern from the starboard quarter.
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Above: The stern of USS Taylor (DD-468) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 125406 showing beyond the whaleboat the extra black panels painted on the stern to match the 1D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Bush (DD-529) cropped from NARA BS 67650 showing the starboard rear panel wrapping around the quarter and no extra panel on the port.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 2C drawing showing the starboard rear black panel edge-on and that the port rear ocean gray panel wraps around the quarter.
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Above: The stern quarter of USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 87830 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern to match the 2C stern view above.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Spense (DD-512) cropped from NARA BS 80397 showing no stripe painted on the starboard quarter. Converse was almost the same.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 3D drawing. This shows the starboard rear black panel edge-on, the rear ocean gray panel partly wrapping around the stern and from the port side, the aft black panel edge and the rear ocean gray panel wrapping almost to the quarter.
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Above: The stern quarter of USS Paul Hamilton (DD-590) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 126945 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern to match the 3D stern view above.
Above: The stern quarter of USS McNair (DD-679) cropped from NARA 80-G-309725 showing the stern with no extra panels.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 6D drawing showing the starboard rear black panel edge-on and the port rear ocean gray panel wrapping around the stern.
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Above: The stern quarter of USS Capps (DD-550) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 62967 showing the stripe painted on the stern quarter to match the 6D stern view above.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Twiggs (DD-591) cropped from NARA 80-G-311490 showing the stern with no extra panels. Bearss was similar.
Above: The stern of USS Bearss (DD-654) cropped from NARA 80-G-224861 showing the stern all ocean gray with no extra panels.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 9D drawing showing the stern blank; probably the intention was for the pattern to be continued around the stern.
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Above: The stern of USS Uhlmann (DD-687) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 79284 showing the entire stern painted light gray with no pattern continued from either side.
Above: The stern of USS Hopewell (DD-681) cropped from NARA BS 77873 showing the stern with the ocean gray panels from each side continued to meet.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 10D drawing showing the port rear black panel wrapping part-way around the stern.
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Above: The stern of USS Boyd (DD-544) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 63273 showing the extra black panel and light stripe painted on the stern port quarter to match the 10D stern view above.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Bullard (DD-660) cropped from NARA BS 79704 showing the stern quarter with no extra panels while the dull black wraps around.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 13D drawing showing the starboard rear light gray panel edge-on and the port aft light gray panel reaching almost to the quarter.
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Above: The stern of USS Kimberly (DD-521) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 126004 showing the extra panels painted on the stern to match the 13D stern view above. The USS Norman Scott (DD-690) was similarly painted.
Above: The stern of USS Norman Scott (DD-690) is similar in this cropped version of NARA BS 74338 showing the extra panels painted on the stern. While USS Morrison (DD-560) was different.
Above: The stern of USS Morrison (DD-560) differs a little in this cropped portion of NARA BS 63494 showing the extra panels painted on the stern and unusual hull numbers. The USS Richard P. Leary (DD-664) was somewhat different.
Above: The stern of USS Richard P. Leary (DD-664) is shown cropped from NARA 80-G-222379 showing an extra narrow panel painted on the stern aft of the hull number. The USS Irwin (DD-794) was similar.
Above: A close-up of the stern of USS Irwin (DD-794) in this cropped portion of NARA BS 62616 showing the extra panels painted on the stern. The USS Preston (DD-795) was also similar.
Above: The stern of USS Preston (DD-795) is similar in this cropped version of NARA BS 63150 showing the extra panels painted on the stern.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Robinson (DD-562) cropped from NARA BS 63190 showing the stern with no extra panels.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Prichett (DD-561) cropped from NARA 80-G-258612 showing the stern with no extra panels. The starboard aft panel wraps around the stern.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 14D drawing showing the edge of the port rear black panel and on the starboard the aft-most black panel wrapping part-way around the quarter.
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Above: The stern of USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 73200 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern to match the 14D stern view above. Wickes was similar.
Above: The stern of USS Wickes (DD-578) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 89962 showing the extra panel painted on the stern quarter to match the 14D stern view above.  Note the unusual painting of the hull number.
Above: The stern quarter of USS William D. Porter (DD-579) cropped from NARA 80-G-239360 showing the stern with no extra panels.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 16D drawing showing the edge of the port rear black panel with a haze gray panel between the ocean gray panel from quarter to quarter and on the starboard the aft-most black panel edge-on.
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Above: The stern of USS Young (DD-580) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 126914 showing the extra panels and stripe painted on the stern to match the 16D stern view above.
Above: The stern quarter of USS Little (DD-803) cropped from NARA BS 74026 showing the stern with no extra panels and no stern hull number.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the square-bridge version of the Design 18D drawing showing no pattern on the stern. Since the port side view showed a corner of a dull black panel, it was probably assumed that the starboard aft black panel would wrap around the stern to the port. The round-bridge version showed a pattern.

Left: The enlarged stern view from the round-bridge version of the Design 18D drawing showing the port rear black panel edge-on and that the starboard rear black panel wraps around the quarter part way across the stern.

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Above: The stern quarter of USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 129484 showing the edge of the black panel wrapped around to the stern quarter from the starboard possibly based on the square-bridge stern view. Luce was similar.
Above: The stern of USS Luce (DD-522) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 87930 showing the edge of the black panel wrapped around to the stern quarter from the starboard possibly based on the square-bridge stern view.
Above: The stern of USS Foote (DD-511) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 68085 showing a shorter black panel as in the round-bridge stern drawing.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 21D drawing showing both the starboard and port rear black panels edge-on.
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Above: The stern of USS Stockham (DD-683) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 61490 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern to match the 21D stern view above. The USS Longshaw (DD-559) had a more unusual version.
Above: The stern of USS Longshaw (DD-559) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 65177 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern and an unusual painting of the hull number. USS Cony was more conventional like Stockham.
Above: The stern of USS Cony (DD-508) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 63258 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern with the standard painting of the hull number. USS Twining (DD-540) was similar.
Above: The stern of USS Twining (DD-540) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 60947 showing the extra panel and stripe painted on the stern to match the 21D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Howorth (DD-592) from the starboard cropped from NARA BS 61817. Even from this angle there appears to be no stripe painted on the starboard quarter.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 22D drawing showing the starboard rear black panel edge-on with the port aft black panel wrapping around the stern. The starboard side view shows the tip of that port black panel wrapped around which possibly caused confusion.

Note: The Wedderburn is the only Fletcher class ship yet identified in camouflage Design 22D.
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Above: The stern quarter of USS Wedderburn (DD-684) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 62812 showing the extra panel painted on the stern quarter to match the 22D stern view above.
Above: An aerial view of the stern quarter of Wedderburn in a cropped portion of NARA 80-G-227062 showing an extra panel of ocean gray painted on the stern quarter below the hull number.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 23D drawing showing both the starboard and port aft black panels edge-on.
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Above: The stern quarter of USS Bryant (DD-665) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 62220 showing the extra panels painted on the both quarters to match the 23D stern view above.
Above: The port stern of the USS Wren (DD-568) in a cropped portion from NARA 80-G-455391. From this angle it appears Wren has no extra panels on the stern.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 24D drawing showing the starboard aft black panel edge-on and the port aftermost black panel wrapping around the quarter to the stern.
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Above: The stern of USS Nicholas (DD-449) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 125280 showing just beyond the boats the extra panels painted on the stern to match the 24D stern view above.
Above: A stern view of the USS Heermann (DD-532) in a cropped portion from NARA BS 126344. No extra panels are seen, the port aft panel wraps around the quarter.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 1D drawing showing the port rear black panel and the starboard rear dull black panel edge-on.
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Above: The stern of USS Whitman (DE-24) in a cropped portion of Mare Island 2433-44 showing the extra black panels painted on the stern to try to match the 1D stern view above. Doherty and John J. Powers were similarly painted.
Above: The stern of USS John M. Bermingham (DE-530) cropped from NARA BS 69701 showing no extra panels on the stern. Gilmore and Connolly were similar.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 3D drawing for the Evarts class destroyer escorts showing the port rear black panel and the starboard rear dull black panel edge-on.
The 3D drawing for the Buckley class resulted in similar variations.
Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 3D drawing for the DE-51 class showing the port rear black panel and light gray panel edge-on on the left and the starboard rear dull black panel edge-on on the right.

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Above: The stern of USS Rall (DE-304) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 89975B showing the extra black and light gray panels painted on the stern to match the 3D stern view above. Rall is the only Evarts class in 3D known to paint these extra panels on the stern.
Above: The stern of USS Brister (DE-327) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 70338 showing “extra” black and light gray panels painted on the stern to match the 3D stern view above.  Kretchmer, O'Reilly, Koiner and Bray all had “extra” panels similar to these.
Above: The stern of USS Walter S. Brown (DE-258) cropped from NARA BS 70375 showing no extra panels on the stern.
Above: The stern of USS Gillette (DE-681) cropped from NARA 19-LCM-DE681-5 showing no “extra” panels on the stern.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 6D drawing for the Evarts DE-5 class showing the starboard rear dull black panel edge-on on the right.
There were other variations of the 6D drawing for the Buckley DE-51 class.
Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 6D drawing for the Buckley class showing the stern “X-ed” out.

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Above: The stern of USS Halloran (DE-305) in a cropped portion of MI 3344-44 showing the extra black line painted on the stern quarter to match the 6D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Osmus (DE-701) cropped from photo NARA BS 65384 showing the stern painted light gray (5-L) with ocean gray (5-O) on each side and no wrap around.
Above: Halloran was the only Evarts class destroyer escort to use this camouflage design drawing.
Above: A cropped view of the stern of USS Damon M. Cummings (DE-643) from photo NARA BS 68066 showing the entire stern is ocean gray (5-O) wrapped around from each side.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 9D drawing for the Evarts class showing the stern blank with no pattern and no colors. The intent of the design may have been for the pattern to continue around the stern, but this is not clear.
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Above: The stern of USS Austin (DE-15) is shown in a cropped view from photo NARA BS 65384 showing the stern painted light gray (5-L) with the pattern on each side and no wrap around. Burden R. Hastings and Mason were both painted in a similar way.
Above: Only the three Evarts class destroyer escorts at the laft have been identified wearing design 9D.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 10D drawing for the DE-51 class showing the rear black panel wraps completely around the stern from both sides and the forward edges on both sides.
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Above: The stern of USS Fieberling (DE-640) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 64283 showing extra black and medium gray panels painted on the stern to match the 10D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Willmarth (DE-638) cropped from NARA BS 65236 showing the dull black panel wraps completely around the stern. All other DEs in 10D painted the stern this way.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 11D drawing for the DE-51 class showing the aftmost panels on both port and starboard viewed edge-on.
Tatum was similar to Gendreau below, but Gunason had another variation.
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Above: The stern of USS Gendreau (DE-639) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 62808 showing a dull black triangular panel on port and an ocean gray panel to starboard to match the 11D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Gunason (DE-795) in a cropped portion of NARA 19-LCM-DE795-3 showing a dull black triangular panel on the port quarter and another black panel to starboard.
Above: The stern of USS Lamons (DE-743) cropped from NARA 19-LCM-DE743-1 showing no extra panels on the stern. John C. Butler was the same.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 13D drawing for the DE-51 class showing the stern X-ed out.
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Above: The stern of USS Maloy (DE-791) in a cropped portion of NARA 19-LCM-DE791-1 showing a light gray panel painted on the stern between black panels on port and starboard to match the 13D stern view above. Haines was also painted in this way.
Above: The stern of USS Manning (DE-199) cropped from NARA BS 63739 showing how the starboard aft dull black panel wraps completely around the stern.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the original Design 14D drawing for the Buckley class showing the stern with the aft-most black panels on each side viewed edge-on. The starboard panel wraps partially around the stern quarter. This drawing included the stern knuckles possibly to avoid confusion.
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Above: The stern of USS Cloues (DE-265) is shown in a cropped view from photo NARA BS 65254 showing the extra black panels on the stern in an attempt to match the stern view at top.
Above: This is the stern of USS William C. Cole (DE-641) cropped from photo NARA 19-LCM-DE641-4 showing the “extra” black panels on the stern in an attempt to match the stern view at top.
Above: This view shows the stern of USS Currier (DE-700) in 31/14D cropped from photo NARA 19-LCM-DE-700-4 showing the “extra” black panels on the stern in an attempt to match the stern view at top.
Above: A stern view of USS Neuendorf (DE-200) of the Buckley class cropped from NARA BS 120969 showing no extra panels and that the aft starboard black panel wraps around the quarter.
Above: A stern view, this time of USS Hollis (DE-794) cropped from NARA 19-LCM-DE794-7 showing no “extra” panels and how the aft starboard dull black panel wraps around the quarter.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 16D drawing for the Buckley class showing the stern blank X-ed out with no pattern and no colors. The intent of the design may have been for the medium color from both sides to continue around the stern, but this is not clear.
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Above: The stern of USS Eichenberger (DE-202) is seen in a cropped view from photo NARA BS 58085 showing the stern apparently painted light gray (5-L) with the medium color, in this case haze gray (5-H), on each side and no wrap around.
Above: The stern of USS Thomason (DE-203) is shown cropped from NARA BS 60773 showing the medium color, ocean gray (5-O), wrapped around the stern from both sides. Bowers was also painted like this.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 21D drawing for the Evarts (DE-5) class showing the aft-most panels on both port and starboard viewed nearly edge-on.
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Above: The stern of USS Crowley (DE-303) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 131500 showing extra dull black panels on each side of the stern in an effort to match the 21D stern view above. Crouter was similarly painted.
Above: The stern of USS Finnegan (DE-307) cropped from NARA BS 131517 showing no extra panels on the stern, the stern is entirely light gray.
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Left: The enlarged stern view from the Design 22D drawing for the Evarts (DE-5) class showing the aft-most panels on both port and starboard wrapped around to the stern.
The 22D drawing for the John C. Butler class also caused two versions.
Left: An enlarged composite from the Design 22D drawing for the John C. Butler (DE-339) class showing the stern view (only to the knuckles) with the starboard side view. It is not clear from these two views whether there should be a gap of 5-L between two black panels or just a single black panel that wraps around.

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Above: The stern of USS Bebas (DE-10) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 69841 showing four extra dull black panels in an effort to match the 22D stern view above.
Above: The stern of USS Oberrender (DE-344) in a cropped portion of NARA BS 132048 showing two separate dull black panels with a gap in an effort to match the 22D stern view above.
Above: An aerial view of the stern of USS Oliver Mitchell (DE-417) cropped from NARA BuAer 245489 showing a single dull black panel that wraps around in an effort to match the 22D drawing above.
Above: An close-up view of the stern of USS Corbesier (DE-438) cropped from NARA BS 69186 showing two dull black panels with a gap in an effort to match the 22D drawing above. Kendall C. Campbell and Grady were both similar.
Above: The stern of USS Griswold (DE-7) cropped from NARA BS 121192 showing no extra panels on the stern and that the aft panel on the port side simply wraps around to the stern. Doneff appeared to be similar to this.
Above: The stern of USS Dennis (DE-405) cropped from NARA BS 65594 showing no panels on the stern and a single panel on the starboard side.
Above: The stern of USS Lewis (DE-535) cropped from NARA BS 83001B showing no panels on the stern and a single panel on the starboard side.
Above: The stern of USS Walter C. Wann (DE-412) cropped from NARA BS 132136 showing no panels on the stern and a single panel on the starboard side.


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Site last updated: March 1, 2019
Copyright © C. Lee Johnson 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019