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 23D

for DD-445

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for DD-445
Measure 31
O'Bannon (DD-450)Abner Read (DD-526)
Trathen (DD-530)McCord (DD-534)
Wren (DD-568)

Measure 32
Cogswell (DD-651)Bryant (DD-665)
Hickox (DD-673)
Drawing

Drawing 31/23D for the Fletcher class destroyers dated January 8, 1944. Vessels needing Measure 32 would be sent a drawing that subsituted light gray (5-L) for ocean gray (5-O) on the vertical surfaces. If haze gray were used instead of ocean gray it would still be Measure 31. The stern view is confusing and caused some ships to paint extra panels to match.

Design 23D was derived from a Measure 16 pattern dated June 1942. The design drawing for Buckley class destroyer escorts was dated March 8, 1944. Design 23D was drawn for Mahan class destroyers on April 13, 1944, and again for Admirable class minesweepers on May 5, 1944. Also on May 18, 1944, the Design 23D drawing was reissued for the destroyer Cassin, rebuilt after Pearl Destroyers%20Drawings/23D%20DD445.jpgarbor, but both starboard and port bow patterns had been extensively modified even though the design number remained the same; there is no evidence whether Cassin used this modified design.

Original drawing source: NARA 80-G-164294 and 80-G-164295.

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