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

Destroyer Escorts

View by Design Number

Buckley

View by Design Number

for DE-339

Design 3D

for DE-339

Design Number Silhouette Ships Wearing Design
for DE-339
Measure 31
Kenneth M. Willet (DE-354)Mack (DE-358)
Rombach (DE-364)Alvin C. Cockrell (DE-366)
Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368)John L. Williamson (DE-370)
Haas (DE-424)Charles E. Brannon (DE-446)

Measure 32
Rudderow (DE-224)Day (DE-225)
Chaffee (DE-230)Richard W. Suesens (DE-342)
Robert Brazier (DE-345)Edwin A. Howard (DE-346)
Jesse Rutherford (DE-347)Traw (DE-350)
Maurice J. Manuel (DE-351)Lloyd E. Acree (DE-356)
Pratt (DE-363)McGinty (DE-365)
Leland E. Thomas (DE-420)Douglas A. Monro (DE-422)
Dufilho (DE-423)Haas (DE-424)
Albert T. Harris (DE-447)Formoe (DE-509)
Edward H. Allen (DE-531)Tweedy (DE-532)
Robert I. Paine (DE-578)Riley (DE-579)
Metivier (DE-582)Charles J. Kimmel (DE-584)
Lough (DE-586)Thomas F. Nickel (DE-587)
Peiffer (DE-588)Tinsman (DE-589)
Coates (DE-685)Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686)
Jobb (DE-707)Parle (DE-708)
Drawing

The combined drawings for 31/3D for the John C. Butler class destroyer escorts dated June 2, 1944. The Measure 31 colors were the standard: dull black (BK), ocean gray (5-O) and haze gray (5-H). Notice there is no “anchor shadow” on the starboard bow and the port bow black panel is extended into a “ramp” and almost into a loop. At least 17 destroyer escorts used these drawings for camouflage, most in Measure 32 which substituted light gray (5-L) for haze gray (5-H).

A Design 3D drawing was attached to the July 15, 1943, memo to PacFleet for the DD-380 Gridley class of destroyers. Design 3D was also drawn for every other class of destroyers and destroyer escorts and for most other classes of major warships including the Independence class light carriers, the Casablanca class escort carriers, Omaha class light cruisers and Cleveland class light cruisers. The battleship USS Colorado (BB-45) also used Design 3D beginning in October 1943. A handful of ships of the Livermore class of destroyers and some destroyer escorts used a mirrored version in which the port pattern appeared on the starboard and the starboard pattern was painted on the port side. I have identified this as 3D rev (reversed) even though there seem to be no USN drawings that would depict this.

Original drawing sources: NARA 80-G-172880 and 80-G-172881.

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