Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 19-N-104889:  Port side drawing of Camouflage Measure 33 Design 3D, for Buckley (DE-51) class escort ships.

Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIP CAMOUFLAGE -- WORLD WAR II

Measures 31-32-33 -- Listed by Design Designator

U.S. Navy ship camouflage Measures 31, 32 and 33 featured well over a hundred different designs, each representing a distinctive pattern of color tones and identified by a specific alpha-numeric designator. Some of these basic designs were applied to only one individual ship or class of ships, while others were used on several ship types and classes, sometimes with significant variations in the patterns and colors involved. Some ship classes had many different designs prepared, while others had few, or none.

Judging from the camouflage drawings presented in the pages linked from this one, at least thirty-two different design number series were used, with most of those subdivided by letter suffixes indicating the type of ship for which the design was originally intended: "A" for Aircraft Carriers; "B" for Battleships; "C" for Cruisers; "D" for Destroyers; "F" for Cargo Ships; "L" for Amphibious Ships and Craft; "M" for Mine Vessels; "P" for Patrol Vessels; "SS" for Submarines; and "T" for Transports. In some cases, a second suffix letter was employed to represent a different type of ship, as in "AO" for Oilers; and "Ax" for Auxiliary Ships (other than those represented by other letters). However, in other instances a second suffix letter appears to simply signify a variation on the basic design signified by the initial letter.

There appears to be no real linkage between different designs of the same basic number, but those with the same number and suffix letter usually appear to be related (though differing in detail, sometimes notably). Overall, there is an inescapable impression that the design identification system was evolving during the approximately year-and-a-half that Measure 31-32-33 series camouflage designs were being actively prepared.

This page provides information U.S. Navy Camouflage Measures 31, 32 and 33, with links to presentations on these measures' individual designs.
NOTE: This page represents a "work in progress", in which the individual components will be several years in preparation.

For presentations of Measure 31-32-33 design schemes listed by ship type, see:

  • Measures 31-32-33 -- Listed by Ship Type.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
    CAUTION: camouflage drawing photographs shown on these pages have generally had contrast altered to enhance patterns. Contrast in actual photographic reproductions may differ markedly from that seen.


    Left Column -- Measures 31, 32 & 33,
    Designs 1A through 10T:

    • Design 1A
    • Design 1B
    • Design 1C
    • Design 1D
    • Design 1F
    • Design 1M

    • Design 2A
    • Design 2AO
    • Design 2Ax
    • Design 2C
    • Design 2F
    • Design 2M

    • Design 3A
    • Design 3AO
    • Design 3C
    • Design 3D
    • Design 3M
    • Design 3SS-B

    • Design 4A
    • Design 4AO
    • Design 4P
    • Design 4T

    • Design 5AO
    • Design 5Ax
    • Design 5D
    • Design 5L
    • Design 5P

    • Design 6A
    • Design 6AO
    • Design 6Ax
    • Design 6B
    • Design 6D
    • Design 6F
    • Design 6L
    • Design 6T

    • Design 7A
    • Design 7AO
    • Design 7Ax
    • Design 7B
    • Design 7C
    • Design 7D
    • Design 7L
    • Design 7P
    • Design 7T

    • Design 8A
    • Design 8AO
    • Design 8Ax
    • Design 8B
    • Design 8C
    • Design 8F
    • Design 8L
    • Design 8P
    • Design 8T

    • Design 9A
    • Design 9AO
    • Design 9Ax
    • Design 9C
    • Design 9D
    • Design 9F
    • Design 9L
    • Design 9P
    • Design 9SS
    • Design 9T

    • Design 10A
    • Design 10Ax
    • Design 10D
    • Design 10F
    • Design 10L
    • Design 10P
    • Design 10T

    Right Column -- Measures 31, 32 & 33,
    Designs 11A through 35D:

    • Design 11A
    • Design 11D
    • Design 11F
    • Design 11L
    • Design 11P
    • Design 11T

    • Design 12A
    • Design 12Ax
    • Design 12F
    • Design 12L
    • Design 12P
    • Design 12T

    • Design 13Ax
    • Design 13D
    • Design 13P
    • Design 13T

    • Design 14A
    • Design 14D
    • Design 14L

    • Design 15A
    • Design 15Ax
    • Design 15F
    • Design 15L
    • Design 15P

    • Design 16A
    • Design 16Ax
    • Design 16D
    • Design 16L

    • Design 17A
    • Design 17Ax
    • Design 17L

    • Design 18A
    • Design 18Ax
    • Design 18D
    • Design 18F
    • Design 18L
    • Design 18P

    • Design 19A
    • Design 19D

    • Design 20L

    • Design 21D

    • Design 22D

    • Design 23D

    • Design 24D

    • Design 25D

    • Design 26D

    • Design 27D

    • Design 28D

    • Design 29D

    • Design 30D

    • Design 31D

    • Design 35D


    For presentations of Measure 31-32-33 design schemes listed by ship type, see:

  • Measures 31-32-33 -- Listed by Ship Type.


    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the Online Library's pictures are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
    CAUTION: camouflage drawing photographs shown on these pages have generally had contrast altered to enhance patterns. Contrast in actual photographic reproductions may differ markedly from that seen.


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Prototype page made 7 June 2007
    Coding updated 11 May 2009