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:
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,
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Right Column -- Measures 31, 32 & 33,
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For presentations of Measure 31-32-33 design schemes listed by ship type, see:
NOTES:
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. |
Prototype page made 7 June 2007
Coding updated 11 May 2009