The admiralty used “dazzle” camouflage as an anti-submarine protection measure for merchant vessels and convoys. The Grand Fleet battle squadrons were not painted that way. But several cruisers that acted as convoy ocean escorts were given camouflage coats. Some designs were used on two different ships, Others were unique. Here are some examples from my … More RN WWI Camouflage on my models – part II
I was fascinated by the use of colored patterns in the First World War to confuse U-boats about the course and speed of the painted ship. I’ve painted many models in my collection in those patterns. Here are three British minesweeping sloops with their actual patterns. The patterns are different for each side of the … More RN WWI Camouflage on my models – part 1
This is a continuation of items previously published.
When I made these, about 30 years ago, there were no commercially available models of these ships. The models are made from wood, wire and pins. Some of the boats and other detais are commercial parts or items salvaged from other models. I chose the ships they represent especially in order to have an example … More Some more scratch built models – USN WWII – part 1
On May 24th, 1917 the first British merchant ship convoy left Hampton Roads bound for England.The convoy name was HH-1 which stood for the first convoy Homeward bound from Hampton Roads. It consisted of 12 merchant ships escorted by HMS Roxburgh. The cruiser made several more trips across the Atlantic as a convoy escort. During … More Convoy HH-1 from Hampton Roads
Made these out of wood about 30 years ago
Disruptive Camouflage at Gallipoli in 1915 Disruptive pattern, or Dazzle, camouflage was used in 1917 to save merchant ships from :U-boat attacks. But the idea of disruptive camouflage had been in actual use earlier, A British professor of zoology, John Kerr, had proposed the idea as a means of confusing range-finders. Then First Lord of … More Disruptive camouflage at Gallipoli in 1915
US Submarine camouflage trials in 1916 There was interest in warship camouflage in the US that may have been started by the experience of the US Navy in the Spanish American War. One of the first artists to make his interest public was William A Mackay. Mackay had specific ideas about ship camouflage, and they … More USN submarine camouflage experiments – 1915-6.
Frederick Alexander Pawla One of the highly important, and largely forgotten, figures in the camouflage of US ships in the First World War was Frederick Alexander Pawla. Pawla was born in Scotland in 1876. He immigrated to the US and joined the US Navy when he was just 14 years old and not yet 5 … More Frederick Alexander Paula
French cargo ship Amiral Nielly – port side These are 2 more examples of French WWI Ship Camouflage. The colors may not be precise, but I believe they are good close approximations. I know the colors used include black, white, dark blue, light blue, brown, green, and dark grey. Both ships were operated by the … More More examples of French WW I Camouflage
Wetherhorn 