# World War II US Navy dazzle camouflage measures 31, 32 and 33: aircraft carriers

Dazzle camouflage of warships was adopted by the U.S. Navy during World War II, following research at the Naval Research Laboratory. Dazzle consists in painting obtrusive patterns on vertical surfaces. Unlike some other forms of camouflage, dazzle works not by offering concealment but by making it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed and heading. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to make it more difficult for the enemy to recognize different classes of ships. The result was that a profusion of dazzle schemes were tried, and the evidence for their success was at best mixed.
Dazzle camouflage patterns used on aircraft carriers are presented here.

## Colors

Typical color combinations :
| MS-31 | MS-31a | MS-32 | MS-32 | MS-33 | MS-33 | MS-33a | Horizontals |
| Haze Gray 5-H | Haze Gray 5-H | Light Gray 5-L | Light Gray 5-L | Pale Gray 5-P | Pale Gray 5-P | Light Gray 5-L | Ocean Gray 5-O |
| Ocean Gray 5-O | Ocean Gray 5-O | Dull Black 82 | Ocean Gray 5-O | Haze Gray 5-H | Haze Gray 5-H | Ocean Gray 5-O | Deck Blue 20-B |
| Dull Black 82 | Navy Blue 5-N | | Dull Black 82 | Navy Blue 5-N | Ocean Gray 5-O | |

## Patterns

Aircraft carrier designs :
| Name | Description | Known examples |
| MS-33/1A | for USS Ranger (CV-4) | Ranger |
| MS-3_/3A | for Essex (CV-9) class | Intrepid (MS-32), Hornet (MS-33), Franklin (MS-32), Hancock (MS-32) |
| MS-32/4A | for Bogue (CVE-9) class | Bogue, Card, Core, Croatan, Prince William |
| MS-32/4A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Mission Bay, Tripoli, Guadalcanal, Solomons, Kasaan Bay, Fanshaw Bay, Tulagi |
| MS-33/4Ab | for USS Enterprise (CV-6) | Enterprise |
| MS-3_/6A | for Essex (CV-9) class | Franklin, Bunker Hill |
| MS-33/7A | for Independence (CVL-22) class | Princeton, Cowpens, San Jacinto |
| MS-3_/8A | for Independence (CVL-22) class | Independence (MS-33), Bataan (MS-32) |
| MS-32/9A | for USS Long Island (CVE-1) | Long Island |
| MS-33/10A | for Essex (CV-9) class | Yorktown, Ticonderoga, Wasp, Shangri-La |
| MS-33/10A | for Sangamon (CVE-26) class | Chenango |
| MS-33/10A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Corregidor, Wake Island, White Plains, Kalinin Bay, Nehenta Bay, Kadashan Bay, Petrof Bay, Shamrock Bay, Sitkoh Bay, Thetis Bay |
| MS-32/11A | for USS Saratoga (CV-3) | Saratoga |
| MS-32/12A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Casablanca, Anzio, Manila Bay, Kitkun Bay, Steamer Bay, Cape Esperance, Takanis Bay |
| MS-33/14A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Natoma Bay, Savo Island, Saginaw Bay, Attu |
| MS-32/15A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | St. Lo, Gambier Bay, Marcus Island, Ommaney Bay, Rudyerd Bay, Sargent Bay, Shipley Bay |
| MS-32/16A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Makassar Strait, Makin Island, Hollandia, Roi |
| MS-32/16A | for Commencement Bay (CVE-105) class | Commencement Bay, Bairoko |
| MS-32/17A | for Essex (CV-9) class | Randolph, Bennington, Bon Homme Richard, Antietam |
| MS-33/18A | for Casablanca (CVE-55) class | Hoggatt Bay, Windham Bay, Lunga Point, Bismarck Sea, Salamaua, Bouganville |
| MS-33/18A | for Commencement Bay (CVE-105) class | Block Island |
| Adapted designs |||||
| MS-33/3D (destroyer) | adapted to Independence (CVL-22) class | Belleau Wood, Monterey |
| MS-33/3D (destroyer) | adapted to Casablanca (CVE-55) class | |
| MS-32v6/10D (destroyer) | adapted to Essex (CV-9) class | Essex |