The Ship Model Forum

Does anyone know or have a reference for the colors used in WWI destroyer dazzle camouflage? Is it the same as the WWII measure 31 (Haze grey 5-H, Ocean Grey 5-O, Dull Black 82, Navy Blue 5-N)?
I am backdating Mirage's USS Ward to her original configuration and would really like to do her 1918 dazzle paint job.

thanks
Bill Osborne (GPBurdell)

Bill,

The colors may have been similar but those Navy paints you have listed were formulated during World War II. I've seen some information on World War I "dazzle" schemes but not a lot about colors. My impression is the colors were "brighter" and more varied than during World War II.

Don't know how many of these you already know, but perhaps some helpful information:

http://www.gotouring.com/razzledazzle/articles/dazzle.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage
http://www.kristiangoddard.net/Blog/Dazzle_Camouflage_Painting.htm
http://publicdomainreview.org/2012/04/19/dazzle-ships/

Good luck & submit some photos of your finished model please.

Mac

Thanks Mac. I did not have most of the links you sent. the only color reference I have been able to find is the four-stacker in the attached painting. I think I'll wind up with a combination of black grey and white.

A gentleman named Ron Smith had a website a couple of years ago that he sold camo patterns for many US naval and civilian vessels from WWI period. I saved quite a few and and looked through them this morning. Nothing specific for Ward but he had 5 schemes for "Wickes/Little" class destroyers and they all used number 1 grey, number 2 blue, and black. The colors are matched to the White Ensign colorcoats line of US/Royal navy WWI colors. I hear they are having trouble shipping enamel paints out of Europe, but you might find a distributor here that still carries them.

Yes, there is no correlation between the WWI and WWII paints. Completely different formulas. I have a lot of time researching WWII USN Camouflage, but haven't touched WWI yet (mainly so I don't get too diluted) so I can't really help otherwise.

_________________
Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Thanks Dan. Would it be possible for you to send me a scan of the Wicks/Little schemes or give me a link for Ron Smith? My email is Burdell2073@yahoo.com.

I tryed your e-mail but it didn't work. I'll be back Sunday and try again. Dan

Those drawings are copyrighted. Ron Smith

Thanks Ron. I suspected they might be which is why I asked Dan for your link. Are you still selling them? Bill Osborne

Ron, is/was your site www.aa-military-research.com? I tried getting to it but it didn't work. Do you have another site? Thanks, Bill Osborne

No, Ron went back to working a full-time job and shut the site down due to lack of time. E-mail coming soon.

_________________
Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Hello Bill; I guess it is good my e-mail didn't get to you. I don't think it is a big deal, none of the schemes I mentioned were specific to Ward. The main point I was trying to relay was the colors were the same on all of them and these colors are matched by White Ensign colorcoats. If you want a published picture, Squadron publications "In Action #19 US Flush Deck Destroyers" has a centerspread scheme showing USS Stockton (DD-73) in a style similar to the ones I bought from Ron. The darkest color isn't black, but artisitic license?!
Hope this helps Dan

Thanks Dan. I did find one scheme (attached) on a Navy site. Note that it has four colors, including green! That really makes me wonder since the B&W pics I have of Ward in Dazzle show four distinct shades of color. The mystery deepens!

Five on the design sheet, not four.

_________________
Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Right you are.

I don't know if its still relevant, but for what it's worth -
Ward carried type N12 design B.
I can supply you with both port and starboard drawings that were found in US National Archives.

Aryeh Wetherhorn

That would be great! I had tried to piece together the scheme from the few photos I could find. Having the actual drawings might actually get this project off the ground!

I couldn't seem to get an upload line here so I'm sending you a link to a fully shared Picasa album instead.
https://picasaweb.google.com/awetherhor ... directlink

If it doesn't work send me an regular email address and I'll try sending it there.

Aryeh Wetherhorn
Elazar, Israel

Aryeh, you have to log in to use the upload feature. It's only for registered users.

_________________
Timothy Dike
Owner & Administrator
ModelWarships.com

Hello Bill: I don't know what paints you have settled on but WEM, the maker of colorcoats, is going out of business. Their last day is Friday 28th. They have not been able to ship enamel based paints out of the UK for about a year due to postal restrictions. If you want to use them I'd act fast, they will be like tinlettes of gold soon.