Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 80-G-177464:  Starboard side drawing of Camouflage Measure 32 Design 3D, for Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) class destroyers.

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

Measures 31-32-33, Design 3D

Design 3D was originally intended for application to destroyers, but was also applied to other types, including (judging from these drawings) battleships, small aircraft carriers (CVL), escort aircraft carriers (CVE), light cruisers, gunboats, escort ships (DE), gasoline tankers and attack transports. The basic design pattern appears in the great majority of the drawings, with changes to suit different ship classes. More substantial variations are seen in a couple of instances.

This design was adapted to all three camouflage measures. Colors used on Measure 31 vertical surfaces included Dull Black (BK), Ocean Gray (5-O) and Haze Gray (5-H).

Measure 32 vertical surfaces also featured Dull Black and Ocean Gray, but substituted Light Gray (5-L) for the somewhat darker Haze Gray of Measure 31. One Measure 32 scheme (for DD-364 class destroyers) used four colors: Navy Blue (5-N), Ocean Gray, Haze Gray and Light Gray. Another (Measure 32 Design 3a for DE-339 class escort ships) used Navy Blue in place of Dull Black.
Measure 33 vertical surfaces had generally lighter tones: Navy Blue, Haze Gray and Pale Gray (5-P).
Decks were painted in patterns of Deck Blue (20-B) and Ocean Gray (with a small area of Light Gray showing in the DD-409 drawing). Aircraft carriers, auxiliaries and some individual ships of other types used Deck Blue alone.

Initials appearing on most of these drawings indicate that the designer/draftsman in most cases was Everett Warner ("EW"), with Lewis W. Rubinstein ("LWR") responsible for a few.

This page provides information and drawings concerning Design 3D of U.S. Navy Camouflage Measures 31, 32 and 33. The drawings are listed in order by ship type and class, not by Measure numbers.

For information and images related to Camouflage Measure 31-32-33 designs with other alpha-numeric designators, see:

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


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


    Click on the small picture to access the Picture Data Sheet for each image. A larger reproduction of that drawing or photograph can be accessed by clicking the small picture in each Picture Data Sheet.

    Camouflage Identification:

    Starboard Side:

    Port Side:
    Measure 33 Design 3D, for CVL-22 (Independence) class small aircraft carriers.
    Drawings dated 27 January 1944.

     

     
    Measure 33 Design 3D, for CVE-55 (Casablanca) class escort aircraft carriers.
    Drawings dated 13 April 1944.

     

     

    Measure 32 Design 3D, for the battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38).
    Drawing made circa 1943.

     

    No port side drawing available
    BUT: See Below
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for BB-40 (New Mexico) class battleships.
    Drawings dated 18-19 August 1944.

     

     

    Measure 33 Design 3D, for CL-55 (Cleveland) class light cruisers.
    Drawings dated 23 December 1943.

     

     

    Measure 31 Design 3D, for USS Charleston (PG-51).
    Drawings dated 25 February 1944.

     

     

    Measure 32 Design 3D, for 1200-ton destroyers (World War I era "four-pipers").
    Drawings dated 26 July 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-356 (Porter) class destroyers.
    Drawings dated 29 June 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-357 (Porter/Selfridge) class destroyers.
    Drawings dating from about mid-1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-364 (Mahan) class destroyers.
    This scheme features four colors on vertical surfaces: Navy Blue (5-N), Ocean Gray (5-O), Haze Gray (5-H) and Light Gray (5-L) Drawings dated 9 August 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-409 (Sims) class destroyers.
    Drawings dated 4 July 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-421 (Benson) class destroyers and adaptable to the DD-348 (Farragut), DD-356 (Porter), DD-364 (Mahan), DD-384 (Dunlap) and DD-423 (Gleaves) classes.
    Drawings dated 18 March 1944.

     

     
    Measure 31 Design 3D, for DD-423 (Gleaves) class destroyers.
    Drawings dated 5 June 1944.

     

     
    Measure 31-32-33 series Design 3D, for DD-445 (Fletcher) class destroyers. The lightest tone used, though not specified on the plans, would have been Haze Gray (5-H) for Measure 31 and Light Gray (5-L) for Measure 32. The plans do not provide for use of Measure 33 colors.
    Drawings prepared circa 1943.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-692 (Allen M. Sumner) class destroyers.
    Drawings dated 29 February 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for DD-692 (Allen M. Sumner) class destroyers.
    Drawings dated 28 July 1944.
    For additional camouflage patterns for this class, see: Measures 31-32-33 -- Designs for DD-692 Class Destroyers

     

     

    Measure 31 Design 3D, for DE-5 (Evarts) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 25 January 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32/33 Design 3D(ex), for DE-5 (Evarts) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 1 September 1944 for what appears to be a test scheme with starboard side in Measure 32 colors and port side in the lighter tones of Measure 33.

    Measure 32 colors:

    Measure 33 colors:
    Measure 32/33 Design 3D(ex), for DE-51 (Buckley) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 7 September 1944 for what appears to be a test scheme with starboard side in Measure 32 colors and port side in the lighter tones of Measure 33.

    Measure 32 colors:

    Measure 33 colors:
    Measure 31 Design 3D, for DE-339 (John C. Butler) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 2 June 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3Da, for DE-339 (John C. Butler) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 13 November 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32/33 Design 3D(ex), for DE-339 (John C. Butler) class escort ships.
    Drawings dated 4 September 1944 for what appears to be a test scheme with starboard side in Measure 32 colors and port side in the lighter tones of Measure 33.

    Measure 32 colors:

    Measure 33 colors:

    Measure 32 Design 3D, for AOG-1 (Patapsco) class gasoline tankers.
    Drawings dated 17 February 1944.

     

     
    Measure 32 Design 3D, for APA-1 (Doyen) and APA-11 (Feyland) class attack transports.
    Drawings dated 27 January 1944.

     

     


    In addition to the drawing presented above of the Measure 32, Design 3D camouflage scheme prepared for, but not applied to USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), the National Archives appears to hold at two other images of drawings of that design. The following list describes these photographs:

    The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
    DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • Photo #: 80-G-157916
    Drawing of Camouflage Measure 32, Design 3D scheme prepared for USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), showing pattern intended for the ship's port side.
    The pattern seen is broadly similar to Design 3D port side schemes prepared for other ship types, but differs considerably from them in detail.

  • Photo #: 80-G-157915
    Drawing of Camouflage Measure 32, Design 3D scheme prepared for USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), showing the pattern intended for the ship's horizontal surfaces.

    NOTE: These patterns were NOT actually used on Pennsylvania.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • For information and images related to Camouflage Measure 31-32-33 designs with other alpha-numeric designators, see:

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


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


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 29 May 2006
    Links added 25 June 2007