Fun Fact #472 Hide and Seek

 Fun Fact # 472

Hide and Seek

A common problem in the world wars was hiding your ships from the enemy as no matter how you painted it, it would stick out in some kind of weather. So, the British took an … unusual approach. Norman WIlkenson had the idea to paint it in such a way that its shape couldn't be clearly identified within half a mile. Using Geometry he painted the ship in strange shapes which had the result of confusing the enemy on range finding,  sailing direction, height, shape and speed –although the illusion lost its effect within half a mile. It became even worse when fleets got together. 

The Camo proved to be a success for commerce, troop movements, and hiding the deck guns for commerce raider hunters, resulting in many countries of the Allies adopting it. However, Dazzle was less ideal for warships in WW2 as they needed to avoid detection by planes ,which could bomb them from the one direction the paint couldn't effectively confuse: the skies. Eventually the paint fell out of favor entirely and is rarely used today since it's outdated. Oddly it was being researched in 2011 where it  was discovered that at 70mph caused an average 7% confusion in observed speed, which is why some countries with civil instability (Middle east Primarily) have proven an expanding market for civilian vehicles painted in this style. It also inspired Picasso’s paint style.
Here are a few tips to painting this style if you’d like to try it.

• Forward Curves at the front of the ship 

• Appears like false wave breaks making it harder to tell ship speed

• Green Paint patch in the Midship 

• Looks like water from a distance making it appear like two separate ships

• Stipe Patterns at Bow and Stern (front and back)

• Makes it harder to tell which side of the ship is the front and therefore the direction the ship is headed in)

• Contradictory Patterns on vertical elements 

• Makes it harder to tell the ships heading

HMT Olympic, RMS Titanic's sister ship, in dazzle camouflage while in service as a World War I troopship, from September 1915