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Dazzle Ship (14–18 NOW)
The Dazzle ships of the 14–18 NOW project are artworks created to commemorate the work of the artists and artisans who developed and designed the dazzle camouflage used in the First World War by ships as a defence against U-boat attack. Dazzle camouflage involved covering a ship's hull with bespoke geometric patterns in contrasting colours with the aim of confusing, or “dazzling” an enemies range-finding efforts and rendering the ship less liable to be hit by torpedo or shell. Each pattern was unique to the ship for which it was designed, and tested in miniature form on models of the ship being treated. More than 400 warships and 4000 merchant vessels were thus painted by the end of the conflict. The dazzle artwork ships are three vessels (joined later by a fourth), each covered with an artist-designed livery commissioned by the Imperial War Museum's 14–18 NOW project. These are:- * “Everybody Razzle Dazzle”, by Peter Blake, installed on the Mersey ferryboat ''Snow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dazzle Camouflage
Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, is a type of ship camouflage that was used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a rejected prior claim by the zoologist John Graham Kerr, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours interrupting and intersecting each other. Unlike other forms of camouflage, the intention of dazzle is not to conceal but to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading. Norman Wilkinson explained in 1919 that he had intended dazzle primarily to mislead the enemy about a ship's course and so cause them to take up a poor firing position. Dazzle was adopted by the Admiralty in the UK, and then by the United States Navy. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to avoid making classes of ships instantly recognisable to the enemy. The result was that a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
