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Razzle Dazzle Camouflage
What is Razzle Dazzle Camouflage? Back in World War I, German U-boats were taking a serious toll on British and American ships. Everything that had been tried to protect the ships had failed when Norman Wilkinson, a British naval officer suggested a new camouflage scheme based in part on the artistic fashions of the time, particularly Cubism. The result was "Dazzle Painting" as the British called it and the Americans called it "Razzle Dazzle."
The idea of Razzle Dazzle:
U-boats did not aim their torpedos directly at a ship to sink it. Because the target was moving, it was necessary to aim ahead of its path in order for the torpedo to arrive in the correct spot at the same time as the ship. If the torpedo is too early or too late, it will miss. The primary goal of dazzle painting was to confuse the U-boat commander who was trying to observe the course and speed of his target.
Take a look at some of the photos, it's hard to know where exactly the front of the ship is.
— michael | December 16, 2005 05:27 PM | Random bits
