The Easter Egg Fleet - American Dazzle in WW1

[GrahamB]

Hello ship fans,

 the dazzle camouflage of WW1 ships makes an attractive and challenging subject for ship modellers and I've been fascinated by this subject for many years. So, joy of joys, a new book on the subject has been published very recently:
 “The Easter Egg Fleet. American ship camouflage in WW1”, by Aryeh Wetherhorn? I received my copy (paperback version) yesterday and it is marvellous – reproductions of most of the USN and merchant dazzle plans (as per the Admiralty Orders in the IWM).

Both port and starboard profiles are shown in most cases. These are preceded by a decent (although obviously American-biased) overview of international laws pertaining to maritime warfare, USN camouflage theories and practice, submarine warfare in context, the British connection, etc. Various photographs are not very well reproduced though.

 

Fabulous stuff, and grist for doing one or two Caldwell/Wickes/Clemson flush-deckers or the earlier USN destroyer classes, plus several armoured cruisers and battleships that are available in kit form. I’ve just ordered a Combrig 1/700 USS Birmingham to build in its beautiful (actually Admiralty designed) camouflage. A pity that the IWM can't put together a compendium of its many Orders.

 

Cheers,

GrahamB

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by GrahamB
textual changes