The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Dazzle Camouflage


Dazzle camouflage was a painting technique applied mostly to ships.  Its purpose was not to completely hide or conceal, but instead to distort the ship's shape, making it more difficult to visually determine the vessel's course and speed.  It was used widely during World War I, and to a lesser extent during World War II.  Vintage Everyday posted a series of photographs from both World Wars showing various designs of dazzle camouflage.  The above is the HMAS Yarra in the Persian Gulf in August 1941.  Another point to remember is that, although it cannot be seen in these black & white photos, dazzle camouflage often used very bright colors, such as pink and white. 

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