Is this the USS Indiana? (BB-58)

Hi -

I've been lurking here for a while, but have been unwilling to post in the face of all the knowledge. But now, I need a bit of help.

I was watching episode 6 of "Apocalypse - the Second World War" when they showed a few seconds of a battleship in the Pacific (see color photo). I'm curious if anyone can identify this battleship. I believe it is BB-58, the Indiana (see 2nd b&w photo), which was the only ship of its class to wear camo.

I'm curious, because my father was on this ship, and it was a bit of a thrill to see some footage of it. Thanks for any help you can give me

steven

 

from pic, it compares favourably....

 

Thx, if it's South Dakota class, then, according to navsource, it has to be the Indiana -

"Indiana (BB-58) on 7 November 1943, anchored at Viti Levu, Nandi off Fiji Islands, now wearing measure 32/11D camouflage - the only South Dakota class to wear the dazzle camouflage."

Thanks again for the responses.

steve

 

I got a pic of the Alabama in party frock;

there are 3 or 4 more at least of the same scheme claiming to be Alabama.

 

Well, in a last desperate attempt to hold on to my illusions, I'm going to ask if that's measure 12 or measure 32. All the shots of the Alabama I can find are measure 12. The 32 looks, to my untrained eye, more 'angular,' all straight lines, while the 12 has contours like (forgive me) oak leaves.

 

I believe it's 12, and the Indiana pic on the right is 32, the one in question looks to me more like 12 but with a third intermediate colour like the 32, so I'm confused - one of the USN experts please!!!!!

 

you could very easily be correct in your deductions, perhaps the Indiana was the only Battleship done in dazzle, the angular style?

 

Sounds right illusion safe

 

Alabama initially wore an unofficial scheme often called "sploches." That is the one in the picture above.

Indiana started out in what looks like an odd variant of Measure 31 and the pattern might have been in greens. This has not been fully confirmed. Later she a more standard Measure 31 using 5H Haze Grey, 5O Ocean Grey and BK Black paint vertically with the deck pattern being 5O Ocean Grey and 20B Deck Blue.

The rest of the class seems to have adopted Measure 22 Graded system camoflauge using 5N Navy blue to the break in the hull and 5H Haze Grey above that with 20B Deck blue horizontal surfaces. The undersides of overhanging structure such as platforms or gun tubs would be 5U White to reduce shadows.

 

No. Alabama was in Measure 12 Modified/Revised, which featured the term splotches if you actually read the SHIPS - 2 Revision 1 instructions.

Direct link here for those without patience.

The difference is that Measure 12 revised had no official pattern, just a description of the splotches, whereas the Measure 3X schemes had defined patterns. The ship in question is Indiana for sure, she was the only one in official designed "pattern" camouflage, albeit she and Alabama were both in a disruptive scheme.

It's a bit of hair splitting, but once you get deeper into camouflage you have to.

 

Yes, Alabama was in "sploches" for a bit before getting an official camoflauge job. At the time she was alot of ships were wearing sploches.

 

You're missing the point; the splotches were an official scheme.

 

Even has a name. MS-12 modified. (As RAL says, the Navy left the implementation of the "splotches" up to the crew, but mandated that they should be there and gave some suggestions on how to place them You'll actually find pictures of some MS-12 splotches that are quite angular, but they're still pretty distinct from the MS 31/32 patterns.)

Snyder and Short have a pretty slick website where they reprint the USN instructions on the various measures. (And they document their sources pretty well.)

MS-12 mod: Measure 12 Modified

MS-31: Measure 31

MS-32: Measure 32