Saturday

DAZZLE SHIPS

Dazzle Camouflage was first used on ships in World War One, designed to confuse and disrupt visual rangefinding, making it difficult to hit and sink a ship with artillery, which was very trendy at the time. If you've ever used an old film camera and focused until the two images line up correctly, you'll understand how this worked on old military rangefinders.

Looking back on these ships today they seem almost like massive works of art, not giant machines dodging death and destruction on the high seas...


Click on the link to listen to the song "Dazzle Ships" off of Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark's 1983 album of the same name and then scroll through the pictures for SOUND + VISION.
















9 comments:

  1. i always support art and war in conjunction. war is so much more easier to deal with when you take time to stop and marvel at a work of art. bravo! in the words of the late phil collins of glasgow, “abacab"
    -Donald Frumunda

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  2. Thankyou Comrade E.P. for that insightful perspective. And how apropos the words of the deceased Glaswegian at this moment - surely he now plays the drums in Valhalla!

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  3. I'm intrigued by 'Dazzleships"!
    I'm introducing a new line of "Dazzle" called,' Dazzle'.
    Soon, you will be able to enjoy our "Dazzlechips" angular
    and multi-colored corn chips...not to be confused with the
    angular and multi-colored chips called tostados.
    You will be able to enjoy our 'Dazzlechips' while camping
    in our 'Dazzletent'.(what fun!)
    If Liberace were alive today; he would be our spokesmodel!
    Look for our' Dazzlenuts' called' Dazzledeesnuts'

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  4. Thankyou Anonymous #2 - we at LAS look forward to this new wonder product.

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  5. a belated note: I love dazzle ships. They were the visual inspiration behind a game app I just released called DazzleGame. It's a visual game, not military, but I think you would enjoy it!

    www.dazzlegame.com has more info, or ask for dazzlegame at the app store. Thanks!!

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  6. I served 13 yrs in the Navy and never once heard of a Dazzle ship.. seems like a joke....

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