Media release

From: The Royal Society

• Razzle dazzle – The effects of ‘dazzle’ camouflage painted on WWI ships to protect them from submarine attacks may have been less than dazzling. Participants viewed a computer simulation with ships painted in six camouflage patterns. While some patterns ‘twisted’ the perceived direction travel and made the ships appear to move along the horizon rather than towards or away from participants, the authors suggest that only fast, distant ships would have benefited. Royal Society Open Science.

Dazzle camouflage: Benefits and problems revealed
Royal Society Open Science
WWI ships were painted with high contrast ‘dazzle’ patterns to make it harder for submarines to attack them, but did it work? We measured how dazzle camouflage influenced perception of heading. Patterns with a gradient, where elements get smaller towards the ship's bow, ‘twisted’ the perceived direction of travel. But a second effect made it look like ships were moving across the horizon, rather than towards or away from participants, regardless of dazzle camouflage, though less so for experienced seafarers. These effects combined to either enhance or diminish protection from torpedoes. Dazzle provided potential protection only for fast distant ships.