WARSHIP PERSPECTIVES: Camouflage Volume Two: Royal Navy 1942

by Alan Raven

WR Press Inc, 2001
New York

by Bob Pearson

The second volume in Alan Raven's series on Royal Navy camouflage is now out, and as with Volume One, it is well worth the wait. The front cover has an atmospheric painting of HMS Faulknor by J.R Dominy, the rear cover has a colour photo of HMS Rockingham and profiles of HMS Norfolk. Between these two covers can be found 138 black/white and 32 colour profiles, plus 13 b/w photos.

By 1942 official camouflage patterns were coming into use and the Royal Navy (and its Commonwealth partners) were to wear some particularly colourful schemes in 1942. Many variants of the Western Approaches schemes using off-white, WA Blue and WA Green can be found, as well as the Admiralty Disruptive and other patterns – official or otherwise.

One mark of the serious researcher is his ability to accept criticism, and act accordingly. In this regards Raven is to be commended for adding updates and corrections to Volume One in Volume Two. These include some profiles inadvertently left out from the earlier volume as well as some new information that has come to light since its publication.

I can't wait for the next volume on 1943 to be released later this year. My thanks to Warshipbooks.com for the review sample.