Although it is a subject of immense importance to warship enthusiasts, modelmakers, photograph collectors, and indeed academic naval historians, there has never been an authoritative history of camouflage. Apart from the huge scale of the subject, the reason for this lies largely in the fragmented nature of the surviving evidence, and the ad hoc nature of much wartime development. This book does not claim to be such a narrative history, but it does set out to provide a comprehensive study. Visual and illustrative in its approach, it is Anglo-American in emphasis, but the camouflage patterns of enemy navies (and selected neutrals) are covered as well. The core of the book is a listing of all the major patterns and schemes, with their colours, characteristics and function. Wherever possible each is illustrated with at least one photograph or the approved pattern drawing, providing the reader with a visual reference as well as a description; where there were variations, as many as possible are depicted. Contrary to popular belief, naval camouflage was not intended to 'hide' ships, and an in-depth commentary explains the theory and development of visual deception, and the different ways in which was intended to work at sea.