Among all the stories of World War II, there are a few that stand out for the unusual nature of what happened. In this group, without any doubt, is what happened to the HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, a minesweeper from the Netherlands that managed to “escape” the war in a totally unprecedented way: by posing as an island. Ukraine has “taken” the license to an idea, that of the “optical illusion” by sea, which has been used more than once.
A centuries-old tactic. The Ukrainian navy has adopted a historic strategy known as dazzling camouflage or dazzle camouflagea technique developed during World War I to confuse enemies. The method, which consists of irregular and striking patterns, seeks to disorient observers about the speed and direction of the ships themselves.
We now know this thanks to a series of recent images shared by the Ukrainian navy, one showing these features on vessels such as an armored gunship or an Island-class patrol boat, both used in a demonstration for Danish naval experts. Although it is not specified when the designs were applied, their objective is quite clear in the midst of the conflict: to hinder Russian visual identification and improve defensive tactics.
Purpose and limitations. As we said, the so-called dazzling camouflage has its roots in the First World War, when it was used to protect ships from enemy submarines by complicating the aiming of torpedoes. In the current context, its effectiveness is, perhaps, somewhat more limited.
According to naval power expert Sidharth Kaushal, the tactic could be useful against Russian optical sensors such as drones, but has little relevance against more modern radar-guided threats. All in all, its implementation demonstrates Ukraine’s wartime creativity, maximizing the resources of its modest fleet composed primarily of small vessels.
One of the Ukrainian vessels
modern examples. Dazzling camouflage has been used occasionally in the modern era. For example, in 2021, when the British Royal Navy ship HMS Tamar was painted with this design to highlight its identity on an international mission. More recently, in July 2023, Russia employed a similar approach by painting black blocks on its ships to reduce their visibility and complicate Ukrainian missile attacks.
In the latter case, the move was a direct response to Ukraine’s successful attacks in the Black Sea, which forced the Russian fleet to relocate from the strategic Crimean port of Sevastopol to the safer port of Novorossiysk.
El caso del HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen. We talked about it at the beginning and it is possibly the most fascinating case in a dispute. The Dutch minesweeper of World War II managed to escape Japanese capture by posing as nothing more than an island. In 1942, as Japanese forces advanced across the Pacific, the ship, operating near the Dutch East Indies, faced the challenge of passing through enemy waters to reach Australia. The seamless plan? The crew cleverly covered the deck with tree branches and foliage to camouflage it as a small floating island.
Additionally, they sailed close to the coast during the day, moving slowly to resemble another island in the seascape, and then accelerated at night. This bold and ingenious disguise allowed the Abraham Crijnssen to avoid detection by enemy aircraft and ships, becoming one of, if not the most notable examples of naval camouflage in history.
Ukraine’s naval situation. As we explained, the Ukrainian navy, without large active ships, relies mainly on small vessels adapted to confront the superiority of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. In this context, Denmark’s support has become crucial since the beginning of the invasion.
In fact, the country announced a $340 million aid package in October that included weapons, equipment and cooperation in key areas such as port protection, grain corridor security and mine clearance. All initiatives that seek to modernize Ukraine’s naval capabilities and strengthen its strategic position.
Be that as it may, Ukraine’s implementation of dazzling camouflage reflects that innovative approach and its ability to adapt to the constraints imposed by the conflict. Although its effectiveness in modern warfare remains to be demonstrated, the tactic underscores the nation’s determination to maintain its maritime defense in a scenario of increasing complexity in the Black Sea.
Imagen | Ukrainian Navy, Edward Wadsworth
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