It's pretty clear that the feathered edges of Iowa's camo got squared off somewhere along the way (and the entire port midship section filled in with the darker color, too - see
http://navsource.org/archives/01/061/016138a.jpg versus
http://navsource.org/archives/01/061/016108.jpg) In some photos the dark color does look awfully dark, but looking closer you can contrast it with the mainmast, funnel openings, and main turret blast bags, which are starkly darker yet - so I'm completely sold on 5N. As for the lighter color being 5H or 5L, it's really hard to tell from photos. I'd always thought 5L, but the Dazzle website's findings of 5H being the officially specified color doesn't sit ill with me at all (but it's true that sometimes the color specified wasn't the one actually applied).
Speaking of the late '44 revision... I don't see any mention of it on the Dazzle site; only the original feathered edge version. Was a revised scheme actually prepared, or an order given... or was it a field mod, so to speak?
On the other hand, I'm not so sure about the deck scheme - never heard of a soft splotching pattern using 5H. I don't recall anything other than 5O being used on decks to break up the 20B. Not doubting that someone thought about trying it, but I kind of doubt it was actually done, since it's such a deviation from the norm; or if it was done I expect it got abandoned quickly and Iowa's deck reverted to all 20B. If anyone knows of a photo to prove this one, I'd be really impressed. It's impossible to discern anything on this count in all the shots I've seen of Iowa in her 1944 dazzle.
- Sean F.