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Posted 10 October 2014

written by Sophie Potter

Bedazzled by Dazzle Ship

Last week I was invited to visit Dazzle Ship at Victoria Embankment, London. I had no idea what a 'Dazzle Ship' was but it sounded interesting so I went along!

'Dazzle Ship' is usually known as HMS President (1918), formerly HMS Saxifrage, and is a Flower-class anti-submarine Q-ship. One of the very first types of warship built specifically for anti-submarine warfare, with her pointed bow and unique arrangement of propellers, HMS President (1918) was designed to turn and ram First World War German submarines, slicing them in half. In 1922 she was moored permanently on the River Thames. As a London resident I am ashamed to say that I had never heard of or noticed this extraordinary ship on the river before. It was a joy and a privilege to attend the 29th September event, meet the ship's Captain and learn her fascinating story.

As part of the 14-18 NOW celebrations commemorating the centenary of the First World War, leading German artist Tobias Rehberger was commissioned to 'Dazzle' HMS President (1918). She is now "an unmissable homage to artists' contribution to wartime heritage":

What is 'dazzling'?

'Dazzle camouflage' has an ironically deceptive name. The dazzle designs applied to ships during WW1, as seen below, did not camouflage them in the way that we usually interpret the word 'camouflage' – it did not make them blend into the blue of the waves or the sky, it did not make them look like aeroplanes or submarines or something else that they were not. If anything, it drew attention to them. It is worth noting that not all dazzle paint designs were monochrome – colours featured regularly but were not able to be captured by the black-and-white photography of the day.

The geometric patterns, deceptive angles, stark colour contrasts and distortion of perspective created by dazzle paint, which can only really be appreciated by looking at examples such as these, were designed to hinder a U-boat captain's ability to understand in which direction, and at what speed, ships were travelling... crucial pieces of information in order to launch a successful missile attack against them.

Dazzle paint undoubtedly saved numerous British vessels and the lives of numerous British servicemen during the conflict.

Dazzling HMS President (1918)

The creation of HMS President's modern dazzle design and its application to the ship proved an immense technical challenge. The ship is moored on a section of the River Thames which rises and falls with the tides by over 7 metres each day. She is a medley of portholes, protruding rivets, sharp edges and awkward angles. She is also a privately-owned conference and function venue hosting regular weddings.

Tobias Rehberger created HMS President's dazzle design in his studio in Germany. The designs were sent over to a company in London who printed the design onto 98 vinyl panels. Thanks to a team of 6 people working (usually mid-air) on the application of the vinyl at any one time, plus a safety crew on hand in the Thames below, the completed dazzle was achieved in just 6 months.

Officially unveiled on 14th July 2014, Dazzle Ship in her present form is only a 6-month installation. However there are tentative plans, subject to funding, to have the ship's original 1918 dazzle design re-applied in 2018, marking 100 years since she originally wore it.

14–18 NOW

Dazzle Ship forms only one of a number of events and art installations taking place across the UK between 2014 and 2018 in commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. 14-18 NOW aims to engage the largest possible cross-section of the public in meaningful reflection on the First World War through free artworks which reflect the achievements of contemporary artists of that era.

One other 'dazzle ship', the Edmund Gardner, whose dazzle design was created by artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, has been moored in Liverpool since 12th June 2014: http://www.1418now.org.uk/whats-on/dazzle-ships

Another particularly high-profile art installation in London commemorating the centenary is 'Tower of London Remembers' – the installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies in the dry moat of the Tower of London, one for every British military fatality of the brutal conflict: http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/about-the-installation

For more information on the 14-18NOW commemorations, visit:
- http://www.1418now.org.uk/
- http://www.1914.org/
- http://www.greatwar.co.uk/events/2014-2018-ww1-centenary-events.htm

Live Travel and Tours - Battlefields Tours

If you are an educational travel professional inspired by this article to organise a First or Second World War-themed tour, Live Travel and Tours would be delighted to help you. We have extensive experience of arranging tailor-made tours of battle-related locations and attractions in London, France, Belgium and the rest of Europe. Contact us now for a sample package:

- First World War London
- Second World War London and Normandy
- French/Belgian Battlefields
- Cemetery tours
- First/Second World War tours by nationality

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