HMS Tamar alongside Queen’s wharf before red lions were painted on Picture: David Barnicoat ONE of the offshore patrol vessels sent to monitor a possible blockade by French fisherman of Jersey had just left Falmouth after a refit. HMS Tamar had completed the ever dazzle paint scheme to a Royal Navy warship since World War Two at A&P Falmouth, when it was sent to the Channel Island along with HMS Severn. The ships were sent there yesterday by the British government amid a protest by French fishing vessels at the port of St Helier over the lack of access after Brexit.
The fishing row which saw France threaten to cut off Jersey s power has exposed the very dangerous threat of being too reliant on a foreign supplier for electricity, an expert said yesterday.
Britain risks becoming an import junkie by depending too heavily on the Continent for its electricity needs, it was claimed.
Tony Lodge, a research fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, said the UK is setting itself up for almighty trouble by the end of the decade.
He warned that Britain is offshoring its energy security and emissions to Europe, leaving it vulnerable if the Continent s surplus of power is reduced.
A&P Falmouth is in the UK defence industry spotlight as the yard completes the first ever dazzle paint scheme to a Royal Navy warship since World War Two. The Royal Navy plan to paint all five of the River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to make them distinctive from the rest of the Fleet. The dazzle paintwork of different shades of grey, white and black comprises of complex patterns of geometric shapes first devised in World War One. Gerald Pitts, managing director of A&P Defence at A&P Falmouth, said: “This is a very special first for us and it’s been quite an experience to be involved in the reinstatement of such an iconic and historic paint scheme.
autoevolution 2 May 2021, 5:15 UTC ·
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Before modern technology became a staple, military strategists had to be much more creative when devising defense techniques. And, although outdated, most of these techniques are iconic due to their historic value. The dazzle camouflage paint scheme on the Royal Navy’s HMS Tamar is a great example of that. 6 photos
HMS Tamar, the new patrol ship that entered service just last year, showed off her striking camouflage print in various shades of gray. At first, you might be tempted to think that it’s just a purely decorative, unique-looking colorway. But the truth is that the unusual geometric shapes and bold colors have a strategic purpose and a long history behind them.
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The dazzle camouflage paint job applied to a new Royal Navy patrol ship was originally used on an array of vessels in the First and Second World War in the hope that it would confuse enemy German U-boats and ships.
Military chiefs have resurrected the colour scheme on HMS Tamar, which will head to the Asia-Pacific region later this year.
It boasts shades of black, white and grey in strange, jarring shapes which were added by shipwrights at the A&P yard in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Dazzle camouflage owes its existence to Royal Navy officer and artist Norman Wilkinson and the height of the first Battle of the Atlantic in 1917.