CAMOUFLAGE is found everywhere in nature. Walking sticks are bugs that resemble twigs, fish take on the color of the sand under them and so on. But have you heard of the curious case of the ship that looked like an island? Here is what happened.
During the Second World War, as the Japanese conquered everything in their path, British, Australian and Dutch forces fled for their lives after the defeats at Java Sea and Sunda Strait in 1942. One vessel that would certainly have been destroyed if it did not retreat was the Dutch minesweeper Abraham Crijnssen. The vessel was small and possessed virtually no means to defend itself against the awesome air and naval power of the Japanese. The crew found another means to keep afloat until they reached the safety of Australia.
They collected leaves, branches and in some cases whole trees and attached them to the ship upright, creating a realistic jungle canopy. From the air, it looked like a small island and any metal that showed through was painted to look like stone outcropping.
By night, the Crijnssen sailed south at full steam to reach safety and by day the crew snuggled her up to a landmass and tried to look as much like a small island as they could. The ruse obviously worked. Although overflown by aircraft several times, the ship was never attacked. They made their way south, joined the Royal Australian navy, and participated in anti-submarine patrols for the duration of the war.
When peace came, the ship was used by the Dutch in military activities in Indonesia and by the 1950s, the Crijnssen sailed back to the Netherlands for home service. She was used for training and other purposes until 1995 when she was donated to the Dutch Navy Museum at Den Helder. She has since been restored and painted in her wartime colors, and the ship is a major attraction today.
If you are in the Netherlands, give this venerable old vessel more than a passing glance. Imagine her covered in jungle growth, trying desperately to be mistaken for an island. She was pretty good at it once upon a time.
BC Cook, PhD lived on Saipan and has taught history for 20 years. He currently resides on the mainland U.S.
The camouflaged Dutch minesweeper Abraham Crijnssen.
BC Cook
