Black and white were easy colours to obtain in 1940 and could break up a ship's outline, so many vessels wore them in disruptive schemes. HMS Enterprise is the worked example. Seen under changing light, the bands make it harder to judge her length, lines, and identity. The purpose was to complicate visual identification and an observer's sense of what the ship was doing. The intended effect was mystification, not invisibility.
Notable Point · 16:03-17:28
Cruiser camouflage designed to confuse identification
HMS Enterprise demonstrates how black-and-white disruptive camouflage complicated judgments of size, outline, identity, and intention, aiming to mystify rather than make a ship disappear.