Haze gray and underway

Haze gray and underway is a United States Navy saying that refers to surface ships in arduous duty at sea, in contrast to submarines or naval units in ceremonial roles or in port. It is a term of tribal pride and identification, "e.g." surface ship crew use it to distinguish themselves from submarine crew.

United States Navy saying

The United States Navy saying "haze gray and underway" refers firstly to the color "haze gray". Haze gray is a paint color scheme used by USN warships to make the ships harder to see clearly. [Naval Sea Systems Command, MIL-DTL-24441/21A(SH) "Paint, Epoxy-Polyamide, Haze Gray, Formula 151, Type III" 19 May 1999] [FED-STD-595 Color Chip 26270 ] cite web
last = Pike
first = John
year = 2005
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/paint.htm
title = Paint
work = GlobalSecurity.org :: Military :: Systems :: Ships :: Equipment ::
accessdate = 2006-04-29] The gray color reduces the contrast of the ships with the horizon, and reduces the vertical patterns in the ship's appearance. [Williams, David L. "Naval Camouflage 1914-1945" 2001 ISBN 1-86176-154-6] It is the color of USN combatant and auxiliary surface ships, as opposed to the dark gray or black color of submarines, the bright colors of ceremonial vessels and aircraft, or the white of hospital ships. [ [http://www.nwc.navy.mil/press/review/documents/NWCRW05.pdf Grunawalt, Richard J. Hospital Ships in the War On Terror: Sanctuaries or Targets? "Naval War College Review" page 108. Winter 2005] ] [ [http://www.msc.navy.mil/N00p/pressrel/press01/press58.htm Military Sealift Command press release] ] [ [http://www.blueangels.com/history.shtml Blue Angels history] ] Secondly, "underway" (etym: from "under weigh") as opposed to being anchored, docked, alongside, moored or otherwise attached to a fixed place.

Thus, "haze gray and underway" is shorthand for naval surface warships at sea. It is also used to refer to life in a vessel at sea with the working Navy, as opposed to shore postings. [ [http://www.navalhelicopterassn.org/members/mssing.html Naval Helicopter Association] ]

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