Mountbatten pink
A muted pink-grey once used as naval camouflage in World War II
Mountbatten pink is a muted colour that sits between pink and grey, with a mauve tint. First mixed for British naval ships in World War II, it was intended to help vessels blend in at dawn and dusk. Though some sailors believed in its usefulness, later reviews found it no better than standard greys.
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- Created for British naval camouflage in World War II
- Named after Lord Mountbatten
- Often mixed from grey and Venetian red
- Used mainly at dawn and dusk for concealment
- Effectiveness as camouflage was disputed
What colour is Mountbatten pink?
Mountbatten pink is a colour that blends pink, grey, and a hint of mauve. It was designed to be subtle and hard to spot at certain times of day, especially when the sky takes on pinkish tones. The colour stands apart from other naval paints by its unusual mix, which is neither a true pink nor a standard grey.
Where does Mountbatten pink come from?
This shade was created by Lord Mountbatten for the Royal Navy during World War II. He was inspired after seeing a ship painted in a similar colour vanish from sight more quickly than others in a convoy. The name comes from Mountbatten himself, who ordered his flotilla to use the colour in hopes of improving their chances of avoiding enemy fire.
How Mountbatten pink is defined
The original mix for Mountbatten pink was made by combining a medium grey base with a small amount of Venetian red pigment. Over time, lighter versions were sometimes used for certain parts of ships. The exact shade could vary, as mixing was not always controlled, leading to differences in how much red was added.
Where Mountbatten pink is used
Mountbatten pink was mainly used on British naval ships during the early 1940s. Some American and German vessels also tried similar colours. It was most common on destroyers and smaller ships, with larger vessels returning to standard greys by the end of 1942. The colour was meant to help ships blend in at dawn and dusk, but its effectiveness was debated.
What Mountbatten pink means
There are no special symbolic meanings or emotions tied to Mountbatten pink beyond its use as camouflage. Its main association is with naval history and the attempts to hide ships from enemy view during World War II.
Pink around the world
What the pink and magenta family means from country to country.
The president's office in Buenos Aires is the Casa Rosada, the Pink House. A popular story says its paint once had ox blood mixed in, though this is not proven.
Politics and protestSource: Casa RosadaThe third day of the New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground is Jane McGrath Day. The crowd wears pink to raise money for breast cancer nurses.
Protection and healingHopeSource: McGrath FoundationThe Rose Valley near Kazanlak grows pink damask roses for rose oil. The harvest in late May and June is marked by a festival and the crowning of a Rose Queen.
Nature and renewalFestival and celebrationJoySource: Rose Valley, BulgariaToulouse is called la Ville Rose, the pink city, for the soft pink brick of its old buildings.
Nature and renewalSource: ToulouseIn November 2003 protesters entered parliament carrying roses, and the president resigned without bloodshed. The change of power is called the Rose Revolution.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Rose RevolutionAt Holi, the spring festival of colours, friends and strangers smear each other with gulal, a coloured powder. Pink and red gulal are the best known shades.
Festival and celebrationJoySource: HoliShades and relatives of Mountbatten pink
Lighter versions of Mountbatten pink were sometimes used for ship superstructures. The colour is close to greyish mauve and can be confused with other muted pinks or greys. Uncontrolled mixing sometimes led to shades with more red, which could make ships stand out rather than blend in.
Colours that go with Mountbatten pink
Harmonies are worked out from the value #997A8D. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Mountbatten pink
What colour is Mountbatten pink?
Mountbatten pink is a muted shade that combines pink, grey, and a touch of mauve. It was designed to be subtle and blend in with the sky at certain times of day.
Where does the name Mountbatten pink come from?
The colour is named after Lord Mountbatten, a British naval officer who introduced it for ship camouflage during World War II.
How was Mountbatten pink made?
It was usually mixed by adding a small amount of Venetian red pigment to a medium grey base. The exact shade could vary depending on how much red was used.
Was Mountbatten pink effective as camouflage?
Some sailors believed it helped ships blend in at dawn and dusk, but experts later judged it to be no better than standard greys and sometimes even more visible.
Which navies used Mountbatten pink?
It was mainly used by the British Royal Navy, but similar shades were tried by the US Navy and the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Mountbatten pink", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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