From WikiPOBia

The Nelson Chequer was a specific colour-scheme adopted by the Royal Navy for all vessels, modeled on that used by Admiral Nelson, it consisted of bands of yellow paint along the sides broken up by black painted gunports. Nelson, apparently, used the same style for all vessels under his command "to be distinguished with greater certainty in case of falling in with an enemy".^[1] After Trafalgar, all vessels in the Royal Navy generally sported this pattern, though it was not mandated and some captain's dared the wrath of their crew and comrades by changing it.^[2] In spite of Nelson's desire to differentiate vessels by means of this coloring, it was also found among vessels of other navies, including some ships of the United States Navy by the time of the War of 1812.

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External links

HMS Victory, displaying the Nelson Chequer

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