British Carrier Deck Markings (HMS Ark Royal)
Posted by iangazeley on August 21, 2010
There are several different sets of flight deck markings and some of these varied over the life of the ship.
1. The central taxiing/take-off guide line, running the entire length of the deck was yellow (seemingly for the entire life of the ship). This is often not visible in photos that have been printed from orthochromatic film (which show the yellow as dark grey and often indistinguishable from the Admiralty Dark Grey of the deck). It is possible that the section forward of the wind-break was white, as in some photos only this section is visible, but I think these photos show a steam line rather than deck markings.
2. The port and starboard deck park guide lines, that start just aft of the rear lift and extend to mid-ships (and are in roughly the same position on the deck as the bow accelerators). These do not appear to be painted during 1938 and early 1939, but were definitely present by December 1939. These were also yellow early War, but may have changed to white later.
3. Two circular deck markings were carried. The extreme aft circular marking was carried just forward of the rear 0.5” deck-edge machine gun platforms and was a solid circle. The forward one, roughly in line with the S3/P3 gun platforms, was a dotted circle. In 1938/9 these were definitely white. Both circles were present in the spring of 1939, when her air group was photographed by Charles E. Brown using ortho film and can be picked out clearly against the three parallel yellow deck markings (which are dark grey in this series of photos). By December 1939 they were yellow and can be seen clearly in the aerial photo of Ark Royal at Montevideo (again using ortho film). I believe that neither of these was in use by the time the ship reached the Mediterranean in July 1940.
4. Between commissioning and December 1939, just aft of the centre of each lift there is a white solid line. These seem to extend for about 30’ (the length of one Swordfish) and were presumably used for centring aircraft on the approach to the lift. These are not present in June 1940 and I’m not sure about whether they were used after this date.
5. Forward of the lifts in 1938/9 there were two white dotted lines (positioned about one third from the edge of the lifts). These extend about the same distance as the solid line aft and were presumably to guide aircraft leaving the lifts. December 1939 these were solid lines. I’m not sure if these were present at all in 1940/41.
6. The outside extreme edge of each of the lifts was painted yellow. The extreme deck edge around the lift appears to have been white. I think these markings were retained in 1940/41. In 1938/9 there was a dotted white line running through the centre of the lift. By the time the ship had reached the Mediterranean, these dotted lines had been replaced by two parallel lines about 6’ from the edge of the lift (I think in white).
7. A large reverse ‘arrow head’ marking is present on the port side, just aft of the port starboard pom-pom mounting in 1938/9. This presumably was a warning marking for aircraft landing on prior to the fitting of arrestor wires. I believe this was white.
|
British Destroyer Deck Colors
by John @ WEM Thu Jun 17, 2010
Semtex/Cemtex right out of the can was grey--use Colourcoats M 16 or ACUS 02. Early war Semtex was pale buff (use ACSM 10), while late war Semtex was green (use M 19). Mid war? We just specify grey, as above. When did the change occur? Dunno--Alan Raven (who supplied the samples to Randy Short and me) never told us that....
Cheers,
John
Semtex was probably fairly common, but not universal. Some ships had corticene - a linoleum which had a reddish brown colour to it. Some had something called "Wundergrip" - no idea what colour that was!
The only thing that appears to be a constant would be the steel decks - invariably painted in a dark colour akin to AP507A or equivalent.
If you can, get yourself a copy of "The Kelly's" by Christopher Langtree - it has a chapter on camouflage which includes details on deck coverings, but it's not comprehensive and should be viewed as a guide only.
Mike.
by mike mccabe Sun Jun 20, 2010
Wondergrip? Isn't that the stuff used to keep false teeth in place?
From a modellers perspective and one who does a lot of RN destroyers, I tend to go with time period I am modelling as the best rough guide. RN camouflage is a very complex subject, made more complex by the limited photographs available of the period, especially early war. Even when you do find a photo odds on it won't show the decks, so again speaking as a modeller and not one wanting to spend too much time researching, informed guesswork is generally the order of the day.
Early war, 39 to 40 corticene was common, or strips of it over steel painted grey. Later on when the corticene was found to wear and break up under harsh conditions, it seems some decks were merely painted steel before semtex was introduced, see John's reply for the colour of that although it varied greatly. Later on mainly darker grey depending on the scheme used.
RN ships of WW2, especially destroyers, is in no way and exact science, it seems as though no one ship was ever exactly like any other in the same class, although later in the war things become a little easier.
Of course when you have decided on the colour, there is the effect of weathering, especially those serving in areas of strong sunlight.
So to sum up, and I am speaking as a modeller and preparing myself to be shot down in flames, you have quite a bit of latitude around the base colours, stick to the basic principles I have just mentioned according to the period and you won't go far wrong. At least it will be pretty difficult for anyone to prove you are!
Mike
|
British Western Approaches Camouflage
1942 WESTERN APPROACHES TYPE
Colors used: Western Approaches Blue, Western Approaches Green, and white.
Decks: Areas laid with wood, asphalt, semtex, or corticene, should be left in their natural colors. Steel deck areas were painted MS 2.
Athwartship vertical surfaces: White.
Countershading: Extensive use was made of countershading when Western Approaches camouflage was used. The following surfaces should have been painted white:
A. Undersides of blast shields, flag decks, boats, Pom-Pom decks, and other platforms.
B. After side of bridge.
C. Lockers, vents, davits, etc.
D. Whole of after blast screen.
E. Darken ship screens, canvas covers to reels, etc.
F. Lower 1/3 of gun barrels, searchlights, etc.
G. Both masts (if two carried), and crow’s nest.
H. Insides of gun shields.
I. All stanchions and other small fittings on deck.
The camouflage was always taken never the boot topping, down to the waterline.
1943 WESTERN APPROACHES TYPE
Colors used: B55 and white.
Decks: Steel areas are painted B30. Areas of wood, semtex, corticene, and asphalt are left their natural color.
Other horizontal surfaces: These should be painted l/2 the reflectance factor of the adjacent vertical surface color. Example: if a gun turret is painted B55, then the roof should be painted B30 (see table).
Athwartship vertical surfaces: Use same color as adjacent vertical surface except rear of bridge where white should be worn.
Countershading: The following surfaces should have been painted white:
A. Undersides of blast shields, flag decks, boats, Pom-Pom decks, and other platforms.
B. After side of bridge.
C. Lockers, vents, davits, etc.
D. Whole of after blast screen.
E. Darken ship screens, canvas covers to reels, etc.
F. Lower 1/3 of gun barrels, searchlights, etc.
G. Both masts (if two carried), and crow’s nest.
H. Insides of gun shields.
I. All stanchions and other small fittings on deck.
Cheers,
John Snyder
White Ensign Models
French Battleship Colors, 1930's
By Alain on 12/22/2011
Between the 7 French
battleships of 23500 tons there are a lot of painting differences to do
depending of the date you represent a punctual model.
Firstly they are 2
classes in the same to be separated: One, the COURBET class = 4 battleships =
COURBET, PARIS, JEAN BART and FRANCE which is total loss by ran on rocks in
1922. Those are coal engine. Second, the BRETAGNE class = 3 battleships =
BRETAGNE, PROVENCE, LORRAINE which as completed are fuel heated.
General
painting considerations:
In 1920 hulls and upperworks are more or less same
but paintings differ from that date. COURBETs in a first period were painted
with a blueyish medium gray said "ruled gray" officially. Black are: waterline
stripe, smokestake hats, tripod mast under crow's nest, middle of back mast,
main gun skirts and only JEAN BART's hawse holes and main anchors until 1925.
Main turrets and casemate guns naked steel like in WW1 continue to be ragged
with grease and appear dark steel. (See below for decks). Exception for some
ships range finders painted white. In 1922 a HQ order gives instruction for the
"ruled gray" componants probably to avoid some differences resulting between
ships. On Nov.8, 1929 a ministery order decides a new paint color called "light
gray #1" for ships heated with fuel but maintains the "ruled gray" for those
burning coal. At last a telegram of Apr.4, 1932 orders the "light gray #1" for
the whole COURBET & BRETAGNE classes and the carrier BEARN. From 1935 to
1939 the COURBETs main turrets are repainted much more lighter than hulls and
upperworks in almost white. Main gun skirts are white (exception of JEAN BART
still black skirts) and then skirts return black with a curious COURBET mid-39
with white ones ahead and black skirts on the 3 back turrets! Probable that
white skirts covering black ones were movable only for parades and removed or
not.
When the 23500 tons were sent in Atlantic for WW2 need they were
repainted dark gray with a deceptive bow wave matching a speed they couldn't
reach never ...
Decks: Early stayed crude steel and after 1934 painted
with anti-rust paint. This color is dark gray. Back main deck and boats works
covered with red linoleum. Main deck remains of all times: natural wood color.
There is never black color on decks. Only casemate hull catways close of sea
were painted with tar against corrosion that's why they appear black color.
Boats spardeck:
Large ones for crew and oar boats are light gray #1
all over. Oar edge: varnished wood.
Steam boats: gray like the ship overall
with black waterline.
Captain's boat: blue overall (same blue like on French
or US flag)
Admiral's boat: white overall with varnished hard top sometime
with red lino on roof.
Seaplane gas tanks on deck poop (to be dropped out if
set on fire): silver or aluminium
Different interesting floatplanes and
smokestakes W&B squadron stripes code not explained here.
More
especially for the PROVENCE in Mers El Kébir questioned above:
Correct paint
mixing to get the "light gray #1" is 2 parts white for 1 part black. Since 1934
the ship is light gray #1 painted all over hull guns upperworks. Main deck:
natural wood (no linoleum) including bow chains area. Both anchors & chains
are black. No black of smoke on rear mast it is only light gray #1. Metal decks:
dark gray. Bridge deck: natural wood. For black parts and boat colors: see like
above. Tar on casemate catways.
In Kébir the PROVENCE's C.O. was Captain
Barois and Rear Adm. Bouxin was flagged aboard. PROVENCE escapes Kébir attack
July 3, 1940 and is scuttled Toulon Nov.27, 1942. Refloated for scrap in 1943 by
Italians.
|
French WWII Warship Deck Color
The drawing I found on Profile Morskie 019 on Marseillaise & Georges Leygues has the latter painted in ms. 22 with an overall blue deck. Wood planking was, according to that drawing, painted over.
This makes sense to me: the ship was refitted into a US yard and if the workers were asked to paint that thing in ms. 22, and ms. 22 stated all horizontal surfaces to be painted deck blue, well, they had to comply. |
German High Seas Fleet, WWI
by John @ WEM Wed Mar 31, 2010
Battleships, Armoured and Small Cruisers (North Sea and Baltic Sea):
Superstructures, Light Grey, RAL 7035—use Colourcoats RN 03;
Hull, Agate Grey, RAL 7038—use Colourcoats KM 13 (exact match);
Boot-topping, Slate Grey, RAL 7015—use Colourcoats KM 06;
Underwater Hull, Brownish-Red, RAL 3011— use Colourcoats US 14.
Ship's Boats:
Exterior, Pure White, RAL 9010—use Colourcoats C 03;
Interior, Bright Wood—use Colourcoats US 15;
Captain's Gig, Dark Blue to Black—use Colourcoats KM 07 for Dark Blue, or C 02 for Black;
Motor Boats, Light Grey, RAL 7035— use Colourcoats RN 03;
Steam Boats, Mahogany—use Colourcoats US 15;
Deck/Linoleum, Red-Brown, RAL 8012—use Colourcoats ACSM 11;
Deck/Wood, Birch or Maple Veneer—use Colourcoats IJN 09 or C 01.
Cheers,
John Snyder
by ingura Tue Nov 10, 2009
Would like to add some thoughts to the subject of color. First a picture showing T-Boats which all (in theory) were sporting the same paintscheme "dunkelgrau ?ber alles", referring to the hull color of the capital ships. Make your choice...
Second, as pointed out earlier, the IGN did not have colors defined by the RAL-system. An participant of WW 1 serving on SMS Derfflinger gave the following explaination:
A base white color was delivered in solid blocks. These blocks were diluted in metal buckets with either gasoline, petroleum or in seldom occasions even with lubrication oil. The buckets were then put next to the part of the ship that has to be painted and under the supervision of an officer or NCO the white paint was mixed with previously grinded coal until the shade of grey matched almost the old color.
This procedere would btw. explain why the ships of the IGN appear darker and darker as the war continues. Wet paint is lighter than dried paint. So if you mix wet color to match dry paint, the appearance will be slightly different.
So my conclusion is, that one is not totally wrong if white and black paint is mixed - 9:1 for the hull and 10:1 for the superstructure. Just an idea (which works, btw.)
Peter.
Regarding the color of steel decks of WW 1 german warships:
the paint applied served two functions:
- anti-corrosion
- non-skid
The common method to achieve both things was, to prime the steel with tar and before drying (usually during the application) adding a surface layer mixed of 95 % edgy sand (0-2 mm size) plus 5 % cement. The tar protected the steel from corrosion, the surface layer provided the non-skid effect.
For tilted surfaces requesting non-skid safety, the last layer was a cotton-fabric. This happend not too often and I have found it so far on smaller units only (Minesweepers, T-Boats, Destroyers, etc.).
Naturally this mixture was sort of adhesive to dust and salt. While a fresh deckpaint looked almost black, its color changed quickly into a dark shade of grey, like antracite grey RAL 7016.
For some ships I saw reports stating that the application itself and the non-skid effect was even better, if sand and cement were mixed with the tar prior to the application.
This btw. explains also why on german capital ships of WW 1 some areas (those, where the officers were doing their duty) were covered with linoleum - tar underneath your shoes would spoil the carpets in their cabins and messes...
Japanese CV Shinano Deck Color
Actually the color of the flight deck is well attested by several eye witnesses, either former crewmen or civilian workers. It was....(drum roll...it'll be quite a shocker)...PINK!! (Look at the box art of the first Tamiya kit, they got it right...) Yes, that's right, when she was sunk the flight deck hadn't been painted yet and we don't know how it would be painted. Red-brown crushed bricks were applied to the flight deck to create a non-skid surface and they were bonded with a white adhesive, resulting in a pinkish deck. Obviously they would have painted that before she entered service but like I said there is no way to know what color.
As for you question, yes, I believe her flight deck would be camouflaged- just like that of almost any other carrier at that time - but probably not like Zuikaku or Zuiho's. In 1945 IJN's surviving carriers were mostly concerned with the frequent bomber raids on Japan's major harbors and the camouflage on their flight decks was meant to blend with the surrounding environment (hills, trees, water etc.) rather than to simulate the appearance of a surface combatant (like Zuikaku's flight deck), which would have also been a great target.
There were several articles citing this fact on the Japanese model press. The guy who originally made the claim (can't remember his name now) is (was? might be dead now...) a multi-millionaire who made a fortune in the construction business and was a civilian worker on the Shinano in 1944. Initially in Japan some people bought his story and some didn't (the argument is as old as the first Tamiya kit) but eventually a few other eye-witnesses came out confirming his story. I can't give you precise book/magazine references because it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I'm sure that the Gakken book on the Shinano (which unfortunately I don't have) has this story. The reason why no Japanese has ever modeled the pink deck is pretty obvious, they're too proud of their IJN and would never show anything "embarrassing" like that (and that explains why the guy who first told the story was the object of real anger...) In fact I've never seen a model of the Shinano without aircraft on deck, which is another historical falsehood. For the record, all models of the Shinano I've seen in Japan have a gray deck.
If I were you, I would just write the story on an accompanying piece of paper with a color copy of the box art of the first Tamiya kit. I think that'll be more than sufficient for the IPMS guys, who can barely distinguish the Shinano from the Hiyo and usually mispronounce both of them... It is interesting to note that while the guy who painted the art of the first Tamiya kit obviously believed the story, Tamiya had a very prudent approach, recommending a gray deck in the instructions. So, they had it both ways...
Russian Sverdlov Class
Posted by Alain on 5/27/2010
|
Earlier in fifties, sixties and seventies begining all the SVERDLOV class looks wooden main deck definitely. Plank deck is very pale at sunlight on SENJAVIN, ZHDANOV(next MURMANSK), DZERZINSKI, OCTOBER REVOLUTSIYA(ex-MOLOTOVSK), SVERDLOV, KUTUZOV, SUVOROV. No need to check ORDZONIKIDZE, NAKHIMOV, NEVSKIJ, LAZAREV, POZARSKIJ, USHAKOV, DONSKOI, MININ (some ones uncompleted) remaining sisters certainly same colour.
The main deck right colour should be LIGHT OCHRE looking like LIGHT SAND that Humbrol calls "CONCRETE" (91 or 90 if I remember well).
Later from middle seventies one sees some SVERDLOV class with a darker main deck whereas sisters keep the CONCRETE colour till end f service about eighties. Mention of dark main deck on SVERDLOV in 72, SENJAVIN in 74, ZHDANOV 72, USHAKOV 73 and a curious MURMANSK between 79/81 bearing forward main deck lighter than backard which is dark. All these after conversion. After question and doubt if some wooden deck were not removed assuming that main deck were heavily armoured originally, close up exam shows that plank deck are still in place after conversion either it is. Seventies are Cold War period in accordance when modern metallic decks were painted RED/ORANGE. So,teck deck of surviving SVERDLOVs couldn't be else that painted this clour to wear this dark effect.
To get a correct reflectance on a painted teck deck colour would be REDDISH MAHOGANY to me.
In all case metallic upper decks are darker than main deck. Until mid seventies they would be DARK GREY or a close DARK GREEN. After 75 they should be usual Soviet RED/ORANGE.
Congratulation for your attention when ships looked like ships not like shoes box of now :-) The SVERDLOVs of Italian inspiration are splendid.
U.S. Army Transport (USAT) Colors
by Tracy White, Mon Oct 04, 2010
I don't have complete documentation, but I know that some USAT vessels were COMPLETED in Navy colors as new construction. Ones already in service I would be more suspicious about as the Navy was protective of their formulas and did not let them out to commercial paint manufacturers until the start of 1943; prior to that Mare Island and Norfolk were the only places officially manufacturing USN Colors.
Now, the US Navy Bureau of Ordnance *DID* share formulas they had copies with with their army counterparts, which BuShips was not happy about when they found out about it. However, I have no documentation that details what company received the formulas and for what purposes, just some correspondence from BuShips to BuOrd stating they had been receiving complaints from the paint manufacturers that did not get the formulas and that they shouldn't have sent out the formulas. My guess is that they were shared for pieces of ordnance that both services used or army units that were being shipped on Navy transports. Ocean Gray was the default color for newly manufactured ordnance as that was the most common color for the zone (I.e. superstructure in Measure 12/22) they were in in 1942 before the Pacific fleet standardized on Measure 21.
U.S. BB Arizona Dec 7, 1941 color debate
BB39 color explanation from survivor (the final word?)!
Posted by Andrew D BB39 Sec on December 4, 2010
THE SHORT VERSION: Arizona may very well have had an incomplete painting, which some photos seem to suggest.
THE FULL VERSION:
This could be starting to make more sense. I mean, there's plenty of evidence on both sides, so confusing. And making it even weightier for me personally is that despite some evidence suggesting the other possibility, EVERY survivor I know who was aboard in early November '41 remembers painting a very light blue over the dark gray.
SO, tonight I talked a while with Lauren Bruner. He was one of the miracle survivors from the portside AA director on the foremast, one of 4 who made it hand over hand down a line to the Vestal, along with Don Stratton. Last year he was with the others remembering how the new, lighter paint was being craned aboard in cargo nets and then passed down to all hands while they were finishing their drydock time following the collision with the Okie.
Conversation tonight was something like this:
Me: So the new paint was lighter than the previous color?
Bruner: Oh, yeah, a lot lighter. The older stuff from the summer, the gunmetal paint (5D) was so dark, and the new stuff was so damned transparent it was tough.
Me: You mean the blue was translucent, and you could see the old color through it?
Bruner: Yeah, at first, it took a while. Stuff seemed to blend with the sea, and the sky, until you couldn't tell one from the other.(wasn't totally sure what he meant by it, but it was clear he wasn't a huge fan of the new stuff)
Me: You know, now that you mention it, there are some folks who think that, judging from the photos of the ship once the fires went out, that there were actually areas where the old dark gray was showing. Any chance the painting wasn't finished yet?
Bruner: Oh, no, it was never finished.
Me: (stunned) So, the masts were never finished?
Bruner: No, didn't get to them. We started at the bottom and worked our way up.
Me: So you did the hull and the turrets and the bridge area, then?
Bruner: No, not even the bridge. That was next. That was my area, and I know we didn't get that far.
Me: So just the hull and turrets?
Bruner: Just hull and turrets.
Me: How about the area around the five inch casemates?
Bruner: (paused, thinking) I don't know about those, I wasn't part of that detail. But the rest of it, definitely.
Me: Was the new color supposed to color the white mast tops?
Bruner: (chuckling) Oh, I don't know; they didn't tell me that.
CONCLUSION: I know Tracy had pondered this very possibility, and now it seems to make more sense.
So IF THIS IS AT ALL TRUE, we could be dealing with an Arizona with 5S hull and turrets, weathered 5D bridge and stack structures and masts and probably casemates and spud locker areas, and 5L mast tops. Actually a really neat thought!!!
| At last an Arizona we can all agree on . . .
Posted by Steve Pon August 8, 2010
Posted by Tracy Whiteon August 10, 2010
|
: Curious, is it possible there might be one or
: two Arizona vets from that period around or
: even from one of the other battleships who
: could be queried about the colour scheme.
: Certainly if the turret tops were red
: someone might know that.
Glenn Lane, who was one of the aviators on Arizona, spoke of the blue and referred to it as "Mediterranean Blue" as well as the red turret tops. This caused much confusion and negativity as the USN never had a Mediterranean Blue. Don Preul showed him some paint chips sans names and he picked out a shade of 5-S Sea Blue; this is one of the pieces of evidence to support the Blue Arizona theory (as well as the red trret tops, which he also spoke of). It means beans to many people.
|
Posted by Andrew D. BB39 Secon August 11, 2010
|
I can tell you the survivors argue on the red tops to this day, but one compelling bit of evidence is that ALL THREE survivors from the Air Division (Glenn Lane, Milton Hurst, Ed Wentzlaff) clearly recall the red tops. This is important because the red was for the airmen, to help identify which ship to land by, same concept as avoiding landing on the wrong carrier. Arizona operated with Okie and Nevada, very similar ships at a glance under various weather and lighting conditions. |
Posted by Andrew D BB39 SEcon August 11, 2010
|
I do need to throw this into the mix; I talked about this at the last survivors' reunion. The November '41 photo in drydock is when she was repaired from the collision with the Oklahoma in late October. THEY ALL STATE that a complete repaint began in the very final days in drydock, and THEY ALL STATE without debate that it was a much lighter color that they were using.
I still remember Don Stratton turning to Bruner and saying "Yeah, remember, they were hauling all those 5-gallon buckets up with cargo nets..." and Bruner was nodding the whole time. Clare Hetrick said, "They even brought out all us mess cooks to start slopping it on. They were passing it down to where we were in opened 2-gallon cans they were pouring."
Even more compelling on the lighter color, Lonnie Cook says he and his buddies were to do some decks on the superstructure, and couldn't go on liberty until it was done; they slopped it on with a mop, so it was too thick to dry uniformly. The next day the area was hosed off and a bunch of it came off in sheets; BOY, he says they got a royal chewing-out.
|
Posted by Jon Warnekeon August 9, 2010
|
Approximately May 1941, Pacific Fleet began to repaint from pre-war schemes into the Measure 1 through 5 schemes. These used the January 1941 SHIPS-2 colors. It is known that at some point in the late summer-early fall of 1941, ARIZONA is photographically shown to be painted in a Measure 1 scheme (black and white photos). Now, this is where the two arguments begin to intermix. On October 15, 1941, an order was issued that the blue proponents claim allowed ARIZONA to be painted into a blue scheme, 15-CN41. However, when you read the actual order (which is on Tracy's site), the order is an authorization to begin experimentation with the new Sept. 1941 colors on one destroyer squadron. The citation for the use of the blue colors on other ships is in one of the later paragraphs (9, I think), but there is a direct restriction of the use of blue, as well as specific instructions for it's use if the restrictions are met.
Tracy has found some interesting orders for the use of blue prior to the issuance of 15-CN41, but other than one that specifically references ARIZONA and her requisition for more 5-D, there's nothing written for the replacement of 5-D with 5-S in Measure 1. In fact, Measure 1 is discontinued for use in the Sept. 1941 SHIPS-2, which authorizes the use of the blue colors in question.
Here the main gist of the gray argument as I see it. Photos on 7 DEC 41 show ARIZONA painted in Measure 1. The only colors presently documented for use in Measure 1 are 5-L and 5-D, and according to 15-CN41, the use of 5-S requires the Measure 1A (later known as Measure 11) to be used. Now you have both encapsulated arguments.
U.S. Civil War Monitor Colors
Posted by John Emeryon August 11, 2010
Unique among the monitors, the Nahant had a black band around the turret level with the gun ports, with the rest of the turret unpainted. After 1863, white zinc was widely used on the monitor fleet, especially on the underwater hull, although the Suncook had a snow white turret.
The Nahant was built in Boston and sailed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Here is my citation on the black band around her turret.
New York Times
Jan 19, 1863
"On her arrival here, a most awkward blunder was discovered by the authorities in connection with the turret. The ports in all the iron-clads have been purposely kept colorless, in order that they should not present a shining mark to the enemy. The Boston people, however, painted them black, thus rendering them exceedingly conspicuous. The officers of the Brooklyn Yard were then obliged to paint an entire black band around the turret, which covers the ports. Thus the Nahant will easily be known from all the craft of her class."
Misc. Topics: Underwater Hull/Boot Topping Colors
Posted by Shaun Carteron September 1, 2010
The colors of hull paint are most likely related to the type of anti-fouling agent used. I believe that Green paint contained copper. Red paint usually contained lead. Protecting the hull of the ship from marine growth and damage from sea creatures has been a problem since the invention of boats. The copper plates used to sheath the USS Constitution were meant to protect her wooden hull and stop performance destroying marine growth. There isn't one perfect answer. Anti-fouling paints use two methods. One, is to leach out a compound or compounds that are toxic. This means that the paint will 'wear out' without necessarily being worn out. The other is to make a surface so smooth, that nothing can attach to it. This seems to be the modern answer.
I believe that one anti-fouling agent, say copper, cannot protect a ship in all oceans. There was also the questions of cost, availability and paint technology. The RN was quite interested in the new American hull paints during WW II partly because they were thought to last longer than RN paints. The search still continues today. Just look at the blue hull paints in use by Canada and being tested by the USN.
As far as Boot Topping goes, some Navy's used a distinct color for it and some did not. Boot Topping has three jobs. One, it is a heavier duty paint to protect the hull against the increased corrosion present at the waterline. Two, to hide stains from pollution. And three, to indicate the operating draft range. It usually does not have the same anti-fouling properties of hull paint. Some navies did not seem to use it, but I believe that the upper portion of the hull paint was in fact a heavy duty version of the hull paint, just not a different color.
Posted by Tom Ruprechton September 1, 2010
I recently purchased the Kagero Varyag book with the CGI renderings, which depict the ship with a green hull below the waterline. I have been under the impression that A-H ships used such a green, but I don't know why or even whether that is valid. I have not had any idea that Imperial Russian ships used green, but it sure looks nice.
Posted by John Emery on September 1, 2010
The Alabama, a near contemporary of the Varyag, also built by Cramp's, was built with a green hull below the waterline. Normally, US warships had the traditional red; primer was brown. [citation: New York Times, May 27, 1898. "...and her hull below the waterline will be covered with a heavy coat of green submarine paint."]
Posted by Al Rosson September 1, 2010
When I was researching the MAINE for the kit I was designing for BlueJacket, I came across some
interesting material relating to bottom paint at the end of the 19th Century. A discussion with Dana Wegner, curator of ship models for the Navy, indicated that MAINE received green bottom paint at her final overhaul. In a dissertation by Darien Andreu (FSU - 2003) which focused on a
journalist of the period, Sylvester Scovel, she writes that MAINE left Norfolk drydock on 9 DEC 1897 with McGinnis' green anti-fouling paint. Scovel, present at the raising of the MAINE in 1912, is quoted as commenting on the green bottom of the hulk.
Obviously, MAINE was not a Russian ship, but this does indicate that green was indeed used as a bottom color on some ships of the period.
| |
|
