I have a 1/1200-scale Aoshima kit of USS New Jersey. The box label suggests that this depicts the ship in 1945. No colour notes are included, so I am trying to find out what camouflage scheme would be appropriate for this model. I have very little knowledge of Naval colours (being more used to dealing with AFVs). I would be grateful for any information on this.

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul,

USS New Jersey was initially painted in dark single-color Camouflage Measure 21 (Navy Blue overall with dark blue decks) and remained in this scheme for about two years. In June 1945 she was repainted in the horizontal "two-tone" Camouflage Measure 22 (Haze Gray over all vertical surfaces with Navy Blue beginning at main deck level to the waterline, dark blue decks), which she wore for the rest of the World War II era.

I didn't know Aoshima made a 1/1200 New Jersey... do you mean the little 1/2000 kit?

Tim,

Thanks for the informative response.
Apologies ... typing error. The kit is 1/2000 scale (as you rightly pointed out).

Paul

Paul what Tim has relayed to you is spot on as far as the two camouflage measure NJ wore in wartime. There is one additional piece of information you will require though in choosing one of the two.

Iowa and New Jersey were both commissioned in 1943. When commissioned they had rounded bridges. The other two sisters completed in 1944 with a completely different flat fronted (almost slab sided) bridge. In 1945 NJ got a badly needed refit where her rounded bridge was modified to the slab sided version of her two later sisters. It was at this same time the camouflage was changed from Measure 21 to Measure 22. So depending upon the shape of that bridge that would be the means to select the appropriate camouflage. Aoshima could still be correct having the round bridge in 45 as long as it was before April of 45.

If you could post a picture I could verify which bridge is present on the model if you like.

Actually, Iowa and New Jersey were both commissioned with open bridges.

http://navsource.org/archives/01/062/016219w.jpg

Before she went to the Pacific, New Jersey got her unique round bridge.

http://navsource.org/archives/01/062/016251.jpg

In 1945, New Jersey returned to the US for repair and refit. At that time, her bridge was modified to the familiar square bridge configuration that Wisconsin and Missouri were commissioned with.

http://navsource.org/archives/01/062/016293.jpg

Looking at photos of her refit, NJ may have been painted in the newer neutral grey paints that the Navy was moving towards, and not in the blue greys. But, its hard to tell from black and white photos.

Hello,
Check out this link as it is pretty accurate for USN WW2 camouflage colors and schemes:

http://www.shipcamouflage.com/warship_camouflage.htm

Good Luck
Phil

Snyder and Short are pretty accurate. Trouble is that Measure 22 remained measure 22 regardless of using Navy Blue or Neutral Gray.

For our friend in the UK, all this switching of paint in Measure 22 came about from the fact that the USN became short of blue pigment to mix the paint and a neutral gray was substituted. Evidently some yards had adequate amounts of blue, while others were either short of it or had run out completely, thus the change over.

Martin is absolutely correct in that from the black and white photos of the period it is almost impossible to determine which is which. Drives me crazy in my own work.

Thanks Martin. I did not realize that NJ had that bridge mod enclosing the open bridge before she went west.

Thanks to you all for your most helpful responses.
As is often the case in this hobby, simple question, but not so simple answer. I guess they had more important issues than making life easy for modellers!

Apologies for seeming to be rather slow to understand on this subject … would it be appropriate to have USS New Jersey in her Measure 22 scheme during late hostilities in the Pacific, or would it have been more likely Measure 21? I gather that the new scheme was applied in 1945 … would that be before the Japanese surrender?

Paul:

New Jersey adopted Measure 22 during an overhaul at Ouget Sound Naval Shipyard, at Bremerton, Washington during the Spring of 1945. Leaving Bremerton she was at San Pedro, California in July then sailed for the Far East to become flagship of 5th Fleet. She arrived in hostile waters in August, but truthfully most of the fighting was done, and there is no record I found of her doing much of anything, except being the flagship of course, until she arrived in Tokyo Bay in the late summer.

I guess what I am saying then if you want to depict New Jersey all prim and proper like she would be as your date at the Senior Prom, do her in 22. On the other hand if you want to depict her as a young warrior, that just emerged from a back alley fight, do her in 21.

Chuck,

Thanks for that useful info.
Actually, I plan to depict her during hostilities in the Pacific, so Measure 21 would definitely be required here.
The model I am planning to tackle is only 1/2000-scale, so would Deck Blue be essentially a lightened version of Navy Blue?

As you may have guessed, I am not an experienced ship modeller … more used to small-scale AFVs.

Paul

Paul

Deck Blue was intended to match Navy Blue but it was a different paint, using a different formula so in actuality they were not the same. It tended to be a touch darker when fresh but faded from the sun in the Pacific and might look lighter.

It doesn't look quite right when the two are the same, but I'm not sure what your desire would be as far as the difference.