I will be building RM 1/220 Lionfish submarine. I went to the ship camoflage site and found the measure that I want to paint my boat in, MS32/3SS-B.
But they did not say what colors the measure consisted of. The kits colors just dont seem correct at all! Not that I usualy use the kits recomendations.
Can anyone tell me the correct colors for this measure(Skipper!) ? TIA,

Garry

Hi Garry

The RM colors for the Lionfish are a bit... hummm... well, never mind!!

In the ship camouflage website, they have this explanation for "your" measure:
"Unfortunately the author has been unable to discover any documents that describe the evolvement of the 1944 schemes, and can therefore only describe the final patterns and colors used. The colors were Black and a range of neutral grays, and for the first time, counter shading was used. In Measure 32/3SSB (a light type camouflage) black was used for the horizontal surfaces, with the vertical surfaces having a graded series of grays, ranging from light to black, from bow to stern."

Please, look at the description of the colors and also this online gallery:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/ss/ss-212/72-rw/gato-rw-index.html

If you combine both, you'll have the answer - which I don't have right now - still at work

Skipper

The USS Cobia is a museum sub In Manitowoc, WI. She is in the graded pattern, and although faded, my guess would be ocean gray and haze gray.

Hi all!

I had some trouble finding a source in my cd's but finnaly I have found it!
I don't remember exactly where it came from but the credit is NOT from me...

So... here it is:
"Because of the radically different and special missions of the submarine force, it is not surprising that their camouflage was quite different from other major combatants. Up to early 1940, the entire submarine fleet was painted above the waterline in standard #5 Navy Gray, the same color as carried by the surface fleet. The exceptions were those boats engaged in experiments with Pearl Harbor Blue and Black. As described earlier in the text, Pearl Harbor Blue was the desired color, but problems relating to its durability had meant that black, the second choice color, was chosen to be applied to the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, except for the boats working out of Pearl Harbor. These boats formed a group that would continue to extensively test improved formulas of Pearl Harbor Blue. These tests continued throughout 1941 and the colors were still being worn by several boats at the outbreak of war in December. The use of Pearl Harbor Blue was dropped in the first weeks of 1942, and by the spring, black was the only color seen on the submarine force.

By March 1942, American submarines were extensively engaged in "special missions" which included supply operations to beleaguered garrisons, such as Corregidor in the Philippines, and movement and placement of men into Japanese held islands for covert purposes. For example, in August the ARGONAUT and NAUTILUS transported men for a commando raid on the island of Makin in the Gilberts.

These special operations demanded that the boats involved be surfaced at night in enemy held waters. The most unsuitable paint scheme was an overall black. What was needed was a much lighter toned camouflage that gave low visibility from surface observation. To this end, the boats involved were eventually painted overall above the waterline in 5-0 Ocean Gray. This particular use of 5-0 for submarines was called Measure 10 and was formally promulgated in June 1942. Along with Measure 9 (overall Black) these two schemes were carried by the entire submarine force until approximately mid 1944 when two new schemes were introduced.

Unfortunately the author has been unable to discover any documents that describe the evolvement of the 1944 schemes, and can therefore only describe the final patterns and colors used. The colors were Black and a range of neutral grays, and for the first time, counter shading was used. In Measure 32/3SSB (a light type camouflage) black was used for the horizontal surfaces, with the vertical surfaces having a graded series of grays, ranging from light to black, from bow to stern. The second measure, 32/9SSB was similar in principle, the difference being that it was a darker range of grays. 32/3SSB was supposed to be effective in surface operations at night and during overcast conditions, 32/9SSB was more effective for surface operations in clear weather and while submerged. These two measures supplanted overall black and overall Ocean gray, and by autumn of 1944, the two above mentioned colors had completely disappeared."

From Skipper not By Skipper