I'm working on HMS Nelson for Dreadnoughts. Nellie wore a new camo scheme into the Pacific in 1945. Tamiya's instructions suggest that her decks were unpainted (holystoned) wood at the time. That doesn't seem right. A wooden deck would have been very visible from the air, for this reason, USN ships had painted decks untill after the Japanese surrender.

What wisdom is out there? Were the wooden decks painted or not? If so what color? Light grey? Perhaps Admiralty 507C or a USN 'match' since she was refitted in New York?

Hi Mark,

When deployed to the Pacific, Nelson was painted in Admiralty Standard camouflage. The instructions for that camouflage specified that wood decks were to be left their natural color.

Best regards,
John Snyder
White Ensign Models

Wouldn't it also depend on which decks? I've no information on the main deck. for example where the three big turrets were, but didn't the RN use some kind of blue grey anti slip coating on upper decks, like the bridge deck for example?

I'd suggest you paint the wood decks with Teak and the steel decks dark gray.

Thanks guys!

I was hoping it would all be gray (grey), given my skills that would be the easiest. It appears that only the main deck is wood, so I can possibly paint in sections and it might look OK.

Well, that creates more questions than answers.

Any suggestions for colors / paints to simulate the wood?

Any sources or ideas on masking the 'steel' bits? I guessing that if I hold the deck perpendicular to the airbrush, I won't get a lot of overspray on the sides of the steel features. I'm more woried about getting the steel parts gray after the deck is painted.

OK folks, here is how Nelson was painted when in the Pacific, in Admiralty Standard Scheme A:

Scheme A - Rectangular panel on hull B20, remainder of weather work G45.
Instruction for painting to Schemes A:
1. Camouflage to finish at top edge of boot topping.
2. Topmasts - paint white.
3. Decks. Bare steel areas are G10. Wood, cemtex, corticene, and asphalt are left in their natural colors.
4. Where minesweeping davits are carried, one should be painted white, the other 820 or B30.
5. Countershading: Paint the following white:
A. Underside of blast shields, flag decks, boats, Pom-Pom decks and other platforms.
B. Lockers, vents, davits, etc.
C. All darken ship screens, canvas covers for reels, etc.
D. Lower 1/3 of gun barrels, searchlights, etc.
E. Masts and crow’s nest.
F. Insides of gun shields.
G. Stanchions and other small fittings on upper deck.
Masts: White topmasts. Remainder of mast should be the same as adjacent surface.

Now, as for those colors, we have them all accurately matched and available in our Colourcoats enamels:

RN 14, G45
RN 16, B20
RN23, G10
C 03, Matt White
C 01, Teak

No minimum order on paint, and we ship worldwide.

Cheers,
John Snyder
White Ensign Models
http://WhiteEnsignModels.com

Ah, John, Thanks for the info. I just have one question now.

Where can I hire some 1/700 scale sailors to get this paint applied???? :-)

There are very few things that make me laugh out loud on these forums - that was one of them! :-)

thenk yew, thenk yew verry much (in my worst Evlis):-H