Color FAQs
 
JUNYO and UNYO colors
 
Posted By: Greg Crabb <gcrabb62@hotmail.com>
Date: Saturday, 9 December 2000, at 2:55 p.m.
 
That thread on carrier camo.was excellent! I have another question on this subject.Was JUNYO camouflaged? The Tamiya box art depicts her as green.Is this correct,and if so,correct for the period of the models configuration(later war,I think with the AA rocket launcher fittings)? Was her deck camo.or wood color? If camo. does anyone know the colors/patterns? What would the KANA on her aft flight deck be if applied? In a follow-up to the UNYO thread, was she(UNYO) in the standard grey as the kit is configured,or in other words, what time period does the kit reflect? Was her deck grey,wood color or painted/stained?
 
Re: JUNYO and UNYO colors
 
Posted By: Allan Parry <dparry02@cableinet.co.uk>
Date: Sunday, 10 December 2000, at 1:56 p.m.
 
In Response To: JUNYO and UNYO colors (Greg Crabb)
 
In 1944 Junyo had her hull painted green with a dark green 'merchant ship' silhouette. In all the late war photos I have seen of Junyo, none show any deck camouflage.
Re. Junyo Kana. There is a drawing on page 99 of Kojinsha 'Mechanism of Japanese Warships: Aircraft Carriers' showing the aft section of Junyo's deck with Kana on the starboard side-it looks like a reversed J followed by ". I can send you a scan if you wish.
Re. Unyo. There are two 1944+ camouflage schemes shown in various publications. See link below.
Link: http://www.kamakuranet.ne.jp/~mad/camoe.html
 
Re: JUNYO and UNYO colors
 
Posted By: Greg Crabb <gcrabb62@hotmail.com>
Date: Monday, 11 December 2000, at 10:45 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: JUNYO and UNYO colors (Allan Parry)
 
Thank You!Very VERY helpful! Do you have diagrams or refs. to the "merchant ship outline" camo., and yes, please send the scans at your convenience.I looked up the link, but I wonder how UNYO was painted on her sides when the decks were painted this way? Monotone gray..?,green..?,or some type of shadow pattern?Interesting,isn't it?
 
Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: daniel rastello <daniel.rastello@voila.fr>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 1:34 a.m.
 
I have all of the heavy cruiser 1/700 kits and I need some indications about color deck.
For the Mogami class, Tamiya's notice give us linoleum deck color (but perhaps it is not true in the last stages of the war?).
For the other ones (Furutaka class,Myoko class,Takao class and TONE class)I have no indications because unfortunately, I can't read Japanese.
Somebody can tell me if those decks was Tan (made of wood),linoleum or only metallic and painted like the hull?
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Duif <duif@castel.nl>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 4:43 a.m.
 
In Response To: Heavy cruiser color deck (daniel rastello)
 
According to Lacroix's "Japanese Cruisers in the Pacific War" all heavy cruisers had linoleum on their decks. Later in the war, however, it was removed because it proved to be flammable.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Dan Kaplan <dboykap@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 8:51 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Duif)
 
However, the directive was not necessarily carried out by all ships. For instance, the Aoba is known to have retained her linoleum thru the end of the war; she was found at Kure with the linoleum intact. If there's no photographic evidence available, it's your guess.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Grant Goodale <grant.goodale@sympatico.ca>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 3:55 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Dan Kaplan)
 
Was this only on the upper decks? Was the main deck mostly still in wood? The box art on the Hasegawa kit shows a wodden main deck FWIW
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Dan Kaplan <dboykap@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 4:23 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Grant Goodale)
 
Not sure of your question; perhaps you're accidentally referencing IJN BBs. IJN CAs and CLs carried linoleum covered main decks and aircraft handling decks/platforms, not wood. IJN BBs had main decks covered with wood while their aircraft handling decks/platforms were covered with linoleum.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Frido Kip <frido.kip@hetnet.nl>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 10:21 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Dan Kaplan)
 
Indeed all heavy cruisers had linoleum on their upper decks. It is often believed that the uppermost decks (the shelter or HA gun decks) were metal only, but in reality most cruisers also had linoleum on these decks. Photographic evidence is scarse but proves linoleum on uppermost decks in Myôkô, Mogami and Tone class cruisers. It is true that not all cruisers were stripped of their linoleum, however little is known for sure, so photographic evidence is still the only reliable source.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 1:09 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Frido Kip)
 
Linoleum deck covering was retained throughtout the war on weather decks. It was removed only from interior spaces.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Frido Kip <frido.kip@hetnet.nl>
Date: Thursday, 30 November 2000, at 11:16 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (William Blado)
 
That sound about right. The postwar photo's of the wrecks of Aoba and Tone show the linoleum still visible on the forecastle decks.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: bob pienkos <bpink@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 2:55 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (William Blado)
 
For painting all theses cruisers decks I would use Tamiya acrylic paints .XF-64 red brown or regular brown. They seem to match the deck linoleum very well. The choice on either one would be up to you.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Al Peters <dsr017@attglobal.net>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 5:15 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (bob pienkos)
 
In very early days of the 1/700 series (1969-1973) included with the kit was a print of current and projected models. I have several of these and the all CA's main decks are shown as having a color close to Bob's description. Believe me they were never yellow or any shade of ....
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: Grant Goodale <grant.goodale@sympatico.ca>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 3:52 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (bob pienkos)
 
In conversation with Tennesse Katsuta at IPMS Toronto, he said that there is a company that makes a model paint called "linoleum" but they are not available outside of Japan :( He also said that the red-brown is just a little too red.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser color deck
 
Posted By: bob pienkos <bpink@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thursday, 30 November 2000, at 3:34 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Grant Goodale)
 
You're right, the red brown does have to much of a sharp color the Tamiya plain brown would be the closest choice.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 4:26 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser color deck (Grant Goodale)
 
I would hazzard a guess that Tennesee is referring to PitRoad acrylic paints, in which case Pacific Front Hobbies sometimes has stocks of.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2000, at 9:11 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (Mike Quan)
 
Model Shipways makes a line of acrylic paints formulated to match the Snyder&Short paint chips. They have all the IJN grays and "linoleum" color. I've never used this brand of paint, but reports on the web indicate it is very thick and needs a lot of thinning, especially for airbrushing.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Burdick <Maraposa@erols.com>
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 9:06 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
Color aside, does anyone know why linoleum on weather decks? It would seem rather unsuitable,flammable,slippery, subject to erosion in heavy traffic paths, and the brass strips at joints a high maintenance item.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
 
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 11:51 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Burdick)
 
I have often wondered the same thing. I can think of few surfaces slipperier than wet linoluem. However, it has a long history of use by European navies. In British service it was called "corticene."
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: Ed Low <jlow@Bignet.com>
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 12:01 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
Yes, but we have to take into consideration what it replaced. My guess is that it was a wood deck which has also some of the same problems you brought up. However, linoleum will not rust, and is water proof - so it does not soak up sea water which will elevate the center of gravity of the ship and is probably less maintence intensive than wood. Just my guess.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 2:31 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (Ed Low)
 
Perhaps, but the linoleum on these ships was not a replacement for wood, but a substitute. The US Navy 
used bare (well, painted) steel decks for Omaha class cruisers and all destroyers, which is the norm for modern ships. So the question remains, why use linoluem? If it was a good deck covering, why isn't it still in use?
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: John Olsen <John.Olsen@state.ma.us>
Date: Thursday, 7 December 2000, at 7:51 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
The British battlecruisers Repulse, Renown, Glorious, Courageous and Furious were completed in 1916-1917 with quarterdecks covered in a linoleum/corticene type material as a weight saving measure. Apparantly this proved unsatisfactory, as both Repulse and Revown had reverted to teak by the mid 1920's. The weight limits on cruiser construction imposed by the Washington Treaty probably influenced this choice of material for the Japanese CA's.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: Ed Low <jlow@Bignet.net>
Date: Thursday, 7 December 2000, at 4:02 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (John Olsen)
 
Makes good sense ! My guess is that weight savings could be significant.

Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
Posted By: Ed Low <jlow@Bignet.com>
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 2:40 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
I would agree that it was not a good deck covering. However as with most products, one progresses over time to hopefully better products. Most (but not all) older technology looks bad compared to todays material but this was likely not the case when they were first invented and used. Steel decks are definately better than wood decks in terms of durability, but they can be slippery. I know that today they paint the decks with a paint which has a gritty type material which gives good traction. I wonder when this innovtion came about. Was it available in the 30's when linoleum was available. Perhaps some of the old salts on the list can help here.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
Date: Saturday, 2 December 2000, at 8:05 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (Ed Low)
 
Semtex, a non-skid coating was in use in the Royal Navy back then, at the same time they were using corticene. The US Navy added sand to paint for decks.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: Ed Low <jlow@Bignet.com>
Date: Sunday, 3 December 2000, at 8:29 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
Are you telling me you are an old salt ?? Thanks for the info. Can you tell me more about Semtex ? The sand in the paint used by the USN sound like a low tech but effective approach. How does Semtex work ?
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: William Blado <wblad@msn.com>
Date: Sunday, 3 December 2000, at 12:56 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (Ed Low)
 
Semtex came in a can and was applied to superstructure weather decks. It was virtually the same as the non-skid coating used on US ships today. When new it is the color of fresh asphalt, nearly black. As it ages it fades through several shades of gray and can appear dark brown if left on long enough. However, it is NOT asphalt, although it has a similar appearance. When black is called out in painting instructions for model ships, it is usually semtex that is being simulated.
The US Navy also used "coco mats" as a non-skid surface, at least on four-piper DDs. As the name implies, these were coconut fibre mats laid over weather decks. I don't know the method of fastening them down. I got this from a real "old salt," an ex-bosun's mate I once worked with. He served from 1918 until 1938, mostly in four-pipers. I consider myself a mere "middle-aged salt," since I joined the navy only some 33 years ago. However, in addition to the above individual, I have known and served with many true "old salts" who began their naval careers inthe 1920s and 1930s.
 
Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint
 
Posted By: Ed Low <jlow@Bignet.net>
Date: Sunday, 3 December 2000, at 2:14 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Heavy cruiser linoleum paint (William Blado)
 
Thanks for the info on Semtex. I build a Battle class DD back when I was a teen. I remember distinctly that the color of the deck was "black". Now more than 30 years later I finally know why.
 
Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Guide
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <heroncreek@qwest.net>
Date: Friday, 17 November 2000, at 7:12 p.m.
 
I was wondering if anybody here has this book in their collection- link below to HLJ page. Even though it is all Japanese text, I take it that the text does call out colors for the paint schemes? Any advice on if this is a practical guide or not? Thanks in advance,
Link: http://www.hlj.com/cgi-local/hljpage.cgi?MDA561
 
Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu
 
Posted By: J. Ed Low <lowj@tir.com>
Date: Friday, 17 November 2000, at 7:54 p.m.
 
In Response To: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Guide (Dan Salamone)
 
I received this book as a present from a number of frineds in Japan. It has in it's first inner page a number of paint chips much like the Snyder and Short paint reference. The inner photos are B/W but there are paint schemes for some of the major IJN warships. Well worthwhile especially if you do not have the other paint reference.
 
Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <heroncreek@qwest.net>
Date: Friday, 17 November 2000, at 7:58 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu (J. Ed Low)
 
Thanks for the response- is the Snyder and Short reference better in your opinion?
 
Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu
 
Posted By: J. Ed Low <lowj@tir.com>
Date: Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 7:28 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu (Dan Salamone)
 
I frankly do not have any way to make that judgement call since the only way to say one is better means I know for sure what the authentic color is - I do not. I can tell you that since I have both sets of paint chips that the four "battleship greys" look slightly different when placed side-by-side. This is somewhat disconcerting. Having said that, the differences are not huge. The S&S has the "deck tan" color which is not present in the Model Art. Both have two green color chips but they are completely different from each other. The S&S colors are labeled "Type 1 and Type 2 camouflage for aircraft carriers" where as the Model Art greens are labeled "Type 21 and Type 22 camouflage colors". Unlike the four "battleship greys" mentioned previousely, these green color chips are very different from each other. Both have a linoleum color and these do seem to be similar.
 
Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu
 
Posted By: Dan Kaplan <dboykap@aol.com>
Date: Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 10:56 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Question on Model Art 561, Warship Painting Gu (J. Ed Low)
 
I would agree. There are subtle difference in some of the IJN greys, notably the Yokosuka grey. This chip has a bit more greenish tome to it then the S&S chip. There is a page with different mix ratios from Gunze Sanyo and Tamiya for each color.
 
Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato
 
Posted By: Gregory Cain <aagcain@hotmail.com>
Date: Sunday, 13 August 2000, at 3:51 p.m.
 
Does anyone out there have any accurate colr samples of paint used on Yamato hull(above and below waterline) and also deck colors. I have recently completed construction of Tamiya's 1/350 scale model and am questioning how accurate the Tamiya colors are that I used.
 
Re: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato
 
Posted By: Mike Connelley <mikeconnelley@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, 14 August 2000, at 5:19 a.m.
 
In Response To: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato (Gregory Cain)
 
I'm glad you asked my friend. Snyder&Short (www.shipcamouflage.com) sells a paint chip set for IJN ships. It includes 4 grays, one for each major naval base (and a sheet which says where many larger combatants had their last refit), the carrier greens and deck tan (painted tan, not natural wood tan), and the linoleum brown. Now, a survivor of the sinking of Yamato said that she looked silver as they left port. In an experiment, I mixed up a gray using silver as a base rather than white, and got a good match to the S&S chip and also to the photos. In some of the photos the way that light reflects off the paint doesn't seem right for plain gray paint and the paint seems to have a metallic sheen. At least that's my interpretation. Anyway, I highly recommend getting the ship set. Model Expo sells a line of Model Shipways paints which are matched to the S&S chips.
The Yamato decks were cypress, not teak, with a gray tint according to Skulski. I think the Tamiya deck tan is a good place to start, and adjust the color to taste. Having visited the Missouri several times, I can tell you all about teak but I've never seen cypress myself. I have also not been able to find a place that sells cypress or teak vernier.
Below the waterline is up to you. The Skulski book recommends a red-brown, but the Tamiya hull red color looks to dark and burgundy to me. What I do is spray the whole hull black, then red-brown above it and what I get I think looks about right. Supposedly, witnesses said that at least for a while the Yamato was green below the waterline. What kind of green I have no clue...I'm not even sure if she was ever like that. If you want your ship to be different than all the other Yamato's out there, try a green hull. I hope this helps.
 
Re: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato
 
Posted By: William Burdick <Maraposa@erols.com>
Date: Sunday, 20 August 2000, at 11:04 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato (Mike Connelley)
 
The Japanese cypress,hinoki, is not the same tree as North American cypress. It is a beautiful wood, somewhat lighter in color than teak, used particularly in temple building. My recollection is that when freshly cut it is an excellent match to the S&S deck tan chip. When exposed to weather it as all woods darkens. I suppose if scrubbed as ships decks would be the original color would be maintained.
 
Re: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato
 
Posted By: William Burdick <Maraposa@erols.com>
Date: Friday, 18 August 2000, at 10:14 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Accurate paint colors for IJN Yamato (Mike Connelley)
 
I like the Tamiya paints but none out of the bottle match the S&S chips. Skulski give the IJN grey as 15% black,75 white, 6% brown, and 4% blue. A Tamiya bottle holds about 20 eyedroppers of paint. So one dropper is 5%.
I start with Tamiya Neutral Grey which should contain only black and white. To one bottle add one dropper brown and a light dropper of blue. Three droppers of black is perfect match for Maizuru, four for Kure and five for Yokosuka. I haven't tried to match Sasebo,its too dark to show fine detail.
 
Akagi color
 
Posted By: Fred R. Lang <frlang@penn.com>
Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2000, at 9:32 p.m.
 
Can anyone provide me with an accurate color reference for the Akagi's "battleship gray?" Hopefully this subject is not as controversial as the hinomaru on the flight decks..
 
Re: Akagi color
 
Posted By: C.C. Cheng <cheng.150@osu.edu>
Date: Wednesday, 9 August 2000, at 9:24 a.m.
 
In Response To: Akagi color (Fred R. Lang)
 
You can order the standard IJN color chip from Snyder & Short. Please check the page 
http://www.shipcamouflage.com/ijn.htm
Different shipyard has different grey shade. You should check the TROM of Akagi(http://www.combinedfleet.com/Akagi.htm) to make sure where was the last time "your Akagi went through refit.
You can also find the Gunze's IJN warship color, that will save you a lot of time.
 
IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: Jose Sarobe <an080461@teleline.es>
Date: Tuesday, 23 May 2000, at 1:51 p.m.
 
First of all, pls let me show my grateful for this GREAT site. For me as a beginner in 1/700 waterline kits, the helpful obtained is invaluable.
My question is:
I'm building some kits of IJN Battleships, and i need some help about the material this decks were builds an the colours to paint it.( Due to difficult to find some class of paint, pls. in Tamiya or Gunza aqueous)
Could you tell me the material and colours for:
- Ise class battleships
- Kongo class battleships
- Fuso class battleships, and
- Nagato class battleships.
Tks in advance, and best regards from Spain.
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: OSCAR <bb_ijn@yahoo.es>
Date: Friday, 2 June 2000, at 6:43 a.m.
 
In Response To: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (Jose Sarobe)
 
El color apropiado para todas las cubiertas de acorazados japoneses es el color teka, con la excepcion de los acorazados Yamato, Musashi y Nagato que tenian cubierta de madera de Hinoki, un cipres de Japon. El acorazado Mutsu, auque gemelo del Nagato tenia cubierta de madera de teka. Respecto al color de el Hinoki en Tamiya es el Deck Tan pero con la humedad y el tiempo la madera cambiaba a un color ceniza. Todo esto ya te lo habrán dicho, pero te adjunto dos direcciones , una es en japones pero trae unas fotos interesantes sobre el cambio de color en la madera de una cubierta, y la otra tiene la misma informacion escrita en ingles. Espero que te sirvan.
http://www.coma.ais.ne.jp/%7Ewatakan/eng/warship/warships.html
http://www.coma.ais.ne.jp/%7Ewatakan/yamato/colors/general1.html#warship_color
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: OSCAR <bb_ijn@yahoo.es>
Date: Friday, 2 June 2000, at 6:58 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (OSCAR)
 
En España existe una marca de pinturas para modelismo de una calidad excepcional: Acrílicos Vallejo. Dispone de tablas de equivalencias de colores con otras marcas, como por ejemplo Tamiya, y personalmente me parecen de mayor calidad. Vale la pena probarlas. Saludos.
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: Jose Sarobe <an080461@teleline.es>
Date: Wednesday, 7 June 2000, at 1:31 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (OSCAR)
 
Gracias por tu mensasje y las explicaciones.
Me podrías decir si hay equivalencia en alguna marca al color linoleo de Pit road?
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: Oscar <bb_ijn@yahoo.es>
Date: Wednesday, 14 June 2000, at 4:03 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (Jose Sarobe)
 
No dispongo de equivalencias con Pit Road. Te adjunto dos direcciones, una de equivalencias con Vallejo, y otra donde aparece un set de colores de la Armada Imperial Japonesa, entre estos colores de Model Shipways aparece un color linoleo. Espero que te sirvan.
Tamiya-ModelColor(Vallejo) Equivalences:
http://138.4.66.60/~fjruiz/articulos/vallejo/vallejo.htm
Imperial Japanese Navy - World War II Colors:
http://www.modelexpoinc.com/dir/505.html
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: Mike Connelley <mikeconnelley@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 26 May 2000, at 12:04 a.m.
 
In Response To: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (Jose Sarobe)
 
To my knoweldge, the IJN battleships through the Ise class (like most all other battleships) had teak decks. Exceptions are the Nagato and Yamato classes which apparently had cypress decks. Why they switched, I don't know. For the cypress, I think the Tamiya Deck Tan is a good color to start with...I think cypress is the same kind of color as pine or ash. The decks weathered, faded, and grayed heavily while at sea or even at anchor, so the actualy color could vary a lot. Teak is more of a rich honey-brown when new. It also fades and grey with exposure to the harsh south Pacific sun. I've seen teak on the USS Missouri go from almost a light dirt color of it hadn't been swabbed in a while to a chocolate brown when wet. So the color you paint the deck is really up to you as far as how much wear you want to show, using these colors as a guideline. Personally, I just try to get a color that I'm happy with and that I think looks right.
 
Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours
 
Posted By: Jon Parshall <jonp@is.com>
Date: Thursday, 8 June 2000, at 10:58 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN Battleships Deck: Colours (Mike Connelley)
 
I'm not a modeler, and color is not my specialty, but my understanding was that Yamato, Musashi, and Nagato had cypress decks, whereas Nagato's sister ship Mutsu had teak. I'd need to look into this further.
 
Model Art No.561
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Tuesday, 9 May 2000, at 9:17 p.m.
 
I recently got a hold of Model Art No.561 "Warship Colour." The text is entirely in Japanese, but it has 7 colour chips (Yokosuka, Sasebo, Kure, and Maizuru Naval Arsenals, Type 21 and 22 camouflage colours used on carriers late in war, and linoleum).
It also contains interesting sideview and top view drawings of IJN warships camouflage schemes, such as those of the carriers late in the war (including the Shinano!) and Nagato and Myoko at the end of the war.
It also covers IJN ships as far back as late 19th century, and present day JMSDF ships. It also touches briefly on camouflage schemes of US, Royal, and German navies.
According to the ads in the book, in the near future, Gunze will be releasing new paints for Kure, Sasebo, and Maizuru Arsenal colours (apparently their IJN warship colour is a close match to that of Yokosuka arsenal colour), type 21 and 22 camouflage colours, and linoleum colour.
Like I said, the text is in English, but pictures are worth a thousand words. Highly recommended!
 
Re: Model Art No.561-ooops!
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
 
Date: Tuesday, 9 May 2000, at 9:49 p.m.
In Response To: Model Art No.561 (Tennessee Katsuta)
 
Oooops, I meant text is NOT in English! But it's still highly recommended. If any one of you want some translations, please let me know (but not the entire text, please).
 
Re: Model Art No.561-ooops!
 
Posted By: Jared Zichek <jzichek@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, 10 May 2000, at 10:07 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Model Art No.561-ooops! (Tennessee Katsuta)
 
Thanks for the review; I ordered the book sight unseen from HLJ, and it is good to know that it's worth it. I've only recently become interested in ships (primarily those that carried catapult seaplanes, as well as aircraft carriers), and I have a question. I see that Snyder and Short has produced a color chip chart for the IJN. Is it worth picking this up? How do the chips compare to those that are in the Model Art Special?
 
Re: Model Art No.561-ooops!
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Wednesday, 10 May 2000, at 11:19 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Model Art No.561-ooops! (Jared Zichek)
 
I haven't seen the Snyder and Short colour chips so I can't comment on their accuracy, let alone compare them with those in Model Art. All I can say is that the author of the Model Art book has been writing monthly articles for the Model Art magazine for over twenty years and in my humble opinion he's one of the leading authorities in IJN ships in Japan, so I trust that his colour chips are close as you can get to the origional colours.
My advice is wait for your copy of the Model Art book, look at the colour chips before you get any other colour chips. I think the 7 colour chips in the book is more than enough (at least for a part-time 1/700 ship modeler like myself) since there weren't too many camouflaged IJN ships compared to ships of other Navy's, anyways.
 
Re: Model Art No.561-ooops!
 
Posted By: Dan Kaplan <dboykap@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 11 May 2000, at 9:53 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Model Art No.561-ooops! (Tennessee Katsuta)
 
I have the S & S IJN color chips but not the New Model Art volume (which I just ordered) so I'm unable to make a comparison. However, I have communicated with John Snyder of S & S and and he maintains that all the colors were sourced from original pigments in Japan. The chips look right and S & S has done an exquisitely researched job on all their other naval chips released to date. I've been using their IJN chips as my guide and am quite satisfied. The only possible qualifier that I have is that the S & S chip for "deck tan" (a perfect match for Tamiya's "Deck Tan" paint) represents only what I believe is the hinoki cypress used for the Yamato(s) as built. I would love for someone to release a color match for wooden decks constructed of cedar/teak.
 
Akagi's elevator color?
 
Posted By: Mike T <modelguy2@yahoo.com>
Date: Sunday, 30 April 2000, at 8:14 a.m.
 
Hi all, were Akagi's elevators gray or deck color? Specifically, what color were they at the time of the Pearl Harbor raid? Were they different colors at different periods? And where might I find this information?
 
Re: Akagi's elevator color?
 
Posted By: Andreas Prinz <afaprinz@t-online.de>
Date: Saturday, 6 May 2000, at 10:16 a.m.
 
In Response To: Akagi's elevator color? (Mike T)
 
I can´t say for certain these elevators of japanese carriers were "gray" (would be difficult from b/w photos) 
but they definitely were different colour than the surrounding deckplanking.
I browsed my Maru Specials, Maru Mechanics, Monografie Morskie and all others -
the elevators seem to be steelplated, equally to some bow and/or sternportions of the flightdecks and a narrow "stripe" along the decks edge.
You can clearly see this on nearly every picture of the flight decks of all japanese carriers.
The Akagi and Kaga show this configuration for all their life - there are many aerial shots of them in pre-modernization times - equally: wooden decks with elevators in metalplating.
 
Re: Akagi's elevator color?
 
Posted By: doug <douglas'graham-merrett@virgin.net>
Date: Wednesday, 3 May 2000, at 3:56 p.m.
 
In Response To: Akagi's elevator color? (Mike T)
 
I don't think that there would be any dispute that akagi's elevators were the color of here normal deck planking which would have approximated to teak of other ships . Only later, after midway did additional laminated rubber coatings get put onto the decking to assist traxion and to reduce wear .
The B17 photos from midway do not indicate any difference in shading on the b/w film nor do the extreme closeups of Hiryu which most definitely no change on contrast on the starboard view photo
My opinion would be that the elevators were would color just like on the US carriers of the period .
 
Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato
 
Posted By: Aldert Gritter <agritter@inn.nl>
Date: Wednesday, 26 April 2000, at 1:42 p.m.
 
Recently I bought the new Tamiya 1:700th Yamato. The box contains a "leaflet" on which colours are suggested. Two questions:
1. To paint the deck they suggest Tamiya XF-57 "Buff", a rather dark brown - too dark, it seems to me. Skulski's colour jacket suggests a more "yellowish" colour. What was the real colour?
2. The general hull colour is a mixture of one XF-63 "German grey" to two
XF-53s "Neutral grey", they say. In the meantime I've heard that the regular IJN grey even differed according to the Navy yard where a ship was built or refitted ("Kure grey", "Sasebo grey" etc.). Is this Tamiya mixture right or not? And if not so, where can I get the correct colours?
Additional comments are welcomed too, of course!
 
Re: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato
 
Posted By: Dan Kaplan <dboykap@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 26 April 2000, at 8:14 p.m.
 
In Response To: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato (Aldert Gritter)
 
Yeah, it's odd that Tamiya would get so much right with this new kit and still miss a point or two. Most 
sources, Skulski and the Gakken books included, cite that the the Yamato/Musashi decks were constructed from hinoki cypress wood, which is a light colored wood. Tamiya's own Deck Tan, XF-55, is a more correct match.
Most sources also cite that the Yamato was painted in Kure Gray as commissioned, the color variation of the shipyard in which she was built. I've previously experimented with Tamiya's mix ratio and I have to say that it matches the color chip from the Snyder & Short IJN set for the Kure shipyard perfectly. Buy their set and you'll see a fair amount of differentiation between the four greys (Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, & Maizuru) that they've included.
Interestingly enough, several sources (mostly Japanese) cite Yamato's color as a lighter silver gray. I have in fact just finished reading "Requiem for Battleship Yamato" by Yoshida Mitsuru (what a great, touching book) and he cites her hull as painted "a uniform silver white", p.5. He was a young ensign assigned to her for the Ten'ichigo Operation who survived and wrote the book later that same year in October '45, so he can be probably be considered a reliable eyewitness.
Hope this helps rather than confuses.
 
Re: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato - THANK YOU DAN!
 
Posted By: Aldert Gritter <agritter@inn.nl>
Date: Tuesday, 13 June 2000, at 2:18 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato (Dan Kaplan)
 
Oops...
Reviewing the Ships Board on June 13th (rather ominous a date in this case), I notice I didn't post a big THANK YOU to Dan Kaplan for his ample answering to my question...
...though elementary politeness says I should...
...therefore, bearing the unbearable, I apologize (In olden days I'd have had to look for my short sword).
Good luck,
Aldert
P.S. 1 How can I obtain the Snyder & Short set? Do they have an email address?
P.S. 2 Have you Shipboarders heard of the new Discussion Board of Anthony Tully on Nihon Kaigun? Check it out, I'd say.
 
Re: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato - THANK YOU DAN!
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tuesday, 13 June 2000, at 9:04 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Colour of Tamiya's 1:700 Yamato - THANK YOU DAN! (Aldert Gritter)
 
To answer PS 1, click below on the link to the Ship Camoflage web page, hosted by Snyder & Short.
Link: http://www.shipcamouflage.com/
 
Model Expo ship colors and chips...
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>
Date: Tuesday, 4 April 2000, at 4:59 p.m.
 
For anybody interested in IJN/USN ship colors, here is a link to the Model Expo website that has listings for both hobby paints and color chip sets. Hope this helps,
Link: http://www.modelexpoinc.com/dir/402.html
 
Zuiho flight deck colors
 
Posted By: Alpaslan Ertungealp <alp_ert@mail.matav.hu>
Date: Saturday, 25 March 2000, at 4:44 p.m.
 
I'd like to return to a previous thread. What were the colors of Zuiho's flight deck at the time of her sinking. I just obtained the p/e flight deck and accessories for the Hasegawa kit from Japan. Nice!!! The complete text is in Japanese as well as instructions. There is a page on painting as well in 1/700 scale. It differs from the Hasegawa box art at some points. It is not easy to identify exact outlines of differing camo colors from photos. I don't know which references this manufacturer used for the p/e set. Any ideas? Has anybody seen this p/e set?
 
Re: Zuiho flight deck colors
 
Posted By: John Sutherland <john.sutherland@amcom.co.nz>
Date: Saturday, 25 March 2000, at 8:43 p.m.
 
In Response To: Zuiho flight deck colors (Alpaslan Ertungealp)
 
I too have the p/e and agree it is great!
It would be nice if all model companies quoted their sources - I am going through the same problem with other kits (eg. Akitsushima).
The differences between Pit-Road and Hasegawa pictures / painting plans are probably explained by the p/e being almost certainly designed for the Pit Road P&I "R" range resin kit - not the Haseagawa one. Same for Shoho. There are some differences in Zuiho's case between P&I and Joe's World subsideries - the latter being more complex but otherwise following a basically identical pattern.
 
Small Scale Painting
 
Posted By: George Nex <GeorgeNex@Compuserve.com>
Date: Friday, 25 February 2000, at 5:52 p.m.
 
I have a large collectin of Japanese 1:3000 and 1:6000 White metal Warships for wargaming.
Can someone give me advice on what colours I should use for hulls and decks for this scale of model and whether there are many exceptions to the standard
I use Humbrol acrylics and enamels
 
Re: Small Scale Painting
 
Posted By: Doug <Douglas.graham-merrett@virgin.net>
Date: Wednesday, 3 May 2000, at 4:42 p.m.
 
In Response To: Small Scale Painting (George Nex)
 
use enamels .
All ships Deck = Teak or slightly darker .
All ships Sides and superstructure = Dark grey NOT NOT NOT Battleship grey
All carriers = If you don't know the exact layout use three straight white line down the deck and paint the rear 1mm of the flight deck red .
If you need to know the exact layout , for the carriers , I can send you copies of the deck layout with all the white markings circles and insignia that you would need , but at your scale you will need a keen eye .
A better scale would be the Ghq range at 1:2400 and I could recommend HTTP://WWW.ALNAVCO.COM for this .
If you still want the deck layouts , I am happy to post if you let me have your postal address
 
IJN CV Zuiho camo "color"
 
Posted By: David_Aiken <David_Aiken@hotmail.com>
Date: Saturday, 30 October 1999, at 6:50 a.m.
 
The attached black & white photo of Zuiho was taken 25 Oct 1944. The photo was tinted by a MARU artist for their March 1972 (hardback) Aircraft Carrier special (from which this scan was made). They also painted the Zuikaku (as of 1944) in garish colors, too. What are the factual Zuiho colors that day? It is neat to note the large "hiragana" for the ship's name on the starboard rear deck.
Editors Note: The photo is not reproduced here.
 
Re: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color"
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Saturday, 30 October 1999, at 8:13 a.m.
 
In Response To: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color" (David_Aiken)
 
Although it is an interesting scan, I think the Maru artist is speculating along with the rest of us. Without a shipyard drawing or other technical documentation pinning down the colors, it is your guess versus mine. The aft hiragana is confirmed, and in fact, was rather common in the IJN, especially where sister carriers operated in tandem on operations. They provided an ID to the carrier pilots to prevent pilots from suffering the embarassment of landing on the wrong carrier!
To amplify my argument of Zuiho color interpretation, the P&I resin kit of the Zuiho (1944) features a color photo of a built-up 700th model. It's colors vary completely from the boxart as illustrated by Hasegawa on their Zuiho kit! (And the Maru interpretation above is a third variation!)
 
Re: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color"
 
Posted By: David_Aiken <David_Aiken@hotmail.com>
Date: Saturday, 30 October 1999, at 2:56 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color" (Mike Quan)
 
Yes, the various versions of the Zuiho prompted my quest. It also made me suspect of the Zuikaku 1944 scheme in the MARU Ship special.
Of interest, the Joint Intelligence Center/Pacific Ocean Area (JIC/POA) printed this photo of the Zuiho and noted the Hiragana. They pointed out that this was the first time that Hiragana had been seen on carrier decks, that only Katakana had been seen on CV decks prior to this!
 
Re: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color"
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Saturday, 30 October 1999, at 4:27 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN CV Zuiho camo "color" (David_Aiken)
 
A drawing of the carrier Junyo (circa 1942 if I remember correctly) suggest she had the hiragana "Ji" for Junyo on her flight deck. I don't know where the artist got this info, but if this is true, hiragana appeared on an IJN carrier's deck well before it did on Zuiho in 1944!
 
Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color
 
Posted By: Jeff Mcguire <jmcguire@cyberlodge.com>
Date: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 9:21 p.m.
 
Can anyone tell me how to properly mix the hull color for the Junyo? From the box art it appears to be a greenish color. In reading about these carriers I have gathered that they were some sort of green, at least later they were. Can anyone help?
 
Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <mnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 12:05 a.m.
 
In Response To: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color (Jeff Mcguire)
 
Pit Road has recently released a set of acrylics in the two shades of green required for the late war Japanese carriers. This was purchased from Pacific Front Hobbies. The colors are also a close (slightly lightened - for "scale effect"?) match for the color chips contained in the Snyder & Short Enterprises Imperial Japanese Navy WW II Ship Colors. My own opinion is that Junyo was in the lighter green overall. By comparison to my FS595B chips (under incandescent lighting), the colors are very close to 34277 (light green) and 34102 (dark green). HTH & good luck with your project!
 
Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color
 
Posted By: Ken Glass <ken.glass@eudoramail.com>
Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 7:20 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color (Mike Quan)
 
Dav Aiken posted the following on the Focus Month board:
>
Focus Month - Japanese Aircraft Color Guide
Re: B5N use of Khaki ("Mustard")
Posted By: David Aiken
Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 10:10 a.m.
In Response To: Re: D3A Val : Use of Ame Iro (James F. Lansdale) >
Aloha all,
The Khaki undersurface color sample (dead on for FS33440) below was recovered from B5N2 EI-306 or EI-302. These airframes were recovered by the USS TANGIER after being spotted by PBY 71-P-6 on 7 June 1942 on the middle reef of Indispensable Reef, lat 12-35'S x lon 160-18'E. The proximity to the Coral Sea Battle placed their loss at that time.
The report on the crashes states, "The planes were painted greenish brown..." As the many reports of "mustard" color on KATEs were written, I kiddingly called the color "Have you any Gray-Poupon...paint?" in the ASAHI JOURNAL Voll 3#2. ...
>
>
I have a question, a little off topic for this board, concerning the color chip chart you mentioned in your post. Is there a khaki/gray poupon/mustard shade on the chip chart of a standard marine/naval paint color used by the IJN? If so, this could be the source for the khaki color used on the Shokaku Kate relic Dav described in his post?
 
Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color
 
Posted By: David_Aiken <David_Aiken@hotmail.com>
Date: Thursday, 8 June 2000, at 9:32 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color (Randy)
 
There is a lot more on the new research into the colors of aircraft aboard the Kido Butai. Much has come in since the first of the year.
The color referenced is I3, kiddingly called "Gray Poupon" as the first witnesses to the color called it "mustard". That initial term made a host of wartime artists paint renderings of Japanese planes a yellow mustard, like the US brand "French's mustard". However, "Gray Poupon" isn't THAT far off in that in direct sunlight the brownish/khaki-ish accent shows better.
The two samples from one of the KATEs were the serial data stencil and the inner corner of the starboard flap (including portion of the upper color, "don't step" line, supporting metal and the lower I3 color cited).
There have been so many postings on the I3 color and a companion color J3 that if you do a thread search for these, you might find more on that topic. The search continues to determine the "standard" for these Japanese shades despite the various deviations for which we have found.
There are three different approaches to the specification/scientific description of color appearance. The first is based on physical light stimulus measures and psycho-physical color matching measures (tristimulus colorimetry). The second is the swatch method [Methuen, Munsell, FS-595, etc] based on scaling measures for the specific viewing conditions for which that system is intended. The third seeks to get above the limits of colorimetry and material standards to establish relations between physical measurements of light stimuli and perceptual attributes of the Mark I eyeball ...the CIE system. For more on the CIE see:
Link: http://www.hike.te.chiba-u.ac.jp/ikeda/CIE/home.html
 
Re: Gray-poupon ship color?
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <mnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 11:27 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Aircraft Carrier Junyo hull color (Ken Glass)
 
That's an interesting question you pose. I pulled the S&S IJN WW2 Ship Color chart out and lo & behold - the chip for "Deck Tan" could very easily be considered close to 'gray poupon' mustard. Again by comparison to my FS595 chart, it most closely resembles 30372 under incandescent lighting (although just a tad lighter), and outside in bright sunshine, it is between 33448 (though a tad lighter) & 33564 (though a bit darker).
With respect to where David Aiken's conclusions about the color shade under the Kates, I think we must consider that the samples in question were most likely submerged in seawater, and also that the ship shades show no green tint at all, being more gray/brown. To me, it is unlikely that they finished the undersides of the Kates to match the carrier deck colors. It doesn't make much sense.
 
Re: Gray-poupon ship color?
 
Posted By: Ken Glass <ken.glass@eudoramail.com>
Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 11:50 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Gray-poupon ship color? (Mike Quan)
 
Thanks for taking a look at your chart for me. The IJN deck tan you describe could be a ballpark approximation of the Ame-iro factory applied color on Zeros.
Maybe it was applied by the crews aboad ship to overpaint the silver factory finish on the Kate mentioned by Aiken. Perhaps the intent was to approximate the new Zero color, not the carrier deck color, with what ever paint was at hand.
 
Deck colors...again?
 
Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@cyberlodge.com>
Date: Saturday, 14 August 1999, at 11:18 p.m.
 
I'm entertaining the thought of starting on a cruiser or two. The instructions call for a brown deck color, are they to be brown-brown or almost yellow like the carriers? I'm going to be working on the Nachi or the Kinu, does it make a difference or were they all the same? Also, I've got a Revell Yorktown that calls for the deck to be dark blue, is that correct?
 
Re: Deck colors...again?
 
Posted By: graham walker <katzcom@freeuk.com>
Date: Monday, 16 August 1999, at 4:15 p.m.
 
In Response To: Deck colors...again? (Jeff McGuire)
 
Most certainly, it depends on when you are thinking of modelling them, at the moment some people (me included) on SMML are trying to put paint mixes to the S&S colour chips together.
 
Re: Deck colors...again?
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sunday, 15 August 1999, at 7:44 a.m.
 
In Response To: Deck colors...again? (Jeff McGuire)
 
Thanks for your web-site work here as a staff member; it's appreciated, as are all the staff members and Dave P.!
To answer your question, there was a difference in color between the carrier decks and cruiser decks. carrier decks were a stained/varnished wood which took on a very yellowish look. The cruisers wore linoleum applied as a nonskid surface to much of their horizontal walkyway surfaces. Other horizontal surfaces remained uncovered and painted in the basic hull color. Check specific references for the specific areas. The linoleum typically used has more of a brown cast to the color. The excellent Snyder & Short IJN paint chip set has the differnent "deck tan" and "linoleum" colors. Although there is no exact FS595B match to "linoleum", FS color 30117 is somewhat close. Yes, the mahogany flight decks of all US carriers were stained blue after the outbreak of hostilities. Good luck with your projects!
 
Re: Deck colors...again?
 
Posted By: Paul Eisenberg <pesnbrg@marin.k12.ca.us>
Date: Wednesday, 18 August 1999, at 9:48 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Deck colors...again? (Mike Quan)
 
Could one of you be so kind as to steer me in the direction of the Snyder
& Short IJN paint chip set mentioned by Mike Quan? I am a great fan of the IJN and have built several scratch models including: IJNS Akitzuki, IJNS Kongo, IJNS Ybari, and several non-Japanese subjects: Dunkerque, Conte di Cavour, Balzano, etc. That paint chip set sounds like something I could really use. Thanks for any information anyone can send me.
 
Re: Deck colors...again?
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thursday, 19 August 1999, at 9:47 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Deck colors...again? (Paul Eisenberg)
 
The Snyder & Short IJN set is available direct from the manufacturer at the following address:
Snyder & Short Enterprises
9175 Kiefer Blvd. #224
Sacramento, California
95826-5105
I would advise writing for the current price and postage. I do know that there is a price hike scheduled for October 1st. HTH
 
IJN PitRoad paints
 
Posted By: John Noory <jnoory@erols.com>
Date: Monday, 5 July 1999, at 5:19 p.m.
 
Today I used PitRoad's Kure Naval Arsenal grey for the 1/700 Yamato I'm building and I wanted to get some opinions on that paint. I really battled it--it got very gummy and did not flow out of the airbrush well. In particular, I can tell if its an enamel or an acrylic. Does anyone know?
I wonder because the distilled water I tried mixing with it separated from the paint, so I thought it was an enamel. Still, it seemed that both water and Testor's thinner both worked to clean up the mess. I couldn't tell what kind of paint I was working with.
Thanks for any tips or advice.
 
Re: IJN PitRoad paints
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tuesday, 6 July 1999, at 6:34 p.m.
 
In Response To: IJN PitRoad paints (John Noory)
 
Your experience with Pitroad paints seems to mirror my own. The paint is basically an acrylic, which explains why water cleans up the mess rather well. I am also in the habit of being a big believer in using only the manufacturer's proprietary thinner when mixing paint or thinning for airbrush use. I only ran across the Pitroad thinner one time here in the states, but by then had lost interest in battling (as you say) Pitroad paint to make it usable. My problems were the same as yours: the contents of the bottle seemed extremely viscous and did not thin down well without breaking up for airbrush use. My own theories about this concern the fact that the paint has to be shipped overseas in (probably) uncontrolled conditions. I suspect that heat aged the contents such that the pigment separated from the volatiles inside the bottle, or the heat affected the acryulic carrier in such a manner as to prevent the pigment from blending together with the paint. I occasionally find this problem with the odd bottle of Tamiya and/or Gunze acrylic paint also; especially if it is aged. My only use for Pitroad paint is to smear a glob of the stuff out on a clean piece of paper to use as a homemade color chip to match my own Humbrol/Aeromaster/Floquil paint mixes!
 
IJN ship gray
 
Posted By: Bill McTernan <editor98@earthlink.net>
Date: Thursday, 17 June 1999, at 7:09 a.m.
 
There are reams of information about IJN aircraft colors. Precious little about the basic gray the ships were painted, especially aircraft carriers. It looks like a dark blue gray hull and a wood-color deck. Are there are any commercially available paints that would serve for the Kaga, Akagi, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku,1/700th scale, Dec. 7, 1941. Many thanks.
 
Re: IJN ship gray
 
Posted By: John Noory <jnoory@erols.com>
Date: Monday, 28 June 1999, at 5:21 a.m.
 
In Response To: IJN ship gray (Bill McTernan)
 
There is a Japanese company that has made Sasebo Gray and Kure Gray, as well as Deck Tan and 
Linoleum, for IJN ships. I believe they're by Pitroad, though I don't remember for sure at the moment. Pacific Front Hobbies in Washington state has these paints, so you may wish to contact the owner there, Bill Gruener.
Also, I'm building the new Tamiya Yamato and it's color chart provides combinations of Tamiya paints that work very well. In fact, the Kure Gray combo recommended on the sheet is a hair closer (compared to the shade above) to the Kure color from the Snyder Enterprises IJN color chips. Still, the paints I mentioned above have the advantage of being ready right out of the bottle. No mixing with other paints is required, unlike the Tamiya paint sheet for the Yamato. (Sorry, I don't have the paint sheet with me to tell you exactly which Tamiya colors are needed for the mix).
 
IJN ship grey and deck
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <Kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Tuesday, 8 June 1999, at 7:25 p.m.
 
There's a Japanese site IN ENGLISH regarding IJN ship grey and deck. Check out
www.geocities.co.jp/playtown/8998/warship/shipcol.html
 
Re: IJN ship grey and deck
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <Kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Friday, 11 June 1999, at 7:27 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: IJN ship grey and deck (Scott Woelm)
 
Try www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown/8998/
Once you get in, click "Warship". The rest is self explanatory.
 
Carrier Deck Materials and Colors
 
Posted By: Tom Hall <hall41@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sunday, 25 April 1999, at 7:17 a.m.
 
On the naval aircraft message board there is a discussion of deck materials
and colors. Maybe the ship message board is a better place for it.
If several veterans say that they saw yellow flight decks, wouldn't that
rule out teak as the type of wood? I thought teak was a warm brown.
The other issue with teak is that it would have been terribly expensive
to cover a large flight deck with it. It's fine for a yacht or a limited
section of a naval ship, such as the catapult deck, but was Japan really
in a position to use that wood lavishly?
 
Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors
 
Posted By: Rob Graham <RGraham111@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 28 April 1999, at 8:44 p.m.
 
In Response To: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors (Tom Hall)
 
I was thinking the same things you just pointed out as I was reading the other posts! I understand teak is now an endangered species and its import to the US is not allowed (my wife said that a couple yrs ago, anyway -- maybe it was under debate?). She said it's a slow growing tree and the wood doesn't warp. Its color is a reddish brown (almost like redwood) as far as I've seen (was it stained?).
In "The Battleship Yamato" by Janusz Skulski (c)1995 (ISBN 0-85177-490-3), the yellow decking was said to be non-skid yellow linoleum. I'd think it would work on an aircraft carrier as well, as the linoleum would resist oil, etc. Old household linoleum had asbestos in it, too, and I wonder if there may have been something similar on the carriers. Is there anyone out there who knows for sure?
Some thoughts from an addled old feeble mind (Iturned 36 today...)
 
Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors
 
Posted By: Graham Boak <graham@boak98.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Thursday, 29 April 1999, at 12:31 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors (Rob Graham)
 
Teak is endangered now but don't confuse today with 60 years ago - teak was widely used where a strong hard-wearing and attractive material was needed. For example, all the carriages of the London and North-Eastern Railway were built of teak until after WW2 (when metal skins painted with false wood grain were adopted - honestly!) The colour was not a red-brown but a dark yellow-brown/tan shade - there is much discussion in model-railway circles on how best to represent this - so a yellow appearance to carrier decks would not necessarily contradict the use of teak.
 
Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors
 
Posted By: Ryan Toews <ritoews@mb.sympatico.ca>
Date: Sunday, 2 May 1999, at 9:55 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors (Graham Boak)
 
This weekend I went to a store ($$$) that deals in teak furniture. The sales person I spoke to was bemused when I told her why I was interested in teak but was kind enough to answer my questions. The teak I examined was not stained, only given a treatment of clear oil designed to protect the wood. The result did not alter the basic mid-brown color of the wood very much but instead served to emphasize the grain. It did, however, give the wood a semi-gloss luster. The most interesting thing I was told, though, was that teak will darken with exposure to sunlight. The Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu had already seen a number of years of service before 1941, the Shokaku and Ziukaku were only commissioned in 1941. Is it therefore possible that the latter's decks were lighter in color. Another thing to consider is that the Shokaku was refurbished after sutaining damage at the battles of the Coral Sea and Santa Cruz, thus maintaining the deck in the lighter color of new wood.
 
Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <Kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Sunday, 2 May 1999, at 8:06 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Carrier Deck Materials and Colors (Ryan Toews)
 
I found a Japanese Site with some info on IJN battleship deck. According to them, teak was used upto and including the Ise class, and that the Nagato and Yamato classes had to use cypress primarily because of lack of teak. Also the Yamato classes had to use the more readily available cypress to conceal its existance from foreign intelligence. Another reference I have suggest that the Mutsu used teak but the Nagato and the Yamato class used cypress. None of the references I have clearly state which wood was used for the carriers' flight deck.
The point I want to make is that the carriers in question were all constructed AFTER the Nagato class. Wouldn't it be logical to assume that therefore ALL carriers used cypress and not teak for its flight deck?
Just a thought...
 
Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@cyberlodge.com>
Date: Thursday, 1 April 1999, at 5:35 p.m.
 
I recently purchased a model of the aircraft carrier Akagi. In one painting I've seen of the Akagi it is shown with a large national insignia on a white background on the forward deck. The instructions, however do not call for this painting. Also, there is a round molding toward the rear of the flight deck. Is that supposed to be a national insignia? Can anyone help?
 
Re: Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Ryan Toews <ritoews@mb.sympatico.ca>
Date: Friday, 2 April 1999, at 6:11 p.m.
 
In Response To: Deck colors of Akagi (Jeff McGuire)
 
Navismagazine.com had, in their letters section for last month, (and which apparently changes monthly, a 
fact I did not realize at the time or I would have paid closer attention) had a question posed concerning national insignia on the Japanese carriers at Midway. According to the response the red insignia was on a large sheet of canvas which could be displayed whenever it was felt necessary to do so. This then accounts for the various seemingly contradictory reports as to the presence of such markings. Sorry I can't offer more details. By the way, the Navismagazine site is well worth a visit.
 
Re: Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Mike Toole <micjt@hotmail.com>
Date: Friday, 23 April 1999, at 6:57 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Deck colors of Akagi (Ryan Toews)
 
I read through Nihon Kiagun (sp) that they markings were removable, painted on canvas to help returning aircraft identify which ship to land on. Japanese ships did not have numbers painted on their decks as US carriers did. (It is embarassing to land on the wrong carrier, much less one of the enemies...) Makes sense to me, I think that would account for the various reportings, markings on, markings off. This report was made by a crewmember of one of the carriers.
 
Re: Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Friday, 2 April 1999, at 11:10 a.m.
 
In Response To: Deck colors of Akagi (Jeff McGuire)
 
Not just Akagi, but most IJN carrier had a white circular line painted on the deck on or near the rear elevator. My understanding is that the circle was use as a guide for landing the AC on to the deck.
Apparently the Japanese insignia was painted shortly before the Battle of Midway, but there is no clear photo to varify it. There are rather unclear photos of the Hiryu and Soryu photographed from B-17's during the Battle of Midway. You can vaguely make out a white ring on the forward part of the flight deck, but it's difficult to say if it's only a white ring, or if it indeed is the national insignia with a white outline.
Several eyewitnesses suggest there were Hinomarus painted on the IJN carriers at Midway, and I believe them. However, I don't know if they were painted simply as red disks, hinomaru with white outline, or hinomaru with white square or rectangular background, or if they differed from carrier to carrier. Your guess would be as good as anyone elses, unless they can see the Hinomaru painted on the Akagi on the bottom of the ocean! Who knows, now that they found the Yorktown (I thought they found the Akagi too, or was I dreaming. I better get the National Geographic soon), they might be able to find out more things about the Japanese carriers that we didn't even imagine about!
 
Re: Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@cyberlodge.com>
Date: Friday, 2 April 1999, at 2:35 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Deck colors of Akagi (Tennessee Katsuta)
 
The painting I referred to is in the inside cover of Time-Life's CARRIER WAR book. It's very apparent in the painting that the national insignia was painted over a white background, just wasn't sure if it was an accurate depiction. Also on the subject, the kit has what appears to be 3 Judys. Do you know, are they actually Judys and if so did they participate in the battle?
I didn't think they were around at that time.
 
Re: Deck colors of Akagi
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Friday, 2 April 1999, at 7:51 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Deck colors of Akagi (Jeff McGuire)
 
Akagi did not carry any Judys but two prototype Judys( third and fourth prototypes) were transferred to the carrier Soryu shortly before the Battle of Midway. They were used as reconnaisance aircraft( remember that Judys were first used as recon aircraft before they were used as dive bombers). I was under the impression that they were both lost during the battle, but Maru Mechnic on Judy states that one prototype was lost by accident before the battle, while the other was lost in battle. The following is taken from Maru Mechanic.
On June 5 5:30AM, the Judy(tail code BI-201) took off from the Soryu in search of the US fleet sighted earlier by the cruiser Tone's AC. By 7:00 AM, they arrived at the area reported by Tone's AC, but could not find the US fleet. On their way back, they sighted an US AC, and followed it back to the US carriers 10 minutes later. They radioed their findings to the Japanese fleet, but the message never reached them because of radio malfunction. When they returned to the Japanese fleet at 10:30, the Soryu was bombed and burning fiercely, so they had to land on the Hiryu. The information was provided to Rear Admiral Yamaguchi immediately.
Determined to continue his fight(by then the Japanese had already crippled the Yorktown), Yamaguchi decided to attack the US carriers at dusk with his remaining aircraft, and the sole Judy was to lead the way. However, before they had the chance to take off, the Hiryu was bombed and the Judy was lost along with the carrier.
 
IJN chips are ready!
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tuesday, 9 February 1999, at 6:09 p.m.
 
From John Snyder on the Ship Modelers Mailing List:
 
From: John Snyder
Subject: Announcement: IJN Paint Chips
OK, IJN fans: The chips are all painted, the pages will be picked up from the
printer later today, and we're ready to take orders. Eight chips for $10 +
$1.00 postage (domestic). The set includes 4 grays: Sasebo Naval Arsenal,
Kure Naval Arsenal, Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Yokosuka Naval Arsenal; 2
greens: dark green "Type 1 camouflage for aircraft carriers", light green
"Type 2 camouflage for aircraft carriers"; deck tan (actually a tan paint
used in camo patterns on carrier flight decks); and linoleum color. They
are based on paint chips from Japanese sources.
I'm convinced that there are some other IJN colors to track down out
there, and we're continuing to try to do so. If any turn up, we'll revise
this set, and provide free chips of the new colors to any holders of the
initial 8-chip set.
The first 20 (or so) of the RN colours are being matched now, and we still
plan to have them out by the end of June. Personally, I think they'll be
available before that.
John Snyder
Snyder & Short Enterprises
9175 Kiefer Blvd. #224
Sacramento CA 95826
 
AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme
 
Posted By: Robert O. Sweetman <vfa27@earthlink.net>
Date: Wednesday, 3 February 1999, at 9:30 a.m.
 
I have been on a search far and wide looking for accurate and reliable reference sources for painting a kit; the 1/450 scale Akagi. It has gathered dust now for over 2 years waiting for me to hit pay dirt with a source out there, who has the right stuff.
I realize there are no standards that exist for paint and camo schemes for WW II IJN Man of War's. If any of you out here have in fact found and or built this ship with accurate reference sources for painting this ship, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Re: AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme
 
Posted By: Rob Graham <RGraham111@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 3 February 1999, at 7:17 p.m.
 
In Response To: AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme (Robert O. Sweetman)
 
Mike Quan posted this on Jan 20:
"...If you can wait, this summer, Snyder and Short Enterprises, 9175 Kiefer Blvd., #224, Sacramento, CA 95826, (ph #916-368-2610), will release a set of WW2 IJN color chips that should go a long way to guiding you towards the correct color to match to existing paints made for the modeler. Snyder & Short currently have released a set of chips for the US Navy purple-blue colors and they're a real help. Their next planned release is a brown/green color chip set for the USN, and then a Royal Navy color chip set."
Something to consider...
 
Re: AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thursday, 4 February 1999, at 2:42 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme (Rob Graham)
 
Thanks Rob! The current status of the IJN chips project is that the paint matches have been completed with respect to the spectroscopic(?) analysis, and paints are being mixed right now to the formulas determined. Stay tuned........
 
Ship color stuff: Waiting patiently...
 
Posted By: Rob Graham <RGraham111@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 4 February 1999, at 5:47 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: AKAGI: Midway Battle Camo Scheme (Mike Quan)
 
It seems to me you're doing it scientifically, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. I wish we could do the same with all of the aircraft colors, too.
 
Japanese carrier camouflage in 1945
 
Posted By: François P. WEILL <frpawe@wanadoo.fr>
Date: Thursday, 21 January 1999, at 5:00 p.m.
 
Just have a look at the following address.
http://navismagazine.com/color/ijncarriercamo/ijncarriercamo.htm
 
FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Don N. <nelsondon@earthlink.net>
Date: Sunday, 17 January 1999, at 1:39 p.m.
 
Am ready to get back into modeling after a much too long hiatus. In addition to getting back into WWII aircraft, I've expanded my collection to include the 1/700 scale ships available from Tamiya, et al. But! I am a little dismayed. For aircraft colors, there are an abundant sources for accuratelt matched colors or FS 595 equivalents charts and so on, but I haven't found anything similar for ships. Does anyone make historically matched ready mixed paints for WWII ships (Japanese, plus the others), or are there sources that can give me at least approximations using the FS 595a standards? I am also particularly interested in using or modifying the paints that take "scale effect" into account. Easy to do for a 1/48th aircraft or 1/35th tank, but I'm not sure where to begin on a 1/700 scale Kaga for example.
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Ryan Toews <ritoews@mb.sympatico.ca>
Date: Sunday, 24 January 1999, at 6:39 p.m.
 
In Response To: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Don N.)
 
Opps, my offer to send a copy of Wells' article should have been directed to Don N. Sorry about that.
I looked through my notes and found some info taken from Patrick Hreachmack, The Painter's Guide to World War Two Naval Camouflage. Note, however, that this source must be used with extreme caution in light of the scathing review it received in the 1996/4 issue of Plastic Ship Modeler. Nevertheless, FWIW, Hreachmack provides the following colors as utilised by the major naval yards: Maizuru FS 36307, Kure FS 35237, Sasebo FS 35081, Yokosuka FS 36152 or 36187.
In a separate article in PSM 1994/2 the Linoleum decking used on many Japanese ships is stated to be the equivalent of FS 20117.
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Pete Chalmers <pchalmer@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Thursday, 21 January 1999, at 9:53 p.m.
 
In Response To: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Don N.)
 
The "Floquil Military Color Reference Guide" of 1995, Chapter 17, gives a short list of their "Enamel" 
equivalents, which I present FWIW. The FS #'s are Floquils (not always spot on, hence the "~"), and as many of you know, the "303" series of Classic Military Colors has been discontinued. Polly Scale Acrylic uses the same pigmentation, from what I was told by a Former Floquil Person, so there may be equivalents in that range. Dan Jones, editor of Plastic Ship Modeller, is quoted as a source.
Name # Description FS 595B
Camouflage Paint No.1 303147 Br. Sky type "S" 34504 ~
Camouflage Piant No.2 303271 Ger. RLM Gray (02) 36165 ~
Linoleum Deck 110081 Earth (Rail color) 33522 ~
Maizuru Arsenal Gray 303249 Ger. Gray Violet (75) 36152 ~
Sasebo Arsenal Gray 303333 US Gunship Gray 36118
Standard Warship Gray 303149 Br. Ocean Grey 35237 ~
Wartime Silver-Gray 303335 US Neutral Gray(Modern)36270
I present this as a discussion departure point - I have no opinion but am always interested in color.
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Friday, 22 January 1999, at 6:33 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Pete Chalmers)
 
Pete, thanks for your input. This subject is getting more interesting all the time! It also shows that it takes a bit of research to get this subject exactly spot on, but then that's a part of the hobby, right?
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Mike Quan <MnkQuan@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wednesday, 20 January 1999, at 2:47 p.m.
 
In Response To: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Don N.)
 
Welcome back into the hobby & glad you chose 1/700th as the availability is so much greater. Regarding 
your question about Japanese Ship colors, the only ready-mixed paints available have been extinct for a number of years now. They were the Japanese Pit-Road Acrylics and the Exact-Mix series of colors previously available from Floating Drydock. Be aware that there was no single gray for IJN warships - the several shades of gray varied according to the shipyard that originally built the ship, or the last shipyard that completed a refit on that warship! Complicated, huh? If you can wait, this summer, Snyder and Short Enterprises, 9175 Kiefer Blvd., #224, Sacramento, CA 95826, (ph #916-368-2610), will release a set of WW2 IJN color chips that should go a long way to guiding you towards the correct color to match to existing paints made for the modeler. Snyder & Short currently have released a set of chips for the US Navy purple-blue colors and they're a real help. Their next planned release is a brown/green color chip set for the USN, and then a Royal Navy color chip set.
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Don N. <nelsondon@earthlink.net>
Date: Wednesday, 20 January 1999, at 6:40 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Mike Quan)
 
Mike: Thanks for the response. I was starting to lose hope. I do seem to vaguely remember the floating dry dock as a potential source. Hey, wasn't Testors Model Master or Polly S going to release a series of WWII ship colors at one time?
Mike, please do stay in touch as I am hot to build a Japanese ship of some kind in the next few months and I'll definitely need some help. US, Brit and German ships have references coming out the wazoo, but can't find anything but "box top" art for Japanese ships. Why is that, I wonder. Japanese ships, especially the cruisers were so cool (I love the Long Lance!).
 
Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors
 
Posted By: Ryan Toews <ritoews@mb.sympatico.ca>
Date: Thursday, 21 January 1999, at 6:24 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: FS 595 Color Equivalents for IJN Ship Colors (Don N.)
 
I have a copy of Linton Wells, "Painting Systems of the IJN" Warship International, 1/1982. This is probably the most cited article on Japanese ship colours, if you send me your s-mail address I'll send you a copy.
As each naval yard used slightly different colurs of paint one needs to have a knowledge of when and where any refits took place. For cruisers the best single souce is Eric Lacroix and Linton Wells, Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. The best price I have seen for this book is at BarnesandNoble.com ($38.50). As for the DD's, check out the TROMs (Tabular Records of Movement) at the Nihon Kaigun page.
Link: http://www.skypoint.com/members/jbp/lancers.htm
 
Hull colors for I-400, I-401
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>
Date: Saturday, 5 December 1998, at 5:06 a.m.
 
I was wondering if anybody knew what the hull colors would be for these submarines? Green, grey, or whatever, I am mainly interested in the area around the hangar and the top of the deck where the Seiran were handled and launched. Thanks in advance for any help or information!
 
Re: Hull colors for I-400, I-401
 
Posted By: Rob Graham <RGraham111@aol.com>
Date: Sunday, 13 December 1998, at 6:51 p.m.
 
In Response To: Hull colors for I-400, I-401 (Dan Salamone)
 
It's quiet here, isn't it??? I'm due to get my 1/700 Aoshima I-400 from HLJ, so if you find anything out, please let me know. I've only seen B&W photos (in the Monogram Close-Up on the Seiran) and could not tell at all.
 
Re: Hull colors for I-400, I-401
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>
Date: Sunday, 13 December 1998, at 7:04 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Hull colors for I-400, I-401 (Rob Graham)
 
Very quiet! I also have the Monogram book, as well as some other photos in a Japanese publication, all black and white...... If I do hear anything I'll be sure to let you know. Take care!
 
I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit.
 
Posted By: Mike Swinburne <a4_kahu@hotmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 22 December 1998, at 12:53 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Hull colors for I-400, I-401 (Dan Salamone)
 
I *think* the upper hull was dark grey, but don't hold me to my word on this. What are you planning to do 
Dan? Are you wanting to build the front portion in 72nd or 48th like me??????
I also need a hasegawa 160th scale I-401 if anyone knows where to get one.
Too much ambition I don't know, but I want to build the top front half of 401 with one seiran complete and one folded..
 
Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit.
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>
Date: Tuesday, 22 December 1998, at 4:38 p.m.
 
In Response To: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit. (Mike Swinburne)
 
My dream project is the deck and front of the open hangar with a couple of Seiran, in 1/48. I just picked 
up a second Seiran kit(Squadron has them on sale this month for $13.00 each), and almost started the hangar area last week until a book for another project finally arrived....
I'm looking at it as a project that may take many years, no reason to rush something like this. I have the Monogram Close Up on the Seiran, and some other drawings and dimensions from another Japanese publication, want to try and locate 1/48 drawings of the sub as well. I've tried the sub discussion group, had no success there as far as scale drawings, but am still searching.
FWIW, the prop on the Tamiya Seiran kit appears to be too wide to fit into the hangar tube, from the dimensions I have for the tube and then checking those against the a/c model dimensions.
Did I mention that this was a big project? :-) Take care Mike, thanks for the input!
 
Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit.
 
Posted By: Mike Swinburne <a4_kahu@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998, at 4:31 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit. (Dan Salamone)
 
That was what I was also wanting to do. The width of the inside hanger is 8 feet IIRC, but it would be cool to have a huge model like that. Do you have cross sections or plans enlarged to 48th scale?
 
Re: I-402 hull artwork in color
 
Posted By: David Aiken <David_Aiken@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998, at 12:22 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit. (Mike Swinburne)
 
Looked thru some OLD ship books and found a color artist rendering (top and side view) of I-402. Clear your "battle stations", I hope to send this as an attachment on your e-mail address sites. I do not know how big this will be, but it looks to be about a 2000K attachment! Perhaps it will have to be-scanned? Stand-by! The artist rendering MAY clear up colors, and maybe will help on your drawing problem.
 
Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit.
 
Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998, at 11:42 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit. (Mike Swinburne)
 
No plans enlarged yet, I just tried another ship plan source with no luck.
I have heard of guys building r/c versions, so there has to be something out there for plans on these subs.... I have some basic ideas on how I want to replicate the hangar, the photos I have help a lot in showing equipment inside, etc. Just would love to have plans though!
 
Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit.
 
Posted By: Mike Swinburne <a4_kahu@hotmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998, at 2:42 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: I-400 hull colors, need hasegawa kit. (Dan Salamone)
 
someone posted these plans of I-401 in 10th scale from the hasegawa kit on the net for me since my 
computer wouldn't take 'em through email.
try these
http://pages.cthome.net/elrond/1.html
http://pages.cthome.net/elrond/2.html
http://pages.cthome.net/elrond/3.html
http://pages.cthome.net/elrond.4.html
you may have them, they may not still be up, but try them.
 
Zuikaku Camouflage
 
Posted By: Allan Parry <100670.3404@compuserve.com>
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 1998, at 11:13 a.m.
 
I am currently building the Nichimo 500 scale Zuikaku.
Can anyone help with details of the camouflage/paint sceme?
 
Re: Zuikaku Camouflage
 
Posted By: Charles Watson <procladius@aol.com>
Date: Sunday, 24 January 1999, at 4:04 p.m.
 
In Response To: Zuikaku Camouflage (Allan Parry)
 
What time period? If it's late war, I have some references for the camouflage scheme she was wearing at Cape Engano. Prior to that It would have been IJN grey overall with the planked areas of the flight deck natural wood. I also have several references that show flight deck markings at various times. If you will let me know the time period, I will try to help.
 
Re: Zuikaku Camouflage
 
Posted By: Allan Parry <100670.3404@compuserve.com>
Date: Monday, 25 January 1999, at 2:41 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Zuikaku Camouflage (Charles Watson)
 
Thanks for your response. However I have now received the info I needed.
 
Re: Zuikaku Camouflage
 
Posted By: David Aiken <David_Aiken@hotmail.com>
Date: Monday, 25 January 1999, at 3:18 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: Zuikaku Camouflage (Allan Parry)
 
While Allan received the data he needed for his miniature, I am interested in your info! It is great to know if your data suppports my own, or differs from mine. To learn new sources or differing views keeps our minds open to all aspects of addition, deletion, correction and possibility.
 
Posted By: Tom Matlosz <slayer14@gateway.net>
Date: Saturday, 24 October 1998, at 4:04 p.m.
 
I'm going to build a diorama of the three major IJN aircraft used at Midway. I'd like to pose them on a carrier deck section. What is correct color (FS number) and modeling paint which most closely matches actual color. Any good reference for planking, hook cable and tiedown layout?
 
Yamato colors
 
Posted By: Arjun Sarup <sarup@intnet.mu>
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 1998, at 12:07 a.m.
 
I've just come across this discussion board, and hope to get some help from anybody, since I've spent the last 2 months trying to figure out as to what exactly the colour of Yamato's hull and superstructure might have been. I picked up a 1/350 Tamiya kit of the same, but decided to stick to enamel rather than acrylic paint. The problem is that I couldn't find the equivalent of Humbrol enamel for Tamiya acrylic paint in Singapore (where I bought the kit), and the best I can now hope to do is to mix my own paint from stuff commercially available at the hardware shops in Mauritius.
Here's the problem: No Tamiya Neutral Grey XF53 was available in Singapore for the hull & superstructure, so I couldn't get any kind of reference. The box in
which the model came shows a reasonably light to medium grey on the cover, the side of the box shows a medium grey, the painting guide says that "Japanese warships were painted dark grey with a tinge of blue", and a reference to Musashi in Suicide Squads of WWII, O'Neill, Richard, mentions that the "Musashi had been newly-painted light grey, in contrast to the drab, near-black paintwork of other ships." (That book is the only piece of reference I have, and Mauritius has no other sources of reference.)
Can anybody indicate a hull and possibly deck colour by either giving the percentages of paints to be mixed, or post a swatch?
 
Re: Yamato colors
 
Posted By: jon dodson <jonboy1205@aol.com>
Date: Tuesday, 18 January 2000, at 7:51 p.m.
 
In Response To: Yamato colors (Arjun Sarup)
 
I keep seeing the book "The Battleship Yamato" by Janusz Skulski referred to but does anyone know for certain where I can get a copy? Amazon has looking for two weeks. I am also searching for plans to use in super detailing my 1/200 Nichimo kit, of special concern is rigging details.
 
Re: Yamato colors
 
Posted By: Rob Graham <RGraham111@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 1998, at 9:07 a.m.
 
In Response To: Yamato colors (Arjun Sarup)
 
Yamato Colors
As described in The Battleship Yamato by Janusz Skulski
Part of The Anatomy of the Ship series published by the Conway Maritime Press, © 1988
ISBN 0 85177 490 3
This book is a real great book on the Yamato, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wishing to model this mighty ship. It has rare photos, many scale drawings, and lots of details and otherwise hard to find info. You don't even have to be a ship buff to appreciate it, as the technical specifications tell a tale we Westerners seldom get to see. The specs on the 18.1 inch (46cm) guns are amazing! As a for instance, imagine flying in to attack the Yamato when the San Shiki round for this gun is fired: 900 incendiary tubes with rubber thermite and 600 steel stays blowing a spray of incendiaries 20 degrees from its detonation point, throwing out 3000 degree CELSIUS (!) incendiaries which burn for 5 seconds. BTW, the muzzle velocity for this round was 805 m/sec, which is impressive considering the round weighed 1360kg; the armor piercing round (1460kg) could travel over 40,000m with a projectile flight time of about 1 ½ minutes.
Anyway, info it has on the colors is as follows:
"Wartime Colour Schemes
1. The hull colour of the Imperial Japanese Navy ships varied in shade, although it was on regulation colours. The basic grey (medium grey, sometimes called silver-grey) was made up according to a Paint Mixture Standard formula and consisted of 15 per cent black, 75 per cent white, 6 per cent brown, 4 per cent blue. This colour was used for the above water part of the hull, the superstructures, all metal decks, the gun turrets, the topside fittings and the boats.
2. A reddish-tinged brown ('aka aji ga katta chairo') was used on the underwater part of the hull consisting of 20 per cent red, 65 per cent brown, 10 per cent black, 5 per cent white.
3. The concrete surfaces of the aircraft deck were similar to the basic gray - some darker.
4. White was used for azimuth scales of the AA rangefinders, the Chrysanthemum on both sides of the funnel (April 1945), the stripes on the circular railings of the open triple 25mm MG mounts, the 200 mm high numbers on the base of the deck, 25mm MG enclosed mounts, the stripes on the edge of the hull (1944-45).
5. Brown (canvas) was used for the blast bags and the gun muzzle covers.
6. Yellowish-brown (ochre) was used for the non-slip linoleum strips on the aircraft deck (with 10mm brass strips attaching it to the deck surface) and the deck of the air defence platform - deck XI.
7. Gold was used for the Chrysanthemum crest on the bow and the ship's name on the stern.
8. Black was used for the upper part of the funnel and mast.
9. The wooden deck was unpainted 'hinoki' cypress wood with a grey tint.
10. Aircraft: upper surface sea green N-1, lower surface gull grey N-2, orange stripes on wing's leading edge (middle parts), white-red-white stripes on floats. White on stripes on tailplanes and number codes on fins. Hinomaru was a red colour with white borders."
 
Re: Yamato colors
 
Posted By: Lars Ahlberg <lars.ahlberg@halmstad.mail.postnet.se>
Date: Thursday, 22 October 1998, at 11:29 a.m.
 
In Response To: Yamato colors (Arjun Sarup)
 
Japanese ships were generally painted with a colour called "warship grey" and this colour consisted of 15% black + 75% white + 6% brown + 4% blue (= 100%). The colour was half matt and not unlike the present colour of US warships.
The underwater part was painted with a reddish-tinged brown colour called "aka aji ga katta chairo" and this consisted of 20% red + 65% brown + 10% black + 5% white (= 100%). Japanese warships had no boottop colour (the black line above the underwater hull).
Painting systems of IJN warships can be found in:
* Janusz Skulski, "The Battleship Yamato", Conway Maritime Press, London, 1988.
* Janusz Skulski, "The Heavy Cruiser Takao", United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1994.
* Lars Ahlberg, "Japonskie pancerniki typu Nagato", Wydawnictwo "Okrety Wojenne", Tarnowskie Gory, 1996.
* Linton Wells II, "Painting Systems of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1904-1945", "Warship International" # 1, 1982.
* "1/700 Water Line Series Guide Book of Imperial Japanese Navy Ships", Shizuoka Mokei Kyozai Kyodo Kumiai, Shizuoka, 1992. (Japanese text)

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