WWII Life Raft Color

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 1:42 am

Hey Gang

I am in the process of painting GHQ's Battleship U.S.S. Washington model. This model has abundant numbers of life rafts all over the ship. What color are these? Black, gray, or some other color? I use Humbrol paints for my work but am willing to do a little mixing to get a reasonable approximation. Thanks.

Pete Binpicker, Out!

Gort · Post by **Gort** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:57 am

In all the photos of USN ships from WW2 that I have seen the life rafts were painted the same color as the surface they were mounted on. This way they did not compromise the cammo.

regards

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:11 am

Hey Gort

So, then the life rafts were painted - generally some shade of gray or blue? It is really difficult for me to tell from black and white photos. I wasn't sure if this was the case or maybe they were issued in some base neutral color. Thanks for the reply.

Pete

Mickel · Post by **Mickel** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:43 am

Ocean grey if you've painted her in her early war scheme, or haze grey in her late war scheme - at least that's what I'd do.

Mike

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 11:57 pm

Thanks Mike

I am doing the Washington as she appeared off of ** CENSORED **. She is in her measure 22 scheme which has the Navy Blue hull to the point where the bow starts to rise and haze gray on the upper works and the part of the hull as it rises up. With no other hard information to go on, I will paint the life rafts blue on the horizontal surfaces - same as the ship and haze gray on the vertical where that color is shown. Thanks.

Pete - Binpicker, Out!

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 12:00 am

The censored is that island off the Solomons that gave its name to the battle in which the Washington sunk the Kirishima. Sheesh!

Pete