The start of my USN fleet...

[Court Jester]

These ship has been painted in my "interpretation" of the US Navy "Measure 31 & 32, Dark & Medium Pattern System" sported by ships throughout 1944.

I made up the colours from the black and white image and made up the pattern on the decks because I could find no pictures of it. So my guess is I got it quite wrong, but I think it looks cool...

Hopefully I have managed to get the effect of two different camo schemes depending on how you look at the ship, horizontal surfaces and vertical surfaces although the three different tones of grey used on the vertical surfaces are hard to make out in the pictures because the dark grey merges with the black... :x

The numbers and lettering are only temporary until I can find the time to put together and print out some tiny labels.

The models are 1/3000 Davco.

 

[BuShips]

Don't worry too much about it, as they look fine as-is. Good work. Historically, the decks of the USN ships were usually painted in deck blue, which is a dark blue. The "dazzle" scheme was made to be seen from the side, but I wouldn't change a thing on those.

 

[Court Jester]

"Deck Blue" was the main problem colour... So I went with a grey blue which you can see on the horizontal surfaces.

The USN Camouflage site mentioned that all the horizontal surfaces were patinted in a pattern with the grey and blue so I made up a pattern... :wink:

 

[BuShips]

"Deck Blue" was the main problem colour... So I went with a grey blue which you can see on the horizontal surfaces.

The USN Camouflage site mentioned that all the horizontal surfaces were patinted in a pattern with the grey and blue so I made up a pattern... :wink:

You are helping my own failing memory, it seems :wink: . While in the vast majority of cases the decks of camo-painted USN ships in WW2 wore just the Deck Blue in a one-color application, you are correct that ms. 32/22D for the Missouri did indeed use two colors. Again, I'm not saying to change it (it looks great), but I did find a site for you if you ever get totally bored and want something to paint (heh). This site does display the deck pattern the the "Mighty Mo" sported. There was a day when I could rattle off all of the names of the U.S. battleship BB designations starting with BB-1 and tell you what ship it was named and what class it was part of. I'm afraid those days are past me now, lol. I hope you put those ships to good use, but I somehow think they will be.


http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/31613missouri/index.htm

 

[Poi]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, yum.

What did you use for the sea effect?

 

[Court Jester]

[This site does display the deck pattern the the "Mighty Mo" sported.

Thanks for that link, vey intersting stuff. It looks like (from that model) that my guess for Deck Blue was almost right and that makes me happy. Also I can see what sort of patterns they used on the decks, sweeping curves instead of blocks.

Thanks again.

 

[resQscooter]

Those look really nice! Keep up the good work.

 

[Court Jester]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, yum.

What did you use for the sea effect?

I pasted some tile grout onto the bases and as that was drying I stippled it with a flat surface. I used a small bit of plasticard and just tapped it on the drying grout which then gave the raised areas. It worked on some bases and not so well on others. Don't let the grout get too dry otherwise it will go wrong...

One very important thing I learnt was to add the grout to the base before sticking the ship on. So from now on I will cover the entire base and then press the ship into the grout (which will hold it fast when it drys).

 

[Court Jester]

This is my favourite shot of the fleet so far. I have not been happy with any of the side on pictures but this one I think works really well. I know the gun barrels would have been painted blue as well but I wanted them to stand out so I made an artistic exception...

Oh and I have done the labels... they are readable when not pixalated by the internet...

 

[Der Kommandant]

damn nice CJ...
i like the barrels that way too.
definitely makes you "say hello to my little friends..."

 

[Chernobyl]

another nice picture...great work!

Eric

 

[Fitzwalrus]

Very pretty indeed... nice work!! 8)

 

[Court Jester]

Well after their first outing the Iowa and the Hudson returned to docks victorious in what was obviously a training excersise against the British... One British destroyer made it home without suffering the dishonour of having been "sunk".

The Cruisers were pretty ineffective and it was the ill fated Taylor and Wren that caused havok with their torpedos before meeting their "end". Making the best of loosing her rear turret the Iowa turned about on the enemy still unleashing all her available firepower but reducing her silhouette.