by SeanF » Sat May 06, 2017 6:42 pm
The clarify a technical point:
On USN ships. the letters of the ship's name at the stern are often (if not always) welded-on steel cut-outs, which were not physically removed during wartime. They were just painted over with the hull color rather than individually painted in white or black as they would during peacetime. (I've even seen a color photo of the salvaged (or in the process of being salvaged) USS California with the letters done in red against her dark hull - but these would certainly be painted out before the fully repaired ship set out to join the fight)
It's very hard to find photos showing a ship's stern close enough and with adequate resolution to pick out the painted-over letters, but generally speaking they're there. Not at all like the German bow shields, which did get physically removed and not just painted over.
- Sean F.
The clarify a technical point:
On USN ships. the letters of the ship's name at the stern are often (if not always) welded-on steel cut-outs, which were not physically removed during wartime. They were just painted over with the hull color rather than individually painted in white or black as they would during peacetime. (I've even seen a color photo of the salvaged (or in the process of being salvaged) USS California with the letters done in red against her dark hull - but these would certainly be painted out before the fully repaired ship set out to join the fight)
It's very hard to find photos showing a ship's stern close enough and with adequate resolution to pick out the painted-over letters, but generally speaking they're there. Not at all like the German bow shields, which did get physically removed and not just painted over.
- Sean F.