Sutho wrote:
Zacharias wrote:
Is there finally a definitive general agreement about Bismarck camouflage scheme during The Battle of the Denmark Strait and used colors?
There is a lot of contradicting information to be found across the web, confusing variations of used shades of dark and light gray on finished models, was waterline black or black-gray, what is correct shade of hull red, Swastikas over-painted or not, false painted waves, turret tops color etc ... so, please, help.
There are plenty of photos available on the internet searches that show the false bow wave still present when the ship was photographed leaving Norway. It stands to reason that it would not have been over painted during a high speed sea run to enter the Atlantic. The swastikas are present on the wreck. I am pretty sure I read that they were covered over with canvas.
As for the tarpaulin on the bow to hide the cross, I don't really believe it: on the deck at bow level, a tarpaulin doesn't hold for an hour at sea, wind, ship's speed, waves, in the North Sea...
Probably the area has been repainted in grey in a hurry to make it hold up a bit.
Excerpt from the Bismarck's logbook of 22 May 1941 at 13:07:
The system of aerial identification tarpaulins stretched, here yellow, over the turrets of the Prinz Eugen, photo taken on 18 May 1941 in Gotenhaven. The Bismarck used the same system.
Interesting aerial photos because you can see the top of the deck: