That's a fair point, I am just relaying what IWM has to say.
Also from IWM, we have Prince of Wales in April 1941, but looking a lot fresher...
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205138246... at first glance, that is. Look closer, and the same weathering is present around the bow waterline.
All the photos with this weathering carry April dates there (bar one that is undated).
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205138223https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205138248https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205119371(
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205138252)
I've not yet seen any other date proposed, of course that does not mean that the April date is correct. It may be that PoW's first coat of HFG was as bad wearing as KGV's, of course... She appears to have been in a camo scheme by August, so there is quite a limited window for it.
All of that said... radar. In various photos, both types 282 (aerials on the pom-pom directors) and 285 (aerials on the HACS directors) radar appear to be present, which I think must place it after her May refit. UPs are still fitted though, so before the June-July refit.
PaulC wrote:
But for sure, she was not so weathered on May 22, 1941, from the photo of her taken then when south of the Faeroes on the way to the DS.
Which photo is that?
[EDIT] Found a better history for the ship. Looks like the 282s and 285s were fitted during her fitting out. Log excerpts suggest she remained in Rosyth for all of June and much of July. During this time, she received a type 273 radar, which is definitely not present in those photos. That broadens rather than narrows the window, based on radar. I agree it seems more likely to be after the battle, though.