Ciao all,
@ Maxim,
not only Admiral Hipper had that camo, also Gneisenau, Nurnberg and as said Z5 and Z6, all of them only when anchored into Trondheim Fjord.
We have a photo of Gneisenau after being torpedoed, so around July 20, 1940 and she does not have anymore that " coastal type camouflage".
Her hull was on standard grey ( look her available damage photos on Kahler and Koop/Schmolke books ) and was painted with the new dazzle camo to return to Germany after, so Gneisenau had the "coastal type camo before June 20, 1940.
I am sure you follow the logic here.
Surely Z5 and Z6 had it on may 1940.
Now if you go and read Nurnberg history on Koop/Schmolke book than between June 14-19th, 1940 you will find an operation codename Nora, the 3rd Division Mountain troop transported on the ship Levante from Trondheim to Elvegardsmoen, escorted by Nurnberg with Z15 Erich Steinbrinck and the 2nd Minesweeper flotilla. Well, on same book you have a fantastic photo of Nurnberg taken from the Levante ( you can notice the Mountain troops taken on the photo for confirmation) and showing the Nurnberg under repaint with this " coastal type camouflage " under paint on the upperworks, most likely into Trondheim Fjord.
That is another reason why I am so confident about 10-20 June being the most probable painting slot, that photo was taken around June 14th, and Nurnberg was under re-painting.
Only Nurnberg or also Admiral Hipper and Gneisenau, .... make your guess now.
Now I can accept it is possible that Nurnberg and Admiral Hipper had it on between June 10-20 and kept it after, during July, but Gneisenau on July 20 seems removing that chance as I doubt that Gneisenau was re-painted while Admiral Hipper and Nurnberg were not.
More, that camo is very dark, and you know that in Norway during that period there is not night fall especially at high latitudes, plus the KM warships in Trondheim were attacked by RAF airplanes many times.
But there is one point that can bring the Adm Hipper camo to the middle of July .. it is related to an important date I am investigating on ...... and this can be confirmed by the fact that they changed patterns too, .... so the camo period could have been longer .... or post poned for Hipper into July compared to June for Nurnberg.
Now you can update your list of what we know/do not know,.....
Bye Antonio