The Ship Model Forum

If one wanted to use a spray paint that approximates the "Chicago Blue" paint scheme used by HMAS Australia during the Battle of Savo Island, what Tamiya or Testors spray does one use?

I'm guessing it's a slightly different shade from the MS21 USN colour or Tamiya AS-8/Navy Blue.

Don't tell me there really is no alternative to the Humbrol or Vallejo paints for approximating this?

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

Hello to anyone who may answer this,

Would it be to correct to infer from the post below, originally from the Tribal class destroyers thread, that the RAN's "Chicago Blue" is just "5-N" or the Navy Blue used by the USN in its Measure 21 scheme?

If this is the case, I probably might just use the Model Master 5-N/Navy Blue that I used on my recent Trumpeter 1/700 USS Astoria build.

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

Chicago Blue was so named after Garden Island matched samples of its paint for use on USN ships when she was in Sydney in May 1942. Wasn't she in Measure 11 Sea Blue 5 S then as Measure 21 didn't come in until June 1942 (I think).


Professor Dakin had already recommended a dark blue grey in July 1941.

The paint had two major problems:
1) Fading/chalking very rapidly
2) Peeling/washing off

A shot of Hobart’s paint deterioration is attached and some of Dakin’s file data.

Thanks for the photos and info. When you mention "she" in your sentence below, are you referring to HMAS Australia or my USS Astoria build?

I used Modelmasters 5-N Navy Blue for my Trumpeter Astoria because it clearly says on the heavy cruiser section of the Shipcamouflage website that Astoria was in MS21 for the duration of 1942. Are you saying I should repaint my build in Sea Blue?

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

She was the USS Chicago after which the colour was named.

I see. Anyways, so is the Testors/Model Master Dark Sea Blue at the link below a match for the "Chicago Blue" you're describing?

Ebay listing: Testors/Model Master Dark Sea Blue

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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.

"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill

Afraid I can't help as "pristine" Chicago Blue is something I have never seen. The faded blue I have on a model and old WW2 paint stirrer one of my club members had. His garden shed was painted that colour post war as apparently were quite a few houses etc. belonging to workers at Williamstown! "Acquired" or given when the paint was surplus I don't know.

Dakin wrote in 16th May 1942 that Garden Island was matching paint for an American ship from samples sent over. Chicago was in port then, so I'm guessing that whatever blue Chicago carried in May 1942 was the colour that was used.

Measure 11's history is "messy" in that the Navy became dissatisfied with 5-S Sea Blue fairly rapidly and ordered a substitution of 5-N in Measure 11 rather than wait for a new measure to be named. For most of it's use, Measure 11 was essentially identical to Measure 21 for this reason. Formulas for these paints were sent to Cavite, but I've never been able to find any information that suggests they were shared with allies this early in the war (I'd be happy to be wrong).

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Tracy,

There was no exchange of formulae for the US colours. Like the other allied colours, they were matched at Garden Island to paint samples supplied by the ships. Attached an old memo from Dakin which I've dredged out of my files. Any idea what the colours would have been for the US ship he mentions? It is not Chicago as she is listed as coming into port on 31st May.

The Painter at GI would have recorded all the formulae for the colours he matched. I have been searching for years to try and find any records of his work without success. If found, it would be a treasure trove of data for various navies.

Michael

Randy Short and I were sent a sample of Chicago Blue, and it is very close to 5-N Navy Blue.

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Cheers,
John Snyder
Shady Grove Farm
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