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 Post subject: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 12:46 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:18 pm
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
Does anyone know where I can find pictures in color, of the two different colors of Semtex used on RN warships during WWII?
Thanks!


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 4:56 pm 
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I wouldn't trust 70+ year old color photos, but apparently it was in the range of a crappy brownish-green color.
:wave_1:


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 5:40 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:18 pm
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
Thank you! I have read that there were 2 colors, Dark Green & Light Gray I've seen a color photo on a British Frigate with B 30 deck paint & Light gray semtex. I would like to see a photo of the Dark Green.
John


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 8:09 pm 
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Location: Australia
If it helps, the National Archives of Australia has some records of the use of Semtex. In January 1940, the RAN asked the Captain of HMAS Perth about the Semtex his ship was using and how it compared to the latex being in general use in the RAN. The Semtex was laid in 1939 in Portsmouth Dockyard and was grey.

Following that in the files is a letter from Semtex on 9th August 1940 stating that the grades approved for use by the Admiralty were SX135 Admiralty Grey colour for weatherdecks, SX147 Buff colour for lavatories, wash basins and heads, SX139 underlay for Admiralty brown linoleum for use in cabins, alleyways etc.

BTW, John where did you find the photo of B15 and Semtex decks in colour?


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 9:22 pm 
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
You've seen it below in the (Late war RN-H class)posting by Admhawk of K459. It is clear that the Semtex is light gray. I'm not sure what the deck is painted, looks like a faded light mid gray. Ravens texts call for it to be painted B-30, I don't think it is blue enough to really be B-30. (faded MS-2?)
Raven says the early war Semtex is Light Gray & later war Dark Green.
I was curious if anyone has seen a color photo of green semtex?
My thinking is that the post-war Deck Green might be passable for green Semtex.
Also what color do you think K459 decks were painted?
Thank you


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 1:16 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:44 pm
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Location: UK
What does Admhawk's photo of Algonquin's deck in the Chaudiere thread (viewtopic.php?f=69&t=163639 ) show?


Last edited by dick on Tue Jan 04, 2022 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 2:11 am 
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Location: Australia
JCRAY wrote:
You've seen it below in the (Late war RN-H class)posting by Admhawk of K459. It is clear that the Semtex is light gray. I'm not sure what the deck is painted, looks like a faded light mid gray. Ravens texts call for it to be painted B-30, I don't think it is blue enough to really be B-30. (faded MS-2?)
Raven says the early war Semtex is Light Gray & later war Dark Green.
I was curious if anyone has seen a color photo of green semtex?
My thinking is that the post-war Deck Green might be passable for green Semtex.
Also what color do you think K459 decks were painted?
Thank you



My understanding in 1944, which is when Thetford commissioned, was that she should have been in scheme C and that had “No special deck painting is required for camouflage purposes”. Her decks look grey to me but what colour the Canadians decided to paint her decks if Scheme C is anybody’s guess.

On my monitor Chaudiere looks like a pale green.


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 3:29 pm 
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
Thank you, Gentlemen. The Semtex chip on the back cover of Warship Perspective Vol I looks like a light neutral gray. I realize these color reproductions are not exact but merely approximations, but I think it's close enough.
In the Development of Naval Camouflage, he gives the color: Medium dark green.
In a third of his references, he calls for Early War: light neutral gray & Later War: medium dark green.
I was wondering if anyone could venture a guess to what dark green it looked like?
Thank you so much!
John


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2017 1:33 am 
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Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:10 am
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Location: Australia
JCRAY wrote:
Thank you, Gentlemen. The Semtex chip on the back cover of Warship Perspective Vol I looks like a light neutral gray. I realize these color reproductions are not exact but merely approximations, but I think it's close enough.
In the Development of Naval Camouflage, he gives the color: Medium dark green.
In a third of his references, he calls for Early War: light neutral gray & Later War: medium dark green.
I was wondering if anyone could venture a guess to what dark green it looked like?
Thank you so much!
John


I wouldn't even guess if it is dark or light green let alone what shade of green. the intriguing thing about the grey is that they described it as Admiralty Grey. Does this mean it actually matches an Admiralty colour or just that it is the colour the Admiralty specified for use from Semtex's range of colours?

Does the Semtex company still exist? If so a potential source of the colours.


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2017 9:48 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:18 pm
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
Ok I know in the U.S. Linoleum was marketed in battleship gray color, post-war.
There is a well-known color photo on the web of the signal bridge of Idaho pre-war with chocolate brown looking decks. We think they are linoleum.
Thank you
John


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 Post subject: Re: Color of Semtex?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:45 am 
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Location: Palm Beach, Fla
I plan to use the WEM RN(14) G-45 for the Semtex pe. walkways on the Snowberry. If the contrast is too extreme with the MS 2 decks, I'll dry brush them, with a pea-green color.


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