The Ship Model Forum

Hi, I am searching for information on the camouflage that may have been worn by HMAS Hobart in the Solomons in 1942.

I have attached a screen shot from a reference I found but I am not sure what colours are shown in the lower image.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

It may or may not be of interest but HMAS Hobart's underwater hull is understood to have followed a similar pattern as that of HMS Apollo/HMAS Perth, being built in the UK using grey anti-fouling paint by Moravia brand, but upon transfer to the RAN this was changed at subsequent drydockings at Cockatoo Island to Majors anti-fouling grey instead. All detail for Hobart has yet to be extracted but Perth had her Majors grey reapplied in mid November 1941. Both ships are believed to have changed to red anti-fouling towards the end of the war.

_________________
James Duff
Sovereign Hobbies Ltd
http://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk

Current build:
HMS Imperial D09 1/350
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167151

Thanks but it’s the above waterline colours in the image I am after. Any idea what they might be?
Are they standard RN colours?

Hello,

if "in the Solomons" means during the Solomons campaign in summer 1942 then she carried an early version (not called like that officially yet) of Chicago Blue, as per the requirement of the Task Force commander and similarly to HMAS Canberra and HMAS Australia. This colour was mixed locally at Garden Island according to the paint of USS Chicago, which was in either (weathered) 5-S Sea Blue or 5-N Navy Blue.

This photo 80-G-13454 from NHHC shows her leaving Wellington en route to participate in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi on 22 July 1942. You can see that she is in the state of overpainting, still keeping traces of her previous RN style camo on her superstructure. Later photos taken in the Solomons show her already in an uniform topside paint.



Hope this helps.

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Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | HMAS Australia | Yubari | Kako

Thanks Vladi. That is the period I am interested in. The only reference I found was the one I posted.
It’s a bit of a shame her colours changed as she would have stood out amongst all the Navy Blue in the rest of the fleet.
Your work on the various cruisers in this theatre has been a real inspiration.

Thank you

I share your opinion about RAN ships losing their colourful paint schemes just before the Solomons campaigns, it is a pity. And you can imagine I am eagerly waiting for Flyhawk´s release of Sydney .

What scale do you build? Contact me on FB if you want to chat https://www.facebook.com/VladisNavy.

_________________
Battle of Savo Island Collection (all 1/700)
Recently completed: USS Wilson DD-408
At works: USS Astoria CA-34 | USS Patterson DD-392 & USS Bagley DD-386
Prep stage: USS Vincennes CA-44 | HMAS Australia | Yubari | Kako

Great photo Vladi. That would make a great looking model.

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

At the moment I am actually painting these for 1/1800 Victory at Sea. I did build 1/700 many years ago and this is inspiring me to go back and revisit some unfinished kits.

1941 is a bit of an awkward time for trying to accurately model RAN ships as their camouflage paints were in a bit of an experimental phase with some overlap with the RN's then-new standard camouflage colours but not entirely. There was also another colour added to the Australian palette at this time which they called MS3B. In some ways the records are more intact for the Australians than the British, but not completely. One must tread carefully.

_________________
James Duff
Sovereign Hobbies Ltd
http://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk

Current build:
HMS Imperial D09 1/350
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167151

The image posted by Vladi shows a transition to 5-S with parts of her upper structure still wearing the scheme applied in April 42.
By Sept 42 she was in overall 5-S, precursor for RAN colour Chicago Blue, she wore that colour until torpedoed in 43.
The scheme worn in second half of 41 was of 507A and C, with stripped deck of dark grey and dark olive green, exact colours unknown.
The scheme applied in April 42 was of 3 colours, her aft funnel application changed 3 times excluding the later application of 5-S, her deck had been repainted in April/early May and was one colour of either a dark deck grey or blue/grey.
Those exact colours applied in April are unknown, very likely to be colours selected by Professor Dakin from his short lived special colour chart, there were at least 7 colours to the chart excluding white and black.