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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 3:18 am 
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A question that hopefully someone 'in the know' as regards the RN and old film colours can answer?

H.M.S. Anson in 1946 sported a dark hull and light upperworks as evidenced by numerous black and white photos. Same as the schemes worn also by H.M.S. King George V and H.M.S. Howe. The scheme seems to be generally referred to as being B20 Medium Blue over the entire hull with G45 Light Grey upperworks. However in these couple of screenshots from colour film from 1946 Anson's hull looks more like G10 Dark Grey than B20 Medium Blue?

They are two separate sets of film but I suspect they might have been filmed with the one camera at slightly different times? Again screenshots posted for discussion purposes and ease of viewing, copyright rests with original owner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkD0MSE0te8

Attachment:
HMS Anson 1946 Kobe 1.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqZ9Hfx6xJ8

Attachment:
HMS Anson 1946 Kobe 2.jpg


Ships's movements and activities during this timeframe appear to be as follows:

August 1945: Sails Sydney to Hong Kong
September 16th 1945: Japanese surrender of Hong Kong signed aboard
August – November 1945: Base ship at Hong Kong
November 1945: Sails Hong Kong – Tokyo
Early December 1945: Sails Tokyo – Hong Kong
December 26th 1945: Sails Hong Kong – Sydney via Fremantle
January 5th 1946: Arrives at Fremantle
January 18th 1946: Due at Sydney
January 28th 1946: Appears dressed overall at Anniversary Day Regatta, Sydney
February 16th 1946: Arrives at Sydney having conveyed Duke & Duchess of Gloucester from Tasmania
Late February / early March 1946: Refit at Captain Cook Drydock, Sydney.
Late March 1946: Returns to forward operational area, Yokohama, Kure, Kobe.
June 4th 1946: Filmed in colour off Kobe.
June 21st 1946: Departed Hong Kong for U.K.
July 29th 1946: Arrived at Portsmouth.


So the questions arising are:

Was it actually a B20 Medium Blue hull whose colour appears distorted due to the limitations of old colour film?

Or was it G10 or some other dark grey colour?

Or could it have been B20 Medium Blue up until the February-March 1946 Sydney refit and then grey afterwards? Thanks.

(Edited to include timeframe of ship's movements)


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Last edited by Mr. Church on Fri Jul 16, 2021 3:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:18 am 
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Likely G-10 Dark Gray, In my opinion.
I'm no expert.
John


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:40 am 
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Hi All,

Hello Mr Church, its a difficult one, as even with colour film, trusting any photo or film is unfortunately problematic.

Hopefully Jamie , Richard, Michael or Lindsay may see this and comment, I was lucky enough to be part of the Sovereign Hobbies group that looked at RN camo paints and can say that the aforementioned group members are extremely knowledgeable and if there is an answer, they will know it.

I do know that late war and post war there were a couple of dark hull light upperworks schemes which seemed to loosely stem from an earlier "emergency" scheme cafo, in which there were a few hull/upperworks alternatives.

I can confirm hearing of a scheme with a B20 hull (G20 or in lieu a 50/50 mix of 507a and 507c was one hull option in that emergency scheme IIRC so to maintain tone merging and reflectance B20 is obviously in a similar range) but as you say there were ships with a G45 upperworks and G10 hull too (early war destroyers also had a similar scheme but with a 507a hull and 507c upperworks but Richard will know more about this too!).

The hull in your image looks more dark grey with blue rather than a blue grey (if that makes sense!) that we see with B20 which if I'm remembering correctly was a 50/50 mix of B15 and B30 but again its from memory and Jamie will know better about that. Personally I'd plump for a G45 upperworks with G10 hull but that's a layman's guess!

Sorry I can't be of more help
Best wishes
Cag.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 10:59 am 
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Thanks JCRAY and Cag.

Yes Cag it is difficult to know. As you say some documentary evidence would help. With colour film on YouTube or online anywhere you do not know if it has been edited or if so how has it been edited? This on top of the issues with interpreting colours of old films.

Having said that I had another look at the Roland Smith Royal Navy DVD there showing the Eastern Fleet in colour passing the USS Saratoga. My knowledge isn't good enough to identify all of the ships. And the near side of them is in the shade with the sun going in and out at various points in the film. Despite this however the B20 blue panels do still clearly look blue for most of the ships, be the sun in or out as the ship passes. The French Battleship Richelieu looks to have a lighter grey hull panel than the rest but that is not surprising given she is French and not RN. However on some of the smaller cruisers and destroyers the hull panel appears to be a dark grey colour. So perhaps G10 was substituted for B20 on occasion?

As regards Anson, she appeared at a regatta in Sydney in January 1946 and clearly has a dark hull and light upperworks then as seen in black and white photos. According to RA Burt's book she had a refit in Sydney in January - February 1946. Which would pre-date the video clips I posted above which are from June 1946. The book does not say what work was carried out during the refit. However her paintwork looks pretty decent in the January 1946 photos from the regatta, albeit none of them are taken from up close. So she may or may not have been repainted during the refit?

If I were to guess now I would lean towards G10 Dark Grey. But it is only a guess based on the colour film screenshots as per above. Again, some documentary evidence would be most helpful.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:00 pm 
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Hi All,

Hello Mr Church, yes there's always something that causes problems, type of film, how it was developed, age related issues etc etc.

The Standard type has 2 versions, G45 and B15 I think and G55 and B20 but that is again from memory and not having looked at my files for a long time please don't quote me on that. The Saratoga film is good isn't it, as it also shows, if memory serves me well, that Renown and Valiant show blue coloured main turrets too.

I know Sovereign Hobbies website has a lot of info on there for a lot of schemes, Jamie did a great deal of work on the information from official records and it is definitely worth a look, his ship sketches are very nice indeed with suggested paints and logical reasons for those choices. The problem is the Admiralty had numerous weeding exercises and a lot of info was lost, it is a credit to Jamie and the group (not me I was a bit of a hanger on!) that all the info was correlated which then aided identification.

There is more info on certain schemes, but then only snippets on others but as with all these things the more info that is know generally means the more questions you then have!

I'll take a look at the loft and see if there's anything in the files I have,
Best wishes
Cag.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:53 pm 
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Thanks again Cag, much appreciated.

Yes Sovereign Hobbies website is a treasure trove of information. Especially useful are documents C.B. 3098 (R) from 1943 and from 1945 which they have helpfully made available for purchase as PDFs. I bought them both some time back. The alternate version for Standard Camouflage Scheme A you mention above is B55 for the upperworks and B30 for the blue panel on the hull.

Also listed on their website is an extensive document on HMS King George V's colour schemes as seen here:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0730/0927/files/HMS_King_George_V_794d6526-8c82-4888-8ff6-3f47cd6e3fad.pdf?v=1622539346

Bang up to date too with the latest information on her underwater hull colour. The final colour scheme it lists, from late 1945 shows a B20 Blue Hull, the entire hull and not just a panel as before, and G45 Grey upperworks.

I would assume this scheme was also applied to the other surviving members of the class including Anson? But was it followed to the letter in B20 Medium Blue or was it substituted with G10 Dark Grey or something else?


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 4:31 pm 
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Mr. Church wrote:
Thanks JCRAY and Cag.

Yes Cag it is difficult to know. As you say some documentary evidence would help. With colour film on YouTube or online anywhere you do not know if it has been edited or if so how has it been edited? This on top of the issues with interpreting colours of old films.

Having said that I had another look at the Roland Smith Royal Navy DVD there showing the Eastern Fleet in colour passing the USS Saratoga. My knowledge isn't good enough to identify all of the ships. And the near side of them is in the shade with the sun going in and out at various points in the film. Despite this however the B20 blue panels do still clearly look blue for most of the ships, be the sun in or out as the ship passes. The French Battleship Richelieu looks to have a lighter grey hull panel than the rest but that is not surprising given she is French and not RN. However on some of the smaller cruisers and destroyers the hull panel appears to be a dark grey colour. So perhaps G10 was substituted for B20 on occasion?

As regards Anson, she appeared at a regatta in Sydney in January 1946 and clearly has a dark hull and light upperworks then as seen in black and white photos. According to RA Burt's book she had a refit in Sydney in January - February 1946. Which would pre-date the video clips I posted above which are from June 1946. The book does not say what work was carried out during the refit. However her paintwork looks pretty decent in the January 1946 photos from the regatta, albeit none of them are taken from up close. So she may or may not have been repainted during the refit?

If I were to guess now I would lean towards G10 Dark Grey. But it is only a guess based on the colour film screenshots as per above. Again, some documentary evidence would be most helpful.


In the colour film of the Eastern Fleet sailing past the USS Saratoga (18 May 1944) you can indeed see the distinct blue shade of the hull panels of the larger ships. They are in what I regard as the prototype of what became Standard Scheme A (not officially introduced until CAFO 2269 of 12 Oct 1944). But, as you have noted, the destroyers have something other than blue on their hulls. Most of the N, Q & R Class destroyers are in light grey upperworks and forward hull and with a dark lower hull from roughly below A mounting all the way to the stern. The darker colour on their hulls is a dark grey.

I think the explanation for what we are looking at on these destroyers goes as follows. Their scheme in the colour film is derived from what they had been painted in previously, the emergency camouflage without pattern “Equivalent of Light Medium Tone designs” of CAFO 1112 of June 1942 and the subsequent “Equivalent of Light Admiralty Type designs” of CB3098R of May 1943 but, it would seem, perhaps using 507A for the dark band right around the hull instead of both the 50/50 mix or the G20. In July 1943 the Admiralty adviser on camouflage, Lt Cdr Grahame-Hall, reached the Indian Ocean and began to consider the question of camouflage in that theatre. A sentence from his report to the Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet dated 26th February 1944 reads “…with the knowledge gained from observations carried out…a design has been prepared for destroyers and applied to them”. For larger ships it goes on to say that “it has also been possible to propose recommendations for capital ships…. and that these designs should be standard ones applicable to all ships throughout the Fleet”. So at that point (26th Feb 1944) these proposed “Standard” designs had not been applied to the capital ships and they were different to what was then on the destroyers. What we see in the film (18 May 1944) is those Standard designs beginning to appear on the larger ships but the destroyers still in their earlier “applied” scheme Grahame-Hall refers to in his report.

I suggest that this design of Grahame-Hall’s for destroyers was achieved by simply overpainting the forward section of the existing dark hull band of the emergency scheme with more 507C to arrive at the scheme seen in the film with its false bow effect. This before and after montage hopefully explains what I am getting at. (That the earlier emergency scheme used dark grey/light grey is confirmed by one of the destroyers in the film that is still in that older scheme.)
Attachment:
1942 1944.jpg


I am still puzzling over your question re Anson. That you give your bit of colour film a June 1946 date may help explain things re that. The dates that the whole hull B20/light upperworks G45 scheme was theoretically in force out East were from 26th October 1945 – 7th March 1946. It was also very much an Australian area scheme painted onto ships repainted there during this timeframe. (One or two ships may have jumped the gun at the start of this timeframe and it may of course have lingered on some a bit afterwards until their next repaint.) It would be good to know exactly when and where Anson repainted out of Standard Scheme A to the scheme in question.

As an aside, is there perhaps some ambiguity between photos about just how dark the hull on Anson was in Jan 1946 at the Sydney regatta?:

Attachment:
Anson 1946 1 Sydney.jpg


It would be good if we could establish an accurate, detailed timeline for Anson’s movements and refits in the postwar months out East to match photos to. As you say Burt says she was in refit Jan – Feb 1946, then took the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester from Tasmania to Sydney in February and then went back to the forward area in March. However I am looking at one of her D495s that clearly states she was in the Captain Cook Dock in Sydney from 26 February to 16 March 1946! If she repainted during this docking (before going on to Kure to be filmed in colour) then this was precisely when the B20 scheme lapsed.


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Last edited by dick on Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:10 am, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:39 am 
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Thanks dick, all very valid points there.

At the moment I’m leaning towards modelling Anson as she appeared at the regatta in January 1946.
The State Library of New South Wales has a series of photos of her taken at the event available online
if you search for ‘HMS Anson’:

https://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/results

It is worth bearing in mind too that January is mid-summer in Australia so there will be maximum sun brightness
if the photos are taken in midday sun or thereabouts. Some of the photos re-posted here for ease of
viewing and discussion:

Attachment:
hood_23856h.jpg


Attachment:
hood_23854h.jpg


Attachment:
hood_23863h.jpg


Of course it is difficult to know for definite if she was repainted between then and June 1946 when the colour
footage posted previously was filmed?

According to this September 30th 1945 article her funnels were repainted during her July - August 1945 refit in
Sydney before proceeding to Hong Kong:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229031266?searchTerm=hms%20anson

Article re-posted here for ease of viewing:

September 30th 1945,

In: SUPPLEMENT TO THE MAGAZINE

My Visit To A Great British Battleship
By D. McRae


PARTY of us left Circular Quay in a launch, which look us to Captain Cook Dock. Here we were
to go over the British battleship, HMS Anson. We were taken on board and split up into groups,
one sailor taking three of us to show around. I will never forget what, a wonderful and interesting
experience it was. On the top deck most of the sailors were painting, and they appeared, happy
enough as they levered themselves up and down the funnels and splashed paint all over the place.
One unfortunate sailor dropped a whole bucketful of paint, and what a mess he had to clean up.
I was interested in, watching a crane loading shells on board for the large 14in. guns.. The shells
look quite small, and I was amazed to - learn they weighed one ton each!

We walked all around the top deck, and then, climbed down below. The further you
go down, the hotter and muggier it is and down about the fourth deck it- is not very
pleasant. at all. A sailor's life isn't all fresh-air and sea breezes! I peeped around the corner
of one mess, and there was a chap peeling potatoes.. He was absolutely snowed in with
peeled and unpeeled potatoes! I was sorry for him until I looked in at the next door,
where a young sailor was also snowed- in — with onions. "Like a job?" he asked, and
"No, thanks!" was my prompt reply. We visited the hospital and I had a chat with one of the
patients.

When we eventually reached the top deck, we all had lunch together. It was great fun.
The English sailors agreed that Australia is a fine country. All too soon the day drew
to a. close and we had to leave not long after sundown. It was fun, going back to
the Quay on top of the launch with the breeze streaming through our hair and the water
spraying our faces. We were tired and happy when we- eventually arrived home after
a very interesting day.


After the long sea voyage from the U.K. you would imagine the hull was repainted at this time too?
Even if the article does not expressly state so. As the paintwork surely would have suffered
during the long voyage out from the U.K.

Another article here has a photo reported to be Anson in Hong Kong, presumably in August 1945:

http://blog.wykontario.org/?p=20771

Again, article reposted here for ease of viewing:

A Jesuit Taking the First Japanese Surrender of Hong Kong 1945

Posted on August 31, 2015


Yesterday, August the 30th, a day that should be remembered by everybody connected
to Hong Kong, the day of liberation by the Pacific Fleet of the Royal Navy from Japanese
occupation since Christmas Day, 1941. Little known is the fact that the Japanese first
surrendered to a Jesuit way before the official surrender on 16 September! The following
is an excerpt from “Jesuits in Hong Kong, South China and Beyond – Irish Jesuit Mission
– its Development 1926 -2006” Thomas J. Morrissey, S.J. Xavier Publishing Association
Co. Ltd, Hong Kong 2008.

On 15 August 1945, the Japanese Emperor made his historic announcement: “ Moved by
charity and in order to save further loss of life, his Imperial Majesty has decided to put
an end to the war…” … “Then one day at the end of August”, as Bourke (Fr. Edward, Rector
of Wah Yan) recalled, “ we saw the spectacle of British warships slowly, very slowly, entering
the harbour…”… The Japanese army and gendarmes had interred themselves, for their own
protection, in camps under their own officers.

The British ships, which had come from Australia, included the 45,000 ton battleship,
H.M.S. Anson (see photo of the ship in HK), which had on board a fellow student of
Bourke at University College Dublin, Fr. Matthias (Matty) Bodkin, the only Irish Jesuit
chaplain in the British navy. Some hours after Bourke had seen the arrival of the
H.M.S. Anson, he heard someone trampling heavily up the stairs. To his astonishment
it was Bodkin, dressed as a naval chaplain. All his Irish colleagues were overjoyed
and “listened spell bound” to all the news he had for them. Bourke expressed to him
his concern about Ricci Hall. If the Japanese gendarmes were no longer there, there
was grave danger of it being looted again. Bodkin suggested that they go and see.
“On our way”, Bourke remarked, “we saw looters everywhere, and the sight of a
British uniform caused some of them to run away. We passed by the university
which was being looted. Then we came to Ricci Hall. The Japanese flag was
still waving so we realised the gendarmes were still there.

“When the gendarmes saw the uniform they all lined up, bowed low, and saluted Fr. Bodkin.
They held their swords flat on their hands as a token of surrender, and one lowered the Japanese flag.
Fr. Bodkin was very kind to them and I think they were surprised. We asked the, to let us know
when they were vacating, so that we could take over and prevent looting. Fr. Bodkin afterwards
jokingly referred to the incident and claimed that he took the first surrender of Hong Kong”.


I think the photo referred to may indeed be Anson, it is not Duke of York or Howe anyway as you
can see the aft funnel detail. I can’t see the HACS directors closely enough to rule out
King George V. But assuming it is Anson, she is still sporting the Admiralty Standard
Type A Scheme in Hong Kong. So she must have left Australia painted as such.
Photo cropped and reposted here for ease of viewing and discussion:

Attachment:
HMS Anson Hong Kong undated - Copy.jpg


So after all that it appears that Anson sailed from Australia to Hong Kong in August 1945
still wearing Admiralty Standard Scheme A.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:55 am 
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Another article here, re-posted for clarity. Aside from the small detail about the Anson's brasswork, an interesting historical snapshot of the August 15th to September 2nd 1945 timeframe:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/195750736?searchTerm=hms%20anson

Monday August 27th 1945

BATTLESHIP ON MERCY ERRAND

(From J. H. Adams, aboard H.M.S. Anson.)

We are steaming through a strange period that is neither peace nor war. The Japanese have surrendered, but have not signed up on the dotted line. Among the officers and ship's company there is a feeling of relaxation, mingled with the ingrained habit of preparedness over nearly six years of war.

The Anson, Britain's latest battleship of the King George V class, was detached to join the British Pacific Fleet. When she arrived in Sydney and went into the Captain Cook dock the Japs, though being pounded from every quarter, showed no sign of surrender. The great battleship was equipped with three and a half miles of ventilation trunking before she came to the Pacific. In Sydney, finishing touches for battle were added. Men from the captain down to the youngest boy were proud of their ship. They were confident she would make the enemy feel her weight. Then came the great day.

The Anson was ready for battle. Ready to sail north. But on that day Japan surrendered. Now as the Anson steams north wards the areas where the Japanese hold thousands of our soldiers and civilians behind barbed wire, her errand is one of mercy. On the deck there are all sorts of equipment for clearing enemy held harbours. There are supplies of food, the first instalments of more to come to build up the health of the prisoners who have long been starved by the Japs.

There are sealed tins of medical stores, and piles of army type stretchers, to cope with those too ill to help themselves. Among the motor boats on the boat deck are jeeps for gunning about in the ports as soon as they are reoccupied by our forces. But the Anson still retains her battle grey and alertness. When the surrender is completed shining brass work will return. So far the only brass to be restored to her glittering peace-time, countenance has been a small deck fitting, not visible from outboard.

As the Anson steams north the relaxation of the few days between V-P day in Sydney and the former battle stained seas vanishes. Every gun is manned day and night. Officially the war may be over, but watchfulness cannot be relaxed. Down in the wardroom meals
assume almost cafeteria aspect. Officers wait on themselves to a large extent, for the Royal Marines, who normally act as stewards, are preparing, if necessary to assume their traditional role of landing parties. In full battle dress they muster on the quarter deck for exercises. In khaki, with steel helmets and full packs, they- fall in beneath the shadow of the 14in. guns as sergeants shout crisp orders.

Then as the battleship steams between the islands, where Australians fought the Japanese back in dark days of the Pacific war, there comes the rattle of tommy-guns. The whole ship is ready and willing to go to any spot where ordered to support the victims of Japanese aggression. The Royal Marines are prepared for their short role, either to fight their way in if in dire extremity it becomes necessary, or to take the' lead in restoring order out of chaos.


So from that and my previous post, it seems Anson sailed to Hong Kong in August 1945 still wearing her Admiralty standard Type A scheme and retaining her dulled down brass fittings as per wartime practice.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 3:10 am 
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There is a gap then in dates of her activities and locations visited from September to December 1945.
Some articles below shed light on the dates. Articles placed in order of date and re-posted here for ease of viewing:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205648730?searchTerm=hms%20anson

Tuesday December 4th 1945

H.M.S. ANSON TO VISIT SYDNEY

"The Age" Special Correspondent TOKYO, Dec. 3

The giant British battleship Anson, flagship of Vice-Admiral J. H. Eddleston, has arrived in Tokyo from Hong Kong. The ship will cruise to Sydney for refit early in -the New Year.


https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/95587306?searchTerm=hms%20anson

Monday February 18th 1946

RETURNING IN BATTLESHIP

Sydney, Feb. 16.— The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester arrived in Sydney to-day in H.M.S. Anson after six weeks in Tasmania. The ship's company made a number of toys, including a model of the ship, for Prince William and Prince Richard, and the Anson's midshipmen gave the princes a party in the gunroom yesterday afternoon. After an investiture at Government House the Duke and Duchess will fly to Canberra later to-day. The princes will go by car.



https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145002369?searchTerm=hms%20anson

March 7th 1946

MIGHTY BATTLESHIP IN CAPTAIN COOK DOCK

H.M.S. Anson, 35,000 ton British battleship, is being overhauled in the Captain Cook Dock, Sydney. This attractive picture shows the big battleship framed through the steel girders of the mobile crane.



Based on the articles in the above post, Burt may have his order slightly mixed up in his timeframe for Anson in his book. It seems she brought the Duke and Duchess home from Tasmania in mid- February 1946 and then went for a refit in Sydney in late February or early March 1946. Burt had said she went for refit before the trip to Tasmania. So based on those reports and Burt's timeframe it seems Anson's movements were as follows (incomplete and subject to additional information emerging):

August 1945: Sails Sydney to Hong Kong
September 16th 1945: Japanese surrender of Hong Kong signed aboard
August – November 1945: Base ship at Hong Kong
November 1945: Sails Hong Kong – Tokyo
Early December 1945: Sails Tokyo – Hong Kong
December 26th 1945: Sails Hong Kong – Sydney via Fremantle
January 5th 1946: Arrives at Fremantle
January 18th 1946: Due at Sydney
January 28th 1946: Appears dressed overall at Anniversary Day Regatta, Sydney
February 16th 1946: Arrives at Sydney having conveyed Duke & Duchess of Gloucester from Tasmania
Late February / early March 1946: Refit at Captain Cook Drydock, Sydney.
Late March 1946: Returns to forward operational area, Yokohama, Kure, Kobe. Later based again at Hong Kong.
June 4th 1946: Filmed in colour off Kobe.
June 21st 1946: Departed Hong Kong for U.K.
July 29th 1946: Arrived at Portsmouth.


For clarity I have added the known movements to the initial post. No obvious refit period within that timeframe. Unless more evidence emerges? Her hull could have been repainted at any time at any of these locations really? Especially if it were into the B20 Medium Blue full hull scheme. All that would be required would be to paint the hull ends and the portions over the armour belt, as there was likely already a B20 Medium Blue panel on the hull.

Might the B20 Medium Blue full hull scheme have been an expedient scheme to use up on board wartime paint stocks pending the next full repaint in dock? I presume it would also have the added bonus of being more heat reflective than a dark grey hull scheme. An obvious benefit when sailing in very warm Australian and Pacific waters.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 3:53 am 
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Mr. Church wrote:
No obvious refit period within that timeframe.


No obvious refit period within the August 1945 to January 1946 timeframe I should say.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 4:47 am 
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A bit of a breakthrough this morning, courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia.

They have a photo collection online from H.M.S. Anson's visit to Fremantle in January 1946. For some reason I did not find it when I searched before. Most of the photos show onboard activities but this one here clearly shows part of Anson's hull. It is obvious she is still wearing her Admiralty Standard Scheme A at this time. Picture re-posted here for ease of viewing:

https://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd127/127912PD.jpg

Attachment:
HMS Anson Fremantle January 6th 1946.jpg


It is definitely Anson as you can see her HACS directors, plus the date on the photos tallies with the dates from the newspaper reports. We know from photographic evidence that Anson appeared at the regatta in Sydney on January 28th 1946 sporting the dark hull light upperworks colour scheme.

So that makes it certain that she was repainted from Admiralty Standard Scheme A into the dark hull light upperworks sometime between January 6th 1946 and January 28th 1946. Most likely in Sydney after she arrived back there from Fremantle.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:40 am 
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Mr. Church wrote:

So that makes it certain that she was repainted from Admiralty Standard Scheme A into the dark hull light upperworks sometime between January 6th 1946 and January 28th 1946. Most likely in Sydney after she arrived back there from Fremantle.


Which in turn, given the evidence currently available, seems to me to make it more likely that her hull was painted B20 at this time.

Given the hull tone (and degrees of contrast with other paints) that can be seen in most of the many photos from the various sources of her at the Regatta on 28th January 1946, I feel that 507A/G10 is less likely at this time. (We are dealing with B&W photos so there is of course the outside chance it's the 50/50 mix but I'd want to see evidence to support this, eg an order superseding the B20 order.)

Can I compliment you on your research! It is wonderful how much the Australian museums and libraries are managing to digitise.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:35 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:00 pm
Posts: 567
Thanks dick. Yes it is great how much is available online from he Aussie sources. So handy when you find a photo that clearly shows what you were looking for. As you say, if there are orders for the B20 scheme and no evidence thus far of any superseding order to the contrary well then B20 is the most likely based on that. I agree regarding the overall tone of it in the black and white photos at the regatta.

Looking more closely at the photo you posted on July 13th showing Anson's forward superstructure at the regatta, her superstructure paintwork appears somewhat shabby. So to me it would seem likely she was repainted again during her short February - March 1946 refit in Sydney, before the colour films in my initial post were shot.


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