Gentlemen:
I seem to have touched off quit the debate!
before we all put our pints of beer down on the floor and start throwing bar stools across the room, I would like to summarize what (I) understand the crucial points to be thus far:
1. YAMATO most probably- 90% certainty- had her decks covered in a TEMPORARY "funnel-soot wash/temporary stain" concoction for Operation SHO-GO, the invasion of Leyte Gulf- October 1944;
2. Said "funnel soot wash or temporary stain" was not very weather resistant, and had to be re-applied several times during her dash to the Leyte Gulf area in October of 1944;
3. YAMATO was berthed/drydocked after the end of the LEYTE GULF operations in November-January 1945 (exact time period??) to affect repairs from damage incurred during her last sortie at Leyte, where all repairs were made AND upgrading of her AA Batteries was carried out- a significant yard period in and out of drydock.
4. It is safe to "assume,' that YAMATO received during this yard period at least perfunctory new touch-up paint work at KURE Naval Base, and all newly installed enclosed AA mounts and other new equipment/alterations had these areas repainted as well. Since a lot of this work enatiled the main deck amidships areas, the decks would have been well trodden, and cleaned prior to and after newly installed AA positions were in place.
5. In my experience as a naval historian and active warship restoration specialist (including yard periods for historic ships), I have NEVER heard of a major overhaul/alteration period being done where decks were not deliberately cleaned/restained and/or new facilities/alterations painted to match the latest camouflage measure/current paint standards that the ship was painted in (in this case, KURE GREY).
5. There is no yard record mentioning the reapplication of the "funnel soot wash or temporary stain"
6. YAMATO has no survivor record of this stain be REAPPLIED BEFORE OR DURING Operation TEN-ICHI-GO, the last ditch sortie to oppose and stop the invasion of Okinawa in April of 1945. Some survivor accounts "RECALL" the decks being a stained color at the time of her loss- but do NOT recall it being specifically reapplied prior to the okinawa suicide dash. (This is correct from what I can discern here on the discussion board....It is my opinion that these "Recollections" of a stained deck during her last sortie are memories from 30-50 yrs ago where, understandably, one air engaement with USN carrier planes is confused/transposed on another similar action (Leyte and Okinawa). This VERY OFTEN happens with veterans- they do not intentionally misdirect or decieve, but jumble memories/reflections/time periods together.)
7. General IJN practice was to NOT stain or paint natural wooden decking on battleships- the Leyte Gulf "soot stain" being a notable and as far as I know, temporary exception to this rule. Again, all agree that such stain was not permanent, and had to be re-applied several times just in the voyage leading up to the actual Leyte Gulf battles.
8. Photographic evidence of YAMATO's last sortie is in B/W photography only- guessing as to the actual or correct SHADES of grey can be very misleading and more often than not lead to erroneous conclusions. The effects of light, angle, shutter speed of the camera, type of film, exposure times, developing processes, etc. etc. are all factors which affect the exposure/and or relative "clarity" of a given B/W image. Such factors are unknown to researchers today, and leave the possible permutations of what color is actually a particular, known color open to dispute WITHOUT INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTATION.
9. Due to all these "what ifs" and the general inaccuracy of interpreting B/W photography as well as the blurred and/or confused memories of only a couple of survivors' statements (I wonder if a majority of other survivors recall natural wood decks???), it is possible to - AT THIS POINT IN TIME GIVEN THE HISTORICAL RECORD- to paint YAMATO with natural hinoki cypress decking, OR a dark grey "soot stained" deck. I tend to believe the former is the best choice.
10. Follow-Up Points for consideration:
A.) The actual color of well seasoned Japanese hinoki cypress wood decking is considerably darker than what most modelers portray in their work. See previous image of predreadnought MIKASA's natural wood decking forwarded by DOUG HALLET immediately above this post under the discussion name "Yamato Camouflage- what the ????" (Thanks, Doug!
) - its actually darker than the surrounding (though faded) grey paintwork (anyone knowwhat color MIKASA is currently painted in? Seems too light to be KURE GREY). This would be considerably enhanced in a B/W photo using period film and cameras.
B.) Many sources- including FUKUI, a chief constructor of the IJN- reported that towards the end of the war, most IJN grey paints tended to be somewhat more "faded" or "silvery tinted" in appearance- thus allowing for natural wood hinoki decking to again appear darker than the surrounding paintwork on a IJN warship viewed in a period B/W photo.
C.) There is no evidence to suggest that the currently available B/W photos of YAMATO show her in action with DRY decks- for every actual hit, there were at least five "near misses' or bomb splashes close enough to drench the BB's decks and surrounding structures with water, making decks appear darker than normally would be perceived.
I intend on painting my YAMATO in natural wood colors which are closer to a grey than a "wood" color, unless someone can show me that each point above is somehow unreasonable or in error.
I would like to thank everyone who have opined and contributed to this discussion!
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