King George V class during WWII

[Sutho]

I have a few extra Tamiya 1/350 KG5 and POW kits that I am converting to other KG5 class Battleships.

I have built HMS Prince of Wales as of Dec 1941, HMS King George V as of May 1941, HMS King George V as of 1945 at Japanese surrender.

At the moment I am using the other kits to make HMS Howe after its modernisation and intend to paint it in the colours of the famous colour Suez Canal photo. I am aware the colours are 507A, B5, B6 and 507C. I have just ordered the last two of the Ravel camoflauge books from WEM as well as a large batch of paints which should arrive in a few weeks once orders are sorted and processed. I am just wondering if anyone has any information on the camoflauge of Howe at this time as well as AA fit and any other differences of KG5 class I should be aware of?

Also with the last model I am making HMS Duke of York as of Scharnhorst action and believe it to be 507B hull and 507C superstructre with 507A steel decks, turret tops and gun barell tops. Also any other information about this ship its AA fit and arrangments would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Dan Banks]

I'd hold off on DOY, I couldn't find the exact colors this evening but I am almost sure they were in the newer G or B range colors. They are probablt close to what you propose but the hull color was much darker than 507B, or its later equivilant. John at WEM would know.

[Sutho]

Thanks for that. I hope John at WEM posts a reply as it is always his paints I am buying these days. I only have one tin of the darker G10 and am hoping it is that one.... Getting tins to Australia takes over a week. Looking at the photos of the ship during Scharnhorst action the decks appear to be stained as well This photo borrowed from wikipedia shows the gun crew after the Battle of North Cape


and it appears to me that the decks are stained. Other photos of the ship show dark decks.

I still have time to kill as I have luckily managed to strip down the old Tamiya kits and remove the Tamiya paints from them and am recreating other KG5 class battleships. Rather than throw out the ones I painted years ago incorrectly I may as well put them to good use. Fortunately putting them in water with washing powder removes all traves of Tamiya acrylic paints.

[John Snyder]

I don't have camo info right at hand for DoY or Howe, but as for those decks, that just looks like wet teak to me, not paint or stain.

[codythecatt]

yeah, those appear to be just wet teak (8 or 10" planks). When dry they would be silver-grey. (but they were seldom dry!)

[Sutho]

I knew they were wet but was not sure how dark they would get when wet. On the battleship fans forum it appears someone has stated the hull may be or is 507A. Fortunately my latest batch of WEM paints arrived today and was a lot quicker than usual. I just have to wait and see what more information I can get. Configuation for all the individual ships is the hardest info to find.

[Dan Banks]

Just noticed something in the picture above, the Kreigsmarine surface ships had a dark grey stripe around everything protruding from the main deck, so scuff marks wouldn't show. Looks like the Brits did the same, around the barbette anyway?

[Dan Banks]

Still can't confirm exact colors, but there is a series of pictures in Raven and Roberts "British Battleships od WWII", that shows DOY in drydock at Rosyth in "early 1943". The hull is definatly either 507A or G10 or 20. Also the majority of the decks look to be painted in a dark paint. In one picture the area just behind the fore breakwater to halfway through B turret has the sun shining on it and looks of coarse lighter. Or this area could have the paint scraped off. Take a look, the rear turret, x or y, I can't remember how they labeled a single rear turret, it is definatly painted in a dark color, in my humble opinion. Sorry I don't know how to add photo's, but even if I did, they seem to dissapear to a black hole called photo-bucket.

[Sutho]

I know how to get photos. Just right click the image and copy the url and paste it after you slect img above (but baste it between the brackets).

The decks appear to change a lot on that ship.


Borrowed from maritime quest shows Duke of York in 1942


This is on the Scharnhorst chase and I am also told that the hull could be G10 and structure G45. Obviously that is similar to 507A and 507C.


This one is undated but the decks are bare.


Again in 1945 decks could have previously been painted but are bare here.

[Capit�o Norbert]

i use the SNYDER and SHORT COLOUR CHART IN my KGV 1:160 scale
i use automotive paint in the painting