French destroyer deck colours WW2

[sandy]

Hi,

Can anyone confirm that, up until the fall of France, the torpilleurs and contre-torpilleurs of the French Navy had completely red-brown decks, made up either of linoleum in this colour or steel decks painted the same colour?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy

P.S. Is there such a thing as a colour photo of these destroyers showing the decks?

[setori]

Up to 1931 the decks were Dark gray + red linoleum
From 1931 till the end of the Vichy regime they where painted Red + red linoleum

[sandy]

Thank you.

My understanding from the Vauquelin class book is that the foredeck (before the breakwater) was painted red-brown, then the forecastle and main deck, plus all the upper decks were red-brown linoleum, apart from the wooden gratings on the bridge.

In other words, the only painted bit was in front of the breakwater at the bow?

All the best
Sandy

[setori]

No no
On the forecastle :
forward of the breakwater : red paint
behind : lino

The upper deck was lino from the stern to the after funnel (exact position unknown) and then painted from there to the forecastle.
The top of the different superstructures where light grey
bridge and fire control platform : wooden gratings

[sandy]

Thanks once more.

Just one clarification regardng the decks of superstructures, are you saying that the deck where no2, no3 and n04 guns were and the tops of the deckhouses on which the funnels are, were light grey, the same as the vertical surfaces or were they red brown also?

The cover of Marine magazine no5 about the Norwegian campaign seems to suggest that all the upper decks were red-brown, apart from the wooden gratings?

Photos of the scuttled contre-torpilleurs at Toulon seem to suggest that the upper decks are much darker in colour than the vertical surfaces.

Thanks in advance.

Sandy

[setori]

yes you're right, I answered too quickly, I was just thinking about the roof of the aft Norias which were light grey before receiving AA guns

[setori]

Now I have great doubts concerning the after part of the forecastle, on this picture of Gerfaut it's painted.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-imag ... .jpg[/img]
I have a picture of Volta which shows paint too


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[setori]

On this picture of Guepard, you can see the start of the lino covering on the forecastle
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-imag ... .jpg[/img]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/url]

[sandy]

Hmm.

Thanks for the great photos but more confusion reigns.

In the Guepard photo do you think the linoleum is starting at the rectangular sections, perhaps midway along the no1 gun and in the photo just near the crewman leaning on the slides by the cartridges (to port).

There is a photo in the Vauquelin book that seems to show that the there are two 'tracks' of gridded stel strips leading up to the anchor hawsers.

And I have this photo of the Maille Breze:-



and this one:-



showing the painted deck, with, perhaps on the first, that the paint stops at the slide, and the linoleum begins?

All the best
Sandy

[setori]

The Linoleum starts (when there is lino)after the B gun

On this pic of Le Mars you can see the start of the Lino covering



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I repost the pic of Gu�pard



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And finally on this pic of La Tramontane you can clearly see the lino on the forecastle by the side of the bridge


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[sandy]

Hi Setori,

Thanks very much again for the photos.

I hate now to ask but do you have any photos showing where the linoleum stopped and started at the aft end of the destroyers?

You mentioned it running from the stern to a position adjacent to the after funnel. Is the sequence then, from fore to aft:-

Forecastle - paint then linoleum.

Main deck - paint then linoleum.

You have posted up some great photos. If you have any more, specifically showing details onboard, I would love to see them.

I am planning on building a 72nd model of the Maille Breze as she was the day she sank at Greenock which is only about 20 miles from where I live, so I would like to get as much of it correct as possible. I already have built a 72nd scale model of F714, Guepratte.

All the best
Sandy

[setori]

Hi Setori,

Thanks very much again for the photos.

I hate now to ask but do you have any photos showing where the linoleum stopped and started at the aft end of the destroyers?

You mentioned it running from the stern to a position adjacent to the after funnel. Is the sequence then, from fore to aft:-

Forecastle - paint then linoleum.

The exact limit of the extension of linoleum on the main deck is hard to tell, I haven't seen it on photos.
But it could start at the bulkhead aft of the after boiler room ad stop somewhere before the winch (the aft end of the main deck is painted , several photos show i)
I join an extract of the builder plan of Maille Breze

Give me your email and I'll send you the photos I have



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[sandy]

Thanks for the further information.

I have sent a PM.

[sirmaumau]

Thanks for the above replies ,but anything for the cruisers? CA LC ? badly need knowing about frech ship. Thanks a lot!