CA-72 Pittsburgh Camouflage, Ms 33/18d

[Major Rich]

I am working on building the 1/700 Trumpeter Pittsburgh. I want to paint her in the listed Ms 33/18d. I have looked up the info on camouflage.com and other places and have a question. For Ms 33 the vertical colors are listed as 5-L and 5-O. But looking at the diagram for 18d the vertical has 3 colors. What is the 3rd color for Ms 33? If its black then its the same as Ms 32. I have seen 5-N listed. Thanks, Rich.

[Kometa]

Hi

I build the same model and the same camouflage. I used Humbrol paints. Deck: HU-144 (intermediate blue); superestructure and main guns: HU-129 (Light Grey 5L) (FS36440), haze grey (HU-127) (FS-36375) and Black.

More information:
viewtopic.php?f=74&t=91954&start=80
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=111555&hilit=Pittsburg

[Cliffy B]

Rich here's the official camo sheets:
16D
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 09723c.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 09724c.htm

18D
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 09721c.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 09722c.htm

It lists them as Ms 3x/16D and Ms 3x/18D. 18D has "BK" or black as the only concrete color and 16D has no colors listed, simply showing where to apply the light, medium, and dark colors.

They're some of those "open" schemes where you could sub in the appropriate colors based on theater of operations.

Ship Camo says CA-68 wore Ms 33/18D. Ms 33 is only 5-L and 5-O. Ms 32 is the same but adds BK.
http://www.shipcamouflage.com/usn_ca.htm

Other sources say she wore Ms 32 which is 5-L, 5-O, and BK.

Only options save for a rare scheme, would be:
5-L, 5-0 and BK
OR
5-P, 5-H, and 5-N

L and O were almost always paired with BK and NOT 5-N save for a couple of BBs (a rarity) and possibly a few others.
P and H were almost always paired with 5-N and NOT BK (haven't seen one yet at least).

Comparing black and white photos is far from an exact science and given different lighting conditions the two schemes (L,O,BK and P,H,N) could look different, the same, or even the opposite of each other.

I would personally go with L, O, and BK unless you prefer the colors of P, H, and N. You can always print the camo scheme sheets and display them next to your build proving that the scheme was "open" and no one will be able to fault you

[Major Rich]

Koneta and Cliff thanks for your input and information. I will decide which way to go when I get closer to painting.