1940 USN Small Boat Colors

[Devin]

I'm at the small boats portion of my 1/350th scale USS Benson build. At that time I believe that the hull was the same #5 as the ship's hull, and the lower hull looks to be black. I also believe I can make out mahogany around the gunnels. Can anyone confirm this? I'm basing this mostly off of a color Life photo of USS Hammann from 1940.

[Tracy White]

The Images Devin is talking about are
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/c9 ... e9e3b.html and
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/c7 ... 0794e.html

I would use the colors you are describing - check out this close up of the larger boats on Idaho:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/9f ... 61f95.html

[Devin]

Okay, excellent. Thanks. And I'll use off-white for the two boats that have canopies over the forward hull.

[Tracy White]

I've got a 1935 directive that states:

2. Such canvas articles as hatch hoods, boat covers, weather cloths, signal flag bags, ladder screens, gun covers (anti-aircraft), gun port screens, and other articles that are frequently put on and off should be kept free of paint or preservative, and kept clean by scrubbing.
3. Such canvas articles as are infrequently removed, or through their location are exposed to smoke and soot from the stacks, should be painted. Such items include anti-aircraft machine gun covers, certain searchlight covers and covers for certain fire control installations on the mast structures.

Now, it should be noted that this was an order to battleships and not destroyers, but I think there may be some relevance here.

[Devin]

Okay, that's interesting. I guess I could go with the same tan that I did the canvas dodgers on the rails. That makes more sense. Also, that's assuming those are cloth canopies on the small boats, it could be a solid cowling, too.