Calling all King George V-class (WWII) fans

[Quaestor]

Just got a copy of the Tamiya 1/700 kit. WEM's site has the colors pretty well covered with the exception of ship's boats. What color(s) would they have been in the Pacific, 1945?
TIA

[ThomasBorg]

I have just started building Tamiyas 1/350 PoW. I'm planing to paint her in WEM colours, and I have a fairly clear idea about what colours to use for the camoflage, but I'm a little unsertain about how to paint those areas that the instructions call out for XF-20 (medium grey) and XF-53 (neutral grey). I'm sure that there are an simple answer to this but I can't figure it out...

[Sutho]

I have just started building Tamiyas 1/350 PoW. I'm planing to paint her in WEM colours, and I have a fairly clear idea about what colours to use for the camoflage, but I'm a little unsertain about how to paint those areas that the instructions call out for XF-20 (medium grey) and XF-53 (neutral grey). I'm sure that there are an simple answer to this but I can't figure it out...

Find the thread in camouflage and coatings. It is about ten pages long and has all the information you need to know about the ship. The Tamiya instructions are all wrong. The colours you refer to are deck colours on the ship and were not painted in that colour. The steel decks were painted in B5 with the forward superstructure above the hanger being painted in MS1.





viewtopic.php?f=69&t=87307&start=200

[EJFoeth]

My best estimate for the scheme is attached. The latest research shows that the B5 I have on the hull should be more blue than it is now. For fun I have the decks MS1 and MS2, but might have been MS1 and B5. I haven't checked the aerial images too well to see if this was a possibility. This is for fun only There is a good chance (near certainty) that several WEM colours are not accurate, namely B5, B6, MS4, MS4a. This scheme is MS1/B5/MS3/MS4/MS4a, most likely the same colours as e.g., Renown and Rodney. Note that MS2=507A, MS4=507C in the scheme also works with these colours reasonably close together. I have found no evidence of any ship in the Royal navy with either MS3 or MS4 in combination with B6.

Note: Ignore the UPs! This is clearly wrong and to be edited out.

[Sutho]

My best estimate for the scheme is attached. The latest research shows that the B5 I have on the hull should be more blue than it is now. For fun I have the decks MS1 and MS2, but might have been MS1 and B5. I haven't checked the aerial images too well to see if this was a possibility. This is for fun only There is a good chance (near certainty) that several WEM colours are not accurate, namely B5, B6, MS4, MS4a. This scheme is MS1/B5/MS3/MS4/MS4a, most likely the same colours as e.g., Renown and Rodney. Note that MS2=507A, MS4=507C in the scheme also works with these colours reasonably close together. I have found no evidence of any ship in the Royal navy with either MS3 or MS4 in combination with B6.

Note: Ignore the UPs! This is clearly wrong and to be edited out.

Yes that thread we had going was really useful and would provide anyone with allot of information they need.

In reality I do not think anyone will ever get to the bottom of what the colours really looked like in the day. Any colour and black and white image from the time is unreliable and is dependant on how good the printing ink was at the time for photos and how good the negatives were and if filters were used. Even colour footage of the US in the pacific is quite different from the real paint.

After that thread I just gave up trying to find the exact match and decided to stick with the WEM colours.

[ThomasBorg]

I have read the entire thread and as someone stated, I will just follow WEM's colors...

[Sutho]

Just a note with the painting. The stern is often painted wrong by many modellers who change colours right at the stern. After careful examination of all the photos it is very clear that it is the same colour paint carried round from port to starboard.

If any paint still exists of that ship it is probably buried deep in the sea bed. In fact the paint on the ship probably still exists in the areas buried. Unfortunately there is no way of getting to it.

[EJFoeth]

The attached image a few posts up is the least wrong scheme I know. Not only the colors around the stern are correct, but it also captures the lightest color being applied in a few areas only. Other schemes miss the MS3 area on the starboard side of B-turret and nobody seems to have noticed the overly complicated scheme of colors on the gun barrels. I've compared it with the many variations of Raven, Tamiya, Profile Morksie, online versions etcetera, and these all do not comply with all photographs. The Raven scheme changes shape and number of colors every 10 years, Tamiya has many imaginary spots on, amongst others, A-turret and the bridge, and generally makes a mess of the colors, Profile Morksie is really bad. Online schemes are usually a variant of one or the other.

The exact colors will remain an issue of debate so there is some leeway there. I'm quite certain that the above scheme will be changed at some time, usually when a new photograph is obtained, but I hope it will assist in making a decision for modelers of Prince of Wales. So, even if you apply other colors, have a look at the pattern, photographs and decide for yourself. Perhaps I should do an "Anatomy of the Ship" series volume on her to get it in print

[EJFoeth]

Here are two Japanese propaganda prints from May 1942 of HMS Prince of Wales under attack by Japanese forces.

[mossieramm]

Hi there, I want to do the KGV as it was in May 1941. At first I thought to backdate my Tamiya kit of the KGV to 1941 and add a WEM set for the details. I'm not sure what all the modifications are though, up launchers, radar and degaussing cable are what spring to mind.
I understand that Pontos makes several detail sets for the Tamiya POW and 1 of them, according to the box, is to make a KGV in 1941 fit. Would that be for May 1941 ? Has anyone used this set ??

[MartinL]

Hi there, I want to do the KGV as it was in May 1941. At first I thought to backdate my Tamiya kit of the KGV to 1941 and add a WEM set for the details. I'm not sure what all the modifications are though, up launchers, radar and degaussing cable are what spring to mind.
I understand that Pontos makes several detail sets for the Tamiya POW and 1 of them, according to the box, is to make a KGV in 1941 fit. Would that be for May 1941 ? Has anyone used this set ??

Hi,if you want to do kgv in 1941 the easiest way is to buy the pontos kit along with tamiya's prince of wales . Tamiya's kgv is after several refits from 1941 including removing the aircraft and adding a boat deck just to mention 2 . The pow kit is far closer to kgv in 1941 and pontos actually say that you need the pow kit !!

[Sutho]

I used a Tamiya POW kit. There are many modifications that need to be made.





There is one UP launcher on the stern, two on Y turret and one on B turret. Lifeboat configuration is different. On the forward superstructure close to where the main deck level secondary turrets exist there are two window type structures that need to be shaved off and have the structure straightened and replaced with floats. The HAC directors are the same ones you see in the trumpeter Hood kit. All the wooden decks were stained in 1941 to 507A.

[Mike W]

Quick question time as I just want to make sure I get the colours correct.

KGV in the BPF in 1945, was it painted in overall G45 with B55 rectangle patch on the hull and B15 metal decks?

Also, were the wooden decks unpainted or painted and if painted, what colour?

thanks
Mike

[Ady]

The blue panel should be B20 and the lateral steel surfaces G10. Decks unpainted teak.

[Mike W]

Thanks!

[Sutho]

Also re the 1945 paint scheme the underside of all turrets, blast shields, underside of all shelter areas were painted white.

[krgf15]

Howdy, I am a little new to the British side of ship building, so I was wondering:
I have 2 kits of the Tamiya 1/700 KGV. I bought the second one because I thought I was missing parts, but I found them. If I wanted to build another KGV from the second kit, which one would be the easiest to build from that kit? Thanks.

[Felix C]

I used a Tamiya POW kit. There are many modifications that need to be made.





There is one UP launcher on the stern, two on Y turret and one on B turret. Lifeboat configuration is different. On the forward superstructure close to where the main deck level secondary turrets exist there are two window type structures that need to be shaved off and have the structure straightened and replaced with floats. The HAC directors are the same ones you see in the trumpeter Hood kit. All the wooden decks were stained in 1941 to 507A.

what ship and what year does it represent?

[Sutho]

I used a Tamiya POW kit. There are many modifications that need to be made.





There is one UP launcher on the stern, two on Y turret and one on B turret. Lifeboat configuration is different. On the forward superstructure close to where the main deck level secondary turrets exist there are two window type structures that need to be shaved off and have the structure straightened and replaced with floats. The HAC directors are the same ones you see in the trumpeter Hood kit. All the wooden decks were stained in 1941 to 507A.

what ship and what year does it represent?

King George V during 1941 Bismarck action. Apparently the wooden decks were paint stained at that period.

[Haijun watcher]

Hello all from Canada, (it's about 4:30 AM here in Vancouver as of this posting and I can't sleep)

I am another ship modeller who just found this wonderful forum. So much information and insights from past posts! Wow! I did a lot of modelling- mostly waterline 1/700 series ships from Tamiya, etc. - way back in my teenage years in the 1990s. Now in my 30s, I recently got back into ship models.

I'm still sorting through the multitude of posts from this and other threads, so apologies if this has been answered already before.

Does anyone know what sort of paint scheme/camouflage that both HMS Duke of York and HMS Anson sported when they were dispatched to intercept Tirpitz and Scharnhorst during their 1943 raid against the Norweigian garrison of Spitzbergen?

Here's a reference link to the Duke's tabular record of movement and here's an excerpt to the specific instance that I mean:

Naval History.net

September 1943


DUKE OF YORK at Scapa.


(...)

At 0430/7/9/43 TIRPITZ and SCHARNHORST opened fire on the weather station and its two 3" guns, which were quickly put out of action, but not before causing damage to Z29 and Z33. The destroyers then landed troops to complete the destruction. At 0900/7/9/43 the German Force departed and returned to Altenfjord, where they arrived at 1730/9/9/43.

Photographic reconnaissance of Altenfjord on 7/9/43 [this was the first operational flight by a Spitfire XI of 543 Sqd from North Russia] showed only LUTZOW and 2 destroyers present which indicated that TIRPITZ and SCHARNHORST were probably in the attacking force)


8th - At 1700 hours the Battlefleet comprising battleships DUKE OF YORK (Flag CinC Home Fleet), ANSON (Flag 2iC Home Fleet), aircraft carrier USS RANGER, heavy cruisers LONDON and USS AUGUSTA and TUSCALOOSA, screened by the destroyers ONSLOW, ROCKET, MAHRATTA, HMCS IROQUOIS and HURON, ORP ORKEN and USS BELL, ISHERWOOD, FORREST, CORRY and HOBSON sailed from Scapa and headed north for Spitsbergen to intercept the enemy force.


9th - At 1800 hours the CinC Home Fleet received information from the latest aerial reconnaissance of Altenfjord informing him that TIRPITZ was back. The mission was therefore aborted and the Battlefleet returned to Scapa.


10th - In the afternoon the Battlefleet comprising battleships DUKE OF YORK (Flag CinC Home Fleet), ANSON (Flag 2iC Home Fleet), aircraft carrier USS RANGER, heavy cruisers LONDON and USS AUGUSTA and TUSCALOOSA, screened by the destroyers ONSLOW, ROCKET, MAHRATTA, HMCS IROQUOIS and HURON, ORP ORKAN and USS BELL, ISHERWOOD, FORREST, CORRY and HOBSON arrived back at Scapa.

Thanks in advance.