Gato class color scheme? please advice

[seawolf]

hi guys,
anyone have the info about Gato Class color scheme?
what's the color for the portion above water line? the underwater hull?

I'm aware that a boat color may differ one another, but what's the color in general? need the info to build Gato Model of 1/700. thanks guys.

[chips]

Color scheme depends on the

[color=#000000]Color scheme depends on the year. Here is a link for WWII color measures. During the war, the GATO's and BALAO's were painted in one of the following schemes.
Measure 9 - Black vertical surfaces, horizontal surfaces are Dark Gray 5-D. The underwater body is painted with current issue of anti-fouling paint (could be black or red).
Measure 10 - Entire sub above the water line is painted Ocean Gray, 5-O. There shall be no boot topping. The underwater body is painted with current issue of anti-fouling paint.
Measure 32/3SS-B and 32/9SS-B - Paint all exposed vertical surfaces a pattern of]



Edited By chips on 1129952870

[seawolf]

Chips, thank you very much

[color=#000080]Chips, thank you very much for your information really appreciate it.

regarding measure 32 - I presume the pattern is randomized but have to contains all the paint scheme of]

[tom dougherty]

regarding measure 32 - I

[quote]regarding measure 32 - I presume the pattern is randomized but have to contains all the paint scheme of]
Uhh, no. Light gray is for the vertical surfaces above waterline starting at the bow. It blends to darker heading back & then into black at the stern. The conning tower fairwater is light gray. During the war, the pre-war "red lead" was redone as black. You can get an idea of the paint scheme form this link to my Blenny model.
USS Blenny SS-324 fleet sub model

[chips]

The pattern was not random,

The pattern was not random, but specific. This link has some pictures of the WWII paint schemes - http://www.shipcamouflage.com/submarines.htm .
The Measure 32/3-SS scheme is: Light gray was used on the conning tower and the vertical surfaces of the hull forward of the conning tower. Ocean gray on the vertical hull aft of the conning tower. The black on the vertical parts of the hull starts roughly at the aft engine exhausts. The COD appears to be painted in Measure 32/3-SS, the area aft of the gangway is a darker gray.


The Measure 33/9-SS scheme is similar; but there is no use of Ocean Gray. The light gray extends all the way to the engine exhausts; Black is used aft of the exhausts. The
COBIA appears in the 33/9-SS scheme.

[tmsmalley]

Matt Ahrens in Germany has

Matt Ahrens in Germany has a nice bunch of US Fleetboat photos posted at Gato Subs
http://www.schiffsbilderarchiv.de/gatosubs

[boss subfixer]

Tim!
Thanks for that link. I

Tim!
Thanks for that link. I found that one a long time ago and lost it. I've been trying to find it ever since.

[tmsmalley]

I had lost it too,

I had lost it too, but I stumbled on Matt's email address the other day and contacted him. He said he is eventually going to move it to a better URL, but for now, he says this one works fine.
Tim

[gerwalk]

During the war, the pre-war

During the war, the pre-war "red lead" was redone as black. You can get an idea of the paint scheme form this link to my Blenny model.
USS Blenny SS-324 fleet sub model

[color=#000000]So]

[tom dougherty]

So]

Yes, the red lead came

[quote]So]

Yes, the red lead came back into use in the 1950's, although some boats still got black below the waterline. I think it partly was based on whatever color was available to the shipyard. I have pictures of Nautilus (SSN-571) in the late 1950's with bright red below the waterline, and some color photos of Guppy fleet boast, also red.

When the Navy discovered how visible the submarines were from the air when submerged in clear, tropical waters during WWII , they payed a lot more attention to paint jobs. Aircraft attack was a big concern, and a bright red side & bottom, even if only visible from the certain angles, was out.

[seawolf]

guys, again thank you very

guys, again thank you very much for the info - will use it to build the proper Gato