The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: Re: USN Mountbatten Pink Camo paint formula

Hi;

What does Montbatten pink look like? These considerations will probably not answer your dilemma, but may throw some light on the issue. Pun intended. If you go to the Navsource photographic series of the USS Juneau, you can see at least four, perhaps five, different color schemes worn during her short career. At launch on October 25, 1941 she was painted light gray. By March of 1942 she had a dapple pattern on all vertical surfaces. By June, the hull had a false wave disruptive pattern, but the upper works were still mottled. By mid September she had what appears to be a gray scheme . Then it gets interesting. Captain Swenson was interested in trying out the Montbatten pink scheme. USS Juneau put in to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides on September 16 1942. It is possible, but not conclusive, that, the Montbatten pink scheme could have been applied at Tongatubu at that time. One of the problems with photographing ships is light source. Montbatten pink color chips seen inside under artificial light appear to be medium gray, with brownish hues, and a slight touch of pale rose. If you take a Montbatten pink color chip outside in bright sunlight, the chip looks about sixty percent lighter. If you take the same chip out in the late afternoon, it appears the same color as indoors. Just before sunset it looks dark gray. It is easy to see this effect in the Navsource pictures. Paint in southern Pacific areas was not very durable and weathered very quickly. If the scheme had been applied in September, by November it would have been badly beaten up and appear very washed out in bright sunlight. In Navsource photo 0405229 you can clearly see the effect of light. The after turrets turned to starboard look nearly white, while the forward turrets turned to port are darkish gray. All turrets are the same color. The time is shortly before noon. It is not a matter of the hue of the sample as it is a matter of the reflectance. When it comes to application to a model you have a fairly wide range of acceptable hues. As for this particular confounding color, to favor the lighter shades would be the suggestion.

Regards, rjccjr

Previous Message

To Camouflage Paint experts, I have a puzzle.

Normally we have a paint being used that Grayscale photos can't tell you what "color" they are so we can duplicate. The Mountbatten Paint used by the USN has been a real puzzle for me anyway. The paint chip samples, both for RN and USN display a fairly WIDE RANGE of shades. Which one did the USN use in mid-1942? In a quiet odd way, there is a formula for this paint provided by a Capt. well versed in USN Camo efforts in mid-1941. Capt. Swenson, CO of USS JUNEAU in correspondence was recommending that the PacFlt should consider using the same Mountbatten Pink paint he observed applied to USN destroyers (and maybe USS MEMPHIS) while JUNEAU was in the South Atlantic. Capt Swenson was no novice to USN Camouflage. He had commanded submarines and destroyers, and served a number of years at NRL and knew the NRL Camo "Expert", Lt. Commander Bittinger. When the Pacific Fleet Camo experiments started in mid-1941, Swenson was tasked to gather the data and analyze it. He also, made suggested adjustments to some applied schemes.

Anyway here is the letter with the formula he got from someone in the USN (NRL?) or one of the ships that had the paint applied.

I have a 1/700 resin model of USS DAVIS (DD-395) that I have modified to her appearance in mid-1942 while she was painted in Mountbatten Pink. The USN painted several ships that served in the South Atlantic with Mountbatten Pink. Some ships are documented, others are inferred from photos as being painted with this paint, with at least some of the ships so painted at Charleston Navy Yard. The destroyers that accompanied USS JUNEAU to Recife during July 1942, were at various times included these units;

USS SOMERS (DD-381)
USS DAVIS (DD-395)
USS JOUETT (DD-396)

The images below show units of the USN "Leaders" assigned to the South Atlantic Fleet, that show what their "Mountbatten Pink" looks like in Grayscale B&W photography. Includes views of USS DAVIS and JOUETT (note that it appears they painted the decks and horizontal surfaces with Mountbatten Pink as well).

My problem is which paint or color to use? The above formula shows that the amount of "Blue/Black paste" as being 5 TM units hand written on by the letter. This would point to about a 5H shade with additional "RED Cake" added, IF and only IF the rest of the ingredients are equal to the White Base used to make the 5-H/5-O/5-N family of paints. I'm assuming that the paint would be a "contrast" shade between 5-H and 5-O Anyone with knowledge of the paint formulas and the various shades of Mountbatten Pink, able to say what shade should be used on my model??