Malta Hurricanes

[maltadefender]

Just heard back from the RAF Museum regarding colours used on Hurris... now getting bamboozled! So far I've got:

Malta Air Museum: states that all aircraft were delivered in 1940-41 with Dark Green/Dark Earth upper surfaces and and repainted on an ad hoc basis (e.g. the 'Bosun Blue' and PRU Pink Mk.Is of 69 Squadron or the partial/all-black night fighters).

RAF Museum: states that Hurricane Mk.Is were delivered in Dark Green/Dark Earth until August 1940 when Dark Earth/Mid-Stone/Sky Blue (pre-war) became standard. The museum also states that 185 Squadron was operating Hurricane Mk.IIs in Dark Green/Mid-Stone/Sky Blue during May 1941... although this conflicts with the squadron diary (below).

Tom Neil: states in Onward to Malta and in discussions with Michael Turner for the cover art that when he arrived in Malta with 249 Squadron in May 1941 it was with Hurricane Mk.Is in Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky and that there were no Mk.IIs until the June deliveries. The majority of the Hurricanes flown in by 249 left for North Africa the next morning, leaving the newcomers with clapped-out aircraft abandoned by 261 squadron until Mk.IIs were delivered in June 1941. As a result Turner's painting Malta Defenders shows Neil flying Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky Hurricane Mk.IIa Z4048 during the summer of 1941 - although according to our resident Hurricane expert, Diamant, Z4048 was shipped to Iceland in July 1941 - so something's amiss!

The 185 Squadron diary shows in late May 1941 there was a shared pool of 30 Hurricanes - two being Mk.IIs - dispersed at Hal Far and Takali to be shared by 185 and 249 Squadrons (the two units operating from each airfield on alternate days). All photos indicate that these were painted Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky. After these were reduced to 15 serviceable aircraft 30 Mk.IIb and IIc Hurricanes were delivered at the end of June and thus allowed the units to re-form as individual entities - with photos from Ark Royal showing a mix of aircraft including Z2593 with Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky with Sky fuselage bands and spinner - this becoming S/Ldr Rabagliati's mount at 46 Squadron.

Malta: The Hurricane Years shows the vast majority of Hurricanes in what can only be Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky including the April 1941 delivery of Mk.IIa's, of which several have Sky tail bands and spinners, and several others have the 'wibbly-wobbly' divide between upper and lower surfaces on the leading edge and cowling. It also has a photograph of 249 Squadron 'at readiness, Summer 1941' with what looks like Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky colours as per Tom Neil's recollection.

Osprey's Hurricane Aces 1941-45 shows the vast majority of Hurricanes in all theatres wearing Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky and being repainted on an ad-hoc basis, which ties in with the Malta Air Museum.

All in all... I'm still a long way from getting anywhere close to the bottom of this lot!

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

If nothing else, that shows that whichever colour scheme you choose from that selection, critics will have great difficulty in proving you wrong.

Obi-Jiff

[Nick Millman]

I'll have some more to post on this later but for now the use of Sky Blue continues to be problematic and it is very interesting that the RAF Museum should mention this for a desert scheme in 1940! Its use on overseas Hurris was promoted strongly in the Model Alliance book but unfortunately without any details about the evidence - if any.

I realise that in the b/w photographs you are distinguishing between the upper surface colours - Temperate to Desert - but just by way of a note Sky Blue had greater reflectivity than Sky (52% to 43%) and in b/w photographs should appear brighter - almost white looking if directly illuminated.

Nick

[Prop Duster]

Maltadefender

Gad what a confusion. with all those sources one would have thought that there would be some conciseness- well now that I think about it there is- Hurricanes

Good luck on your quest, should be an interesting journey

[maltadefender]

Thanks for the thoughts, chaps. Yes it seems that type isn't too much in question, but appearance is any bugger's guess! Being a simple soul I am trying to keep things straightforward in my own mind, but struggling to achieve this loft aim! RAF Museum came back to me this morning and they're now as foxed as I am.

1940:

Initial deliveries 'overland' were in Dark Green/Dark Earth/Black and white, but the first carrier launch (Operation Hurry) shows a desert scheme of Dark Earth/Mid-Stone/Sky Blue (pre-war). The one surviving aircraft photographed from the fateful November launch (Operation White - 8 aircraft lost from 12 launched) looks to be Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky with black port lower wing surface.

1941:

Photos of the first launch of 1941 (Operation Winch) show a mixture of Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky patterns (wavy upper/lower surface lines, Sky tail bands, a riot of different spinners...), as does the recollection of Tom Neil for Operation Splice in May. The fact that the vast majority of Operation Splice's aircraft were ferried on to Egypt would indicate that repainting was done ad hoc wherever the aircraft ended up. Where this is of no help whatsoever is in getting to the bottom of the mystern Dark Green/Mid-Stone/Sky colours apparently flown by 185 Squadron when formed in May 1941 although there is a photo of a Mk.IIc delivered in June 1941 which seems to be at least partially painted in this way at the front of the fuselage with darker (presumably Dark Earth/Dark Green) on the rear section and tail.

Ah, 'tis fun...

[Test Graham]

Dark Green/Mid Stone was the official scheme for overseas aircraft in 1941 - known as Tropical Land. Judging (as ever uncertain) from the patterns and contrast, it seems that at least one carrier ferry (Furious) was made with Hurricanes in this scheme. Thee are two stories of its origin: one is that it was thought appropriate for operations over the Nile, Palestine and Iraq, but superseded by the more suitable Desert Scheme for operations in the Western Desert. The other is that it was a typing mistake for Dark Earth and Mid Stone, and given that the initial schemes appearing in Egypt were two shades of brown, this may have some credibility!

The use of Sky Blue is a very confused matter. It is mentioned often, but rarely in a "properly recorded" manner. It seems unlikely that the wartime colour was intended, as this was (as Nick points out) even paler than Sky which had already been discounted for Middle Eastern use as being too pale. (This opens the question as to how much ME HQ instructions were thought to bear on Malta.) It is possible that it is simply a casual term for early use of Azure Blue. The prewar BS colour is significantly darker, and slightly green. I find it very odd that the light blue in use by the SAAF and RAAF early in the war under the name Sky Blue doesn't seem to match either, but do match each other fairly well. This would suggest a common origin in RAF use, but as far as I know no Stores reference has been found for this.

[Nick Millman]

Judging from one of Ian Huntley's earliest SAM articles (Vol.1 No.3) the 'Tropical Land Scheme' did not just originate from a typo. After recording the arrival of Hurricanes in DG/DE/black & white he quotes a November 1940 "statement" (without giving details of source) as follows:-

". . . that Temporary Finish, Distemper, Midstone, will replace Dark Earth, for aircraft in the Middle East".

And further goes on to note that due to the supply position it would be some time before such a change could be implemented. This ties in with a separate piece of information which reports that units had authorisation to apply Light Earth instead of Midstone pending adequate supplies of the latter.

He then quotes a MAP Research Materials circular from early 1941 which, under miscellaneous items reported that:-

"Dope, Middlestone, would become available for use in place of Dope, Dark Earth, on aeroplanes operating in the Middle East."

The same circular discusses the possibilities of supplying aircraft pre-painted from contractors as soon as stocks of paint became available, and went on to advise that:-

"Dope, Azure Blue, is to be introduced as soon as possible for use on the under-surfaces of day flying aeroplanes in the Middle East."

Mr Huntley then quotes at length from eyewitness L E Chalmers' impressions of colourings of aeroplanes operating in the Middle East:-

" . . up to Christmas 1940 most British aircraft looked just the same as at home, green and brown on top. After the New Year had passed, somebody had the bright idea that the brown ought to be replaced with a sand colour - like the Italian types. After a few aircraft had been painted you couldn't see them on the ground nearly as well so it was probably not such a bad idea after all. The change was very gradual, and new types started coming 'up the line' still in green and brown. Some even in partly primered state."

"They started to paint the undersides a deep blue next, but the colour was hard to get and fighters had first pick. Fighters didn't really get a paint job until they had been back to Cairo for overhaul, and even then there was not always time."

Mr Chalmers then goes on to record that as operations moved westwards into the desert the Midstone (or Light Earth) was used to replace the Dark Green rather than the Dark Earth - after the summer of 1941 - and Mr Huntley notes that "In the original Air Diagrams produced by RTP4, the Dark Earth of the standard camouflage had been replaced by Midstone (Middlestone) but in the Desert Scheme, Middlestone was to replace Dark Green".

He then goes on to add that in the September 1941 issue of the DTP Technical Circulars mention was made of the changes to Home Command Day Fighters and of the need to make them "utilising materials matched and mixed by individual units". A parallel was drawn with Desert Command Day Fighters that if for operational reasons a change to other colours, or to the suggested Desert Scheme of Dark Earth and Light Earth or Dark Earth and Middlestone, was considered essential then units were to instigate such changes themselves.

As an aside he also noted the interim application of yellow leading edge stripes to some aircraft in the Middle East as a result of adherence to Technical Circulars confusing the requirement for Home Command, which was queried recently in another thread.

The 'Tropical Land Scheme' is worth paying attention to in photographs, as is the use of Light Earth instead of Midstone and I am confident that Hurris in these schemes found their way to SEAC commands in probably larger numbers than those in the Desert Scheme as sometimes depicted, at least during 1941, early 1942, because of the colouring chronology summarised above. They may have had Sky or Azure Blue undersurfaces.

Nick

PS Oh, and I concur with Graham that "Sky Blue" was probably in local colloquial use to describe Azure Blue rather than referencing actual MAP Sky Blue.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Nick Millman

[maltadefender]

Thanks Graham,

I have to say I rather like Mid-Stone/Dark Green as a combination! Certainly it would have been pretty good for spring and autumn in Malta... on the ground at least. In the air surely Mid-Stone would have stood out like a sore thumb over the Med, hence the order to apply 'Sea Scheme' to the Spits later on.

What's your feeling for a Hurricane unit in mid-1941? A mix of Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky and Dark Green/Mid-Stone/Sky Blue?

[Steven Eisenman]

Nic, thanks for that summary.

On a modeling note.... Yes, the undersides are to represent Sky Blue, but done a number of years ago.

[Matt Roberts]

Gawd I thought the dreaded Wasp blue Spitfire scheme was a mess of contradictory info.......

I have a MK I in 'standard' desert scheme (delivered off of Eagle IIRC)....one in desert topsides and Sky undersides (delivered thru France prior to surrender, the first ones on Malta) and now I find out that there are more options and nearly any could be right...jeez

I'm beginning to think I should limit my Hurricanes to those based in England! Less headaches!

[Test Graham]

The early camouflage applied in the Middle East is far from clear, and dogmatic statements are surely unsafe. However I recall that photos of Valentias, Blenheims, Gladiators and (some/most) early Hurricanes show that it was the Dark Green which was replaced by the lighter colour, probably Light Earth at this stage. Hence my comments to this effect. Perhaps a full analysis of all available photos may show matters differently, but to my knowledge this has not been carried out. If you are familiar with photos (or indeed any photo) showing types other than the Hurricane in DG/MS - or with any dark colour in the DG position in the pattern - please bring these forward.

I am familiar with the Ian Huntley article, and it is that to which I was referring. One clear message from it was that ME HQ was well ahead of the UK authorities in issuing camouflage instructions to their Command, and that UK-issued instructions could be (and were) out of date before their promulgation. That there was an intention to replace DE by MS is not in doubt, but this had been superseded in the field before the formal issue of the Tropical Land scheme. Relying upon the UK documentation to proscribe in-service use is thus particularly unwise in this case. With specific regard to the DG/MS scheme, although Hurricane Mk.Is do appear in the Western Desert with an apparent mix of colours/schemes clear evidence (i.e. more than one in the same photo) of the DG/MS scheme only seems to appear in 1941, and on early Mk.IIs such as the ones on Furious and in Ceylon. Despite the timing being appropriate, it does not seem to appear on Hurricanes in Greece nor on Tomahawks in Palestine. Nor, indeed, on Blenheims anywhere.

Given that Dark Earth fades to something approaching Light Earth in tropical climes, distinguishing between the two on anything other than a fresh factory/overhaul scheme cannot be without room for error and dispute.

Aircraft existed with the colours exchanged, certainly on Spitfires, (C scheme?). Hurricanes do seem to show the same - but when is an presumed exchanged Desert scheme really a Tropical Land, or vice versa? I suggest that when they all look like Tropical Land (as in photos of the Mk.IIs) then they probably are, but a single aircraft in an otherwise consistent line-up probably isn't (as in the Mk.Is).

As for my thoughts specifically on modelling Malta Hurricanes: I would go back and study all my references before beginning such a project. However, I'd start by making a broad-brush assumption that Mk.Is were in DG/DE uppers, Mk.IIs in DG/MS unless I was working from a photo that showed differently. Mk.IIs in DG/DE wouldn't surprise me at all. Plus of course the final delivery from the Middle East in Desert. I would put light blue undersides on any 1941 delivery, unless direct evidence stated otherwise.

[maltadefender]

Thank you all so much - I'm going to have to report this back to the RAF Museum... I think they need a little help on this too!

So then, it looks like a concensus is forming! After the original supply of Temperate Land Scheme in 1940 (and the anomalous Desert scheme aircraft on Operation Hurry), deliveries in the first half of 1941 arrived in Temperate but were heading towards a uniform Tropical Land Scheme (Dark Green/Mid-Stone with Azure or Sky Blue undersurfaces). I've got a photo of the night fighter Z2827 photographed after a wheels-up landing and this does look suspiciously like Desert over Black but it feels like we're getting closer...

[Nick Millman]

I am familiar with the Ian Huntley article, and it is that to which I was referring. One clear message from it was that ME HQ was well ahead of the UK authorities in issuing camouflage instructions to their Command, and that UK-issued instructions could be (and were) out of date before their promulgation.

Given that Dark Earth fades to something approaching Light Earth in tropical climes, distinguishing between the two on anything other than a fresh factory/overhaul scheme cannot be without room for error and dispute.

But others might not be! I could not draw the same "clear message" from the article that you do.

Dark Earth fades to something approaching Light Earth - really? Is there any evidence for that apart from an assumption based on their obvious designations? The diffuse reflectivity of LE is higher even than MS and the same sunlight working on the DE would be working on the DG too.

FWIW reflectivity contrasts between the colours are as follows:-

DG & LE 23%

DG & MS 18%

DE & LE 17%

DE & MS 12%

DG & OG 9%

DG & DE 6%

EDSG & DSG 2%

Nick

Edited June 12, 2010 by Nick Millman

[maltadefender]

RAF Museum has at least confirmed that Z4048 was sent to Iceland, not Malta.

I don't know whether or not to be upset about my lovely print being of a non-existant scene!

[Test Graham]

From experience of postwar aircraft, some wartime colour photos and artistic misinterpretations, Dark Green (at least, some paints) does not go to a lighter green but fades to a dark brown whereas Dark Earth fades lighter rather than making any significant shift. From this I believe that there is a significant shift in their apparent reflectivities, yes. I would be somewhat surprised to learn that paints were normally consistent in their responses.

[Nick Millman]

From experience of postwar aircraft, some wartime colour photos and artistic misinterpretations, Dark Green (at least, some paints) does not go to a lighter green but fades to a dark brown whereas Dark Earth fades lighter rather than making any significant shift. From this I believe that there is a significant shift in their apparent reflectivities, yes. I would be somewhat surprised to learn that paints were normally consistent in their responses.

That is interesting but hardly conclusive and you may be confusing fading and colour shift. The latter can result from the former but not exclusively. The former is also sub-divided into chalking, colour loss and loss of gloss. The extent of colour loss of a protective coating depends on five basic factors: the amount of solar sunlight UV radiation exposure, the type of pigment, the pigment's color, the type of binder and the types of any coating additives used. But UV exposure is not the only environmental factor that can cause fading and/or colour shift. What can be said is that where fading was so severe as to increase the reflectivy of DE to the level of LE (more than doubling it - 13% to 30%) it is unlikely that the DG would not be affected.

I have encountered the green to brown shift of some green paints but without testing reflectivity the relevance to the interpretation of b/w photographs is questionable. What you appear to be doing is applying subjective judgement to your interpretation. It is as though the colours have been decided from interpretation of the images and the conclusion is then rationalised. Not unusual at all - it has been done in two recent authoritative books on colour schemes. But your statement that "distinguishing between the two on anything other than a fresh factory/overhaul scheme cannot be without room for error and dispute" also applies to your own interpretation of the colour combinations and your own conclusions. When you take into account the reflectivity contrasts above and the vagaries of film and photographic reproduction, leaving aside chronology (perhaps rashly) it is a brave man who can say "this is DE and MS and nothing else" .

Nick

Edited June 12, 2010 by Nick Millman

[maltadefender]

Not unusual at all - it has been done in two recent authoritative books on colour schemes.

I'll bite - which books?

[Nick Millman]

I'll bite

But I won't!

[Prop Duster]

RAF Museum has at least confirmed that Z4048 was sent to Iceland, not Malta.

I don't know whether or not to be upset about my lovely print being of a non-existant scene!

Perhaps the artist was confused as both Iceland and Malta are islands and they -to him- both look alike from the air (Luftwaffe not with standing)

I too like your picture.

[Greenshirt]

This has been a fascinating thread; I'm piqued by the consideration of DG/DE fading to something akin to a brownish khaki / LE. Did DG fade similarly to the USAAF OD? I've seen some fairly large range of hues for OD that were light OD to something akin to DE. My mind is turning over the weathered look...

Tim

[Troy Smith]

one more for the confusion, was discussed on hyperscale a while back.

MkIIA, operated by naval personnel. Used a raider on Sicily i think was the caption, hence bomb racks and over water paint scheme.

But, an in-field repaint, note overspray on red of fin flash and rough leading edges. Top colour maybe roundel blue, note how the fin flash appears the same colour as new upper paint.

maybe Extra dark Sea grey was the other postulation.

I think it was noted this was a posed shot, with the erks pulling through the engine, bombs fitted but gun ports uncovered, I have seen this pic with a pilot running out, think this is the same but cropped. Book not to hand for me to check.

hope of interest, even though not an RAF operated plane.

T

[maltadefender]

one more for the confusion, was discussed on hyperscale a while back.

MkIIA, operated by naval personnel. Used a raider on Sicily i think was the caption, hence bomb racks and over water paint scheme.

But, an in-field repaint, note overspray on red of fin flash and rough leading edges. Top colour maybe roundel blue, note how the fin flash appears the same colour as new upper paint.

maybe Extra dark Sea grey was the other postulation.

I think it was noted this was a posed shot, with the erks pulling through the engine, bombs fitted but gun ports uncovered, I have seen this pic with a pilot running out, think this is the same but cropped. Book not to hand for me to check.

hope of interest, even though not an RAF operated plane.

T

Aha - thank you! Yes that's on the cover of the current edition of Faith, Hope and Malta, G.C. by Tony Spooner!

I think it dates from summer 1942 - those are the later roundels, aren't they? - when there were numerous unemployed FAA staff around and some Hurricanes going spare at Hal Far after 185 had coverted to Spitfires. A Kiwi Swordfish pilot collared AVM Keith Park and suggested that they could be of some assistance... there's a documentary about the pilot going back to Malta in 2005 called 'A Quiet Little Rock'.

I've often wondered about the markings on this Hurri... roundel blue is alluring (much like imagining that all the Malta Spits were blue!), but I imagine that EDSG is the more likely culprit.

[maltadefender]

Perhaps the artist was confused as both Iceland and Malta are islands and they -to him- both look alike from the air (Luftwaffe not with standing)

I too like your picture.

Funnily enough I got stuck in Malta this year courtesy of the Icelandic volcano - perhaps they're inextricably linked. Someone call Mulder and Scully!!!

[Nick Millman]

one more for the confusion, was discussed on hyperscale a while back.

MkIIA, operated by naval personnel. Used a raider on Sicily i think was the caption, hence bomb racks and over water paint scheme.

But, an in-field repaint, note overspray on red of fin flash and rough leading edges. Top colour maybe roundel blue, note how the fin flash appears the same colour as new upper paint.

maybe Extra dark Sea grey was the other postulation.

I think it was noted this was a posed shot, with the erks pulling through the engine, bombs fitted but gun ports uncovered, I have seen this pic with a pilot running out, think this is the same but cropped. Book not to hand for me to check.

hope of interest, even though not an RAF operated plane.

T

FWIW I think it's just the effect of the very low sun angle from directly ahead of the nose. If you look carefully you can still see camouflage demarcation on the nose, the wings and just behind the cockpit. The fin could just be a repair and/or touch-up of the leading edge. "Rough" wing leading edges just the usual abrasion. Contrast between colours on TLS was only 6% - easily reduced by such lighting conditions.

Don't let that spoil more fanciful interpretations though.

Nick

[maltadefender]

FWIW I think it's just the effect of the very low sun angle from directly ahead of the nose. If you look carefully you can still see camouflage demarcation on the nose, the wings and just behind the cockpit. The fin could just be a repair and/or touch-up of the leading edge. "Rough" wing leading edges just the usual abrasion. Contrast between colours on TLS was only 6% - easily reduced by such lighting conditions.

Don't let that spoil more fanciful interpretations though.

Nick

Makes retrospectively applied 'sea scheme' - as per the order for Spits on 07/04/42 - a possibility, though, doesn't it? Spinner black overpainted in red?

Candidate no. 4,356 has just emerged!