RAF Two tone green Thunderbolts in Burma?

[occa]

Occa, not Spitfires, but when they made the MB326 overall grey, even with the rub-down and prep the disruptive showed through. Just saying.

When Spitfires were delivered, things were tight. The Mk.VCTs came from a number of batches. If the northern dry season was on, desert camouflage was left intact until first major service or 'wet' season, whichever came first. The light colour was overpainted with foliage green. Temperate schemes were left intact until major service. Ocean Grey wasn't very durable and 'chalked' badly. It was generally replaced with earth brown.

In the build-up to the invasion of Japan, aircraft were being prepared for ground concealment to foil 5th columnists. Hence the overall foliage green scheme which is often explained away with vague expression of perception of pattern being visible. Sure, one may perceive the old demarcations, but what of the colour?

Anyway, the RAAF didn't fly Thunderbolts under their administrative region. However the Indian colours were apparently very similar to Australian colours.

G

Yes exactly my take too ... I faintly recall reading this in a book or in an article years ago, maybe even that they got supplied with Aussie paints.

Cheers

[Spitfires Forever]

Thanks mate, good on ya!

[Panoz]

I am still perplexed over the many kits, decals and books that show SEAC aircraft in the grey and green day fighter scheme, case in point; squadron's "P-47 in action" publication which clearly shows a grey and green T-Bolt II named Honeysuckle Rose on the back cover. I thought the squadron publications were pretty well researched (regardless an armature like myself have found mistakes) so what is the deal? It is a bit confusing to say the least.

The second P-47 "in action" book isn't exactly the best researched P-47 reference on the market. In fact I could write an entire book listing the errors in various Squadron Signal publications. Unfortunately, many people consider them to be reliable and even worse, use them as serious reference (rather than a good source of photos). That's why errors like the grey/green RAF Thunderbolts are repeated again and again. BTW, the even older Aircam and Profile books on the P-47 also showed the SEAC Thunderbolts as grey/green.

Edited February 17, 2012 by Panoz

[theplasticsurgeon]

I have that book - but can't find it right now.

If I find it by next week, I'll bring it to the club meeting.

I just found the book and the photo being discussed.

It offers nothing to contradict anything said earlier on this thread.

I'll share it with Seahawk at our next IPMS meeting to see what he thinks,

but I won't be making any changes to my RAF Thunderbolt.

[Edgar]

There's a small file on the initial deliveries of the P-47s to India, and another signal mentions that the first 98 were to be repainted in the (British?) modification unit. The order, to overpaint grey with dark earth, was issued in March, 1944, so, given the date and content of the message below, there seems at least a possibility that the first deliveries slipped through the net, and were delivered in green/grey. It also says that the majority were being painted in the factory, which should mean U.S, equivalents of U.K. paint, surely?

Edgar

Edited April 29, 2012 by Edgar

[Spitfires Forever]

There's a small file on the initial deliveries of the P-47s to India, and another signal mentions that the first 98 were to be repainted in the (British?) modification unit. The order, to overpaint grey with dark earth, was issued in March, 1944, so, given the date and content of the message below, there seems at least a possibility that the first deliveries slipped through the net, and were delivered in green/grey. It also says that the majority were being painted in the factory, which should mean U.S, equivalents of U.K. paint, surely?

Edgar

Once again you amaze us with your ability to come up with incredible sources of information. Did you work for MI5 or something? It just proves that as much as a topic has been discussed there is always some source of new information to be had, and that history is never a "done deal". Thanks again Edgar.

Cheers