Dave Fleming Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) The discussions on Etienne's Flickr album reminded me of a couple of Walrus pics that caught my eye. First are a couple that show W2757 of No 293 Squadron in Italy, allegedly in 1944 (more on that later). What caught my eye was the colour scheme. Now Temperate Sea Scheme, which they should have been in, varies tremendously in how it appears in both B+W and colour film based on film type, processing, filters etc etc, and I know you can never judge a colour by a photo. However, what struck me was how similar this scheme appears to the one found on the Marlet mkI at Yeovilton. Note also the heavy weathering on the wings of the further away Walrus, and the fact it has a 'C' type upper wing roundel - were those standard in 1944? Supermarine Walrus. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr Walrus by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr The second subject shows a Walrus of an RN unit in Tunisia in 1943. What struck me about this is whilst it seems to show the 4 colour upper fuselage shadow compensating scheme (Extra Dark Sea Grey/DarkSlate Grey/Dark Sea Grey/Light Slate Grey) the colour demarcations seem to swap over, with the EDSG running into the Light Slate Grey and the Dark Slate Grey into the Dark Sea Grey Supermarine Walrus. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr Thoughts and discussions welcome! Edited August 10, 2016 by Dave Fleming 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) Hi Sorry to drift off topic, but is that a beaufighter VI, in the background of the first photo, with an raf fin stripe but US star on the fuselage ? Cheers Jerry Edited August 10, 2016 by brewerjerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertopinal Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Hi Sorry to drift off topic, but is that a beaufighter VI, in the background of the first photo, with an raf fin stripe but US star on the fuselage ? Cheers Jerry Mosquito..... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJP Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Hi Sorry to drift off topic, but is that a beaufighter VI, in the background of the first photo, with an raf fin stripe but US star on the fuselage ? Cheers Jerry Mosquito? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) Mosquito, presumably the US airman pictured in front of the Walrus came form the same unit. https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/454089574902776407/ 416th FS IIRC Edited August 10, 2016 by Dave Fleming 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 The green in the first photo is not as intense as the (Dark?) Sea Green on the Martlet, and falls within the range I'd expect to see in colour photos of TSS. I agree with your comments on the apparent exchange of the shadow-shaded colours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 You asked for thoughts, you get them... - In the first pic, the EDSG has a greenish tint (in my perception), but not in the second. - The fuselage roundel of the front Walrus looks more like a Type D in proportions, certainly it's no proper C ? - IIRC Type C's for overwings were specified from some time in Jan. 45. The US PR (?) Mossie may give a clue to a "not later than" (or earlier) date of the pic. - The contrast of the EDSG to the DSlateG in the first two is much more pronnounced than "usual", I'd have expected something like in the third pic. - Is there any LSG in the third pic ? To me, the supposed areas of LSG look exactly the same as those that would be DSlate. - The lighter grey is very light - would DSG weather away that much when the EDSG looks fairly dark ? There are colour pics in which MSG looks darker than this. Could it be some sort of Mixed Grey along the lines of the Ocean Grey kludge (interesting word which LEO suggested...) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Look also on red repairing on top wing and red inlet to engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 The colours in the two top images do not look like EDSG or Dark Slate Grey at all. They appear more like Dark Sea Grey and Light Slate Grey. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 The colours in the top photo looks very much like those to be seen on the cover and inside the latest Aeroplane, adorning an ex-Iraqi Fury painted as Sea Fury prototype SR661. Of course, this is just a warbird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) You asked for thoughts, you get them... - In the first pic, the EDSG has a greenish tint (in my perception), but not in the second. - The fuselage roundel of the front Walrus looks more like a Type D in proportions, certainly it's no proper C ? I think that's camera shake on the image as it looks fine in the second one (same aircraft, same loctaion, same time I suspect). I also suspect they have been repainted as they look very shiny. It's a Night fighter Mossie, and the Dark Green makes an interesting comparison Edited August 10, 2016 by Dave Fleming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 The colours in the top photo looks very much like those to be seen on the cover and inside the latest Aeroplane, adorning an ex-Iraqi Fury painted as Sea Fury prototype SR661. Of course, this is just a warbird. Yes, I noticed that and I thought that those colours looked more like Dark Sea Grey and Light Slate Grey too! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 I think that's camera shake on the image as it looks fine in the second one (same aircraft, same loctaion, same time I suspect). Thanks for pointing out - I didn't look at the roundels in the 2nd one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawk Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 (edited) Mosquito, presumably the US airman pictured in front of the Walrus came form the same unit. https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/454089574902776407/ 416th FS IIRC From p.207 of Camouflage and Markings 21: British Aircraft in USAAF Service 1942-1945 by Roger Freeman (Ducimus): "Shortage of P-61 Black Widows led to 7 Mosquito XIIIs being assigned to the 425th Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) at Etain, France, and these aircraft were passed on to the 416th NFS which was operating temporarily from the same base. The 416th NFS converted from Beaufighters to Mosquitoes in the absence of P-61s and had about a dozen on strength at Pisa, Italy, during February and March 1945." Edited August 12, 2016 by Seahawk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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