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Camouflage for HMS Petard on 30. Oct. 1942


Richard502

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On ‎3‎/‎11‎/‎2020 at 8:26 AM, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

@dickrd is this a 507C & black scheme similar to that which we discussed for Javelin recently?

No I don't think so. I am away at the moment and so do not have any access to my books etc so this from memory and what is quickly available on-line.

 

If Raven is showing any scheme for Petard in "late 1941" that is a problem as she was not completed until June 1942! The scheme she wore on completion in June 1942 and for a short time afterwards is the one on Uboat net. I have a very clear portside builders' (Vickers Armstrong) photo of her in this scheme on the Tyne in June 1942. She was also reported on in this scheme in July 1942 in the Scapa aerial observations by the Leamington team. The light bow was I think reported as MS4A (certainly not white).  It was not a scheme likely to find favour ie to last long. 

 

There is a photo of Petard taken at Alexandria and I see it is linked to Hugh Sebag-Montifiore's book on the Enigma story 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/enigma-code-u-boat-u559-hms-petard-sebag-montefiori

 

She is still in her as built fit. This looks like an overall Home Fleet Grey scheme, and so what she most likely repainted to first after her as-completed scheme. Given that it is overall HFG one is tempted to suggest she may have painted into this while still in the UK with the Home Fleet in late July 1942. Other photos of Petard in the dark hull and light upperworks types you expect to find on destroyers in the Med and Indian Ocean at that time show modifications to her fit and so must be later. 

 

My guess is that Hugh Sebag-Montifiore did his research and that the Alexandria photo shows Petard at the time of the U 559 episode. Perhaps someone has the book and can check his caption?

Edited by dickrd
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Now back so could check the one book I wanted to look at to answer this question properly: "Fighting Destroyer The Story of HMS Petard" by GG Connell.  The Sunderland that first spotted U 559 took photos of the hunt on 30th October 1942 including one of HMS Petard shown opposite page 81. It shows her in the single overall dark scheme.   

Edited by dickrd
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