Malta Sea Gladiator Colours

[Grizly]

Specifically, my interest lies with the Malta defenders - Faith, Hope and Charity. I recently purchased the excellent 1/32 ICM kit and on researching the previously mentioned aircraft there appears to be differing opinions as to their paint scheme. Of the two prevailing schemes, one is simply Extra Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey over Sky Grey while the other is somewhat more complex with the upper surfaces in the Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey, the lower wing in Dark Sea grey and Light Slate Grey, the fuselage sides in Sky Grey and the underside in white and night. Anybody have any thoughts that might point to one or the other (or another)?

As an aside, I understand they didn't have the dingy housing or the arrestor hook installed.

[Ed Russell]

It has been discussed  occasionally here - if you are looking for new information, I doubt that there is any. Opinions vary, as you noted.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235013462-hal-far-fighter-flight-gloster-sea-gladiator/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234998408-gloster-gladiator-n5519-faith-hal-far-fighter-flight/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235020775-airfix-gladiator-to-sea-gladiator-conversion/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235023166-gloster-sea-gladiator-hms-eagle-n55176oa-nas-813-july-1940/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/61224-gloster-gladiator-faith-hope-charity/

There are more threads which a search will find

Most of the build articles have some sort of discussion attached.

[MDriskill]

This may not be of any help at all (and I confess I've not looked thoroughly through all those nice threads linked above). But I see one of them mentions the 2008 book "Fleet Air Arm Camouflage and Markings, Atlantic and Mediterranean Theatres 1937-1941," by Stuart Lloyd. This book has the following summary of carrier-based Gladiators in that general area and period. The "S.1.E." scheme is the 4-color uppersurface/Sky Grey undersurface/high demarcation camo that you mention.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by MDriskill

[tonyot]

They were originally silver pre war,...... some had the yellow trim of HMS Glorious including the bars and diamonds across the top of the wings which are often depicted incorrectly as blue. Before being crated for storage in Malta the had the S1.E scheme applied,..... as stated above. When they were loaned to the RAF Hal Far Fighter Flight they had black and while lower surfaces added (but not under the top wing which remained Sky Grey) and as well as narrow fin stripes and yellow outlined fuselage roundels some also had black code letters added.

 

Later,.... after Hurricane`s arrived and the Fulmar`s from HMS Illustrious started to fly from Malta too,..... the Sea Gladiator`s were given back to the Navy and they had the EDSG & Dark Slate Grey extended down the fuselage sides and onto the fin. Some say that they had Dark Earth and Dark Green applied to the upper surfaces instead,..... but I believe the former to be true. 

 

Cheers

          Tony

Edited July 30, 2020 by tonyot