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Queen Mary Camouflage 1914/15


iang

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I've read with interest the discussion of RN WW1 Grey on ModelWarships.  Contained within that thread is a post by @dickrd on Confidential Interim Order 174 of 10 Nov 1914, which outlines a variety of camouflage schemes under the heading "Visibility of Ships - Methods of Diminishing".  It appears that this order was based upon Prof Graham Kerr's recommendations (an analysis of Kerr's influence by Murphy and Bellamy can be found here: https://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol19/tnm_19_171-192.pdf), and led to a wide variety of relatively short-lived schemes sanctioned at Flag Officer level.

 

Among the battlecruiser squadrons, it is known that, among others, New Zealand and Indomitable were finished in a "Kerr Scheme". In contrast, it seems that 1st Battlecruiser Squadron ships went from pre-war overall dark grey to a light grey scheme with a dark grey hull panel and funnel bands of light and dark grey. Photos exist of both Lion, Princess Royal and Tiger in this scheme prior to returning to an overall grey scheme.  

 

I've not been able to find any photos of Queen Mary in the light grey with dark grey hull panel scheme (the only ship in 1BCS for which this true). Indeed, I've not been able to find any photos of QM from 1915. My assumption is that QM would be finished in the same scheme as other ships in 1BCS, but I noticed that Burt (British Battleships of World War One,(1986) p.168) has a poor quality small photo of QM in unusual camouflage that looks very much like a Kerr parti-colouring scheme (see the examples given in Murphy and Bellamy linked above). So it may be that QM went from dark grey, to Kerr scheme, to light grey with dark hull panel, to overall grey when sunk.  I've now found a better copy of this photo:

 

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Notice the dark grey area to the rear of X turret, as well as more obviously on the funnels. Are there any other photos of Queen Mary in this scheme?

 

 

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