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HMS Malaya camo 1940


thekz

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Hello guys.
Very keen to discuss the paint scheme of HMS Malaya in 1940. I have 2 photos in my possession which have more or less reconstructed the paintwork on the port side.
Here is the photo:

 

047-British-Battleship-Malaya-1942-3.jpg

 

4981323673-0f509cabc8-b.jpg


Here's what I got with the paint scheme.

 

malaya-color-01.jpg

All information on the starboard is limited to an illustration from Les Brown's books.

 

malaya-color-01-shipcraft.jpg


In principle, this difference between the port and starboard is of course possible, but still I would really like to see a photo, which this picture is based on (let's not be sarcastic about the imposition of the 1940s paint scheme on the 1943 drawing, but it undermines Les Brown's confidence in him a bit).
Also would like to know about the timing of this camouflage. Judging by the small number of photos, Malaya wore it for a short time, probably either before the repair in Gibraltar in January 1941 or before the repair in New York in May-July 1941. @dickrd, do you know anything about that? Also about the deck painting?
Thank you all in advance for any information

 

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The scheme would have been applied at Alexandria in August 1940. Although not a very large photo this is sufficient to show that the starboard side pattern was significantly different to the drawing above: 

Malaya 1940 9 ish f

I will dig around to see if I have anything else that can help. I think I have a bit of film somewhere.

 

What the photos and drawings above do not show is that the 507A panels had a thin edging of medium tone presumably 50/50 507A/507C.

 

Is the drawing of the port side your own creation?

Edited by dickrd
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On 1/12/2022 at 9:45 PM, thekz said:

 

Is there any information on when Malaya lost this colouration ?

There are a series of photos on the IWM site showing Malaya on 7th January 1941 departing Gibraltar no longer in the Alexandria pattern scheme. She joined Force H at Gibraltar on 24th December 1940 so I guess the repaint was sometime 25 December 1940- 6 January 1941. This is A2739: 

NAVAL FORCES COVERING THE PASSAGE OF CONVOYS THROUGH THE MEDITERRANEAN, WHICH WERE CARRYING IMPORTANT MATERIAL ASSISTANCE TO GREECE. JANUARY 1941, ON BOARD A WARSHIP OF THE ESCORT.

 

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