USS Arizona pre war gray

[john53]

Hello--- I am starting Revell 1/426 Arizona and I want to do it with

biplanes and in pre war scheme. What was the pre war scheme? Overall

haze gray? Also when did the monoplanes replace the biplanes on the

catapults?---Thanks---John

[Grey Ghost 531]

The Vought OS2U-2 Kingfishers replaced the Curtiss SOC Seagulls in July of '41. The Seagulls replaced Vought O3U Corsairs in '35.

Pre-war gray could have been "H-5 Haze Gray" or "Standard Navy Gray US-01" if it was earlier than 1940 or so. White Ensign has both colors and their paint is superb.

Squadron has a new book out on the USS Arizona and it's really worth a look. I'm working on your kit's baby brother right now. The 1/720 Revell kit. There might even be some Revell plastic left in it when I get done!

[john53]

Thanks, LOL, I guess there's almost as much PE and Evergreen card stock as

there is good ol' Revell plastic there! I have some Tom's Modelworks

stuff myself :)---John

[Tracy White]

A little late perhaps, but for clarification.....

The prewar gray's official title was #5 Standard Navy Gray. Most "vertical" paints (bulkheads, not decks) had 5 in the designation, hence 5D Dark Gray, 5S Sea Blue, etc. The US01 mentioned above is WEM's part number and not any official Navy designation. Kingfishers were embarked earlier than July, but I don't have the exact month off the top of my head.

[witous]

Concur, The Arizona went through it's last refit at Puget sound in late 1940 through January 1941. She wore the #5 Standard Navy Gray color with a darker weather deck gray on the steel decks. I used MM Gunship Gray with a little bit of insignia blue then toned down with a lighter wash on my 1/200 scale Arizona. 1,2, and 4 turret tops are red

As far as the Kingfishers, I believe they were aboard right after the refit and were in the yellow wing scheme for at least a couple of months. Sometime in late summer or early fall, Arizona was painted in the dk gray 5D with the light gray tops.I tend to believe that the light gray tops may have been the original #5 standard navy gray. Some believe that just prior to December 7th, the dark gray vertical surfaces were painted dark blue 5S . Others may know more

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

As near as the survivors recall, she went to the dark gray with light masttops scheme in June '41 during her last serious refit at Puget Sound. She most probably did NOT have red turret-tops before this.

EVERY survivor I have spoken with remembers repainting to a lighter blue-gray in November, as she was in drydock at Pearl Harbor for repairs following her collision with the Oklahoma in late October.