Posted by Duane Fowler on February 01, 1999 at 16:53:16 in 17.217.12.104:
In Reply to: Re: Camouflage - Re: Bob's previous message posted by Gary Ayers on January 31, 1999 at 19:46:10:
The color photo most often seen is the hand colored post card of an aireal photo showing the starboard aft section of the Olympic in her second dazzle scheme. It is not very accurate. When compared to the original black and white photo you can see that the colors in the post card do not follow shading in the photograph. Specifically, there are at least three distinctly shaded areas in the photo which are represented by only two colors in the post card. The photo shows other detail much clearer too.
The Olympic had at least three different paint schemes during the war. In the first one she had her white area painted neutral grey and her funnels painted charcoal black.
In the second one, which was the first dazzle scheme, she was painted with large angular stripes. There photographs of both sides in this scheme. Many of the photos show extensive weathering which indicates that the paints may not have been marine paints but house paints, as rumored.
The third scheme, (second dazzle) had much more flowing lines with loops and curves. Although there are a number of clear photos of the port side in this scheme, only the one photo mentioned above seems to have survived of just a little bit of the starboard side.
Best regards,
Duane Fowler