View Full Version : What Colour Are RAN Ships Now?
kookaburra
17-01-2009, 15:32
A piece of trivia I have always meant to ask someone about.
I have noticed for many years that R.A.N. ships are a different, quite greenish shade of grey, to those of any other Navy I'm aware of (not sure about NZ). I assume it's a policy decision related to notions of Pacific/ Southern Ocean light and tonings, and wonder if anyone else has noticed it.
Ships from the RN, USN and other northern hemispere navies are very diferent, with their flat light grey.
Here are several photos that illustrate my point about the R.A.N.'s choice of colour quite well:
Hi Kooka,
Pretty sure it's MS4A which has been around since WW2 but I can't remember when the RAN started using it.
I did a sea trip on HMAS Perth some years ago and got a specimen of the paint but can't find it because I put it "In a safe place"!
It is very effective. I was at Coogee Beach, Sydney, on a dull rainy day and HMAS Adelaide passed close inshore. I had to look closely before I actually could see the ship. Don't know how effective the color is on sunny day though.
Cheers
Bruce
John O'Callaghan
07-07-2009, 23:03
Hi Kookaburra
I'm not sure of the technical name for the RANs shade of grey.But it does have a more green tint than say US ships.I was commisioning crew for DDG Hobart and whilst in the US the Yanks came to call us the Green DDG. We even created a drinking song based on the tune Yellow Submarine.It started 'We all live in a green DDG,with a Boot Chief ME '.The laws of libel,the stability of the British Commonwealth and harmonious relations between Canberra and Washington require I go no further.
Cheers John O'C.
astraltrader
07-07-2009, 23:25
Its not an unpleasant colour IMHO!
Its not an unpleasant colour IMHO!
A few years ago a test was carried out that indicated that the Australian Naval colour had a very bad IR signature and it was recommended that it be changed.
In the early 50's Home Fleet ships were painted dark grey, ships on foreign stations were a light duck egg blue, don't know the technical descriptions of the colours.
astraltrader
08-07-2009, 16:36
A few years ago a test was carried out that indicated that the Australian Naval colour had a very bad IR signature and it was recommended that it be changed.
I was purely speaking from an aesthetical point of view!!
About 8 years ago a trial of a darkish blue paint was done on one of the RAN patrol boats. I think it may have been Wollongong. The color was similar to the USN Sea Blue used in WW2. I saw it at Garden Island in Sydney and it was featured in the Navy News. What the results of the trial were I don't know. Never heard any more about.
Cheers
Bruce
squealus
09-07-2009, 09:52
I believe RAN Gray is called Storm Gray. White Ensign Models used to manufacture the shade, for ship modellers. This is no longer available, but the chaps at Fleetline Models tell me that you can have the color mixed up at Bunnings or any paint store as it carries a specific Australian Standard Number.
Min
maltheman
09-07-2009, 11:31
hi all the R.A.N. today uses N42 storm grey and N63 pewter for the decks
hope this helps
mal
Just received this reply from the RAN regarding the trial of dark blue paint.
"The patrol Boat in question was HMAS Fremantle and the colour was called Duck Shell Blue. The trial was a success as the boat could not be seen at sea, but the colour was not appealing so we remain with Ship Side Grey.
The paint used now is made by International and is I have been told, LSALG Polly Urethane N42 or N63.
"
Makes one wonder what is most important to the Navy hierarchy: Looking pretty or giving the ship and crew some effective concealment.
Cheers
Bruce
Just received this reply from the RAN regarding the trial of dark blue paint.
"The patrol Boat in question was HMAS Fremantle and the colour was called Duck Shell Blue. The trial was a success as the boat could not be seen at sea, but the colour was not appealing so we remain with Ship Side Grey.
The paint used now is made by International and is I have been told, LSALG Polly Urethane N42 or N63.
"
Makes one wonder what is most important to the Navy hierarchy: Looking pretty or giving the ship and crew some effective concealment.
Cheers
Bruce
I think they pretty much do it all with radar now spruso. ;)
medway508
02-08-2009, 03:32
The colours have been the same since just after WW2.
British Standard BS381C 631 Light Grey. This is Australian Standard AS1700 42 Strom Grey.
Decks are back to BS381C 632 Dark Admiralty Grey after some years using the USN FS deck paint & colour. This is Australian Standard AS1700 N63 Pewter.
The blue grey the RN used from the mid 1950s until 1968 was BS381C Light Admitalty Grey. British Standards changed the colour in 1964 to more of a duck egg blue than Blue Grey. This is the duck egg blue colour Cavalier is painted.
The RN has since 1968 used BS381C 676 Light Weatherworks Grey as their hull colour.
I remember when I was in the RAN in the 80's. The grey was called Ship's Side Grey. Very original and as a dibbie I painted enough of it on to really hate the colour of it.
Auzzie Survey ships used to be painted white. Now they are painted grey. They dont survey any faster and do more general navy work!
Well the Cook was always referred to as the White Elephant so I suppose they decided changing the colour might be a good option. I remember it took 8 months from first commisioning to get to Sydney from Melbourne. Kept breaking down and going back to Williamtown Dockyard.:D:D
Portsmouth Bill
31-01-2012, 18:11
Thank you gentlemen for this topic. Over at Shipbucket the subject is being debated (by the Aussie contingent), after it was pointed out that RAN ships have a definite greenish grey hue. I've been responsible for some of the RAN drawings on the Shipbucket archive, having just finished HMAS Stalwart (Office 215), and now attempting HMAS Supply. Unfortunately, the right colour (as we seem to agree on) just doesn't look right on the scale we use, being distinctly 'bilious'. My suggestion is to lighten it; and of course, no two photographs will agree on this kind of thing; so apart from a Mk.1 Eyeball, linked to reasonably cogent brain software, the best bet is the one mentioned above - a paint flake!!
I'm providing a link, and I hope this is acceptable with this Forum (we are pretty harmless blokes, a bit obsessive on MS Paint, but it keeps us off the streets!):
http://www.shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2534
Cook never changed colour whilst a RAN vessel; white hull, buff funnel.
vBulletin® v3.6.7, Copyright ©2000-2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.