HMS Zulu by king derelict - Trumpeter - 1/700 - PLASTIC

[king derelict]

This is the start of another Tribal destroyer build. HMS Zulu this time.

Trumpeter again so I think I know my way through some of inaccuracies and maybe correct some.

The kit is identical to Huron except for one small sprue which provides the searchlight platform aft. Less secondary weapons which seems correct. 
I haven’t found many photos of Zulu apart from a few of her in the Atlantic in 1941. She was sunk off Tobruk in 1942 later refits don’t apply.

The first problem is deciding what to use for the color scheme. Trumpeter calls for a Royal blue hull and blue decks which is unusual and in my books I only see that sort of scheme later in the war, 1944 - 1945.

The IWM photo seems to show a multi colored hull but it’s hard to see the details further aft and deciding the colors is difficult. 

So I think I’ll browse my books and try to find something similar (or interesting) that’s correct for the period.

sadly as seen in the photo I’ll be building another tripod mast and the PE lattice mast will languish.

 for looking in.

alan

[king derelict]

The research of the camouflage continues without finding any scheme that looks like the IWM photo. I did stumble across this rather interesting reference which looks broadly helpful (except in this case)

https://shipbucket.com/references/Painters Guide to World War Two Naval Camouflage.pdf

Notionally, HMS Zulu in this photo is wearing too dark a scheme for the Atlantic. The digging continues, meanwhile all applicable parts got a dose of Vallejo black acrylic primer.

 

Thanks for looking in and the likes.

 

Alan

 

[AJohnson]

Thats a good reference you shared Alan, it is difficult looking at b&w photos to have guess at what the actual colours were. 

[king derelict]

4 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Thats a good reference you shared Alan, it is difficult looking at b&w photos to have guess at what the actual colours were. 

I thought there was quite a lot of good information there. I played about with contrast and exposure on the IWM photo and I can see the pattern better now but of course no nearer the colours 

is the white really a separate colour or deterioration of the paint? I read that Atlantic storms could strip the paint away. However the WA schemes all use light colours. It’s all rather confusing.

alan

[Old Collingwood]

I have not been able to find mutch about her paint scheme  but I did find thIS bit of history on her including a b nd w pic you can click on at the top  - hope it helps mate.

 

OC.

 

https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-34Tribal-HMS_Zulu.htm

[king derelict]

18 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

I have not been able to find mutch about her paint scheme  but I did find thIS bit of history on her including a b nd w pic you can click on at the top  - hope it helps mate.

 

OC.

 

https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-34Tribal-HMS_Zulu.htm

Thank you very much OC, I don’t have that photo so it’s very useful.

alan

[king derelict]

I spent too much of the day in various rabbit holes trying to get a bit more definitive about Zulus camouflage. Generally I failed. The reference IWM photo was taken in the North Atlantic and so she would likely be wearing Western Approaches or Home Fleet colours. I wandered off comparing WA blues and greens with the admiralty greys in terms of reflectivity and couldn’t really resolve it to my satisfaction. The darker shades on the hull seem to count against WA colours so I have evolved the following plan based on the IWM photo. The hull will be 507C light grey and 507A dark grey in the best approximation of the pattern shown. A black horizontal band will around / above the waterline. The superstructure will be white except for the aft structure and Y gun which will be 507C. I think it’s plausible but if anyone feels that this is foolish please let me know.

With the plan in hand I put the 507C coat on the hull and aft structure.

Thanks for looking in, the likes and helpful comments.

alan