RLM 81/82 – More secrets unveiled

[Michael Ullmann]

Hola Folks,
just return from a business trip and read all the comments regarding my postings Hornets Nest and RLM 81/82. Sitting in Front of my computer and I am amazed about that what I read. Maybe now I am again and usual the typical "ugly" German, but my statement to the discussion is:

• I am amazed that this discussion absolutely lacked basic knowledge from well published original paper work about RLM-paints and lacquers!

Yes, we haven’t the whole picture, but we have enough for a rough picture. With my discovered facts the history of RLM 81/82 and 83 must be rewritten!


Facts (My quotations are for my second edition Hikoki book)

• RLM 81/82 introduced for replacement of RLM 70/71. Yes, enough evidences.
  “Nachdunkeln” is the original statement in the text. I also have no better explanation for this, but consider that all RLM-paints, - lacquers and so on are artificial resin lacquers. A technology just invented. Today no one is in the position to make any statement about the behavior of the paint during longer use!!
• RLM 81/82 as replacement for RLM 74/75.
  Document not discovered yet!
  Maybe in Sammelmitteilung 2 under camouflage (page 346) we have more than a hint. Maybe this camouflage guide was the source? But I am pretty sure that this short statement was the source for the mystery of Darkgreen (former RLM 83)/75 camouflage, because the statement was, that RLM 74 discontinued. Today, with my discovered documents the sentence has a different sense: RLM 74/75 was replaced with RLM 81/82, therefore 74 was discontinued, but RLM 75 was used for Nightfighters! Understand everyone this different sense? The discovered documents contain a lot of this missing links.
• The variation of RLM 81/82. Sammelmitteilung 1 (page 343) RLM QA received no color charts, therefor no acceptance inspection of the paint’s shade. This is a fact that RLM had published!!
  The discovery of the paints in Czech Republic mentioned on the JaPo home page support this. I read the label as RLM 81 and it contain a “Darkgreen Paint”.
  This Green/green camouflages (sometimes mentioned as 81/81 camouflage) is nothing more nothing less than a 70/81, 81/70 combination for using up old paint stocks with a, maybe Darkgreen shade of RLM 81 (Page 344, application of color shades 81 and 82, and Do 335 documents, page 268)

I don’ want to be rude or so, when I wrote that the discussion lacked knowledge, but without these basics understanding every discussion is senseless! And the basics are published since years! First you have to read, then to understand and then to discuss!
Again for me now a lot more makes sense. I hope I will discover more documents in the future to bring more light into this darkness.
Looking forward to read your replies.
Best Regards from Germany