Paint schemes 33 Squadron Hurricanes in Greece 1941

[biltongbru]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Having spent some time peering at all the photos I can find, and playing the usual games of colour interpretation, I would confirm that the vast majority seem to have been in Temperate Land. .

Graham; would you interpret this aircraft to be of the temperate land type paint scheme?



Another topic for help please; how do one interpret the ID lettering on the sides of the aircraft? any site you can recommend explaining this? thanks again.

[Buckeye30]

Srecko Light Earth was a permanent colour in the Ministry Standards and was a light part of the "shadow-shading" scheme ( Dark Earth/Light Earth/Dark Green/ Light Green) on biplanes; the lighter colours in shadow areas, above the lower wings and certain parts of the fuselage sides.The Fleet Air Arm had similar system using Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Sea Grey/ Dark Slate Grey/ Light Slate Grey.The Americans called this "counter-shading".
In N. Africa Light Earth was used as part of the "Emergency Desert Scheme" as per AMO.A.520 of Nov. 11 1939 (until Mid-Stone finalised).
A memo of Jan. 5 1941 ( R&M DA.2) stated that "Light Earth" was required for the Middle East ; apparently it was more used at the Egyptian end. Upper surface colours usually depended on the terrain , lower colours for altitude and role eg. ASR or PR.
The "Mediterranean Blues" ( Light and Dark) were also in the standards; by late 1942 ,Azure, Sky and Light MB were listed for undersides of day fighters ( AMO.664/42 amended) in the ME. An Appendix to AP. 1486 included also for lower surfaces, Dark Med. Blue, Medium Sea Grey, Deep Sky, PRU Blue, Sky Blue, Sky Grey ( Navy), and Night (black).
As Graham says, Sky was very light and Azure was more suitable for N. Africa but it's likely that Hurricanes (and Gladiators) in Greece in 1941 kept their Sky. It's quite possible that blues were locally mixed in Africa and there would be little opportunity for a re-paint in Greece and Crete;I believe Light Med. Blue began as a mix of Roundel Blue and White.Obviously depending on the amount of white, different shades would result.

The "NW" Hurricane is Mk.1 V7419, taken at Larissa sometime in March-April; Pat Pattle is in the photo and he was killed on 20 April. NW was 33's code, painted in a hurry and minus an aircraft letter. 33's code was later changed to "RS".
See what Graham thinks but the low-contrast camo looks like green-brown; the darker area behind the cockade matches the Dark Green part in Hawker's camo drawing (but occasionally the colours were reversed). Spinner probably kept it's Night colour. The Desert Scheme usually shows a higher contrast between colours but that's not certain, depending on film type, light or weathering. Ortho film made yellowish colours appear dark.
Regards
Nick