Lockheed Ventura Mk V in Coastal Command

[Larry]

Can anyone confirm the basic camouflage colours of Ventura Mk V's used in Coastal Command in 1943 / 44?

I presume by this point in time they were painted in the temperate sea camo of white sides/ under surfaces with dark slate grey/ extra dark sea grey on top?

I think only 519 Sqn and 521 Sqn used the Mk V in CC but so far I have not seen any photos - unless any of you know of any?

Thanks in advance

[Larry]

As I thought Ventura Mk V must have been rare in RAF use.

[dogsbodymk1]

From the Osprey Combat Aircraft series, No.34, PV Ventura/Harpoon Units of World War 2, by Alan C. Carey.

[Etienne]

I know this is a little off topic, but for what its worth here is a SAAF Ventura on costal patrol over Cape Town during the early fifties.

[Larry]

Thanks guys

Judging by the colour of the 521 Sqn and SAAF machines there must have been some kind of overall blue / grey scheme for aircraft not directly involved in offensive ops- which I have never heard of before, as I thought anything in Coastal Command was green / grey and white. So can you name the official colours involved, so I can search for a match in model paints.

[Graham Boak]

The SAAF Venturas had their own colours in the 1950s, they were not part of Coastal Command, but the dark grey used was the British Extra Dark Sea Grey, or very similar. I believe the underside was the British PRU Blue, or similar, as on their Shackletons. Ron Belling has a book of paintings of SAAF aircraft which includes a number of Ventura schemes. Other books are available of SAAF aircraft in WW2.

By the time Venturas were available for Coastal Command in WW2, the uppersurface would have changed to be a single tone of Extra Dark Sea Grey. In the 1950s this colour was used overall, later with white tops.

The white was not used from the start of WW2, undersides being initially Aluminium or Black, later Sky or Black. In these cases the uppersurface colours came down ths sides. Prewar they were overall Aluminium.

There is a lot more to Coastal Command colours than the one maritime patrol scheme. The torpedo bombers had their own scheme of EDSG over Sky, which some Mosquitos carried whilst others retained the Night Fighter scheme of Medium Sea Grey overall with Dark Green disruptive on the upper surfaces. Hampden torpedo bombers and Halifax night bombers often retained Bomber Command colours - as I believe did the one unit of Lancasters detached to CC in WW2.

Plus the PRU was part of Coastal Command, and operated a wide range of colours, but perhaps this was a special case.

[Larry]

Graham,

Thanks for the info.

So am I right in thinking that the 'blue' shown in the above drawing is in fact not very blue at all but actually EDSG.

But what about the undersides which look like light grey are these supposed to be PR blue or sky?

[Graham Boak]

If you are talking about the drawing of the 521 Sq aircraft, then this is in the USN scheme of Sea Blue Gloss uppersurfaces, Intermediate Blue sides, and Insignia White (a very light grey, normally, at least in appearance) undersides.

If you are talking about the SAAF aircraft, rather than rely upon memory I will turn to Ron Belling, then official SAAF artist. According to his book "A protrait of Miitary Aviation in South Africa", in this period the aircraft had the same scheme as the Shackleton, namely Extra Dark Sea Grey over PRU Blue. PV-1 6472 has Dark Sea Grey not EDSG.

The previous scheme (Springbok roundels) was EDSG over Sky. Several aircraft had DSG, and some had a rather brownish shade of Sky.

His book has several other paintings of Venturas, the wartime camouflaged ones (standard roundels) being variations of the USN schemes of the wartime period.

[Larry]

Thanks Graham,

I was refering to the 521 Sqn Ventura colour scheme.

[ATCCbengt]

The Venturas of Coastal Command which undertook meteorological work may have been camouflaged in either Coastal Special Duties scheme A or B. One of these schemes consisted of two colours. Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Sea Grey if I remember correctly. I’m at work and dont have any papers with me at the time of writing. Anyway. The extreme top of the fuselage was painted in Extra Dark Sea Grey with Dark Sea Grey painted down the sides of it. The upper surfaces of the wings and tailplanes were EDSG. Sky was used on all under surfaces. This scheme was also used by Beaufighters and several pictures of Beaus from 404 squadron during the first half of 1944 showes this clearly.

Photos PL28090 and PL29810
http://www.404squadron.com/gallery3.html

Photo PL41009
http://www.404squadron.com/gallery4.html

Regards
Bengt