Yiannis Mitzas

Atlantic Anti Submarine Camouflage Schemes ASW Schemes (1943-45)

It became obvious that the new three-tone scheme implemented in 1943, while ideal for the Pacific, did not work nearly as well in the drearier, overcast skies of the Atlantic. As a result, on 19 July 1943 an order was issued by the Atlantic Fleet’s air commander providing two new Anti-Submarine Warfare schemes (most Atlantic USN aircraft were engaged in ASW duties) known as Scheme I and II. Scheme I was for aircraft operating in areas with clear skies such as the southeastern seaboard and the Caribbean. This was a three-tone scheme consisting of Dark Gull Gray ANA 621 as a topside color over Light Gull Gray ANA 620 sides and an underside color of Insignia White ANA 601. The topside color typically curved downward to meet the wings like in three-tone Pacific Corsairs. Scheme II was for aircraft operating in areas of overcast, cloudy skies like the North Atlantic and was a two-tone scheme of ANA 621 over ANA 601, the latter which replaced the areas painted in ANA 620 in Scheme I. Given that most combat in the Atlantic occurred at northern latitudes, Scheme II was by far the most common of the two and the one seen on the few color photos of Atlantic aircraft that were taken.
The two dark gull grays were added later (June 1944) to the ANA palette and their only major use in a US wartime scheme is this. Light Gull Gray is in some respects superseded the older Light Gray from the M-485 specification although it is known that the colors differed slightly. Dark Gull Gray does not have a direct predecessor.
Paint guide:
Light Gull Gray ANA 620: Gunze is the only manufacturer that makes a specific wartime LGG (H51/C11) which was otherwise not widely used in any other scheme. ANA 620 was superseded by the post-war FS 36440 which it matches very well with and is listed with an asterisk. Vallejo and Hataka reference both ANA and FS numbers.
Dark Gull Gray ANA 621: Similarly to ANA 620, Gunze is the only manufacturer that makes a specific wartime DGG (H57/C73) despite the strange name of ‘Aircraft Grey’. ANA 621 was superseded by the post-war FS 36231 which is almost universally available and is listed with an asterisk. Vallejo references both ANA and FS numbers.ANA 601 

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/09/world-war-ii-asw-schemes-versus-norfolk.html

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234919065-sea-grey-and-light-grey-their-possible-equivalents/