Yiannis Mitzas

WWII D-Day USAAF (1944-1945)camo

Olive Drab ANA 613 differed significantly from its predecessor, Olive Drab 41, being slightly lighter and more brownish. Neutral Grey 43 was abandoned altogether, its replacement being a US approximation of RAF Ocean Grey, known as Sea Grey ANA 603, which was much darker and had a hint of blue, although much less so than its post-war successor, FS 36118. Medium Green 42 was also a new colour similar to ANA6. It was similar to its predecessor but closer to a greenish-grey than a sea green. As previously mentioned, both OD 41 and NG 43 continued to be used while stocks lasted, meaning that most aircraft in the OD/NG scheme retained their older colours. However, a significant change came on 30 October 1943 when it was ordered that factory camouflage be completely abandoned, with all fighters built from then on to retain their natural metal finish (NMF) and existing aircraft to be stripped of their paint during repairs or overhauls. The order was formalized in a revision to TO 07-1-1 on 26 December 1943. Olive Drab (or Medium Green) was retained as the color for anti-glare panels on unpainted aircraft. Exceptions to the rule were night fighters and transport aircraft, A-20 Havoc attack aircraft, and the , A-26, and B-25 aircraft used by the Far East Air Force (FEAF). An order dated 3 March 1945 (TI-2094 Add. No. 2) specified that those FAEF aircraft retaining camouflage would use ANA 613/603 meaning that it is the only aircraft known to have definitively used the new colours, although unfortunately no colour photographs exist.

Despite the new factory orders, field commanders were allowed to camouflage their aircraft at their discretion, which resulted in many aircraft retaining one or both OD/NG. A common scheme was OD applied unevenly to the upper surfaces while the lower fuselage and sides were left in NMF, as was the case with the P-51s of the 361st Fighter Group. If OD stocks were not available at UK airfields, then RAF Dark Green was used instead. Some units even rejected OD/NG altogether, such as the P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group whose 61st Squadron was painted in matte black (which faded to dark blue or purple) over the NMF, while its 63rd Squadron was painted in an indigo blue and sky blue pattern over the NMF. Neither of these were official US colors. Others in this group used the RAF Day Fighter Scheme of Ocean Grey/Dark Green with Medium Sea Grey undersides. The P-47s of the 78th Fighter Group were also known for their dark green sides and sky undersides.

By June 1944, the D-Day invasion stripes were applied to almost all Allied aircraft participating in the landings. These consisted of three white stripes with two black stripes between them, all 18 inches in size for single-engine aircraft and 24 inches for twin-engine aircraft, and were placed on both the upper and lower wings as well as around the rear fuselage. The upper side stripes were the first to be removed in the weeks following the invasion, although the lower fuselage and wing stripes continued to appear throughout the rest of the year.

By and large, by this point in the war the Allies enjoyed air superiority to such an extent that camouflage became irrelevant, as evidenced by the progressively more colorful and ostentatious squadron markings seen on USAAF aircraft in 1944–45. Photographic evidence of aircraft undoubtedly using ANA 613/603 remains elusive.

Camo colors:

• Olive Drab ANA 613: The use of older OD 41/NG 43 even after the ANA system was implemented makes it easy for modelers to use the same paints for any World War II aircraft which use the OD/NG scheme. This avoids the tricky issue of finding different shades for ANA 613/603 of which perhaps only a very small number were ever painted that way given the switch to NMF. Some of the newer paint ranges have specific ANA 613 and ANA 603 shades. There is still debate over the differences between ANA 613 and OD 41 but it is believed that the ANA version was slightly lighter and browner. Although FS matches vary, it is my belief that the closet one is FS 33070 which would be consistent with the fact that ANA 613 is a Munsell yellow. Gunze H52/C12, although simply specified as a USAAF color, is closer to ANA 613 than OD 41. Likewise, Humbrol 155 is browner than 66, both of which are simply labeled as Olive Drab.
• Sea Grey ANA 603: A far more obvious difference exists between ANA 603 and its predecessor, NG 43, with the new color being darker and lightly bluer. However, its close association with FS 36118 has led to the myth that it was just as blue where in fact it was much closer to neutral than the post-war color, and is probably closer to MAP Extra Dark Sea Grey. There is no specific match to ANA 603 in any paint range and I would argue in favor of EDSG rather than FS 36118 (although the latter is matched below in parenthesis).
• Medium Green ANA 612: Most matches for ANA 612 due so for the post-war FS 34092. Although the two colors are not strictly identical, the fact that they are only used for blotches means that strict accuracy is not exactly required compared to the other two main colors. It is said to harmonize well with ANA 613 but this could imply that it contrasts much less to the greener OD 41, which may explain why some late-war aircraft finished in OD 41 (such as P-40s in the CBI theater) show more subtle blotches.
• Aluminum: For NMF, aircraft in service were nowhere near as shiny as those seen in museums or air shows. I am personally a huge fan of decanted Tamiya AS-12 (a lacquer spray) for a wartime NMF finish given its semi-gloss appearance, as well as for its quick drying and forgiving nature compared to other metallic lacquers like Alcad. It is also worth noting that some NMF aircraft like the P-51 had aerodynamically important surfaces like its laminar-flow wing (minus the flaps) painted in aluminum lacquer that was noticeably duller than the rest of the airframe. Modelers can reproduce this by painting these areas matt or semi-matt aluminum.