Mosquito camouflage question

1. the grey is a blue-grey getting to the silver-grey shades

So perhaps it is Light Mediterranean Blue, an officially approved alternative to Azure Blue. LMB was more greyish.

That’s interesting but the points against it would be that

1. the grey is a blue-grey getting to the silver-grey shades

2. HR339 was used solely in the ETO during the war then stored before sale to the RNZAF

3. interestingly, but possibly totally erroneously, an HRxxx block mossie (HR370) turned up in Australia in what from descriptions is the same scheme (see Mosquito Monograph by David Vincent page 212)

4. we know its a “genuine” scheme as it has all the hadnling marks applied correctly over the grey (trestle points etc etc)

I’ll try and rustle up a pic

anyone want to advance any comments on FBVI HR339 being in brown/green/blue-grey when delivered to the RNZAF and now held at Ferrymead? I’ve asked this question in various places over time but no one can explain the scheme.

An answer perhaps – this is speculated to be a standard SEAC scheme – the blue-grey is possibly Azure Blue

Air Force Orders (India) Nos 69-76 dated 4/4/44 gave the uppersurfaces of Day Bombers (which apparently included Mosquito FBVIs) as DG/DE- but makes no reference to undersurfaces. AMO A.664/42 gives the undersurfaces of “day bombers serving overseas” as sky or azure. Sky had been rejected as an undersurface colour for the Middle east in 1940 so Azure Blue is likely to have been used to overpaint the MSG. There is photo evidence that HR462 and HR493 were finished in this scheme.

Given HR339’s known NW Europe history, it patently did not come from SEAC stocks, but I suppose it could have been refurbed for potential use in South East Asia, in which case it might have been refinished in the UK in the authorised SEAC scheme.

There also seemed to be some sort of battle between the Air Ministry who had developed new heat resistant camoflage dopes and SEAC who latterly favoured Aluminium dope for Mosquitos. I suppose however if refurbed & refinished in this country they may have used the camo dopes.

I hasten to add that this is all pure speculation of course but could be a possibility

Source as before -see above

anyone want to advance any comments on FBVI HR339 being in brown/green/blue-grey when delivered to the RNZAF and now held at Ferrymead? I’ve asked this question in various places over time but no one can explain the scheme.

And people have moaned about Duxfords Mossie colour scheme!
At least that one is accurate! :rolleyes:

This scheme is so inaccurate, it beggars belief!

Quite where the guys at Cosford got this scheme from is beyond me!

Bruce

A Lancaster by the looks of it :rolleyes:

Mossie Colours

Paul Lucas has suggested that although there were DG/DE/Sky early Mosquito BIV (Series i) , some of the Series ii were also finished in the Temperate Land Scheme of DG/DE uppersurfaces but with Azure Blue undersurfaces. This was prior to the adoption of the “modified” Day Fighter Scheme of DG/OG/MSG with deletion of the Fighter Command sky spinners/sky tail band/yellow leading edge stripes.

As much of this is based on analysis of b/w photos presumably this must be regarded as provisional until further evidence is available.

Information from SAM Combat Colours No 5 – deH Mosquito in RAF PR and Bomber service: 1941 to 1945

This scheme is so inaccurate, it beggars belief!

It is modelled on KB267, the aircraft in which Guy Gibson lost his life. This was a Canadian BXX, and was in the Ocean Grey, Dark Green, Medium Sea Grey scheme. Quite where the guys at Cosford got this scheme from is beyond me!

Bruce

Found this pic sometime ago…..Not sure where it is but seem to remember something about the scheme Guy Gibsons Mossie was painted in…I’m no expert of WW2…not really my field…anyone else here this ?

I believe that only the first few Mosquito bombers with the short nacelles were finished in the Dark Green Dark Earth sky scheme. These aircraft were called B MkIV series 1. I haven’t got my references with me but not too many were produced before production shifted to the long nacelle version B MkIV series 2. As far as I can ascertain these aircraft were all finished in the day-fighter scheme, including sky spinners and sky fuselage band. These original machines were allocated to 2 Group Bomber Command as day Bombers.

2 Group was subsequently transferred to Fighter Command but the Mosquito Bomber squadrons transferred to 8 Group and started to fly at night. The sky bands and spinners had by this time stopped being applied to the Bombers, but they remained in the day fighter scheme with some units applying black under surfaces.

2 Group then re-equipped its Ventura squadrons with B MkVI’s to replace the lost day bombers squadrons and the original aircraft were again finished in the day fighter scheme, including the sky bits. For some reason I can’t recall this attracted adverse comment from the Aussies and Kiwis from the first two squadrons to re-equip and all subsequent MkVI’s for 2 Group were left in their factory finish Night fighter scheme. When asking about a particular aircraft it important to find a photo to be sure what scheme was used.

I think so, but generally Mosquito day bombers used the day fighter scheme.

Did the Mosquito ever wear the dark green/dark earth/sky camouflage colours?

Wasn’t this the standard RAF daylight bomber scheme throughout the war?

Yes, early Mosquitos wore this scheme and I believe there is some debate about whether some of the BOAC Mosquitos also wore this scheme.

I understand they wore that scheme in early 1942… although it doesn’t appear that they’ve fitted the early type exhausts to this model, or the short nacelles.

Presumably a standard casting – the tropical Spitfire V (Neville Duke?) is sans tropical filter!

I understand they wore that scheme in early 1942… although it doesn’t appear that they’ve fitted the early type exhausts to this model, or the short nacelles.