Okay, this subject seems to be much debated and so far I have not received any good answers from refs or online sources, so here goes:
Were any Japanese zeros painted in any type of two or three-tone camo schemes?
What color were Kate torpedo bombers? Most refs state that they were green on a silver or light grey base, w the bottom retaining the base color…true?
Help!
You make the call on the Kates, Manny… Seen 'em in overall grey and green over grey…
As for the Zekes, I’ve only seen them in two-color camouflage (land-based IJN that is)… Doesn’t mean that they were never done in three though… I’ve just never seen a three-color Zeke…
Check this out:
That pic is supposed to be a two tone green upper surface over the the light gray lower. The greens are supposedly a faded original color with a pattern of fresh dark green for disruption. I am at work now and con not cite what reference that is from.
Stickpusher is right. The two tone green camo is just a multiple paint job. One thing to remember when building late model Japanese, and US aircraft for that matter, is the theater they were involved in. The tropics are very harsh on paint, knowing this living in a sub-tropic zone, so they needed to be painted several times.
Some of the other Japanese A/C stopped being painted all together and were left in a NMF. The “motteled” finish is either IJN/IJA Grey with IJN/IJA green over top! Good luck.
Travis/STFD637
A recent researcher has suggested that the light areas are heavy layers of dust or sand and that the dark areas are where US Navy personnel have wiped those areas clean for the benefit of the photographer so as the markings would show for the folks back home…if you look, it seems to make some sense as the dark areas are where the markings are on ALL of the a/c that are visible…
My resources tell me the Japaneses used two types of camo which evolved into a basic five scheme camo.
To afford air-to-air concealment
To protect aircraft at their bases
This evolved into five basic types of camo.
Type O - a single solid cover over all surfaces.
Type B - blotch or similar type of irregularly applied dark colors usually over a standard factory finnish.
Type N - natural metal all over, in the case of fabric covered aircraft a silver finish was applied.
Type S - a two color finish. Usually a solid dark covered upper and a light colored lower surface.
Type C - a segment type scheme, much in the manner of the Brits camo.
For more very good info on Japanese Camo look for a book called:
Japanese Army Air Force Camouflage and Markings World War II
by Donald W. Thorpe
This book is out of print but can be found on ebay every so often.
Some Kates, including Soryu and Hiryu’s at Pearl harbor were supposedly camoflaged in a brown mottle over the dark green base with the lght gray lowers. Akagi and Kaga had their’s in solid green uppers over the light gray lowers. Shokaku and Zuikaku’s were in a green mottle on the upper fuselage and wings over the light gray base color.
Check out these links-
http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/jimlansdale/ph_crashsite/ph_crash_1.html
http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/gregspringer/b5n2_kate_artifacts.htm