Well, I made the jump and purchased Trumpeters new Fletcher. This is only my third ship so I’m still learning. My question is regarding the painting of small items on the deck, like winches, capstans, depth charges, etc. There is no color call-outs and every picture I can find is either in black and white or is so grainy that you can’t make out small items. I want to paint the ship in Measure 12 camouflage and can’t find anywhere what to paint these things. The paint job will be a haze grey base with sea blue splotches. I am assuming that these small items would have been painted the base color, but I don’t know.
By the way I want to give a shout out to those who contributed to the linked post. I have gathered so much info from this post and I’m sure it has saved me lots of time researching. Here’s the link for anyone interested in a blast from the past: https://forum.finescale.com/t/how-do-you-paint-your-ships/251950/28
The paint which is applied to the small equipment you list is generally the same as the vertical surface behind it; 5-O Ocean Gray or 5-H Haze Gray.
Ordnance delivered from BUORD (that includes depth charge cans and arbors) were generally painted 5-O. Whether the expendables were repainted was a decision of the captain and First Liuetenant. Fixed items such as DC cranes & guns would be painted to blend with their surroundings,
Measure 12R on the Fletcher is 5-O on the hull with splotches of 5-N Navy Blue. The superstructure, funnels, guns, & director were 5-O with splotches of 5-H. 12R patterms varied ship to ship. They were designed by the base camouflage officer, ordered by the captain, directed by the First Lieutenant and Chief Bosun, to be implemented by the deck force sailors who were available that day
Measure 12 Mod(ified) and Measure 12 R(evised) are the same
Measure 12 (September '41) called for the hull to the shear line to be painted Sea Blue (5-S). The hull above that line and the superstructure to be painted 5-O, and the topwotks to be painted 5-H. Measure 12R was added to the mix of Measures.
Paint 5-S was not satisfactory and by the early summer of '42 new paint instructions replaced 5-S with 5-N Navy Blue. The Fletcher was commissioned in June '42 so 5-N would be appropriate