Dunkerque and Strasbourg

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

I am building the Heller Strasbourg kit. Does anyone know the best shade of gray to use in painting? The instructions only call for “Gray”.

Bill Morrison

2

Perhaps I should be more specific . . . I have seen B&W photos of these ships both pre-war and in WWII. The pre-war scheme seems to be a very light shade of gray while the WWII scheme looks somewhat darker. Yet, in B&W photos, there could be many reasons for the shading differences. Can anyone provide their advice?

Thanks!

Bill Morrison

3

Hope this helps.

Own the Heller Strasbourg as well. http://www.steelnavy.com/MEDunkerque.htm

and here is the abstract from that source

http://smmlonline.com/archives/VOL0582.txt

if all else fails, there is a French board here

http://www.larsenal.com/GB/index.php

Kindly post back if you need more info

4

Felix,

THANKS!!! You helped immensely! This is why I love this site.

Bill Morrison

5

Glad to help.

Fellow at the French site has catapult and a/c upgrade as was shown in the SN build. But it is not cheap.

I just went through the Dumas book at home here is the Strasbourg specific information the Smmlonline link above is for the Dunkerque. Underlined parts are my revisions.

Strasbourg specific, Dumas p.63 of the Dunkerque and Strasbourg volumes.

From the beginning of her career to January 1940:

  • Entire Hull Light Grey except:

  • Fire directors: white

  • Main bridges were wood color except for the forward portion of the main deck that remained natural metal (From the extreme bow to breakwater).

  • Top of funnel, anchors, boot toping and chains are black.

At the beginning of 1940 she was repainted in a darker shade of grey to give better camouflage in the Atlantic Ocean waters.

Two white rings are painted on the funnel from March 1939 to August 1940.

Strasbourg is repainted in light grey in October 1940

Blue, white, red bands are painted on turrets II and V in November 1940.

Launches have their bottom painted black, on the smaller ones their cabin are mahogany colored, the bigger ones are grey. Only the Admiral’s launch is white with a mahogany colored cabin, the Captain’s launch is blue with also a mahogany colored cabin.

From Oct to Nov 1939 a bit of disruptive camouflage was tested on the Strasbourg to upset optical devices. The tower two sides in black on the front and rear face has two black vertical lines.