AIR: Mixing Italian WWII Camouflage with Humbrol Paints
Mark Lawrence Shannon
The question was raised about matching Italian camouflage for WWII aircraft. The
following is taken from the IPMS Quarterly Volume 19, No. 2 of Winter, 1983. It was
reprinted there from CMPR. I have used almost all of these in my aircraft and will
vouch that they look right for the descriptions various authorities have stated. Where
possible I have translated the old Humbrol system designation to their current numbering
system and name. Some paints are not directly replaced by those in the current range.
Color Name (approximate FS match) == Humbrol Paint Mixture
Alumino (17178) == 10 parts #11 Silver + 1 part #34
White
Grigio Mimetico (36251 (slightly dark) == 11p #64 Light Grey + 1p #106
Ocean Grey + 1p HJ4 Japanese
Mauve N.9
Giallo Mimetico 1 (23594 (slightly light)) == 15p #74 Linen + 11p #34 White +
2p #63 Sand
Verde Mimetico 1 (14257) == 9p #102 Army Green + 1p #34
White + 9p #99 Lemon + 1p #92
Iron Grey
Marrone Mimetico 1 (20109/20095) == 5p #98 Chocolate (?) + 2p #29
Dark Earth
(There was an obvious typo in the list, specifying HG5 Hellblau 65 in the mix. I have
not used this color, yet, but based on experience, this seems to be what was meant.)
Giallo Mimetico 2 (33481 (too yellow)) == 15p #74 Linen + 8p #81 Pale
Yellow
Verde Mimetico 2 (34092 (close)) == 4p #30 Dark Green + 1p #25 Matt
Blue
Marrone Mimetico 2 (20109 (close)) == 11p #160 German Camouflage Red
Brown + 10p #60 Scarlet + 8p #24
Trainer Yellow
Giallo Mimetico 3 (33434 (too gray)) == 4p #99 Lemon + 2p #63 Sand + 1p
HI4 Sand
Verde Mimetico 3 (34096 (darker)) == 5p #117 US Light Green + 1p HF2
Verte
Giallo Mimetico 4 (30257/30266) == 15p #94 Pale Yellow + 4p #84 Mid
Stone + 3p #99 Lemon
Verde Mimetico 53192 (24172/34128) == 15p #163 Dark Green + 10p HF2
Verte + 3p #99 Lemon
Marrone Mimetico 53193 (20122/20140) == 25p #29 Dark Earth + 4p #60
Scarlet + 2p #98 Chocolate
Bruno Mimetico (20219 (close)) == 10p #29 Dark Earth + 7p #24
Yellow + 6p #160 German
Camouflage Red Brown
Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 (36357) == 11p #64 Grey + 1p HI1 Mottle
Green
(Humbrol says #102 Army Green is the same as HI1, but I think HI1 is greener.)
Verde Oliva Scurro 2 (34079 (lighter, yellower)) == 2p HU1 Medium Green 42 + 1p #163
Dark Green
Grigio Azzurro Scuro 3 (35044 (darker, more purple)) == 5p #27 Sea Grey + 4p #33 Black
Nocciola Chiaro 4 (30219 (lighter) == 12p #118 US Tan + 1p #29 Dark
Earth
Bianco Avorio 5 (33613 (close)) == 30p #34 White + 3p #94 Brown
Yellow + 1p #63 Sand
Bianco Neve 6 (37886) == #34 White.
Verde Anticorrosione (34491 (close)) == 10p #23 Duck Egg Blue + 1p HF2
Verte + 1p #34 White
The descriptors with the FS numbers indicate how the FS chip appears compared to the
Italian color -- so Nocciola Chiaro 4 is darker than 30219, for example.
I have found that Humbrol #120 Light Green is close enough to HF2 Verte for my uses,
though they do not give it as an equivalent to the old color. I have not found current
matches to HU1 Medium Green 42 (which was never a match to 34092), HJ4 Mauve N.9, nor
HI4 Italian Sand, though I have not been looking since I have stocks of these for my own
use (MINE, MINE, MINE you can't have any! HAAAAAA HAAH HAAAAA!) (Pause while I lose it).
Also, as I said in my note, I see a bit of a difference between #102 and HI1.
OK, so that is the information I have on the matter. Obviously some of these mixtures
have been superceded by Testors, Floquil, and AeroMaster, but they do not have the
entire range of colors listed. Unless you are particularly exacting on the colors, I
would not worry about the differences between Bruno Mimetico and Nocciola Chiaro (which
pretty much straddle FS30219), and the very popular camouflage color of Verde Mimetico 2
(probably the 'bottle Green' often described) is so close to 34092 as to not be
worrisome, while Bianco Avorio is pretty much the same as US Radome Tan.
As to the usage, Verde Anticorrosione is the primer color. It is usually visible on the
crankcase of radial engines and inside the wheelwells and gear doors. After 1941, the
visible interiors were to be painted Grigio Azzurro Chiaro, but the Verde Anticorrosione
was often still seen. Field repaints, of course, were a bit of anything goes.
The Mimetico series were non-officially specified paints to match the relatively vague
camouflage color orders given up to October, 1941. At that time, the camouflage was
changed to the specifications of the Verde Oliva Scuro over Grigio Azzurro Chiaro with
Nocciola Chiaro as the mottling color, many cases of the Nocciola Chiaro as the base
color with Verde Oliva Scuro were encountered, however. I have seen the
'Sand-and-Spinach' designation fought over as to whether it was the Verde Mimetico 2 in
'smoke rings' over Giallo Mimetico 4 used on Macchi's, or the later Verde Oliva Scuro
rings over Nocciola Chiaro, or the general Giallo Mimetico/Verde Mimetico schemes that
did not include the terracotta of the Marrone Mimetico.
Fiat fighters (CR-32, CR-42, and G-50) tended to use Giallo Mimetico 3 with Verde
Mimetico 53192 and Marrone Mimetico 53193 sprayed in 'star' shaped mottles (Sometimes
they may have used Verde Mimetico 1). Macchi's (MC-200 and early MC-202) used Giallo
Mimetico 4 and Verde Mimetico 2, sometimes with Bruno Mimetico, in early marks as
roundish mottles, latter in the 'smoke ring' pattern. Breda built MC-202's seem to have
used the same colors (possibly substituting Giallo Mimetico 2), but in a sparsely
mottled style with 'comma' shaped mottles. SM-79's in the earliest banded styles with
roughly equal bands of colors used mainly Giallo Mimetico 1, Marrone Mimetico 1, and
Verde Mimetico 1 or 53192. Other colors and styles on SM79's were patterns with large
bands or blotches of Marrone Mimetico 2 and Verde Mimetico 3 or 53192, with narrow
'rivers' of Giallo Mimetico 3 or 1. Several aircraft types in the Greek, Aegean, and
Balkan theaters used Verde Mimetico 53192 in mottled patterns with Verde Mimetico 2 or
3. Late model MC-202, MC-205, G-55, and most Re-2001,2,&5 used the post October 1941
colors.
Bianco Avorio was used on trainer aircraft and in the Italian East Africa front.
Alumino was used on interior areas pre-1941 and was the pre-war outside dope. It was
still seen in 1940 as an underside color on some aircraft.
I do not know if the same paints were used on Italian tanks in North Africa. The
descriptions of the colors sound very similar.
I hope the table above comes out properly on your readers. This only touches on the
camouflage systems. I am not a primary source expert, and some of this may have been
superceded by later research that I haven't seen. Please let me know if you have
evidence that anything I said is grossly misstated and whether you have found good
Humbrol equivalents for the old colors they ceased distributing.
--
This has been Mark and/or Mary Shannon
at Shin...@ix.netcom.com
The good thing about being a pessimist is --
it lets you be pleasantly surprised -- on rare occasions.
A. Maraziti
In article <322671...@ix.netcom.com>, Mark says...
>
>The question was raised about matching Italian camouflage for WWII aircraft. The
>following is taken from the IPMS Quarterly Volume 19, No. 2 of Winter, 1983. It was
>reprinted there from CMPR.
- (snip) -
>I hope the table above comes out properly on your readers. This only touches on the
>camouflage systems. I am not a primary source expert, and some of this may have been
>superceded by later research that I haven't seen.
Mark,
recently a revised edition of the book that should have been the source
for your posting has been printed. The book is:
"Colori e schemi mimetici della Regia Aeronautica 1935-1943"
by Postiglioni - Degl'Innocenti
This book also contains a COLOR booklet with prints of all colors used, and
examples of camouflage patterns. For each plane, all possible patterns and
color combinations are listed. Though the color prints are not as good as true
color chips, I think they should be adequate for the modeler. I use them
as I can skip the conversions to FS and to paint numbers.
The book is based on the study (done by modelers and historic aircraft
enthusiasts) of aircraft samples that were not exposed to
strong sunlight (NOT on wartime color photos), so it should be rather accurate.
For each color, the FS595b equivalences are given; these are sometimes different
from those you posted. I suppose these are only small differences (partly due
to the difficulty of finding a "next match" color when the exact match does not
exist), but I could not check the match (I haven't got time to make all
Humbrol mixes of your posting, maybe I'll try soon with the colors of the
Fiat CR42 on my bench).
Can some mismatches be due to the use of FS595b, that did not exist in 1983?
These are the FS matches reported in the book:
Alluminio 17178
Marrone Mimetico 1 30118
Marrone Mimetico 2 30076
Marrone Mimetico 53193 30140
Bruno Mimetico 30215
Giallo Mimetico 1 33594
Giallo Mimetico 2 33481
Giallo Mimetico 3 33434
Giallo Mimetico 4 30266
Verde Mimetico 1 34258
Verde Mimetico 2 34092
Verde Mimetico 3 34102
Verde Mimetico 53192 34227
Grigio Mimetico 36293
Verde Oliva Scuro 2 34052
Nocciola Chiaro 4 30219
Grigio Azzurro Scuro 3 36118
Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 36307
These are the colors of primers use for interior :
Verde Anticorrosione 34558 (commonly used)
Verde Anticorrosione 34272 (used on some Reggiane aircraft)
Verde Prato Anticorrosione 34230 ( " " " " )
These are colors used for internal pipes/tubes:
Giallo Cromo 7 23655 (fuel)
Verde 9 14062 (water)
Bruno 10 30045 (lubricant)
Azzurro 11 15056 (air)
Nero 12 17038 (exhaust gas)
Bianco Neve 6 37925 (oxygen)
Rosso 8 11105 (fire extinguishing system)
I hope this helps those interested in Italian WWII camouflage, though I
am afraid this raises even more doubts than it clarifies (see the use of
various shades of Verde Anticorrosione found on some aircraft samples...).
But I think (and I suppose I am not the only one) that nothing can be
thought to be absolute in WWII aircraft colors.
Antonio
Mark Lawrence Shannon
A. Maraziti wrote:
>
>
> Mark,
>
> recently a revised edition of the book that should have been the source
> for your posting has been printed. The book is:
>
> "Colori e schemi mimetici della Regia Aeronautica 1935-1943"
> by Postiglioni - Degl'Innocenti
>
> This book also contains a COLOR booklet with prints of all colors used, and
> examples of camouflage patterns. For each plane, all possible patterns and
> color combinations are listed. Though the color prints are not as good as true
> color chips, I think they should be adequate for the modeler. I use them
> as I can skip the conversions to FS and to paint numbers.
>
> Can some mismatches be due to the use of FS595b, that did not exist in 1983?
>
> These are the FS matches reported in the book:
>
> Marrone Mimetico 1 30118 (20109/20095)
> Marrone Mimetico 2 30076 (20109 (close))
> Marrone Mimetico 53193 30140 (20122/20140)
> Bruno Mimetico 30215 (20219 (close))
> Giallo Mimetico 1 33594 (23594 (slightly light))
> Giallo Mimetico 2 33481 (33481 (too yellow))
> Giallo Mimetico 3 33434 (33434 (too gray))
> Giallo Mimetico 4 30266 (30257/30266)
> Verde Mimetico 1 34258 (14257)
> Verde Mimetico 2 34092 (34092 (close))
> Verde Mimetico 3 34102 (34096 (darker))
> Verde Mimetico 53192 34227 (24172/34128)
> Grigio Mimetico 36293 (36251 (slightly dark))
> Verde Oliva Scuro 2 34052 (34079 (lighter, yellower))
> Nocciola Chiaro 4 30219 (30219 (lighter)
> Grigio Azzurro Scuro 3 36118 (35044 (darker, more purple))
> Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 36307 (36357)
>
> These are the colors of primers use for interior :
>
> Verde Anticorrosione 34272 (used on some Reggiane aircraft)
> Verde Prato Anticorrosione 34230 ( " " " " )
>
> These are colors used for internal pipes/tubes:
>
> Giallo Cromo 7 23655 (fuel)
> Verde 9 14062 (water)
> Bruno 10 30045 (lubricant)
> Azzurro 11 15056 (air)
> Nero 12 17038 (exhaust gas)
> Bianco Neve 6 37925 (oxygen)
> Rosso 8 11105 (fire extinguishing system)
>
> I hope this helps those interested in Italian WWII camouflage, though I
> am afraid this raises even more doubts than it clarifies (see the use of
> various shades of Verde Anticorrosione found on some aircraft samples...).
>
> But I think (and I suppose I am not the only one) that nothing can be
> thought to be absolute in WWII aircraft colors.
>
> Antonio
--
Antonio, thank you for the information. Roberto Lionello had also sent me this info by
E-Mail. This is the first time I had seen references to three Verde Anticorrosione
versions -- so now I'll have to go back and repaint all my Reggianes!
I also believe that the colors listed for internal tubing and cabling and such were also
the standard markings colors for insignias. It might be worth checking out.
As I said before, I am not a primary reference for the Italian colors. I left out some
background of the FS matches I listed, including a very spirited discussion of what the
colors really were. The letters responding to an initial article in the IPMS Quarterly
were the first time, I think, that color names other than 'Sand and Spinach" or "Dark
Green and Yellow Ochre" had been used in the English magazines. At one point, a table
with SIX different opinions on the proper FS matches to a couple of the colors was put
in the journal to demonstrate the lack of unity on the subject.
For those who need to have things close together to compare them, like I do, I've put
the FS matches in my original post up on the list Antonio gave. My descriptions are to
be read as how the FS chip is in relation to the Italian color, so if it says something
like (34079 (lighter, yellower)), it should be read that the camouflage color is darker
and not as yellow as FS 34079.
As you can see, there are some differences. I have not had the chance to check my chips
of the Humbrol mixes against this new list, I'll do that and get back to everyone.
I think it's a matter of use this most recent info. The main intent of my original post
was to indicate the varieties of colors used by the Italians, of which not all are
available as pre-matched authentic paints. I hope the enthusiasts on this topic will
get together, as I really like the looks of the Italian planes, and the colors really
stand out from the duller colors the Brits and Germans used, not to mention the REALLY
drab American camouflages. (OK, OK, so they started doing more and more in NMF, but do
I really want to do a lot of those? NO WAY!)