Hi Mike,
By the time Enterprise painted out of her MS 1, scheme, MS11 had already been replaced with MS 21...
Here's Alan Raven's take on the issue (Alan is the formost warship camo expert, and a good friend, and my publisher)
Faced with the phasing out of the Dark Gray (in mid August of 1941), and with Sapphire Blue being unacceptable due to fading, the Pacific Fleet formally adopted Measure 11, Sea Blue, (formerly Measure 1A) in mid-September 1941, but allowed the Fleet to remain in Measure 1 Dark Gray for as long as paint stocks would allow. Wood decks were not to he painted with 20B Deck Blue, hut were left in their natural color until tests with 20-B were conducted. Fortunately, by late 1941 the new 5-N Navy Blue had become available in the Atlantic, used there in Measure 12. It was first applied to a Pacific ship in the first days of December. This was the destroyer FLUSSER which was painted overall in the new color, the scheme was named Measure 1C later in 1942 formalized as Measure 21.
In the Atlantic, Admiral King (like Kimmel) was unhappy with Sea Blue, primarily because of fading, and by it not being dark enough. He officially ended the use of Sea Blue in early November 1941, having formally replaced by 5-N Navy Blue, although Sea Blue continued in use on some vessels for many months until supplies of Navy Blue became available. Where Navy Blue was used in place of Sea Blue, Measure 12 became known as Measure 12A.
By September 1941 it was believed that some degree of disruption of a ship's course and identity might be achieved on Measure 12 camouflage if the straight dividing line between the Navy Blue and the Ocean Gray be broken up by extending the two colors into each other in splotches about 1/3 the area of a rectangle 12" high by 20" long. If this was done correctly, it would give a wavy line on cruisers and large vessels, and on destroyers with less than 12' freeboard, a splotched or dappled hull. On November 4th these instructions were issued in the Atlantic Fleet and ships soon began to show this revised scheme (Measure 12R) during the following month. The Pacific Fleet did not employ Measure 12 or its late 1941 revisions, preferring the solid tones of Measure 1, or 1B or 1C.
As far as the Asiatic Fleet was concerned not only did they not perform any experimentation but as late as November the fleet was still painted in the old #5 Navy Gray. So frustrated was Admiral Hart that in October he ordered the purchase of local commercial paint and proceeded to have a color produced that was midway between Sea Blue and Ocean Gray. He then had the ships painted in this completely unofficial tint, which he named "Cavite Blue". (end quote)
I have a memo from the Roberts Commission, #1491, dated December 16, 1941, as Pacific Fleet Confidential Notice 21CN-41, from CIC US Fleet, to all Pacific Fleet commanders re: the painting of ships.
1. By reference a. (BuShips Letter C-A10/S19, dated Oct. 15, 1941) the Bureau of Ships distributed the first revision of the Ships Camouflage Instructions (Ships-2), dated Sept., 1941.
2. New paint products, formula 5-U (base white) and 5-TM (tinting material) are under manufacture, and initial shipments have reached Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, where they are in stock. **(this means that 5-N was available on December 16th, 1941)**
3. In accordance with paragraph 3 of reference a., the following measures of of revised Ships-2 are hereby placed in effect for ships of the Pacific Fleet:
a: Surface ships, less carriers, Measure 11, except that 'Navy Blue' formula 5-N will be used in place of Sea Blue Formula 5-S. Navy Blue formula 5-N is made from untinted white base (5-U), and by the addition of 15 pints of 5-TM, to 5 gallons of base.
b: Carriers - As in (a) above, excepting that flight decks shall continue to be painted in accordance with instructions issued by Commander Aircraft, Battle Force.
c: Submarines - Measure 9
4. Navy Blue formula 5-N has been specified instead of Sea Blue formula 5-S because preliminary observations indicate Sea Blue to be too light in color.
5. Inasmuch as supplies of new paint in this area are still limited (Dec. 1941), application Measure 11 is, for the present, restricted to those ships in need of complete repainting. Measure 5 false bow waves, and Type Concealment measures 6, 7 and 8 of old Ships-2 have proven valueless. Ships shall discontinue these, even before complete repainting is undertaken. Upon new paint products becoming available in quantity, instructions will be promulgated covering the general application of Measure 11. Experimental measures on Porter, Flusser, Lamson, Mahan, and Drayton shall remain effective until repainting is required.
6. Instance of attepts to attain improved appearance by adding varnish, linseed oil, or other ingredients not called for by the formula, or by rubbing down the exterior painted surfaces with linseed oil, have been noted. These practices produce glossy surfaces and increase specular reflection. They shall be discontinued.
Signed, W.W. Smith, Chief of Staff
So, in short, on Dec. 16th, the US Navy said to discontinue the use of 5-S in favor of 5-N, but they were still calling it Measure 11 until the March 1943 Revision II Supplement of Ships-2. Of course, Enterprise wore her MS1 until May of 1942, since she was at sea most of the time and couldn't be repainted. It seems highly unlikely that by May of '42, that she would have been repainted into a color that was discontinued in December of the previous year, especially when she was so vital to operations in the Pacific at that time, due to the shortage of carriers.
I can scan this memo and post it if you like. You can get a copy of this memo from the National Archives, the CINPAC file No. is A2-11/FF-12(2), S-19/(50), Serial 02050.
You can also reference the following:
BuShips ltr C-A10/S-19-(4) of Oct.15, 1941
Pacific Fleet Confidential Notice 15CN-41
BuShips Ltr. C-S19/(50) Serial 01593 of Oct.6, 1941
Hope this helps clear things up...
Jeff