WW2 Hull Red

Each navy used a different color, even green, below the waterline. Most of the ranges of "Hull Red" are too dark and brown for USN ships, which were a flat red.  There is a nice photograph of the battleship Pennsylvania in a floating drydock in 1944 that can give you an idea, although photography can be a problem in color interpretation.  I would go with a flat red.

Bill Morrison 

You gotta watch that. It'll turn pink super quickly.

GM is right.  And, I know of no ships with a pink lower hull.  I have experimented with many reds, but I always return to a straight flat red for my American ships.  I have grown up around the Navy my entire life, and I have seen many ships in drydock. Flat red is not perfect, but it comes the closest.

On an interesting note, there is a photo of a Ticonderoga class CG in drydock with a blue lower hull, though I have forgotten which ship.

Bill

AK Interactive’s US Navy Camouflage paint set #2 includes Hull Red as AK5026   Check any of the paint conversion websites for applicable Vallejo number

When lightening colors such as red do not use white - as noted it goes pink quickly.  Instead use a neutral gray.  It muted the color while lightening the base shade

Flat red with a whisper of neutral gray it is.  Thanks guys for all the advice.

Ships for inland waters often just use red oxide primer.  I use regular red oxide primer on my lakers, and just leave the bottom in the primer.  However, seagoing ships usually have a paint with an additive to kill marine life, and that adds a different color.  This is called anti-fouling paint.  For earlier 20th century ships I use MM British Crimson, but in more recent ships there are lots of colors that the bottom could be.  No easy answer for modern ships.