Hull Numbers

Sometimes white transfer letters can be found in the small scale that requires. Most of those are a good sans serif block font and your flat clearcoat will seal them in nicely.

depending on the scale of the ship and also depending on the references since sometimes hull numbers are smaller or bigger.

I'm not sure what scale you're working in, but Gold Medal Models makes both shaded and unshaded hull numbers in 1/350 and 1/700 scales.

Pre-war, the hull numbers were quite large and shaded with black, but during wartime those numbers were not to be larger than 24 inches in height, and were unshaded. Color depended upon the actual color of the hull, white for 5-N and 5-S (dark blues) and black for 5-O and 5-H, although I have seen white numbers over 5-O ocean gray paint. Names of the ships are to be painted out.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

A good way to get a bargain on 1/700 scale is to buy one of the new single-stack destroyer kits from Midship Models. Each kit comes with a decal sheet containing hundreds - literally hundreds - of hull numbers, shaded, unshaded, and in several sizes. Nice kits, too.

Sorry, I neglected to mention that the scale is 1/350. So at the time of Pearl Harbor would the hull numbers be shaded or unshaded?

Unshaded and small. Ward was wearing either 5-S or 5-N (sea or navy blue), but that's irrelevant, your hull numbers will be white.

Jeff