MISSOURI class

Do you want to build the Missouri as she appeared in 1944, wearing Measure 32 camouflage

USNHC Photo

or do you want to build her as she appeared in Tokyo Bay wearing Measure 22?

USNHC photo

Measure 22 is a simple matter or masking from the lowest point of the deck shear level with the horizon.  Everyting above is Haze Gray (5-H).   Everything below is Navy Blue (5-N).

If you want to do the Measure 32 you need to obtain a set of camouflage diagrams from the Floating Drydock and using some creative Xerography make a set of masks.  

The easiest way to paint a ship is to airbrush the deck vertically (Weather Deck Blue 20B).  Then go back and airbrush the bulkhead color from 45 degrees below the level of the deck - allowing the deck to mask the paint.   This leaves only the bottom portion of the deck which must be hand-touched up.   The alternative, demonstrated by Mike Ashey in his Basics of Ship Modeling book (good reference)is to mask the deck with millions of small tags of masking tape.

As far as aftermarket details - look at Gold Medal Models offerings. 

They are very good and complete -- however for a newbie ship modeler - which you profess to be - let me suggest a less intense ship modeling experience as a first time project.   I recommend the Tamiya Fletcher.  Fewer parts, less expensive, less complex, less intimidating - a good learning experience

 

Interesting.  I've always seen the different patterns but never gave it much thought.  Didn't realize they had designations and as many as they did.

US Navy Camouflage (http://www.shipcamouflage.com/warship_camouflage.htm)
An online database of camouflage used by United State Naval Warships during WWII

SHIPS-2 (http://www.shipcamouflage.com/SHIPS2.htm)
SHIPS-2 was the guide book for U.S. Navy Camouflage systems and measures.

(I had to Google it before asking what a "Measure" was. )

One question I have is how often would they change Camoflauge Measures?

David if you check the first site you posted, they have a ship's camouflage database that shows ships and which measure they sported during which years up to 1945. It is a very cool site.

Steve

David Voss wrote:

Interesting.  I've always seen the different patterns but never gave it much thought.  Didn't realize they had designations and as many as they did.                             <<SNIP>> One question I have is how often would they change Camoflauge Measures?

Yes, contary to popular opinion, US Navy ships in WWII were not 'Battleship Gray'.  They were an interesting mix of purple-blue based colors.

Read Alan Raven's monograph 'The Development of Naval Camouflage' on shipcamouflage.com

http://shipcamouflage.com/development_of_naval_camouflage.htm

The article originally appeared in Plastic Ship Modeler magazine (now defunct), and gives a lot of good juju on the subject.

Essentially the camouflage would change according to the threats in the theatre of operations.   The quick answer as far as the Missouri is concerned is that the 1944 camouflage was while she was in the Atlantic and prior to the rise in the Kamikaze threat.   At this time the prime threats were submarine.  The 3x dazzle measures were considered to be effective against eyeball-based sensors.   They were designed to be deceptive in heading, range, and perhaps speed.  The problems is that they stand out like a sore thumb.

With the rise of the Kamikaze threat in the Pacific, many ships painted out of dazzle into Measure 22 or Measure 21 (overall Navy Blue).   These allowed the ship to "hide" in the ocean a bit better - if it is possible to hide something as big as a ship on the ocean.    The blue hull and gray superstructure of Measure 22 gave a false horizon effect and thus was deceptive in range.

Thanks thats what i was looking for