One advantage of airbrushing over rattle cans is the opportunity to mix paints. There is skill and understanding of how color works needed, but I encourage you to try this for colors you cannot find premixed. Just try the mixtures on scrap to see how they look before putting them on your model.
You might try a book from a library about painting (the art type, not house painting) as these books frequently discuss how to mix paint. And, a cheap color wheel from an art supply store may be a good investment.
Even WW2 paints aged pretty quickly in the environment, and an airbrush allows you to weather and overcoat paints, which can add much to the appearance of a ship model.