kustommodeller1.2
Why is there no one, at all, who can say with 100% certainty,
If you ask people in criminal justice, there are few things as reliably unreliable as "eyewitness testimony." And, the further back in time a recollection is the less reliable it becomes. This is reduced with Subject Matter Experts, but not eliminated.
Around the Navy base the locals, such as they were (Hawai'i did not become an exotic tourist attraction until the late 50s) were used to seeing gray navy ships. And for many decades, too. In 1940, they started in with the darker camo schemes, even blue dark enough to be black. Remember, too, the locals were also used to merchant vessels in every color, too. Ships were colorful.
Consider how few remember the painting of the turret tops.
Then, in all the time passing, the ships became gray again.
Quick, try and remember what color Delta aircraft are painted.