Hi Will,
Call me Rainer, this is fairly egalitarian forum. Regarding above subjects I have repeatedly chimed in over the last couple months. Jeff and Adam got it right on. So, once again:
I am confident in the fact that uboats did not have boottop painted. All other German Navy combattants had a black bootstripe painted between antifouling and topsides\' paints.
Uboats\' horizontal surfaces were painted \"schlickgrau\" (transl. muddy grey), which was almost as dark an anthracite grey/black as the anti-fouling but with a dark brownish tint. All vertical surfaces were a light grey \"haze grey\", until they started to experiment with razzle/dazzle paint schemes on the vertical surfaces. Fearing deployment of infrared detectors by the Allieds, OKM/FDU ordered in May \'43 all front boats to be painted with either of the foll three colors: Muddygrey, flat #38; Bluegrey, flat #58-1; Blueblack, flat #58-2. PLease note that these numbers are DKM numbers - different from RAL. I do not know the Ral equivalent numbers. I know of at least three examples where commanders were interpreting the paint directive somewhat individualistic as far as their boat was concerned.
OK, guys, now get your boat into the nearest yard to have the decks including gratings in tower and Wintergardens repainted properly before the \"Paint Polizei\" makes a surprise inspection. :-)
Will, I got pics of IXA\'s. I am looking for pics of IXC\'s U153 to U176.