Hurricane I's camo scheme over Greece/Crete?

[le_steph40]

Hello,

I'm wondering what kind of camo scheme was wore by Hurricane I's (trop.) over Crete during April/May 1941?
I read that it could be Tropical Land Scheme (Mid Stone/Dark Green/Sky or Sky Blue) the same as wore by several Hurricane over Malta at the end of 1940/early 1941, or Desert Scheme (Dark Earth/Mid Stone/Azure Blue or Sky Blue) or Temperate Land Scheme (Dark Earth/Dark Green/Sky) and other sources say a mix: Dark Earth/Dark Green/Sky blue maybe with black under the port wing ?
Here is Hurricane I V7795 photographed "en route"to Greece/Crete during March or April 1941...

My first impression: temperate land scheme (DE/DG/Sky or sky blue ?) with "Italian colors" (or mid stone with DG blotches) on the propeller spinner, under the nose and the leading edges...
I built this model there is several years in Temperate Land Scheme, was it right or wrong ?

Any opinion please ?
TIA
Steph

 

[fubar57]

The first mention I have of Hurricanes in the Battle of Crete were on February 17. Three Hurricanes were on loan from 274 Squadron for local air defence. We'll go from there...........

 

[fubar57]

Reading farther in, a Hurricane PR.I, V7423 from 2 PRU and painted overall Royal Blue matt arrived Mar.17 and left on the 22nd. I was not aware Brewster Buffaloes were serving in the Med.

 

[fubar57]

Your photo shows the tail of a Blenheim leading six Hurricanes on April 9. I have another photo of the Blenheim and V7795 during the same flight. The pilot flying the aircraft is Sgt J.K.(Jock) Norwell. The other aircraft serial numbers were V7732, 7745, 7747, 7823 and 7852. I believe these went to 80 Squadron. Still no mention of camo.

 

[Crimea_River]

The more questions you ask Steph, the more I realize how much I don't know. But I think we can rule out PRU Blue.

 

[fubar57]

PM sent Steph

 

[le_steph40]

The more questions you ask Steph, the more I realize how much I don't know. But I think we can rule out PRU Blue.

Are you sure of that Andy ?
All I know is that I know less than you

 

[newst]

I don't have any specific knowledge on the question involved, only the observation that every illustration I can remember seeing of Hurricanes using the Italian Green mottle on the nose and wing leading edge has the Hurricanes in RAF Desert Dark Earth/Sand camouflage. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[Juanita]

Doing a quick skim read of the RAF camo/marking specs it seems the first mention of Desert Scheme is in July 1942 (A.664)
Michael Bowyer (Book 'Fighting Colours') states: "After experiments, particularly at RAE, a new scheme more suited to the desert terrain came into use in August 1941...Some Tomahawk squadrons introduced the new scheme early in August 1941, but in the case of the Hurricanes the 'Middle East' (ie Desert) Camouflage was approved on August 22, 1941".
Its should also be noted that August 1941 was around the time that Fighter Command changes to green and grey camouflage.

Unfortunately this suggests your Hurricane could be in either scheme...however it is interesting to note that the tonal qualities of the camouflage on all 3 aircraft are the same and the underside tone, even the shadow areas, look quite light - which suggests Sky or light grey, therefore it would be unlikely to be Desert Scheme.

In Bowyer's book he has a photo of a Hurricane that looks exactly like yours but without the 'spinach' overspray (same tropical filter, same long range tanks and same light coloured underside, same contrast between the colours of the upper camo), and the caption states "Early Hurricanes to arrive in the Western Desert in 1941 still retained the green/Dark Earth/Sky temperate finish".
The underside is a single tone - the wing is definitely not black.

So I guess that might be strong justification for your choice of the green/brown/sky camo scheme.

Nice model by the way. The overspray is very interesting. I hadn't really considered that they might have actually painted the leading edges light brown before applying the 'spinach' overspray.

Juanita