From : Luftwaffe-Colours 1935-1945 (Ullman)
"After the successful Blitzkrieg in the West in early
1940. Britain was the next target. The air battles over the
Channel and mainland Britain soon showed that the ideal
fighter camouflage bad not yet been achieved.
The search for new fighter colours also had its effect
on the underside light hue, RLM 65. The RLM 65 shade
was modified away from the 1938 tone in 1941. It moved
much closer to the new RLM 76 than the old RLM 65.
which was clearly more bluish. The possible reason for
this change of shade~ was that the new RLM 65 more easily
marched the central European skies than the old,
rather darker colour." (Ullman page 50.)
From: Luftwaffe Camouflage 1935-40 (Fleuret)
"This same unit participated in the Polish and French
campaigns with the old Henschel Hs 123 and after the
French defeat, was re-equipped with the new Messerschmitt
Bf I 09E-4B. The first of these fighter-bombers
were built in the Wiener-Neustadt plant and wore Werk
Nummern from around 5560 to 5600. It is believed they
were the earliest German aircraft to be painted in a
factory finish of the greys 74 and 75 with a fuselage
mottling in 02, 70 and 74 on the light bluish-grey 76 base
coat, a shade very similar to the previous pale blue 65."
I have included Ullman's color paint chips as a pdf. I scanned this from a new copy of this book.
