LSM 201 Life rafts

[Guest]

As you may know I am building the 1/144 LSM 201, I am reluctant to paint the life rafts in camo pattern as it would seem a daft thing to do, if god forbid you needed to use them it would make them harder to see in the water.

What are your thoughts on this.

John

[Guest]

http://www.militarytrader.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=2777

That is a bit of a laugh John.

Put in my browser search WW11 Life Rafts. Up came this from SMF submitted by Steve (Stona).

Always remember them as yellow in films but then that is not always trust worthy.

Laurie

[Guest]

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVxbmJGJUnxQAE0VXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBs a3ZzMnBvBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--?_adv_prop=image&fr=moz35&va=RAF+ww11+inflatable+l ife+rafts

This one John shows a liferaft in an RAF museum in one of the pictures.

Laurie

[stona]

But that's a life raft for a downed airman which was safely stowed in the aircraft until it was needed.

I wouldn't want to put bright orange/yellow life rafts on my landing craft as I feel that their presence would make the possibility of having to use them much more likely. Why camouflage the landing craft and then put brightly coloured life rafts on it?

In the few photographs that I've seen they don't appear to be a bright colour.

Cheers

Steve

[spanner570]

There are some pictures of the Revell version on Google Images and they show the liferafts all one colour...a sort of light almost bleached green - a bit lighter than olive drab...

[eddiesolo]

They are either a greyish colour or a tan colour or, as Ron points out, a greenish colour. Not camo coloured and not orange as Steve has said.

Si

[Guest]

Thanks to you all for your kind help, i'm leaning towards the greenish colour with tan webbing in the centre.

John

[BBdave]

As far as I know life rafts were a buff yellow colour some on ships were a pale blue or grey

Dave

[Guest]

Apologies John for some reason fixated and thinking of aircraft.

Laurie

[BBdave]

Does this help

Dave

[Guest]

Hopefully on track this time.

http://historylink101.com/ww2_navy/org/amp/LSM/14463.html

Laurie

[Ian M]

I believe that in war time the life boats, rafts and carly floats would have been painted the same colour as the ship/boat/vessel that was carrying them. If they where covered the cover was probably painted canvas also in the same colour of the vessel.

I would go for a faded drab colour.

Ian M

[Guest]

Thank you all for your kind help.

John

[flyjoe180]

Here you go: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2892-us-navy-kapok-life-preservers/

Official story http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/iwojima-7.htm (refer page 7-4)