Forwarding the call to Tracy White ...

Hi Bruce

Tracy runs a website called Researcher at Large. On it he has scans of documents from NARA Seattle and other locations. Included are the directives for the Neutral gray colors.

I can get to Tracy's blog in which he has a end-of-June link to painting instructions for Ms 21 & 22 post-February 1945. Unfortuately when I click the link I wander off into a "BING" space. Don't know if the trouble is on Tracy's end or mine here at work. I'll try again this evening from home.

Long story short -- February, 1945 the colors were directed to go neutral. However we're talking military here. There were manufacturing and logistic delays. Ships didn't get repainted on the order. They had to wait until they had a yard availability (post-February) at a yard with the right paints. Forward bases, such as Ulithi may not have gotten the paint for many months after February. If the ship had a yard period, Stateside, in mid-summer it may be likely that it was repainted into neutrals. Other than that all bets are off. Paint it like you wish.

Tracy may have more info.