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Why do lots of warships have a red hull?

Discussion in 'Ships & Shipborne Weaponry' started by SniperSquad, Dec 18, 2020.

  1. SniperSquad

    SniperSquad Member

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    Hi everyone.

    I just noticed that lots of world war 2 warships have a red hull. Why is that? Is there a reason? I thought it was better that the hull was camouflaged.

    Thanks for your help!
     
  2. RichTO90

    RichTO90 Well-Known Member

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    It is commonly known as "red lead" and was a rustproof paint used for surfaces below the water line. Since it was below the water line ther was little utility in camouflaging it.
     
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  3. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    Generally used in Britain as an undercoat for iron and steel from the early nineteenth century. The RN's first fully sea going ironclads had this and lots of nations followed suite
     
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  4. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Anybody know if warships ever won the gun postings in the land?
     
  5. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    Can you explain further please? Don't understand the question
     
  6. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Sorry. There are gun ship placements in the shore or islands.the gunships always lost? Hope this helps.
    I will make a further and detailed question if needed. CheerS kph
    @
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2020
  7. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    Well There were naval guns on the Atlantic Wall and I think that in June 1944 the ships had the best of it

    but what is this to do with hull colour?
     
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  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    US/British battleships took German heavy guns under fire at Cherbourg.
     
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  9. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Why not? Anything to make you a harder target counts. I would think.sorry my crappy engllsh as mr Smiley said
     
  10. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    Unless I'm, mistaken the battleships in that action were all US. RN input was limited to cruisers, destroyers and mine sweepers. The German coastal guns were not ex naval. In the event the battleships caused little damage to the coastal batteries whilst the latter were largely ineffective against the battleships. The battleship fire did distract the German 155mm guns from opening fire on Allied ground forces. After Cherbourg. USN heavy bombardment policy was reviewed and revised. The most useful naval gunfire support of the action was supplied by the RN and USN destroyers being able to operate further inshore and switch targets relatively easily
     
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  11. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    I belief Italian warship bottoms were green.
    Red was the usual underwater hull color, and would not be visible.
     
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  12. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    The underwater hull was red in most navies, because the anti-fouling(hindering marine critters from attaching themselves to the hull, which increased drag, and reduced speed) paint contained lots of iron oxide.

    In the Italian navy, the underwater hull color was a green tint, because they used a different formula for their anti-fouling paint.
     
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  13. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    Red Lead is highly toxic and when used as an anti corrosive primer is usually covered with a top coat so that sailors and dock workers are not exposed to it (although the caring Russian Navy leaves its red leaded decks exposed). However the toxicity also deters marine organisms from acreting on the submerged hull.
     
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  14. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    I like it when you know your stuff. Cheers mate.
     
  15. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Oh man. I read a book per week on ww2. Still you lot make me surprised by your knowledge every week. Thank you!
     
  16. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I was thinking the British monitor got involved in that.

    What units fought the Germans along the Scheldt Estuary?
     
  17. ULITHI

    ULITHI Ace

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    I’m not sure how much this applies to the Navies of 1920s and 30s, but the anti-fouling paint and corrosive techniques used on the ocean liners in the early 1900s is actually pretty interesting.

    Apparently, brass and copper fittings like propellers and sea cocks really made the steel plating surrounding them extremely vulnerable to corrosion when put into contact with sea water. So in addition to the anti-fouling paint, the shipyards used zinc plates or strips to bolt on to certain parts around the ships that were susceptible, such as around the rudder. These (from what I can understand) took the corrosion to themselves instead of the surrounding areas due to some electrical process. I think it’s similar to how anode rods work in a traditional home water heater.
    There is a whole chapter on this topic in Titanic, The Ship Magnificent Volume 1.
     
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  18. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Replacing zincs is a routine shipyard evolution.
     
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  19. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    I think you can do better than one sentence answers.nobody protects me. Otto once said when I was in OKF we shoulď cut the one-word answers. Ain't life sweet buddy?
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2020
  20. ARWR

    ARWR Active Member

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    When the Suez canal was opened the Med quickly became subject to invasive species Whilst red lead was resistant it was less so and many beasties found the all year round warm water congenial and took up residence on hulls etc. Coats based on Hydrogen Peroxide were found more effective than red lead but less so against the fauna of the Atlantic and parts of the Pacific. It was also much more expensive. As a blue water navy liable to send ships anywhere in the world at short notice on imperial duties the RN (and the USN) stuck with cheaper general purpose red lead whilst the green water Italian navy adopted Hydrogen Peroxide based products.
     
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