"Von Spee's squadron paintscheme?" Topic

I've just received (and started to assemble) GHQ micronauts to replay Coronel, and am somewhat uncertain as to how paint the german cruisers. I have done some research on the web, but that's a bit confusing. Lots of illustrations indicate a light grey over all, but some descriptions also speak of a light grey hull and darker superstructure. So, what should I go for? Thanks in advance for your help.

Spee's squadron did not have access to official paint but, come war, they made due.

Light grey upperworks, darker grey hull.

I assume natural wood coloured main deck, linoleum (a reddish brown) upper decks, and some, boat deck, steel painted grey

As above, I did mine with light grey upperworks and darker hulls.

The really big question is what colour to paint the decks for the Otranto! In the end I went with painted metal.

Thanks, I'll be following your guidelines. Still some parts assembly required before painting, though (I love Micronauts, but gluing them together is kind of taxing eh eh)

HMS Otranto

I don't know the colour of her decks but, since she was a requisitioned liner, I would assume all the decks near the passenger area would be wood and decks near cargo holds metal painted. At this period cargo hold hatches could still be wood, wood covered in painted canvas, canvas, or steel.

She was new, only five years old, I'd paint the hatches in grey like the surrounding deck.