As usual with warships of the Kriegsmarine during the days of peace and at the beginning of World War II NUERNBERG carried the two-tone standard paint of medium gray hull and light gray upperworks. One color photo however shows her with a light gray hull, same as the superstructure, while LEIPZIG lying next to her, has the standard medium blue-grey hull.

From the summer of 1936 to summer 1937, NUERNBERG was ordered four times to Spain. During these missions she had the national colors painted on the fore and aft turret. Divergent from the usual practice on other ships, she had her black, white and red stripes painted only to the horizontal part of the turret roofs, while the vertical turret sides had a horizontal black-white-red tricolor painted over the fore third of the length.

During operation "Notra" - troop transports between Trondheim and Elvegardsmoen in Norway from June 14-19,1940 - photos show NUERNBERG with a camouflage paint of light grey hull with dark areas painted to the forecastle and dapples of different shades painted over the upperworks. This scheme was identical on both sides, and seemingly not complete at this time. Other photos taken in Norway in 1940 show the whole hull was also painted with areas of various shades. As this was obviously meant to conceal her while berthed or while sailing against the shore line this camouflage may have contained browns or greens as well as the greys. Unfortunately I was not able to find enough photo references to reconstruct the complete pattern.

Starting in spring 1941, NUERNBERG carried one of those famous Baltic stripe schemes with the black and white stripes painted over medium and light gray hull and upperworks, (Scheme 1). This pattern was combined with a dark gray painted bow and stern. The pattern was identical on both sides and underwent some variations during the time it was carried. The turret sides were first painted dark gray but changed to medium gray from the summer of 1941. The two life rafts carried on the fore half of each turret side remained dark gray, giving the impression that this area was painted dark gray, which in fact it was not. This scheme was carried into 1942 with slight variations, (Variant lA). If you have the Koop/Schmolke book, Die Leichten Kreuzer der Konigberg-Klasse. Leipzig und Nuernberg. you will find 3 variants of this scheme, all of which are quite simply wrong! There is not a single photo confirming these drawings, so you had best forget about them.

After her refit in 1942, when the aircraft catapult was removed, NUERNBERG had a camouflage scheme which one could describe as a dazzle pattern, (Scheme 2). It was carried during the sortie to Norway in November 1942 to May 1943 and is fairly well documented for this time period. The pattern was almost identical on both sides, but there are some small differences. Again the drawings in the Koop/Schmolke book are thoroughly wrong! In 1943 the pattern was changed to an alteration of this scheme, (Scheme 3). From the fall of 1944, when NUERNBERG returned to front line service, until the end of the war, she was painted a light medium gray overall.

Finally, there are some points needing clarification. A photo, purportedly taken in Norwegian waters, shows a variation of the scheme carried during the mission to Norway, lighter patterns and dark upperworks, (Scheme 4). I have found no other photos showing this scheme, and it seems doubtful that the photo was really taken in Norway.

Another photo, said to be taken at Flensberg during an air raid in 1942, only showing part of the ship, and this is mostly obscured by fog. It reveals a camouflage scheme that could be an experimental variant, (Scheme 5). Unfortunately I have not found another photo of this pattern.

Finally, in "Marine Arsenal" No.28, Die Kreuzer Leipzig und Nuernberg, there is a photo showing NUERNBERG painted medium gray overall with no camouflage pattern. It is dated 1942, but I rather think this would have been a photo taken in 1944 or later.

1/700 Scale Drawings

Scheme 1	Scheme 2 Summer 1942 to at least April 1943		Scheme 3 After July 1943 at the latest

Scheme 3 After July 1943 at the latest	Scheme 4 Port side pattern unknown	Scheme 5 Remain pattern unknown

This article originally appeared in Plastic Ship Modeler 1996/3 and is reprinted here with the permission of the author and editor.