Here are some of my photos. The USS Fletcher is in measure 12 camouflage as depicted in 1942. There were several modifications made to the basic Tamiya kit, including the addition of GMM PE details and some scratch building.

Photos taken by Peter Stroethoff

The Bismarck is depicted according the photos from the Schiffer Book, Battleship Bismarck, taken before and after the Hood sinking from Prinz Eugen. The false bow and wake were clearly visible but the false stern had been painted over. The striped camouflage which had been overpainted, showed through slightly on the hull. The top of the funnel and the search light domes appear to be a lighter shade, possibly due to access problems when re-painting the ship in the fjords.

Also pictures taken over the bow of Prinz Eugen indicate that the Aerial identification marks and swastikas has been overpainted. It is therefore most likely that Bismarck had the same. Swastikas were present on the bow and stern of the Bismarck wreck when discovered. I can only conclude that some form of distemper was applied to temporarily cover the swastikas until back in home waters. Similar to the paint used to cover the hull stripes, which had started to fade / wash off. The other day I read a transcript from the Bismarck diary, a radio transmission indicating an order to overpaint all aerial recognition marks. It only seems logical that if you were trying to evade your enemy, you wouldn't want to be swanning around the North Atlantic with bloody great swastikas painted all over your ship.

The lighter colours visible on the turret tops in the Schiffer photographs appear to be light reflecting off the wet angled sides rather than the yellow shown in some model subjects I have seen.

Photos of the bismarck wreck show no signs of yellow on secondary armament, the main armament having fallen out when the ship capsized.

Photos taken by Peter Stroethoff