UA608 - U-Bootwaffe Schlickgrau 58

Schlickgrau 58, the basic gray of German submarines

Muddy gray sounds like an odd name for a paint, but the German Schlick means precisely mud or silt on the bottom, and it fits the shade: it is a murky, unassertive gray without sheen or a color undertone. Schlickgrau 58 belongs to the basic tones of the Lifecolor submarine palette and carries the number 58 in its name.

The role of the shade in the scheme

Of all vessels a submarine depended most on not being seen. The shades of its finish therefore aim at no prominence at all; they keep to a narrow band of gray that merges at a distance with the water and with the sky alike. This tone usually carries the largest part of the visible area, the hull above the waterline and the conning tower. That is exactly why it pays to give it the most attention: it carries the overall impression of the model and all the other shades are judged against it.

Recommended procedure

• apply the tone over the whole area and let it have the dominant share of the surface
• add the darker and bluer variants only as a complement, not as a counterweight
• on the smooth area of the hull choose thin coats and check the area against the light
• set out the boundary with the underwater color with masking tape, following the keel
• keep the weathering in a subdued position, so that the fine differences of tone do not disappear

Who the color is for

For builders of German submarines who start the whole model from the basic tone, and for modelers whose palette lacks a murky gray without a color tinge. It will find use as a subdued ground too, wherever the result is meant to look inconspicuous.