The local Dutch newspaper Goessche Courant dated 22 June 1895 published an account of the opening of the North-Baltic channel and the warships of the countries that present at the review. The most interesting details are the remarks dealing with the colours of the ships.
All ironclads were painted in the colours to believed by her own admiralty to be the most suitable to prevent the enemy seeing her already from a certain distance as no longer part of the waves. The German ironclads were a very light silver grey, the Danish complete black, the Swedish and Norwegian brownish grey, the Austrian a black painted hull with white superstructures, the largest French vessels mouse grey and so on. In contrary was the glittering of the American ships, this native sent in fact none real warships but high, fast cruisers, with a coquettish while polish and reddish yellow funnels. Most of the light cruisers and yachts were also painted in light colours, like yellowish or whitish.
All ironclads were painted in the colours to believed by her own admiralty to be the most suitable to prevent the enemy seeing her already from a certain distance as no longer part of the waves. The German ironclads were a very light silver grey, the Danish complete black, the Swedish and Norwegian brownish grey, the Austrian a black painted hull with white superstructures, the largest French vessels mouse grey and so on. In contrary was the glittering of the American ships, this native sent in fact none real warships but high, fast cruisers, with a coquettish while polish and reddish yellow funnels. Most of the light cruisers and yachts were also painted in light colours, like yellowish or whitish.
