The paint chips commissioned from Warnecke & Böhm GmbH are of interest in that they were provided by one of the Luftwaffe's principal suppliers. The reference in L.Dv. 521/1 (1941) to the formulations "of an original manufacturer" is, in fact, to Warnecke & Böhm, whose Ikarol lacquers could be applied in one coat and were in such demand that they were produced under license by ten different subcontractors, many their former competitors. The chips are certified to be authentic, having been matched to the manufacturer's own archived material and by spectrophotometric analysis to original paint specimens. Indeed, they are "the most accurate and authentic source for actual color standards" as specified by the RLM. The publisher is more cautious, however, and feels compelled to comment that paint often was thinly applied and varied from company to company. Merrick and Hitchcock prudently limit their remarks to the subtle variations even in official color cards and say only that their listing of color chips is comprehensive. But their publisher is not as circumspect and guarantees them to be "perfect matches to the originals in both color and finish" and the work itself "the most authoritative and complete record of paint samples and related material yet published."
