Seen several times: the colour of the fleet service boat Oker is not correct.

In the picture that has been circulating in some northern German newspapers, you can see how the paint is peeling off. No, it's not camouflage, it's not a Photoshop gag, and no: nobody has tried to paint the silhouette of Eckernförde on the hull. The current livery has not been copied from the patrol boats of the Royal Navy or frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy, and no: it is also not a "camouflage scheme" to prevent/disable optical recognition by enemy forces, as was attempted in the days of the Kaiser. It is also not a bombardment by turpentine-filled ammunition, it is also not the environmental pollution of the Baltic Sea and nobody has stained the hull unnoticed. Nor is it the crew's fault, nor did the navy do it on purpose and Putin has nothing to do with it.

Why are we writing this? Because of the many assumptions and assertions that could be read in the comments section. Some were funny, some were thought-provoking, very few were correct and some were even quite - sorry - stupid.

And what is it now? The grey RAL 7000 paint layer has been removed, which is the surface paint used on ships and boats of the German Navy. It is simply damage to the paint on the port and starboard sides of the almost 37-year-old reconnaissance vessel. The FGS Oker last had its exterior paintwork completely renewed in 2024 during a scheduled lay-up at the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg.

Any questions? Yes, the hull number A 53 was no longer legible, so another hull number marking "A 53" was applied amidships so that everyone could see that it was the Oker. She is operational and OK. No fuss. Goes on goodwill.