Also explains why in two photos the 381ST aircraft have what looks like white numbers painted on the tails. If they painted a plain white number on that grey/green paint it would be near invisible.
There is a third colour in play here 
& since evidence shows it to be orange at this point based off of the profiles & art work.
Orange it is.
I think this photo I have from a Japanese magazine sums up what I am talking about.
The Japanese text that Rolex translated. Thank you again Rolex.
The Nakajima model 21 was usually painted in a green and black camouflage. The plane on the left has a very unusual white tail that may have been repaired, so the underlying camouflage paint on the parts may have been removed or not painted yet.
The white numbers are very hard to read, but may be "81-142." Starting in November, 1943, the 281st air group was stationed in the Marshall Islands.Clearly the fellow who wrote this was not aware of the special markings that was ordered from Japanese high command so he is a little puzzled as to why this aircraft looks this way.
The belly of this plane would have been done in green/grey & the orders were given to paint a wing tip & the tail with the same colour paint.
Clearly what is painted on the underside of the aircraft is not what is painted on the tail.
I also think the guy who wrote this is wrong in regards to a white tail painted with white numbers?
Why? well white on white is ahhh??? white.
So you would never be able to read them at all. So the tail has a third colour in play here other than white & the green /grey.
Looking at the tail of this plane I think it is the same aircraft in this photo.
