"What's the Truth about Field Grey?" Topic

I've picked up some German minis and I've been trying to paint them, but the problem is that I can't decide on a uniform colour.

Some places show photos of troops dressed in Field Grey (or photos of replica uniforms) where the uniforms look dark green. In other places the uniforms looks grey. Sometimes they look black (or nearly black). There's also lots of other shades out there.

So can any of you experts tell me what's the Truth about field grey? What colour is it? What should I paint 1940 Germans, 1943 Germans and 1945 Germans? And does it change between eastern and western front?

Many thanks in advance.

Man, you are starting to sound like a Napoleonic Gamer.

The word feldgrau means "field grey", and by World War I the color was a light grey-green, though there is no specific color, rather a color range of greys to browns, that was one of the first standardized uniforms suitable to the age of smokeless gun powder.

I'm sure it looked different right of the rack than it looked after a few weeks in the field.

The truth . . . is very near to defining the color of your blue jeans. What color are they? What color were they when you bought them? What color would you paint those?

mjc

I can't locate it now but someone used to have a great photo. It was of half a dozen or more German uniforms laid one on top of the other in a fan. The variation in color was amazing.

So free your self from the myth that there is one, and only one, correct and true color to paint your minis "feldgrau."

As for me I sell (and use) the Coat d'Arms version and Bob Bowling at RLBPS – who paints more WW2 than I can count professionally – swears by it as well.

link

Mark "Extra Crispy" Severin
Owner, Scale Creep Miniatures
ScaleCreep.com
DeepFriedHappyMice.com

1940 Germans should have field grey jackets and stone grey trousers – the latter are actually grey as opposed to green-grey.

Extra Crispy wrote:

I can't locate it now but someone used to have a great photo. It was of half a dozen or more German uniforms laid one on top of the other in a fan. The variation in color was amazing.

This one? picture

Derek H.

link

The pic with multiple jackets is also on this site.

I'm not sure what paints you plan on using. I personally have found the Vallejo colors sold for Flames of War match everything I own in regards to uniform and equipment colors. I'm not saying that others dont as well, I have only used the Vallejo at this point. Also I have used them for all scales as well.

I believe this is the link you were talking about.

link

It is a good reference for uniforms and equipment. I own a large portion of their items.

Hope this helps
Scott

"Ooops Derek got there before me….."

Thanks

What size are your minis? Do you want them specifically for one campaign, or do you want them to serve in scenarios throughout the war? And lastly, how much of a stickler for precision are you?

I try and use what I see as the most accepted color-field grey. I just use lighter shades and washes that gives them the warn look. Your research is basically correct. There was a variety of shades within brown-green-grey depending on the thread combination at the factory. So use some dramatic license and be confident that you are on the money. Once worn, uniforms changed drastically with sand, sun, mud, dirt, rain and so on. There is no definitive answer or absolute color.

tuscaloosa, I'm painting a 6mm army and I'd like to be able to use them from 39 to 45 if I can. I'm not particularly a stickler for precision, but I like to know what is 'correct' so that I can choose how far I go, knowing the compromises I'm making, rather than just slopping some paint on with little idea how historically accurate it is.

Thanks, everyone, you've been a big help.

A very helpful series of posts.

For my 6mm Germans, as noted you can pretty much use them for the whole war – for my 28mm, they are all (currently) mid to late war – I use the Tamiya feldgrau and wash/weather to give some variation/battle-wear

For my 6mm Germans I'm using Vallejo 70886, Green Grey, as I thought their Field Grey might be too dark for such small figures -- but this one looks lighter than I expected.

One paint option I've never seen discussed is the Citadel color Stormvermin Fur. It's kind of a green-ish grey ( though all the internet swatches show it as a brownish grey… for some reason).

German uniform changed during WW2 as years went by. Predominantly Grey early with Tunics becoming more 'greenish' mid… then rather 'brownish' later. But… supply was all… they got what they were issued with. What with fade/dirt and damp… just do as you please!

Uniform 'colour' also tends to appear different in light! Brit Battledress could vary from 'green' to 'brown'in sun or dim! German, US… or any other, probably similar.

As above… go with what YOU like.

Most color photos tend to shift to the red end of the spectrum in poor light, which could account for the brownish tint in some cases. U.S olive drab almost always looks too brownish in movies.

Another thing is that you cannot rely on colour photos. I have seen genuine WW2 'orginal' colour pics in different publications. And they can be VERY different in colour. Both for uniform and paint on vehicles. Depends on printing… development and ageing of film. And that was before digital pics, computers and their settings.
Now… with enormous ammounts of 'Colourised' pics around… well, colour just depends on the ideas of whoever does it!
So… it is very much 'go as you please'!

Different persons also'percieve' colours differently. Turqoise/Aqua is either 'blue' or 'green'… just depends!
I used to have 'Aqua' MGBGT. Some have called it blue… like myself… some green!

Napoleonic 'French' uniform, a case in point. It is actually a shade of dark 'bluish' grey… but!
ACW Union uniform… blues but, to ME, a slight green tint.
It varies!

The least realistic thing to do would be to paint all the figures out of the same bottle in the same colour. This can never have happened.

I think you could get a newly kitted out company all the same colour, perhaps excluding officers.

Late war uniforms are most likely to survive or be photographed in colour. By 1944, everything was starting to slide for Jerry. Recovered thread from early war soviet uniforms was re used in some. They had a lot from prisoners.

link

I like humbrol acrylic Cockpit Green. Long time since I bought any. Looks like it comes in a bottle now.

@ Andy O'Neill

Yes, that could be possible, although clearly rare, and there's no reason a QM issue of kit would all be from the same batch. It could be miscellaneous second-hand.

If you look at this likely bunch clad in surplus uniforms, hardly any two uniforms are the same colour and in a couple of cases the top and bottom are not the same colour as each other.

Airfix recommended Hu78 for German tunics when they reissued the 1/32 infantry. It does look pretty good.

I have used Tamiya Field Gray for tunics. Any flat grey for trousers and a greenish field gray for Apple Green helmets. Charcoal grey for later war helmets. Shades varied with manufacturers and wear.

Slight mix always best. Whatever period!

For my 1/35 German infantry, I use a basecoat of Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey, and drybrush it with DecoArt Light Avocado. I figure it's close enough… ;-)