"Afrika Korps tank colour? " Topic

I'm going to phrase this question differently and hopefully more simply to other similar questions I've seen answered here.

Was German 'desert yellow' darker and more yellow than its British equivelent?

I ask the question in this way because I'm after the difference between the two rather than a list of paint colours. When painting small models in the same colour as real thing I find the model loses something in translation, often looking too dark (due to the scale) and I highlight heavily to compensate – so my colours will end up only being 'impressionist' in style anyway.

BTW. I'm an 'old school' Humbrol user.

From my interpretation DAK is more tan while Brit is more light/bone/yellow tint. In the end, you will need to make adjustments to tell them apart 2-4 feet from you.

IIRC Testor's has DAK Yellow … looks more like a shade of "Mustard" than Desert Tan or Ochre. IIRC, Humbrol's DAK Yellow looks a little orange … Of course, there is always Panzer Yellow …

The Germans used several different schemes in N. Africa.

The initial scheme was simply mud thinned with gasoline or water slathered all over the vehicle. The appearance was very much a light sand color, but also very "ratty" and weathered.

They also used a light yellowish scheme, which covered either the whole vehicle, or was painted in stripes, patches, or hashwork.

Finally, the 3rd shade they used was a more brownish tan.

SOME tanks in Tunisia may have been painted an olive color. It is possible these were tanks that were painted in the standard Dark Gray, and received a thin, transparent coat of Dark Yellow (thus giving the olive appearance).

Damon.

Thanks guys.

Hi Gerand, my tanks are for Nov – Dec 1941 (and paint had been acquired by this time). I have a very good book of plates (Rommel's Tanks – Tank Power Vol LXV 295 – in Polish with English trans.) which shows all of what you say. The colour looks darker than the 'light stone' shade the British used, and perhaps a little more yellow – but because they are plates not colour photos a comparison is difficult to be sure of – hence the ask.

P.S. You can see my British colour here

link

Early on the DAK used a darker tan/brown color as the evolved from the gray(knew this would work in the desert). The FOW book has a good Vallejo color for this if you look a bit. I can't do it for you. Later DAK switched to the lighter tan version.

I know this is not the historical description from Hitler's Central HQ but rather my interpretation to represent these on the table.( Allen, should be on here soon with a link to Hitler's exact words… )

I am reading into you thread that this is what you are looking for. You want some guidance/reinforcement on which way yo go the be both historically accurate and make the tanks nationalities easily identifiable on the table.

Darker, yes; yellower, probably.

The British color was a pinkish beige. The German color was a greyish, yellowish tan, I think. There used to be a site that showed excellent paint "chips", but it seems to have disappeared.

In Tunisia the Germans used a darker color, sort of a burnt orange. They also had a few light olive tanks in Tunisia.

However, the Germans probably used Italian paint, captured stocks of British paint, or whatever they could get, especially after they decided that panzer grey didn't really work in the desert (must have soaked up a lot of heat, for one thing!).

(must have soaked up a lot of heat, for one thing!).

IIRC one of the fun things the Germans had to do for wheeled vehicles that were stopped for an extended period of time is sandbag the wheels. Sunlight beating down on them would cause them to melt!

Damon.

The FOW book has a good Vallejo color for this if you look a bit. I can't do it for you.

Not expecting you to. Infact being a professional, full time painter, I'm quite used to looking things up! But this is not for work, I only paint pre-1860 28mm for others, so my sources are currently limited (but expanding) for this new period of mine. But thanks anyway.

James

Some in depth research here which could help or perhaps just confuse even more!

link

Look on the Battlefront site in modelling and you will find some excellent tutorials on all things desert war.

1. Schwarzgrau (RAL 7021) Popularly known as Panzergrau. Vehicle base colour 1940-1943. Camouflaged with what was available, mud usually.

2. Grünbraun (RAL 8000) Vehicle base colour for Africa; dominated the Khakigrau (RAL 7008) disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, March 1941 until April 1942.

3. Gelbbraun (RAL 8020) Vehicle base colour fir Africa; dominated the Sandgrau (RAL 7027) disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, May 1942 until May 1943. Also used in Crete.

Many vehicles arrived in Africa in the original Schwarzgrau RAL 7021 base colour, and they may have received wavy striped patterns or irregular patches in Sandgrau as well.

Germans used greased their grey tanks and then covered them with sand. Kind of like tar and feather concept.