"What was and wasn't used in North Africa?" Topic

On this "starter information" thread. Would anyone like to make some spray paint suggestions for initial base coats please?

I normally start with the FoW sprays – the German yellow matching very well with Vallejo middlestone

But for Africa, what has worked well for German and allied?

I quite like the Warlord desert yellow for German tanks. But would like a good base colour for allied/Italian, and am open to other ideas for the Germans as well

I normally spray, then wash and brush back up, so always looking for good spray/Vallejo matches

Thanks

Flush toilets. They didn't use flush toilets in the desert.

"Desert yellow" is a color invented in the 1960's (probably by someone at Airfix or Humbrol), it was not a color used by any of the WWII armies in North Africa. For the Brits of course there is that lovely "Caunter" scheme of silver gray and dark green dazzle paint over a base color of Portland Stone; after '41 it's just plain stone and later on the dark green wavy disruptive pattern over that.

Sausage side, everything is baby poo khaki. Yes, that's right KHAKI. Specifically RAL8000 with disruptive blotches of RAL7008 over 1/rd of the vehicle. Actually the colors were chosen because they were already available – being used for cars and buildings on the Berlin metro system.

The base color changes by order to RAL8020 "gelbbraun" in 1942, but given the state of supplies to Rommel's forces I would be surprised if the order was followed very much if at all, because the famous Tiger 131 captured in Tunisia was still in the "early" camouflage scheme: it had been re-painted many times since capture, but during disassembly for restoration, two untouched areas — between the road wheels and under the turret stowage bin — had provided evidence of RAL8000 and RAL7008.

Bump again.

In terms of transport, what sort of trucks/lorries would the 8th Army have used? I believe the M5 half track didn't arrive in time for the African campaign, so how did the Motor companies get about?

The earliest DAK vehicles landed in Tripoli in Nov 1941 generally still wore their field grey ETO paint schemes. Survivors were slowly re-painted as time and suitable paint became available.

Another interesting factoid is that constant exposure to sand and grit could erode certain exposed paint surfaces right down to the metal.

B

Hang on Rod, no Covenanters in the desert surely?

Iirc the only one lost to enemy action was hit by a bomb when parked up outside the factory, all were limited to home service only due to radiator problems.

Hang on Rod, no Covenanters in the desert surely?

That's what I have always read. Covenanters never made it off of "Ol' Blighty".

And yet …

I would direct your eyes to the third tank back. The one with the turret traversed over the rear engine deck, so that the radiator ON THE GLACIS PLATE is conveniently visible.

I have the photo, but I have no explanation for what I see in the photo. Clearly in the Western Dessert, and clearly a Covenanter. More than that, I can not say.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Well I never!

Just checked the wikipedia page link and it mentions a handful sent to North Africa for trials with REME (which I guess they failed!) and a possibility they served with Kingforce.

In terms of transport, what sort of trucks/lorries would the 8th Army have used? I believe the M5 half track didn't arrive in time for the African campaign, so how did the Motor companies get about?

They used the ubiquitous Bedford 15cwt, either the MWD or the CMP version. Scads of Bren carriers. Also Bedford OY, QL and QLT 3 tonners

Re: the British MkII light tanks. It's my understanding the MkII and III light tanks were used for training in Egypt while 12 MkIII light tanks saw action with the South African 1st Light Tank Company in the invasion of Italian East Africa, where they were the only tanks used on the southern front.

What modifications to the rules for 15mm? I do 20mm and change nothing. But most I know have 28mm.

They used the ubiquitous Bedford 15cwt, either the MWD or the CMP version. Scads of Bren carriers. Also Bedford OY, QL and QLT 3 tonners

Brilliant, thanks. So the 15cwt trucks from Plastic Soldier Company would be ideal?

Just checked the wikipedia page link and it mentions a handful sent to North Africa for trials with REME (which I guess they failed!) and a possibility they served with Kingforce.

That must have been unpleasant. Hot desert environment plus the heat coming off the pipes between the front mounted radiators and rear mounted engine would have turned the fighting compartment into an oven.

Re transport, each side captured and recaptured so much of the other side's transport that you can legitimately use any truck one side used on the other.

IIRC, at one point in the campaign, something like 80+ pct of Axis transport consisted of captured British vehicles.

B