Col Durnford | 27 Oct 2016 5:43 a.m. PST |
I want to model a Somua and two Renault R35s for the 100 Panzer Battalion at Normandy. What color have you used for your tanks? |
Frederick | 27 Oct 2016 6:04 a.m. PST |
Good question I looked in my library but all the photos I have are black and white – there is a picture of some GIs with knocked-out R35s in Normandy and the tank is a homogenous colour, a little lighter than the GI's uniforms so I suspect dunkelgelb or a similar shade of desert yellow |
Col Durnford | 27 Oct 2016 6:25 a.m. PST |
I've seen the same photo. I shading could also be sun glare. Some of the shots of the Somua that I found look very gray, however, I don't know the date on them. Is seems like modelers are going towards panzer gray. |
robert piepenbrink | 27 Oct 2016 6:27 a.m. PST |
I suspect Frederick is right, but if you'd prefer another answer I've seen a B&W shot of a GI next to an FT-17 in a very dark shade--presumably panzer gray--with a hollow white cross. The surest thing about captured armor in German service is that the national markings will be larger and often more numerous than with "native" German equipment. |
Martin Rapier | 27 Oct 2016 6:58 a.m. PST |
iirc the airfield defence FT-17s were all left in panzergrey for some reason. I do my more active captured tanks in the three colour camo,like these chaps:
there ar plenty of pictures of plain ones to, but they mainly seem to be from earlier in the war. The restored R35 at St Mere Eglise is in three colour too. link (but I agree, the original photos are very light, but also pretty poor quality). |
PiersBrand | 27 Oct 2016 7:24 a.m. PST |
All the pics Ive seen of R35s in Normandy show them in Dunkelgelb with generally some form of light camo overspray. Certainly the ones photographed in the vehicle collection depots and knocked out beside roads all look to be in yellow not grey. |
Col Durnford | 27 Oct 2016 7:57 a.m. PST |
Actually, Dunkelgelb is what I wanted to use. My initial research this morning showed a lot in the Panzer Gray, however, they didn't include any dates. Since Dunkelgelb had been the standard for over a year; I would expect the tanks to have been repainted. |
robert piepenbrink | 27 Oct 2016 8:50 a.m. PST |
Nice going, Mr. Rapier! Airfield defense FT-17's being different would make sense: they'd have been under Luftwaffe rather than ground forces control. There would have been a certain amount trouble and expense in repainting them, and it's not as though the new paint scheme would have made them less visible on runways. (And I have the tanks in the garage, at the end of a very long painting queue.) |
Tirailleur corse | 27 Oct 2016 4:00 p.m. PST |
There is one illustrared in Georges Bernage's "Les Panzers dans la bataille de Normandie". Definitly Dunkelgelb with spots or bands of light green camo. Cheers. |
Martin Rapier | 28 Oct 2016 7:34 a.m. PST |
I sometimes wondered if the FT-17s were left grey so they'd blend in with the runway:) They do look extremely cool. |
zoneofcontrol | 28 Oct 2016 10:27 a.m. PST |
I recall an article or discussion possible even here on TMP several years ago that went into depth on the subject. Been wracking my brain trying to recall the details and possible validity of the source. My recollection was that the vehicles were dunklegelb. To this was added just green on some vehicles and green and brown on others. The part that really sticks in my mind was a breakdown of camo schemes by units. In addition to the 2-tone and 3-tone schemes, it even went into a breakdown of rounded patterns and angular patterns on certain vehicles. As these vehicles underwent body conversions on SPGs and Halftracks and cupolas and such on tanks, I would think that they all got a fresh if not necessarily commercial grade coat of paint. At this stage of the war, dunkelgelb was standard practice for basecoat rather than gray. |
Col Durnford | 28 Oct 2016 3:15 p.m. PST |
Update from the painting table. The R35 got a base of dunkelgelb with green stripes. The Somua got the same treatment with botched red brown patches. |
wrgmr1 | 31 Oct 2016 10:42 a.m. PST |
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lou passejaire | 02 Nov 2016 4:15 a.m. PST |
you'll need this book : link
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