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"What color were British WW1 Tanks and Armored Cars?" Topic


11 Posts

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JD Lee25 Jul 2021 2:14 a.m. PST

Need to paint a lot of WW1 British Tanks and Armored Cars for the Great War and RCW. I am using Vallejo paints so I am looking for best option.
Any help will be much appreciated!

King Monkey25 Jul 2021 4:00 a.m. PST

According to Warpaint: Colours and markings of British army vehicles 1903 – 2003 Vol.1 by Dick Taylor From 1916 onwards they were painted brown, described by verterans as 'Drab brown', 'Mud brown' or 'Milk chocolate brown' so maybe use English uniform (Vallejo 921) or US field drab (Vallejo 873) or maybe if you wanted something a bit lighter Green brown might do (Vallejo 879)?

Wargamer Blue25 Jul 2021 4:33 a.m. PST

I used the US Field Drab from Vallejo to paint mine.

Personal logo ColCampbell Supporting Member of TMP25 Jul 2021 12:29 p.m. PST

Or the inexpensive Americana craft paint called "Milk Chocolate (DA174)?"

Jim

Personal logo Dal Gavan Supporting Member of TMP25 Jul 2021 1:18 p.m. PST

G'day, JG.

The photo is of the Mk.V Male at Bovington. This tank was re-painted a few years ago, using paint samples from the belly plate of another tank- the belly paint had never been repainted. I can't give you a Vallejo reference, but the colour is like RAF Light Earth with a little bit of green added.

Cheers.

picture

Personal logo Bobgnar Supporting Member of TMP25 Jul 2021 2:15 p.m. PST

Great picture and other suggestions .Did this change during the interwar years or can I use the info for Very British Civil war vehicles, late 1930s.

Personal logo Dal Gavan Supporting Member of TMP25 Jul 2021 2:23 p.m. PST

G'day, Bobgnar.

They have a Whippet and a Lanchester armoured car (1920), among others, and they were both in Deep Bronze Green. That seems to have been the standard vehicle colour until after the start of WWII.

Cheers.

JD Lee25 Jul 2021 6:15 p.m. PST

Thanks all!

monk2002uk26 Jul 2021 1:35 a.m. PST

For air brushing, the Vallejo colour is Khaki Brown – 71024

Robert

monk2002uk26 Jul 2021 3:23 a.m. PST

AK Interactive has a nice modulation series for British WW1 AFVs. It is very good; I used it on a 1/35 scale British Mk IV (will upload a photo sometime):

Robert

Baron von Wreckedoften II01 Jan 2025 4:34 p.m. PST

Late to the party (and no, I'm not American), but hopefully with useful info. There are two WW1 British tanks in the Belgian Army Museum – a Mark IV ("Loestar III") and a Whippet ("Firefly") – neither of which has EVER been repainted and so both are still in their original light brown livery.

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