"BAOR Tank Colours" Topic

I feel a bit stupid for asking this but…
Do late coldwar Brit vehicles still use the Black/Green irregular stripes. I haven't been able to find any pics- virtually all late '80/early 90's sitesare in Desert schemes. Can someone please link ouut to a good pic. side elevation picture rather than actual photo may be best.

Thanks

Yes they did / do.

Last Hussar,

still the same to this very day.

It might not look that way, but IMHO it actually is quite an effective camo for here in Germany, especially once the tanks catch a little dust.

Cheers,

Burkhard
dhc-wargames.de

And, which colors are appropriate, e.g. the green, and black/green?

Are the stripes done diagonally over the vehicle, straight, wavy, etc.?

Patterns left up to those applying them, or fairly standard for all at the factory?

The green is a stinker, as it varies hugely depending on the light, in real life as well as in photos. One of my neighbours has an ex-army landy, and on drab days you'd swear that it's quite an olive shade; something like Vallejo Brown Violet. In bright sunlight, however, Reflective Green seems a pretty good match. Go figure, as they say…. As for application, the photos I've seen show similar proportions of black, but not a standard pattern; looks like they're delivered in green, and done up to taste….

Dom.

I would generally go with a very dark oliv green. That is the colour they have for the first few years when the colour has not started to fade. When it comes to the patterns… I have seen Challengers and Warriors painted in the same pattern within a unit, but I have also seen a lot of different patterns. My guess would be that they are usually painted the same within units.

Cheers,

Burkhard

Ok, Olive green with black stripes. The corners should be black with a couple of broad stripes in the gaps. The ratio of green/black should be 2:1. there were no standard patterns in the 80s/90s. The tanks came from factory in plain green and were regularly repainted by units (to keep them looking nice) every couple of years (oficialy 5 but done more often.
I have done a few Chieftains & Challenger 1s in the past but Challenger 2 now comes camed up and we are not alowed to paint them at the unit (health & safety!)
I got bored once an did an all black Challenger before adding the green. Looked mean on the tank park but not to good for the camo.
After about half an hour of driving the hull is normally the same brown as whatever mud you are driving through.
I do know that the Berlin armoured Sqn Chieftains did follow a set pattern but theese were urban cam and very odd looking.
Hope this helps, Tony

"I got bored once an did an all black Challenger …."

Coming soon to a wargames table near you…. Accounts from an ex-tanker *prove* that the Brits did on occasion paint their Challengers all-black, so that's what I'm having….

Dom :-p

Is the black truly a black, or a very dark green?

It looks lighter to me, e.g. black green, or a very dark gray, but I guess that could be due to paint fading.

The black is truly black, honest. It just looks grey due to fading and/or dust.

Thanks,

Rob

Cheers guys.

That was the best photo I've seen Dom. Managed to find 1 pic in an Osprey today in Borders, book devoted Challenger history. The greens the army use seem to be all overthe place- does no one tell them to check all tins are the same batch number, LOL? You're explanation in the second post covers this. Reminds me of a western game we held.

One of the guys was proud of the colours he'd painted his gang- all authentic, especially the 'green' dusters, and made sure he used natuaral light, or natural light bulb. Unfortunately we play under flurecent tubes, so I asked him why all his men were dressed as cucumbers. Much mirt and taking for the rest of the evening.

I actually splashed out on a GW paint today- all the greens I find locally are very 'pure' shades, and I cant be bothered to send of for one pot of paint, so I baought Catacan Green, which looks a nice dirty drab.

Why not paint them in Berlin Infantry Brigade colours. A lovely mix of greys for the urban look.

Sterling

Back in the mid-seventies I used to correspond with a tank driver for the old Queen's Own Hussars. He shocked me by kindly explaining his Regiment had no standard camouflage pattern for their Chieftains. They just had to be that green and black, how fancy the painting was depending entirely on the crew's inerest and enthusiasm.

1st Queens Royal Dragoon Guards Cheiftans painted in green and black at 1:300- and very spiffing they look too. Wife not that impressed- and it is her son they are a present for.

Thanks for all the info.

As others have said the green can vary massively from time to time, unit to unit. I recall using paint meant for spray painting with a brush and, coupled with inconsistencies (laziness) in stirring the paint, two vehicles painted with the same tin looked completely different !

I tend to use Tamiya Field Grey for 1/300th scales – it's very light but once you've added a wash and drybrushed looks about right.

I was under the impression that two base colors were used…BS 381c 278 Light Olive Green (which was deleted in 1996) & BS 381c 220 Olive Green (which is still in 381c). Being that 278 was deleted, I assume the base is now 220; could be wrong though

I just heard from a pretty reliable fellow that the base is #285 NATO Green.

WRT the black and green splodges the only regs are that the corners should be black. I think its something to do with blending into the shadow better. Regards, Sparks