Sturmgeschütze vor!

Introduction

European Theater

Early War Years

Two Color Disruptive: 1935 – Introduced in 1935, the two color disruptive pattern consisted of dark grey and dark brown (Dunkelgrau RAL 7021 & Dunkelbraun RAL 7017) applied in a two-thirds/one-third pattern

Mid War Years

Dark Yellow: October 1942 – Dunkelgelb (RAL 7028) was a dark yellow color originally developed as paint for agricultural vehicles and equipment.  After October of 1942 it became a standard military color.  This color continued in use through out the war as a vehicle base coat and disruptive color pattern over olive green and red-brown primers. 

Late War Years

Ambush Camouflage (Hinterhalt-Tarnung): August 1944 – In order to achieve a more standardized pattern, camouflage paint began to be applied at the factory.  “Ambush Camouflage”, consisted of a base of dark yellow (Dunkelgelb) with olive-green and red-brown (Olivgrün & Rotbraun) patches. On top of this pattern were added small contrasting dots of all three paints.

Africa

Vehicles in Africa often showed the effects of layering and the abrasive effect of sand. Many pictures show older colors showing through in areas of high wear and contact with sand.  In addition to this, shortages of paint and time often resulted in incomplete or poorly applied camouflage/paint schemes.

February 1941: - Initially vehicles sent to Africa, arrived painted dark grey (Dunkelgrau).  Units immediately sought out ways to cover or break up this color.  Mud, local stores of paint or paint borrowed from the Italians/Luftwaffe are among some of the solutions crewmen found to camouflage their vehicles. 

Green Tigers in Tunisia: - “Panzer Colors” notes Allied reports that some Tigers and Panzer III’s in Tunisia were an overall medium olive green.  Sometimes this color is incorrectly identified as RAL 7008 (Battlefront recommends Vallejo 924 – Russian Uniform if you wish to model this).

Russia

1941- 1942: – Tanks and vehicles participating in the initial wave of the invasion of Russia were painted dark grey (Dunkelgrau).

Late 1943-1944: - A three color disruptive similar to the one used in the European Theater.  Vehicles were to be painted with a base coat of dark yellow (Dunkelgelb) at the factory.   Over this, stripes of olive-green (Olivgrün) and red-brown (Rotbraun) were to be applied by the maintenance sections.  Both the olive-green and red-brown were delivered as a paste which was to be thinned and applied with a spray gun or brushes.

1944+: - By late 1944, the Germans had been pushed back into Eastern Europe and the camouflage schemes for the last year of the war followed the patterns used in the European Theater. 

Winter Camouflage

Most countries used white wash to provide camouflage in a snow environment (on any front).  When available, the Germans used a white paint that was water based and would wash off the equipment when the first rain started to wash away the snow.   Tactical numbers, unit emblems, etc. were masked off and left in “boxes” of contrasting color.  If supplies of white wash were not sufficient, chalk, bed sheets or snow piled on the vehicle were some of the improvised methods used.

Interior Colors

Interiors: - The most widely used interior color was Elfenbein (RAL 1001). This was by far the most suitable being a light buff or cream color.  Some darker colors were used including Graugrün, which is a dark interior color.  Internally some equipment installed in the tank was left in the black color they received at the factory. In late 1944, painting the interior was suspended and it was left in the primer color.

Hatches: - In theory, the inside of hatches and any of the interior that would be visible from the outside was usually painted in the exterior color.  Photographs show that this was not always the case.  In particular, a number of pictures taken in Africa show the interior hatch covers painted in Elfenbein.  This may be due to the lighter exterior colors used in Africa which provided less of a contrast with the Elfenbein.

Paint Finish

A majority of the paint was intended to be matte or flat finish.  Application methods could cause the paint to take on a satin or semi-gloss sheen. 

Dunkelgelb

You may note that I have only included one version of Dunkelgelb (dark yellow).  That name was applied to two separate colors during the war.  Historians have trouble agreeing on what they looked like, so I have chosen to treat them as a single color.  In a similar note, this is not intended as a scholarly article, but as a guide for miniature painters so I have dispensed with the various name and designation changes some colors went through.

Sources

1. THOMAS L. JENTZ & HILARY LOUIS DOYLE. PANZER TRACTS No.1-2 - Panzerkampfwagen I - Kl.Pz.Bef.Wg. to VK 18.01. Boyds, MD : Panzer Tracts, 2002.
2. BRUCE CULVER & RICHARD MURPHY. Panzer Colors I, II, & III - Camouflage of the German Panzer Forces 1939-45. Carrollton: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc.,
3. RAL COLOUR CONVERSION TABLE. http://miniatures.de/html/ita/colour-ral-farben.html. Retrieved 08/28/2006
4. PANZER WORLD http://www.panzerworld.net/