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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Vanvlak on September 12, 2016, 05:21:10 PM

Title: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 12, 2016, 05:21:10 PM
My copy of Tanks (the Gale Force Nine game) finally arrived after some tribulations, and I like what I've seen so far - brief rules stats on a card, and the models seem quite ok.
I'm not after historical accuracy, and will probably use fictitious nations (such as the Republic of Venice on 1944...), but I'd like to use paint schemes which fit the period, more or less.
The examples taken from the tanks encyclopedia are what I had in mind - both are modelled by Matildas - but are there any other unusual schemesused by the US, USSR or Germany?

Maltese Matilda (hell to paint):
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Infantry_Tanks/Mathilda/MatildaII_MakIII_Malta.png)

One of the 3-tone variants - I find all quite attractive:
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Infantry_Tanks/Mathilda/MatildaII_MkII_Bovington.png)
Title: Re: Unusua tank colour schemes
Post by: Ballardian on September 12, 2016, 05:36:35 PM
A couple of German ones come to mind - A Tiger II in (I think a two colour) green & yellow scheme with curious freehand rings painted in the yellow, plus these from various books on painting german camo schemes.
 It's a bit harder to find any for the US, in the ETO tanks tended to be just OD though I've seen pics from the Italian campaign showing a green & brown pattern.
Title: Re: Unusua tank colour schemes
Post by: robh on September 12, 2016, 05:50:31 PM
The French had the "strangest" paint schemes, one CharB painted to look like a tree lined hedge being the stand out one.
But if you look at the Early Czech and Japanese tanks you will find standard wavy edge patch schemes done in some unusual colour combinations.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 12, 2016, 06:04:15 PM
@Ballardian -thank you.
The unpainted red areas are particularly interesting - as is the wavy whitewash, which I'd never seen in that pattern.

@Robh - thanks, I'd forgotten about the French - less familiar with Czech schemes, or early Japanese.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: von der Tann on September 12, 2016, 06:11:53 PM
The unpainted red areas are particularly interesting ...

It is the color of the anti-rust paint slapped on by the factory.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 12, 2016, 06:18:17 PM
Got that - quite unusual.

Meanwhile - again from the encyclopaedia of tanks:
this prewar T-37 is unusual, at least for a Soviet tank:
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/Light_Tanks/T37/soviet_T37U_radio_HD.jpg)

and this Lee is a bit different too:
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/Medium/M3/M3_Lee_NA4.png)

Researching Czechs - this IS daunting!
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/czech/Armoured_Cars/Skoda-PA-II-Zelva.jpg)

And Japan - easier, and quite attractive IJN marine tankette:
(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/jap/Light_Tanks/Type-94/type94_te-ke_navy_HD.jpg)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: lou passejaire on September 12, 2016, 07:00:26 PM
quick camo on Free French  Stuart in Alsace January 1945 :

(http://i97.servimg.com/u/f97/11/63/95/43/m5camo10.jpg)

(http://i97.servimg.com/u/f97/11/63/95/43/m5tour10.jpg)


Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 12, 2016, 08:30:25 PM
quick camo on Free French  Stuart in Alsace January 1945

That's a nice one - thanks!  8) 8)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: zippyfusenet on September 12, 2016, 09:11:59 PM
Henh. Are you sure that T-37 is cammo painted, and not just rusted up?

You get some very unusual schemes on US vehicles in Tunisia in 1942. The troops were ordered to mix up a slurry of the local mud, and slap that on their vehicles for cammo. Looks at closely, it often had a rough texture. It held up badly under rain, and the idea was soon discarded. Some of the schemes were very crude, others more elaborate. Many artists interpret what they see in photos as paint, when it's more likely mud slurry.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 13, 2016, 09:13:37 AM
Henh. Are you sure that T-37 is cammo painted, and not just rusted up?

You get some very unusual schemes on US vehicles in Tunisia in 1942. The troops were ordered to mix up a slurry of the local mud, and slap that on their vehicles for cammo. Looks at closely, it often had a rough texture. It held up badly under rain, and the idea was soon discarded. Some of the schemes were very crude, others more elaborate. Many artists interpret what they see in photos as paint, when it's more likely mud slurry.

I think it is paint - but who cares, it's interesting  :D
Thanks for the US tip - the British had some interesting colours for US tanks too, in particular Shermans and Lees.
Title: Re: Unusua tank colour schemes
Post by: Etranger on September 13, 2016, 12:25:50 PM
The French had the "strangest" paint schemes, one CharB painted to look like a tree lined hedge being the stand out one...

Google 'Char B1 Bis "Fantastique"'
Title: Re: Unusua tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 13, 2016, 04:31:46 PM
Google 'Char B1 Bis "Fantastique"'
We want - a shrubbery!
Fantastique not just by name.
Thanks for the search suggestion.  :D
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: lou passejaire on September 14, 2016, 12:09:17 PM
you have this one too :
(http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/11/63/95/43/captur11.jpg)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: von Lucky on September 14, 2016, 01:02:18 PM
Early war / Winter War Soviet BT-2 and BT-5:

(http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/BT/BT2/BT-2_winterwar1_HD.jpg)

(http://www.austinsms.org/article_pics/choy_A.gif)

Made to look like tank tracks in the snow.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: cuprum on September 14, 2016, 03:53:47 PM
(http://popgun.ru/files/g/42/orig/622109.jpg)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 14, 2016, 04:20:11 PM
Interesting stuff!

@lou passejaire: is that actually an unpainted red lead colour Hotchkiss? 

@von Lucky: did they spray the green through a net, or use a net daubed with white to make the pattern? Or is it just painted as such? Winter patterns seem to be quite the thing.

@cuprum: that's an Su-85, right? I'd never seen that scheme - definitely an interesting one - although the big red number seems to defeat the purpose of camouflage.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: cuprum on September 14, 2016, 04:47:17 PM
This SU-122. And there not only unmasks the red number, but also a huge "Japanese" circle on the roof...

(http://popgun.ru/files/g/42/orig/622111.jpg)

(http://popgun.ru/files/g/42/orig/622106.jpg)

Soviet tanks in winter camouflage painted easily washable chalk. And it is unlikely for this spray gun was used...


(http://www.tehnikapobedy.ru/materials/is2ph7.jpg)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: cuprum on September 14, 2016, 04:52:17 PM
(http://s39.radikal.ru/i086/0905/c9/568b731bc1f6.jpg)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: von Lucky on September 14, 2016, 10:29:28 PM
@von Lucky: did they spray the green through a net, or use a net daubed with white to make the pattern? Or is it just painted as such? Winter patterns seem to be quite the thing.

Just painted.

There's nothing stopping you swapping colours to make it look like tank tracks in mud in a green field or in the sand if you're going a little alternative.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 15, 2016, 03:54:45 PM
Just painted.

There's nothing stopping you swapping colours to make it look like tank tracks in mud in a green field or in the sand if you're going a little alternative.

Thanks, looks promising.

@Cuprum
Should have realised it was the Su-122 - I have a Tamiya model of it somewhere.
Thanks - the red circle IS striking!
Whitewash is easy and interesting; but that grey T-34 looks great too.  8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Etranger on September 16, 2016, 01:25:41 AM
...
(http://popgun.ru/files/g/42/orig/622106.jpg)



That photo is probably from a post war victory parade. I doubt that winter camouflage was all that effective in Berlin May 1945!  :o

Nice scheme though.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: cuprum on September 16, 2016, 02:47:58 AM
This photo was taken in Leningrad, in February 1943. In the photo - Narva Triumphal Arch.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva_Triumphal_Arch
Self-propelled guns from the composition 1433 or 1434 self-propelled artillery regiments. Camouflage an experimental. It applies only to the Volkhov front the winter of 1943.

(http://wio.ru/tank/gal/su-122.jpg)

A little more interesting information ... The area around Leningrad, mostly swampy. Let us remember that the very first two tanks "Tiger" were captured in January 1943, it is on the Volkhov front, after stuck in the mud ... Therefore most tanks were carrying on itself the logs to get out with their help out of the swamp.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Vanvlak on September 16, 2016, 06:25:41 AM
Nice photos - and thanks for the details, Cuprum. I'm tempted to try the scheme out on my 1:35 scale Tamiya.
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: Etranger on September 16, 2016, 07:48:35 AM
...

I live and learn!  :o In retrospect it isn't the Brandenberg Gate as I first thought. Thanks for the additional information.  :)
Title: Re: Unusual tank colour schemes
Post by: lou passejaire on September 16, 2016, 09:35:58 AM
Interesting stuff!

@lou passejaire: is that actually an unpainted red lead colour Hotchkiss? 

unpainted unfinished hotchkiss ...

in late june 1940, anything was put in the battle , even some tanks without gun, with a single LMG , armoured cars without turret , etc ... some unpainted, with just the primer ....