German Armored Panzergrenadier Company

[kunzomat]

@Vonkluge: I don't understand you problem! The camouflage pattern for the Panzer IV is green spots on dark yellow ground. The order of painting is completely irrelevant. You can base the models with yello, mask stripes and paint the green spots or you base in green mask spots and paint the yellow stripes. Both techniques have the same result.
For the Panzer IV I paint at first dark yellow base color. For the SdKfz (I hope i can post the next images tomorrow) I use the other way and paint fist green, second brown and at last the dark yellow.

[von Lucky]

I think it's partly the lighting (the yellow does look like it's been painted over the green in certain shots), but also as everyone has their own idea of what Dunkelgelb should look like.

[Mainly28s]

First let me say your efforts are great, PZkpw IVs look great, BUT I think you made 1 mistake.....did you paint the tanks green first? then the German armor yellow? I know most people would never know, but any real historical painters like me would see it...German vehicles always start as grey, 36-42 then change to a base of yellow after that. All camo,whitewash, etc...should be laid on top of that.

Bill, actually, there ARE some vehicles that were painted in green at the factory from December 1944 onward, and had camo overlaid on top. Of course, this wasn't always done, and can be hard to tell from B&W photos...

Late-war, 1943-1945

On 18 February 1943, all vehicles were ordered to be painted in a base coat of Dunkelgelb RAL 7028 (dark yellow). Only small pieces of equipment were to retain their previous color. On top of the Dunkelgelb base coat, stripes of Rotbraun RAL 8017 (red-brown) and Olivgrün RAL 6003 (olive green) was applied.

The Rotbraun and Olivgrün paint was delivered to the units in tins, which were thinned with any available liquid. It was then applied by the maintenance section, which allowed the pattern to match the terrain. This also resulted in a wide variety of patterns, from elaborate sprayed camouflage, to patterns that look like they were smeared on with a broom and rag.

To standardize and improve camouflage patterns, on 19 August 1944, it was ordered that all vehicles were to be painted at the factory. The pattern, Hinterhalt-Tarnung (ambush camouflage), still used a base color of Dunkelgelb, with Rotbraun and Olivgrün stripes. On top of each color, small dots of the other two were applied. This pattern was created to give the appearance of the sun shining through forest foliage.

In mid-September 1944, vehicles started leaving the factories in their red oxide primer, with only sparse camouflage. On 31 October 1944, more elaborate camouflage in Dunkelgelb, Rotbraun and Olivgrün began being applied at the factories over the red oxide primer. Furthermore, Dunkelgrau could be used if Dunkelgelb was unavailable. Despite this order, there has never been any evidence that Dunkelgrau was actually used.

On 20 December 1944, it was ordered that a Dunkelgrün base coat, with a hard-edge pattern of Dunkelgelb and Rotbraun should be used.

from http://www.panzerworld.com/german-armor-camouflage

That all said, the paint-job is superb. I wish I could get mine to look half as good!

[Heresy]

Hi,

Oustanding job!, I like so much the camo and the weathering effects.

IMO the order of green/yellow color have not important when you are painting them. From an historical viewpoint, the correct is apply the yellow in the first layer, of course. But when you want paint a camouflage, in some ocasion it is easier start with the camo color (like green), after you can mask this color and finally apply the yellow. Because in this case the camo have hard edges and the green spots are small (compared with the yellow area), I think Kunzomat has done a very good work!.

[kunzomat]

Thanks Heresy I like you work to. 

So here are the next step.


1. Masking the interior.
2. Base with  "Vallejo Acrylic-Poliurethan Primer White"
3. First Color " "Vallejo 71.006    Cam. Light Green"
4. Masking with BlueTack
3. First Color " "Vallejo 71.041    Rotbraun RAL8017"
4. Masking with BlueTack
3. First Color " "Vallejo 71.025    Dunkelgelb RAL7028"
5. remove BlueTack
6. paint "Vallejo Gloss Varnish"
7. add Decals
6. paint "Vallejo Gloss Varnish" and "Vallejo Satin Varnish"

[Vonkluge]

Hi all,

Kunzomat, I didn't mean to make you mad and it was not a problem I had... I was merly pointing out the method of painting your vehicles might be different than the way they were historically painted. Does it matter? Well not if you like the results and they do look great but since these are representative of "real" vehicles that did exist in the world and not a sci fi vehicle I thought you might be interested in my observations. At almost 60 years old I have been studying and painting German vehicles for 50 years and thought you might be interested in learning more. The order the paint is laid on to the vehicle does matter as it does give a different effect. This also true of the German armies "Heer", "Luftwaffe" and "Waffen SS" uniform camouflage, the patterns are laid out and printed in specific patterns in a specific order. Changing the method or order of application may not show in 10-15mm scale but get to 20=28mm and I guarantee it will. Mainly28s said that he had info that late in the war some vehicles left the factory in other colors, yeas that is true, but it was rare, and mostly in direct response to official colors being in short supply. The website that the info comes from is just like dozens of others out there that have some info lifted from other sources and reprinted. That site even has a picture of a late war "Hetzer", the German Assault gun built on the modified Czech PZ38 chassis and states that "Captured Jagdpanzer 38, in what looks like a Dunkelgrün base, with a Dunkelgelb and Rotbraun pattern." when in fact that is a well known picture that shows that some PZ38s were delivered painted in old Checheslovakin paint when official german paint stock became unavailable.

The German army fought and existed under some varying trying conditions and many field variations and expedients did exist. Things were done at the factories to speed production and overcome shortages allowing war material to reach the front even if not completely "official" but it was NOT the normal way the Germans did it then, if possible. I once years ago painted a German Tiger I in "red oxide" with darker brown and "panzer grey" splotches. I had read a book where the author had info that a few were done like this as a experiment in "urban" city rubble camo! I loved the look but now think it was more a fanciful invention of the writer than a historical fact. I still paint some things more the way I like them than on the side of Historical Fact and its ok, I'm good with that, people will point it out to me and I'll tell them "ahh yes you are correct, but I like the look I painted better"

The subject of German armor like German uniforms can be and is a hobby almost unto itself and can be debated too boredom, I am not the world authority on the subject but I have been in 30 plus original german vehicles, scraped paint off them, have over one hundred books on the subject, know several of the worlds biggest private collectors of German vehicles, uniforms, and weapons, have an extensive WWII collection myself, so do know a bit about it...but I'll just drop out of here. Again VERY nice work on your modeling and painting.

Regards,

Bill W

[Vonkluge]

PS,

Here is a picture of one of my vehicles for you all to poke fun at...
It's in 20mm scale so much smaller than the other vehicles in this thread and "cast" resin, except for the mg's, wheels, and small pieces like the tarps and such. I painted 6 of these at a time so to give an overall sameness to the paint jobs. These are painted as wargame units so there is a balance between the time and detail verse getting them into battle...! Some of these models are molded by me, these are Britannia, the add on "tarp" was sculpted and cast by me.

[kunzomat]

And the next steps are finished

[Draxar]

  Those are 251/D models from Plastic Soldier Company as well, are they not?

[kunzomat]

Yes the SdKfz 251/D's and the Panzer IV's are from Plastic Soldier Company. Only the Panzer Löwe is from Heer46

[kunzomat]

and chipped....

[kunzomat]

 "steeps to repeat"
1. AK Interactive - Streaking Grime paint smal lines
2. blure  White Spirit
3. "Vallejo Satin Varnish"

[Gripweed]

Beautifully done kunzomat!! Do you use an airbrush, or are these all hand painted? Either way all I can say is WOW, and anxiously await further updates!

[Keith]

Those are lovely.

[ARKOUDAKI]

Nice work....and a nice photo gallery from start to finish.