Hello!
Thought some of you would be interested in this. Here are the official orders from OKH regarding painting vehicles/equipment.
HM 1940, Nr.864 OKH (Ch.H.Rüst.u.BdE) 31.7.1940
To save paint following is ordered: Equipment which had to be painted darkgrey/darkbrown has to be painted just darkgrey from now on.
HM 1941, Nr.281 OKH (Ch.H.Rüst.u.BdE) 17.3.1941
Instead of the darkgrey/darkbrown or one color darkgrey paint equipment (including all Kfz.) of the units deployed in Afrika have to be painted yellow-brown - RAL 8000/greygreen - RAL 7008 both colors dull. The paint has to be deployed as the old one. Darkgrey is replaced by yellow-brown and dark-brown by grey-green. The borders between the two colors must not be hard edged but flow into each other. Small surfaces (also spoke-wheels and wheels) can be painted in one color. Yellow-brown is the primary color and the relation should be 2/3 yellow-brown and 1/3 grey-green.
HM 1942 Nr.315 OKH (Ch.H.Rüst.u.BdE) 25.3.1942
1. Instead of the darkgrey paint (HM 1940,Nr.864) the equipment (including all Kfz) of the units in Afrika have to be painted in brown RAL 8020 and grey RAL 7027, both dull.
Brown RAL 8020 is the primary color. Relation has to be about 2/3 brown and 1/3 grey. Grey has to be painted in irregular spots with soft egdes to the brown paint. Small surfaces and wheels may be painted just with either RAL 8020 or 7027. The colors 8000 and 7008 have to be used up before using the new colors.
2. Washable color according to HM 1941, Nr.1128 has to be used for paintind awnings.
HM 1941, Nr.1128 OKH (Ch.H.Rüst.u.BdE) 18.11.1941
The troops in Norway, at the finish front and in russia can paint their vehicles white when appropriate. Guidelines for the paint will be sent to the commanders. Washable paint according to the changed technical delivering-regulation 6.345. The paint has to be ordered by the unit along the normal supply-lines. The paint has to be deployed over the grey color and removed when no snow.
HM 1943, Nr.181 (322 included) OKH (Ch.H.Rüst.u.BdE) 18.2.1943
1. Equipment: Instead of the old darkgrey-darkbrown paint equipment has to be painted overall grey and for units in Afrika and Kreta instead of brown-grey the new dark-yellow.
For small equipment in vehicles (z.B. radio-equipment, storage-boxes, tool-boxes, boxes and cases for veterinary equipment, file-boards) the old paint can be kept.
Colors to be used:
P-Farbe TL 6321 for Panzerkampfwagen
W-Farbe TL 6320 for radio- and signal-equipment
TL 6337 for equipment made of Magnesium-alloy (for example Elektron-wheels on guns)
all others Kunstharzfarbe TL 6317 B
Differing regulations cease to apply .
2. Camouflage: Applying camouflage paint according to the local circumstances is in the units responsibility. For that the units have to get Tarnpasten (3) in following colors: Olive-green according to "Farbtonkasten" of RLM for camouflage (Building- and ground-camouflage), redbrown RAL 8017, dark-yellow according to sample as Nr.1.
3. The Tarnpasten in number 2 will be delivered to the units along the usual supply routes.
To determine how much paint is needed following regulations should be used (in kilogramms):
Olive-green/red-brown/dark-yellow
Panzerkampfwagen 2/2/2
Pkw 0,5/0,5/0,5
LKW < 2t 1/1/1
LKW > 2t 1,5/1,5/1,5
The Tarnpasten will be delivered in 2kg and 20kg portions. The units have to use the paint as carefully as the current raw-material, production- and transport-situation needs it.
4. The units have to decide which way the Tarnpasten are applied. It has to be applied to cut the silouette of the equipment/vehicle. Usually a paint with large spots formed like clouds worked well. The Tarnpasten have to be used as delivered or after mixed with water or fuel. They can be applied with brushes, rags etc. and are dry after a short time. They can also be used for awnings.
The Tarnpasten can be removed with fuel.
5. The winter-camouflage (in snow-covered terrain) consists of white paint with Emulsionsfarbe TL 6345. All equipment delivered to the troops until February 1943 has to be painted white before delivered.
6. Temporary-provisions:
a) New produced equipment, which received the old paint already, has to be repainted before delivered
b) Equipment in stock has to be delivered in new paint accorind to number 1 and repainted in white until February 1943.
c) The gray paint at the troops (darkgrey, or brown-grey) has not to be repainted. Necessary camouflage with Tarnpasten (2 to 4)
d) Replacement and occupation-troops have to repaint their equipment according to 1. Awnings have to be painted with Tarnpasten.
Christoph
Vehicle/equipment colors
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Christoph Awender
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Christian Ankerstjerne
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Great article - you did forget about the changes after 11-02-1943
In August 1944, the factories were instructed to paint the vehicles at the plants, because of confusion about the new paints. This created more uniform patterns, the ambush schemes, but it consumed production time.
In September 1944, the factories were instructed to leave the vehicles in the RAL 8012 'Rot' (red) primer. About ½ of the vehicle sould then be camouflaged with Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün and Rotbraun by the crews. If no Dunkelgelb could be supplied, Feldgrau could be used.
In November 1944, a program was started that meant the vehciles should leave the factory in a base coat of Dunkelgrün. Armour manufacturers were to paint the components in Dunkelgrün, and factories were to apply the colour. The program was not finished when the war ended, though.
Interior colours
There were 2 interior colours. The first, and most videly spread, was RAL 1001 'Elfenbein' (Ivory). this was a light cream colour, and was by far the most suitable of the two. The other was Grau-grün, which gave a rather dark interior light. Some equipment was left black from the factory. During 1944, an oder was given to leave the intorior with the primer.
On hatches, etc. that would reveal its inner colour to the surroundings, the exterior colour was usually used.
Variations of colours
Although the colours were the same throughout the war, there were differences in appearance. These came from both wear and tear, but also from different quality of the paint. Especially strong sunlight can alter colours in a very drastic way (the blue colour on American carrier aircrafts turned purple in the sunlight). Therefore, colours may appear different on pictures. One must also take into consideration the angle the picture is taken in, and the atmospherical conditions at the time the picture was taken.
The fact that crews had to mix and apply late-war camouflage colours with whatever they had (airbrushes, brushes, brooms or even buckets with paint trown over the vehicle!) also meant a varyin quality of the paint. If a vehicle was painted one or several times, the first colours could also shine through, or chipping paint could reveal it.
---
Also, to supplement:
Field camouflage
Dust and mud
Especialy in the early years, the stark Dunkelgrau was toned down a great deal as dust setteled on the vehicle. Besides toning down the vehicle, it camouflaged the vehicle a great deal, as the vehicle would rapidly assume the colour of the surrounding landscape.
Mud was also used to a wide extent, especially in Africa in the early years. Often was mud made by blending sand or dirt with water, and 'painting' the vehicle with the substance - there were even cretaed paint schemes with the mud!
Whitewash
In 1941, as the Russian winter came closer, OKH decided to begin issuing white paint. The Dunkelgrau colour would stand out too strong against a snow-covered background otherwise. The white paint was water-based, and was to be applied in the field. During spring, the paint was to slowly disappear as it was dissolved by rain, so that the vehicle would automatically be adjusted for the new surroundings.
Because of the many units at the front, and the fact that too little white paint was distributed, many vehciles recieved only sparse amount of paint - some vehicles didn't recieve any at all. Therefore, many inventive paint schemes were made in order to make the paint last longer. Often, the paint was applied in stribes - this gave an added camouflage efect in woods and cities, as the stribes blended in better than a uniform colour would. The front of the vehicles were often painted entirely in white, as this was usually the part of the vehicle to be seen by the enemy. A few vehicles have been seen with a very uniform white layer of paint, but this was the exception rather than the rule.
In stead of the whitewash paint, many units resorted to other means. Using enamel paint, if available, using chalk to create a spare pattern, or even draping white sheets over the vehicle. Some of these methods were more successful than others, but they got the job done. As time progressed, and the Dunkelgelb colour came into function, the use of whitewash decreased. Because the vehicles were no longer nearly black, the need for a camouflage layer was not as important. Still, especially on the eastern front, vehicles continued to recieve whitewashes.
Camouflage netting and tarpulins
Although the use was not as wide-spread as with other armies, the German army did use camouflage netting and tarpulins in order to camouflage the vehicle. This was especially done in the later half of the war, as the Germans lost air supremacy, and were in a greater need of camouflaged ambushes.
Especially for the tarpulins, there are no organized colours and types, and units used whatever they could find. Therefore, it is not possible to give any pecifications for the different kinds used.
Foilage
In stead of camouflage netting, the Germans used foilage to a wide extent during the war. Local branches were cut off and attached to the vehicles, to give the impression of the tank being a bush or small cluster of trees. It is also seen that straws, and whatever other natural materials were used. Because of the nature, the leaves went bad after some time, and therefore, foilage was not as effectve a camouflage mean as many others - enemy guners could just aim for the dead bush...
In the late years of the war, branches were cut off by special people where the Germans were to move or rest. The branches were then left for the German vehicles to come by, whereafter the crews could put the branches on the vehicles. This meant less time wasted by the crews, especially important if the enemy was chasing them!
(from http://www.panzerworld.net/Colours.htm - yes, I'm always advertising
)
Christian
In August 1944, the factories were instructed to paint the vehicles at the plants, because of confusion about the new paints. This created more uniform patterns, the ambush schemes, but it consumed production time.
In September 1944, the factories were instructed to leave the vehicles in the RAL 8012 'Rot' (red) primer. About ½ of the vehicle sould then be camouflaged with Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün and Rotbraun by the crews. If no Dunkelgelb could be supplied, Feldgrau could be used.
In November 1944, a program was started that meant the vehciles should leave the factory in a base coat of Dunkelgrün. Armour manufacturers were to paint the components in Dunkelgrün, and factories were to apply the colour. The program was not finished when the war ended, though.
Interior colours
There were 2 interior colours. The first, and most videly spread, was RAL 1001 'Elfenbein' (Ivory). this was a light cream colour, and was by far the most suitable of the two. The other was Grau-grün, which gave a rather dark interior light. Some equipment was left black from the factory. During 1944, an oder was given to leave the intorior with the primer.
On hatches, etc. that would reveal its inner colour to the surroundings, the exterior colour was usually used.
Variations of colours
Although the colours were the same throughout the war, there were differences in appearance. These came from both wear and tear, but also from different quality of the paint. Especially strong sunlight can alter colours in a very drastic way (the blue colour on American carrier aircrafts turned purple in the sunlight). Therefore, colours may appear different on pictures. One must also take into consideration the angle the picture is taken in, and the atmospherical conditions at the time the picture was taken.
The fact that crews had to mix and apply late-war camouflage colours with whatever they had (airbrushes, brushes, brooms or even buckets with paint trown over the vehicle!) also meant a varyin quality of the paint. If a vehicle was painted one or several times, the first colours could also shine through, or chipping paint could reveal it.
---
Also, to supplement:
Field camouflage
Dust and mud
Especialy in the early years, the stark Dunkelgrau was toned down a great deal as dust setteled on the vehicle. Besides toning down the vehicle, it camouflaged the vehicle a great deal, as the vehicle would rapidly assume the colour of the surrounding landscape.
Mud was also used to a wide extent, especially in Africa in the early years. Often was mud made by blending sand or dirt with water, and 'painting' the vehicle with the substance - there were even cretaed paint schemes with the mud!
Whitewash
In 1941, as the Russian winter came closer, OKH decided to begin issuing white paint. The Dunkelgrau colour would stand out too strong against a snow-covered background otherwise. The white paint was water-based, and was to be applied in the field. During spring, the paint was to slowly disappear as it was dissolved by rain, so that the vehicle would automatically be adjusted for the new surroundings.
Because of the many units at the front, and the fact that too little white paint was distributed, many vehciles recieved only sparse amount of paint - some vehicles didn't recieve any at all. Therefore, many inventive paint schemes were made in order to make the paint last longer. Often, the paint was applied in stribes - this gave an added camouflage efect in woods and cities, as the stribes blended in better than a uniform colour would. The front of the vehicles were often painted entirely in white, as this was usually the part of the vehicle to be seen by the enemy. A few vehicles have been seen with a very uniform white layer of paint, but this was the exception rather than the rule.
In stead of the whitewash paint, many units resorted to other means. Using enamel paint, if available, using chalk to create a spare pattern, or even draping white sheets over the vehicle. Some of these methods were more successful than others, but they got the job done. As time progressed, and the Dunkelgelb colour came into function, the use of whitewash decreased. Because the vehicles were no longer nearly black, the need for a camouflage layer was not as important. Still, especially on the eastern front, vehicles continued to recieve whitewashes.
Camouflage netting and tarpulins
Although the use was not as wide-spread as with other armies, the German army did use camouflage netting and tarpulins in order to camouflage the vehicle. This was especially done in the later half of the war, as the Germans lost air supremacy, and were in a greater need of camouflaged ambushes.
Especially for the tarpulins, there are no organized colours and types, and units used whatever they could find. Therefore, it is not possible to give any pecifications for the different kinds used.
Foilage
In stead of camouflage netting, the Germans used foilage to a wide extent during the war. Local branches were cut off and attached to the vehicles, to give the impression of the tank being a bush or small cluster of trees. It is also seen that straws, and whatever other natural materials were used. Because of the nature, the leaves went bad after some time, and therefore, foilage was not as effectve a camouflage mean as many others - enemy guners could just aim for the dead bush...
In the late years of the war, branches were cut off by special people where the Germans were to move or rest. The branches were then left for the German vehicles to come by, whereafter the crews could put the branches on the vehicles. This meant less time wasted by the crews, especially important if the enemy was chasing them!
(from http://www.panzerworld.net/Colours.htm - yes, I'm always advertising
)Christian
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Benjamin Fanjoy
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