Thanks guys!!!
I knew I came to the right place for that question.
Never done a build log but might for this tank but it will be a few months before I can ever start.
There is also this site dedicated to the Panther tank, and looking through the unit History, there does not look to be any additional Panthers sent to Wiking after March/April 1944.
Also listing of Panther production and allocations:
Unfortunately neither of those links specify Panther types, and you have to awkwardly cross reference with the site’s listing of known chassis numbers - Fahrgestellnummern:
regards,
Jack
Nice links Jack. I have seen the Panther site before but not that page. It clearly shows Wikings got no new Panthers after mid April, those would have been A’s.
I am amazed they went a whole year without replacements.
Also, page 61 of the book Squadron book SS Armor states that Wiking was replenished with at least 8 companies of Panther Ausf As at Kovel, Poland after escaping from Korsun. There are several photos of several of these As. At this time, Wiking was reported to be authorized 75 Panthers with a strength of 77. All were Ausf. As. From that point on their Panther strength gradually wore away to zero by April 1, 1945. They do not appear to have been refurbished with Panther Ausf. Gs.
Bill
There is Echelon’s decal set for some possible ideas for the camou underneath the whitewash. The left side are representative of some of Wiking’s Panthers:
regards,
Jack
It is interesting that Echelon printed the full swastika used by Wiking on the cover but not on the decal sheet.
Bill
But they do. There are 7 of them on the sheet.
If that is the camo on 522 then I’ll pick another tank. Going to order an Echelon this week. Thanks for the info.
I see 7 black shields with the curves of the swastika only. The cross parts that connect them are seperate decals. It does look like an interesting set, though, and I will order one.
Bill
I went back to the picture of the 522 tank that was posted the other day and copied it on my PC. I enlarged it and ever though it is burry I cannot make out any of the “crisscross camo” that Echelon has on their picture of 522. Think it will be ok to just add a little red and green camo then do the winter camo over it?
Colorized…, but same company and a clear view of this pattern;
Obviously summer, so earlier time period, but looks more like previous photo than stripped pattern does. Identified as “Nurzec-Stacja, Poland, July 22, 1944”.
Another shot;
534 really got around, or at least was photographed a lot.
There are however, plenty of shots of Wiking Panthers in stripped camo, this appears to be 6th company;
Hard to corroborate without time stamps or other info on photos.
For a mere $200;
Yeah, not sure what is up with the different camou styles within the same company, but apparently each company had their own distinct pattern.
In the publication Viking Summer by Dennis Oliver, he states 534 had an usual hard edge camouflage scheme seen in August 1944, quite a change from what was usually a soft mottle scheme for 5th company. The hand painted striped patterns seems to be attributed to 6th company vehicles. These observation though, seem to be typical of the summer '44 period.
regards,
Jack
That’s how I would approach it if I were doing a winter camouflage over the summer colors. I would provide a hint of the criss-cross, then a sloppy winter wash over it. But, I am new to armor modeling and I am learning different techniques.
Bill