Well I felt like a bit of a dick for googling my own name, (but they say everyone does it eventually) Bit surprised to find my dopellganger (well, same name, anyway) was a Rottenfuhrer and tank driver in the 101st SS Pz Btn. I naturally now want to make my Tamiya KT as his vehicle. The kit markings are close (#332) but his tank was #333. I see the Dragon Tiger II actually has markings for 333, but I dont really want two of them ( at the moment anyway) Question time- the Tamiya markings are blue turret numbers with a yellow border. The Dragon markings are red with a white border. Which is correct ? Does it matter ? and where can I find some decals to match ? Have done some research but going around in circles now. Thanks in advance.
Paul Rohweder.
I believe you are referring to the famous “333” of the 501st during the Battle of the Bulge…I’ve seen both colors used and I believe the debate still continues as to the true colors, but I do think there exists a color pic of the tank in the US after the war that confirms the blue numbers…seems like a thread with this debate went on a couple of years ago…this is all from memory but I’ll break out the refs again…may want to search for that thread…I believe Crockett had a lot of good info on this subject…
From a 2005 thread:
"…I could swear I answered this exact question before. There are several renditions of Tiger 204 of the sSS Pz Abt. 501 in the Ardennes. Yellow and olive green hard-edge ambush pattern over red-primer, with blue numbers with yellow outline, no Zimmerit. At least that’s how Jentz and Doyle see it in Osprey’s King Tiger Heavy Tank, 1942-1945.
Here we go… Tigers In Combat II lists the numbers as red and white, 3rd company used blue/yellow. Unless of course it was one of the 11 from the 509th, they were all yellow numbers. But they weren’t, because they were outlined, so they are red/white.
And just to make things more exciting, Osprey’s other book, Ardennes 1944: Peiper and Skorzeny has them as black and white…
I’d go with red/white. …"
My reference also shows that 333 was on Waldemar Warnecke’s Tiger 1 in June 1944, so I may be spoiled for choice here. I dont think the 101 Pz Abt was issued with Tiger II’s until September, before they were redesignated as the 501st. Agentg has some decals for me. Thanks Wayne !