Hello all…new here…i was wondering if anyone could tell me the best color to paint a panzer iv ausf d…i want it to be historically accurate…i generaly use valejo panzer series paints…any help would be greatly appreciated…looking foward to learning from yall…
The Panzer IVD is an interesting choice since it first saw active service in May 1940 in France. Beginning production in October 1939 it saw combat in France, the Balkans, Greece, Africa, and Russia with the last of them phased out in early 1944.
So, the color you paint it depends on when, where, and what it’s doing. Is it invading France in 1940 or training drivers at Paderborn in 1944? Pick a time frame, a unit or a task, and a theater. After that, anything’s possible.
Panzer Voran!
Thanks for the reply panzer sergeant…after reading it and thinking about your response i was thinking somewhere in combat in russia…,
Then you’re talking about the 1941 timeframe. German armor was painted dark gray.
Thanks T26E4…i was looking for a specific color as opposed to just a general dark grey…
Panzer Grey, RAL 7021.
You may be able to use olive green or red brown as a camo on the gray base color. But I would of bin a limited paint sceem. Someone else may have a pic of that
I have seen early panzer 1 and 2s with it on them
But with only 1 of the camo colors at a time not both of them that early in the war…
Thanks bish thats what i was wanting know…blackdog62 that is interesting…i didnt know they used camo patterns that early in the war…id like to see a pic of that…,
All the paint makers produce a standard Panzer Dark Grey. Vallejo has it clearly in its line. I’m not sure I agree with blackdog62. During the mid to late 30s, German AFVs were painted in a cloud pattern of 1/3 brown and 2/3 dark grey. By 1940, that was switched to all dark grey. By the time of Russia (Summer 1941) the standard color of the AFVs was all dark grey.
blackdog62 – can you point to where there are examples of olive grun and dark grey in the 1940-41 timeframe? I’m not familiar with this. Can you cite examples?
T26E4, would vallejo german grey be a appropriate color or ? Blackdog i to would be interestead in seeing examples having never seen or heard of that pattern on any early war afvs…
Tricky, its not always easy as troops in the field would often improvise. So what was offical guidance and what was done in the field was not always the same. There are colour plates of a Pz II Ausf F in Stalingrad in late 1942 with some sort of sandy brown colour painted over the Grey. Dragon includes tye option in there kit. But trying to find photo evidance is not easy.
Generally speaking, as Roy says, Pz Grey was the offical scheme until early 1943. After that, toops in the field who were being supplied paint for the new 3 colour scheme would use tyhe paint over those vehicles stil in Grey.
Wow,iam so glad i found this place…all of you guys have been so helpful and are a wealth of knowledge…i could just sit and talk with you guys all day…thank you all so much for your help…now to the spray booth…
It is interesting that Chory’s publication on Whermacht Heer colours also mentions the possibility of colour used on grey vehicles of 1942. This is only based on period photos, though I don’t see any examples included in his book. He suggests that these were pre-war paints.
Nevertheless, if it did occur, it was unofficial. The change in paint colour, that was introduced in February of 1943, had an offical statement written that the current camouflage system of all dark grey (brown-grey for units in Africa and Crete), was to be replaced immediately with dark yellow.
regards,
Jack