I am currently building Heller’s old Somua S35 kitand almost at the stage of painting. The kit comes with markings for this particular tank, of which I was fortunate to find an actual photo. The way I see this photo, it appears that the hull has the horizontal style multi color scheme, while the turret looks to have the older vertical style multi color scheme.
What do you guys think?
I can deffinetly see the vertical demarcation on the turret, just behind the 9. But it also looks like a vertical one just to the left of the drivers hatch, which tehn looks like it goes horizonal though i am not sure if that the light due to a change in angle.
Exactly! That’s what throwing me off as well. The front of the hull and the side stowage bins show the horizontal pattern. But that area to the side of the drivers hatch does not quite jive. And the turret does not at all.
I am not familiar with French armour or its colour schemes. Was it usually the case of the scheme being one or the other?
Also, there loks to be a ‘blob’ of darker colour under the drivers hatch, and it looks to be a similar shade to the patch to the left of the hatch which seems darker than the other 2 colours.
I just found this image of a German S35. Like yours it has the drivers hatch open. Also like yours, it has a dark patch to the left of the hatch and another underneath it. It looks to be the shadow of the hatch.
To me the turret demarcation line behind the 9 looks like a shadow? Here is a Somua with the 93 number that may be the same one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7toN1CTMFw
Just noticed it has the 93 on the other side of the turret.
PJ, the model looks to be painted as the one at Aberdeen Proving Grounds is or was. I have seen photos of it in a monotone scheme and in the horizontal style camo scheme.
Bish, I am not well read on French camo schemes either. It just appears that there were several iterations on the S35 during the production run.
One thing that I’m noticing from looking at the photo is that both the roadway and the tank look to be wet. Rain? If so, that will make the surfaces more reflective of light depending upon the angle. The turret is similar in shape to that of the Mickey Mouse hatch T-34 turrets, so multi flat angles.
Looking at the turret I can also see some evidence of color demarcation on the main gun mantle, and across the top of the cupola. Conflicting!!!
Don’t know if this is the same vehicle, drawn from the other side?
Unit insignia appears to be the same.
Yes, that looks to be the same vehicle, drawn from the opposite side.
Looking at the shape of the vehicle and the angles it has, where it has them, IMO what you are seeing is highlights from lighting angles not different colors. All the edges of the lighter shades align with those of the shape of the tank. So, unless they painted it along those angles, it’s most likely the light making it look that way. IMPO
BK