Tiger color in North Africa ?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I haveTamiya’s 1/35 Tiger I Initial production, kit #35227.The instructions
call for XF -60 Dark Yellow and one of my reference books said that the Tigers
went to North Africa painted Afrika Brown 1942 RAL 8020 with an overspray
of Olive Green RAL 7008 where needed. I can’t locate my big Tiger book
even though it’s around here some where. Any help would be greatly
appreciated .
fuzzy

2

I don’t know the color name but it looks like oarange with brown. Here’s a website that could help.http://bsdi.usppp.com/wwiiscalemodels/schemes/panzertarnung.html.

3

The first Tigers to make it to Tunisia where painted in Olive Green.Later on they where painted Sand Brown.

4

When the first Tigers from s.Pz-Abt 501 arrived in Tunis sometime round about November 1942 they were painted with either “Graugrun” RAL 7008 or with a very close approximate from local supplies. This apparently was painted over the base of RAL 7028.

I hope this answers your question.

Duncan McSporran

5

Isnt the Bovington Tiger painted in the Africa colours?
http://www.tiger-tank.com/

6

I encountered the same problems when doing the 1/72 Revell kit, this thread may be of some help

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31823

I went for a dark sand/ brown colour in the end

Regards

John

7

Thanks for the help with the colors everybody. It’s interesting that the
folks restoring the Tiger at Bovington had the same problem with the
colors.I didn’t realize there were that many Tiger books . I’ll make a list
and start searching.
fuzzy

8

Hi fuzzy,i think it is safe to say that the 501s Tigers(narrow angled front mudguard ),were in grey green 7008,remember Tunisia could be quite a lush green place,not miles of endless desert.However the 504(who arrived 5 months later in Mar43)definately were in sand overall.Bovington`s Tiger red 131,was a 504 machine,but has been restored in a glossy camo scheme!.[8D]

9

Bovingtons Tiger 1 isnt glossy at all, its painted flat

10

After reading several tiger books , viewing the Bovington Tiger site and
the help from forum members I figured out why I was confused.The kit
markings are for a Tiger originally with the 1st Co. of the 501st transfered
to the 7th Co. 7th Panzer Reg. 10th Panzer Div. . For the kit markings I’m
going to use RAL8020. For a 501st Tiger I plan on RAL8020 with an
overspray of RAL7008 with white outline (no red) numbers. Kenbu a glossy
Tiger model would be different . Thanks for the help everyone.
fuzzy
I forgot to add these ; 501st RAL8020(7027?)with overspray of RAL 8000
504th RAL 8020 with overspray of RAL 7008
10th P Div. RAL 8020
Bovington Tiger RAL 8000 with RAL 7008 for camo

11

xf-60 is correct …

12

Just one point, regarding the glossy Tiger 1, how many of you (who seem to know better ) have stood in front of it ?.Nah i didnt think so.But having returned from ABRO (after an engine rebuild) the paint job has toned down somewhat but still doesn t look right, but at least the beast is up and running.Take care and enjoy your modelling.[:D]P S check out Bovingtons website :Our Tiger Journal , page 19 shows a very shiny Tiger turret indoors at ABRO`s workshop,( outside in natural light conditions, it kinda looked o k.)

13

I often think we would all be shocked if we were to go back and time and see what colours these vehicles really were.

14

I agree[#ditto] I think we all give these vechicles a better paint job, on are models then they really had back during the war.

15

Here’s a site that may be of use to you,

http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html

I looked into the green tiger theory when I did my Italeri Tiger 1 early and to be honest I couldn’t find much to prove that they were painted green( that’s not to say that they weren’t because I had planned to paint it green) so I did it in sand.

Pete

16

Well I have books with pictures of these tigers in green. But since the pictures are black and white I started thinking, could they really be gray. I have seen a color photo of a tiger and that tiger was green in that picture. Just makes you wonder on and on…[%-)]

17

KENBU I read the journal and on page 19 or 27 it noted that the Tiger
was painted with a gloss finish for ease of cleaning. One of the colors
used for overspray and camo RAL 7008 Khakibraun has been called olive green (looks like a greenish gray to me) RAL 8000 is Grunbraun. Maybe these are where the green color references come from? These two colors were found on the Bovington Tiger (a 504th Tiger) . Kernop’s right it does make you wonder ? Time to get the paint and finish.
fuzzy