What would be the correct color for the vision blocks in the commanders cupola on a StuG IV?
Thanx for answering. [:)]
Hello,
I am not sure about a direct answer to your question but I know of a couple of sites that might help you. Good luck!
Hope I helped,
Erwin Rommel
Gloss black or gloss very dark blue is normally a safe default option for any military periscope. the exceptions are mostly in modern vehicles, with laser rangefinders and TV cameras, which can be a wide rnge of colours - blue, green, purple, even pink. Bits of holographic stickers, cut to shape and size, are good for these:
Cheers,
Chris.
Thanx for the feedback, I found what I was looking for. [:)]
German periscopes for WW2 vehicles didn’t have any sort of reflective coating or protection necessarily…they were housed in a bakelite (early type of plastic) frame that would be a dark brown or black color and their glass faces would’ve been clear. Armored glass ports, like those for the driver’s position or the commander’s cupola would also have been clear glass with just a slight greenish tint to them due to the thickness of the glass.
The commander’s cupola on a StuG IV would be the same as that on a StuG III. The cupola had a series of periscopes arranged the perimeter and the top portion of the periscope that would be visible to the outside would be the bakelite with a clear glass face.
Here’s a couple up for auction on E-bay to give you an idea…I have no connection to the seller.
Yes, but looking through the periscope from the outside (whch is, effctively, what you are doing on a model), you’re seeing the interior of the tank. This will be significantly darker than the exterior so, regardless of the actual colour of the glass, it will look black.
Cheers,
Chris.
I agree with you that it’d be very dark but not because of the lack of illumination inside the tank. There is not 100% from the inside to the outside – one-way reflection only. You can’t look and see Fritz peering out at you.
Holy Toledo, Batman!! I just looked at those vision blocks in the Ebay link and my dad had one of those that I used to play with as a kid! No freakin’ way…I knew that they were from a tank/armored vehicle of some kind, but I never knew that it was from a Panzer/StuG. (edit- and from reading this thread, I now know that they didn’t come off anything German, but rather something American. Still cool to have played with them as a kid.)
As I recall, the glass had a green tint.
Out of curiousity Bill… why is the information on these vision blocks in english?
“PERISCOPE M4 ADJUSTMENT KNOB SETTINGS FOR THIS HEAD”
Steve
Steve,
Because they are US-style periscopes. [;)] However, they are the same design and materials as a German periscope for the time period…the only difference being that the German design had a longer body.
When I Googled “bakelite periscopes”, this is what came up. I should’ve stated in the post that these are non-German periscopes but was in too much of a hurry sneaking in a few minutes here on what was left of my lunch hour. [:D]
I am doing the DML StuG.III Ausf.G #6320 which comes with nice features such as Clear Plastic Periscopes and also the Gunners sight and the drivers Vision Block.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out, I am very optimistic.
As Bill mentioned the Periscopes housings where in Backelite, the only picture I have managed to find is brown.
Dave Byrden mentiones that the inhouse part of the periscope often was covered with rubber to protect the crew.
http://tiger1.info/EN/VerticalPeriscope.html
One the StuG I think you are fine anyway but I will deffo check the Drivers and Radio operators Periscope on my T1.
Are thouse tiny little bottles lying arround on your picture Chris.
Looks like a very busy deck, a closer survey in a thread off its own maybee [:P]
Hi Dave,
yes, they’re clear resin 2 litre mineral water bottles, on the turret deck of an Italeri 1/35 M1A2 (better than the Tamiya and less than half the price). Produced by Accurate Armour:
http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct.cfm?manufacturer=0&category=4&subcategory=33&product=1313
and avaiable on the other side of the Pond through Mission Models:
http://www.missionmodels.com/product.php?productid=16359&cat=0&page=1
and also available in blue and green clear resin.
Here are some more piccies:
Most of the stowage comes from the Tamiya modern US Army equipment set, and yes, I know that the .50 cal shouldn’t have the BFA on it.
Cheers,
Chris.