Landships II

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

US Army Vehicle Colors 1901 to 1916?

CharlieC · Legend

�

The US Army had zero heavy field artillery before the US entered WW1 so the choice of subjects is limited to the 3 inch M1902/1916 field gun

and a small number of 12cm howitzers.

Similarly the US had no tanks on strength - there were some experimental vehicles but these never entered service.

This changed once the US entered the war and serving officers saw Allied equipment in use in France. By the end of the war

the US Army was equiped with the British 8 inch howitzer and the French 155mm GPF gun.�

Regards,

Charlie

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

The choice of subjects is limited to the 3 inch M1902/1916 field gun and they were painted in what color?

The choice of subjects is limited to a small number of 12cm howitzers and they were painted in what color?

There were some experimental vehicles and they were what color?

What color was US Army artillery, wagons, and mechanized equipment in the colonial, just before WWI era?

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com

Rob · Legend

I always find it incredible that after witnessing the conflict for 3 years, they still didn't have any heavy artillery until they got to France and realised it may just be useful!

CharlieC · Legend

�

I used to think similarly - it was curious enough to warrant a closer look.

Unlike today the US Federal Govt was a very small entity before WW1. I've read that only 3% of Americans paid Federal taxes before�

Rosevelt was president - the financial resources available to the US Govt were quite small. The endless war bond drives once the US entered the

war were an essential part of being able to finance the expansion and equiping of the US Army. �In the Journal of Field Artillery of the period

it's clear that the US military did not envisage being�involved in the European conflict and seemed generally content with their equipment and practices.

Regards,

Charlie

BSM · Lieutenant

Try this US� (and other) Artillery specialist site ... Regards

http://www.lovettartillery.com/

Bunkermeister wrote:

The choice of subjects is limited to the 3 inch M1902/1916 field gun and they were painted in what color?

The choice of subjects is limited to a small number of 12cm howitzers and they were painted in what color?

There were some experimental vehicles and they were what color?

What color was US Army artillery, wagons, and mechanized equipment in the colonial, just before WWI era?

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com

�

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

�

I would like to thank all of you for your help in this project.� The project continues but I have made some progress.� My goal is to depict a mythical US Army National Guard unit sometime between about 1895 to just before American involvement in WWI, so about 1916/1917.

I am using mostly 1/72nd scale figures and vehicles, with a few other non-scale models tossed in.� These are slush cast artillery toys made in the 1930s, and 1940's.� They came from eBay and were totally thrashed when I got them, dented, very little paint, many were mis-molded.� I stripped the paint off and repaired or replaced various parts and then repainted them using some of the guidance I got from this group and others.� They are not expected to be 100% accurate, but I think they look nice and are fun.

�

-- Edited by Bunkermeister on Monday 27th of August 2012 04:44:29 AM

-- Edited by Bunkermeister on Monday 27th of August 2012 04:45:45 AM

Al Lemand · Corporal

Hope this helps.� Camp Sevier in Greenville, SC was a training camp for the National Guard; 6 South Carolinians received the Medal of Honor in WWI.�

Also an airfield here is named after a WWI Ace, J. O. Donaldson from Greenville.� Pictures are from G.W. Cummings.

Best rgds,

�

Ralph Lovett · General

Despite the sign marking Charlie Crenshaws old US 6 inch howitzer in South Carolina, these defiantly did not go overseas in WW1.� The only US designed piece to see overseas service in WW1 is the �US 4.7 inch M1906 fieldgun.� See this link:�

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http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/Canons/ImagesCanons/USA/Lourde/english_FC4p7inM06Illinois.html

�

US Field Artillery was painted olive green with black gun tubes and wheel hubs from the 1860s through the 1890s.� Sometime after that some pieces were painted grey and apparently in some cases olive/tan.� With WW1, Olive Drab was the most commonly used paint�but the US Army Three Color Camouflage was also introduced and used on almost all types of ordnance and vehicles in the late WWI era.� See my French 75mm mle/97 for an example:

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��http://www.lovettartillery.com/French_75mm_mle_97_.htm

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Also, in the page on my US M1918 Limber you can see the factory color plate for the M1918 Caisson in 3 color cammo, plus the photos of the cammo being applied in the factory before overseas shippment�--- also see the� "See Period Photos" link�at the top of this page�:

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http://www.lovettartillery.com/US%20M%201918%20Limber.html

�

R/

�

Ralph Lovett

http://www.lovettartillery.com/index.html

�

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

Thanks Ralph for the information.

Great site by the way.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
http://bunkermeister.blogspot.com/

�

Date: Apr 21, 2016

I am restoring a model 1906/1917 4.7" gun and need to know the correct color ww1. Thanks.

Steve Zaloga · Captain

The October 1918 US Army Ordnance Department publication “Painting Instruction for Camouflaging of Ordnance Vehicles” stated that “Prior to 1914 the only attempt to lessen visibility was by painting the vehicle with a monotone, battleship gray or olive drab.” The 1906 US War Department Circular 66 specified the use of Olive Drab for army wagons and indicated that this color could be mixed using 6 pounds White Lead in Linseed Oil, 1 pound Raw Umber pigment, 1 pint Turpentine, and ½ pint Japan Drier. Surviving samples show it to be lighter that World War II Olive Drab. This color remained standard through World War I, and was authorized in the annual editions of the “Manual for Quartermaster Corps, United States Army” through 1917.