Landships II

Tonys · Field Marshal

More on tank colour

Rhomboid · Field Marshal

Tony. have a look at this painting from the AWM collection entitled "Tank in Action". It is by the Australian official war artist Lt. Fred Leist, and is dated 1917-18. Lt. Leist was almost certainly in a position to observe tanks first-hand. Looking beyond his obvious inaccuracies in the tank's structure, the colour scheme could be described as "light khaki". The AWM website has a extensive collection of his work, from which you may form an impression of how realistic is his depiction of colour.

Centurion · Legend

I suspect that by looking at this or that painting, one early colour photo or another, that model or this model, various preserved tanks, paint chips etc. one can make a case for most, if not all, the colour options that have been suggested at one time or another! In fact in many circumstances what we are doing is indicating that there is strong evidence that there was at least one tank (possibly more) in that colour. The range of different evidence does suggest that there was no monolothic colour that applied to all tanks. I think David Fletcher's point about local factories , individual units etc applyng variations on paint jobs rings very true.

Its certainly the case that some tanks appear to have left the factory in grey and were painted by their crews at the tankodrome. Who supplied and mixed the paint ingredients and policed the "standard" colour is not clear. We are also forgetting that paint weathers and can fade and change hue over time (it certainly still does even with modern car (automobile) paints). One has to decide if one wants the model in factory finish or how it might appear on the field of battle. If one looks at the memorial Mk V* tank colour photo (taken in the 1930s) I posted in an earlier thread on this topic its possible to find areas in greenish, brownish and light khaki ish all on the same tank! It seems to have depended on the degree to which different parts of the tank were exposed to the elements. The fact that tanks in action were freqently coated in diluted mud will also have an impact on their appearance.

I am always a little wary of relying on manufacturer's models for colour shades. Having started my working career in the aero space industry I can remember examples of manufacturers producing display models of their own products in incorrect colour tones , in some cases because "that was the paint the modeller had to hand"!

Max · Lieutenant

Hi,

isn't it the Mark IV in Brussel wich still have it's kakhi colour ?

" straight from the battlefield " they told me.

Got many detail photographs of the tank but no reference to Tamiya or Humbrol colours.

If anyone is interested in these photo's I can send a CD with more than 100 photographs.

All best ,

Max

photoart · Corporal

I attach a photo of the model at Bovington.

http://www.photoart.plus.com/Landships/Mark%20VIII%20Model%20001-900pxl.jpg

Michael Taylor · Lieutenant-Colonel

That is a superb photograph of a beautiful model, with several decades of patination and wear. Do you have similar photographs of the Gun Carrier model, (at one time in the IWM, but possibly now in storage), or any others?

photoart · Corporal

Michael

Sorry I don�t have any Gun Carrier photos, but would be interested in seeing any as I'm going to build the Panzershop 1/35 model over the winter.

I have uploaded a full size image of the model at following location, but be warned it�s a 3MB download.

http://www.photoart.plus.com/Landships/Mark%20VIII%20Full.JPG

Andrew

Max · Lieutenant

Here are some pictures of the Panzershop Gun Carrier.

Max

Tonys · Field Marshal

Thanks for the photo on the Bovington Tank - it looks "realistic". I don't know how the Tamiya mix compares to this - can anybody who has used the mix advise?
If I can match that colour, I shall castrate any judge who says that I've painted the tank models the wrong colour.

The track colour looks a bit too khaki, but this couls be reflections, etc.

Max, if you can spare the time, a CD of the Brussels tank would be appreciated.

The rivets on the Bovington model look really good - does anyone know the diameter of the real rivet head?

Tony

Michael Taylor · Lieutenant-Colonel

Does anyone agree with me in thinking that the Panzershop tracks appear to have tracks with the rivet spacing of a tank? The difference between these and those of the Gun Carrier was mentioned in the article by David Fletcher kindly posted by Tim recently.