GHQ Models Forums

I've decided to start yet another side project: building the 11th Panzer Dvision for Kursk. Just starting but I'm wondering....

At what level would paint schemes have been consistent? I would guess a platoon certainly would get the same paint at the same time. But would all the companies look the same? Battalions? Or would the entire division have the same paint scheme (allowing for variations in shade of specific colors)? What about across unit types (i.e. armor vs. Panzer Grenadiers, versus support Stug IIIs?)

Debating whether I want more or less uniformity, just wondering what the division would have looked like in total.

Extra Crispy wrote:I've decided to start yet another side project: building the 11th Panzer Dvision for Kursk. Just starting but I'm wondering....

At what level would paint schemes have been consistent?

Factory camouflage is post Kursk. At this point paint is issued, mixed with petrol, and applied by individual crews.

So I would say similar but certainly different. I doubt any two vehicles were identical but platoon or company could be similar enough in 1/285.

Have fun with it

Individual crews under the guidance of the platoon commander (his job to ensure the safety of his unit, he won't allow certain things based on his beliefs about what works), so some unity within the platoon. They will also be inspired by what other crews have done, so within a company there may also be a 'theme'. Don't forget the dominant art movement was that decadent abstract stuff, so some interesting expression was allowed.
Further, paint fades/runs depending on how it was applied, so some fresher than others.
Finally, some vehicles arrived in default dark yellow and were not painted prior to action; such would happen when (if) they got a break from the line AND had supplies available. It wasn't uncommon to have some patterns in just olive green or just red brown (no 3 colour jobs).

For the record I LOVE that decadent abstract stuff....

I think I'll stick with a narrow color palette but give the same pattern to each platoon. That will give the force some uniformity of look, but with some variety at the same time.

Would there have been any vehicles left in Panzer Gray at all by this time?

Thanks - all Dunkel all the time it is then.

Time to buy a spray can of Dunkel I guess!

Further info for this... found an interesting webpage
http://www.panzerworld.com/german-armor-camouflage

in it he states that camo was applied by the maintenance section. That could be the main support company at regimental level or it could mean the Idienst at company level. (Idienst is the rough equivalent of the company tech support troop or Light Aid Detachment).
The site states that camo was applied to match the local conditions, so you might get a general light spotty coverage in open steppe, get a vehicle damaged and while being repaired they are in forest, so that vehicle gets vertical stripes...

maybe...

I haven't looked through the KstN's to see which had spray gear. I suspect it'll be the workshop companies. Regardless, the platoon commander and company commander will still have a say. Many pics of workshop companies show the tank crews working alongside the techs.