Hosted by Darren Baker
FT17 344th Tank Battalion US ARMY WW1
tanknick22
United States
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 08:40 AM UTC
Were all US ARMY FT17 light tanks in FRANCE in WW1 camoflaged or were some painted over all green
Kevlar06
Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 08:47 AM UTC
I think they were all in French colors, because we got them from France. I don't believe any US made FT 17s made it to France before the end of the war, if at all. But weather they were in French gray or camouflaged, I don't know for sure. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule.
VR,
VR,
tanknick22
United States
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 09:02 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I think they were all in French colors, because we got them from France. I don't believe any US made FT 17s made it to France before the end of the war, if at all. But weather they were in French gray or camouflaged, I don't know for sure. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule.
VR,
Is Mengs colors correct for a US ARMY FT17
it calls for something like a tan for its base coat?
or is it some shade of yellow similar to dark yellow used bt germany in WW2?
Kevlar06
Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 09:14 AM UTC
This is all I know-- according to the information I have, from several sources-- Tanks and Weapons of WWI, WWI Armored Fighting Vehicles, and Osprey's Meuse-Argonne Campaign book, the US definitely used camouflaged FT17s, both the cast and plate turret types. The French used camouflage and uncamoflaged FT 17s though, so I suspect the US did the same. I'm not an expert, but I think the camoflaged ones used the same colors as were present in the camo scheme. That would be a medium green, gray, a couple of brown shades-- including a tan, black and a mustard yellow. I'll try and do some more research-- but there are probably some "experts" on WWI schemes on the site.
VR, Russ
VR, Russ
Kevlar06
Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 01, 2018 - 02:07 AM UTC
Nick,
Well, I've scoured my resources, notably Armored Fighting Vehicles Vol. 1 by Profile Pubs., Tanks and Weapons of WWI, Squadron's FT17 in Action, and Osprey's Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihel. After pouring over photos and captions in those books, it appears most if not all US tanks had some form of camouflage. Patton's 327th tank Regiment at St. Mihel appears like most tanks had three color camo applied-- a red-brown, green and cream colored camo (according to the example at the Patton Museum and in Armored Fighting Vehicls vol 1, and Squadron pubs book). The first French Renault built tanks initially came from the factory in a "French gray" color, which was a dark gray with a blue tinge. But it also appears that many came from the factory painted in camouflage too. There were some variations in the camouflage scheme too-- some tanks had red-brown, cream yellow (or tan), green and gray angular patches with the division between colors edged in thin black lines while others had just the red-brown, green and light tan/cream colors applied either by hand or airgun-- maybe it was dependent on what manufacturing plant produced the tank. It appears some of the red brown/green/cream-sand tanks had thier camoflage randomly spray painted while others were definitely hand painted-- perhaps in the field. And some tanks may have only had brown and green colors applied. I couldn't find a single photo of a US tank without camo of some form. (Until post war tanks appeared anyway-- which look like OD green). In many cases where it could be identified, there was a large outlined serial number with the base color showing through, painted below the turret on the hull sides-- but there were exceptions too--some with no discernible serials or a smaller solid serial stencil. Hope this helps, but I think you won't go wrong if you use camo-- I suspect the information on this subject is one of those items "lost to the ages".
VR, Russ
Well, I've scoured my resources, notably Armored Fighting Vehicles Vol. 1 by Profile Pubs., Tanks and Weapons of WWI, Squadron's FT17 in Action, and Osprey's Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihel. After pouring over photos and captions in those books, it appears most if not all US tanks had some form of camouflage. Patton's 327th tank Regiment at St. Mihel appears like most tanks had three color camo applied-- a red-brown, green and cream colored camo (according to the example at the Patton Museum and in Armored Fighting Vehicls vol 1, and Squadron pubs book). The first French Renault built tanks initially came from the factory in a "French gray" color, which was a dark gray with a blue tinge. But it also appears that many came from the factory painted in camouflage too. There were some variations in the camouflage scheme too-- some tanks had red-brown, cream yellow (or tan), green and gray angular patches with the division between colors edged in thin black lines while others had just the red-brown, green and light tan/cream colors applied either by hand or airgun-- maybe it was dependent on what manufacturing plant produced the tank. It appears some of the red brown/green/cream-sand tanks had thier camoflage randomly spray painted while others were definitely hand painted-- perhaps in the field. And some tanks may have only had brown and green colors applied. I couldn't find a single photo of a US tank without camo of some form. (Until post war tanks appeared anyway-- which look like OD green). In many cases where it could be identified, there was a large outlined serial number with the base color showing through, painted below the turret on the hull sides-- but there were exceptions too--some with no discernible serials or a smaller solid serial stencil. Hope this helps, but I think you won't go wrong if you use camo-- I suspect the information on this subject is one of those items "lost to the ages".
VR, Russ
tanknick22
United States
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 01, 2018 - 05:23 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Nick,
Well, I've scoured my resources, notably Armored Fighting Vehicles Vol. 1 by Profile Pubs., Tanks and Weapons of WWI, Squadron's FT17 in Action, and Osprey's Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihel. After pouring over photos and captions in those books, it appears most if not all US tanks had some form of camouflage. Patton's 327th tank Regiment at St. Mihel appears like most tanks had three color camo applied-- a red-brown, green and cream colored camo (according to the example at the Patton Museum and in Armored Fighting Vehicls vol 1, and Squadron pubs book). The first French Renault built tanks initially came from the factory in a "French gray" color, which was a dark gray with a blue tinge. But it also appears that many came from the factory painted in camouflage too. There were some variations in the camouflage scheme too-- some tanks had red-brown, cream yellow (or tan), green and gray angular patches with the division between colors edged in thin black lines while others had just the red-brown, green and light tan/cream colors applied either by hand or airgun-- maybe it was dependent on what manufacturing plant produced the tank. It appears some of the red brown/green/cream-sand tanks had thier camoflage randomly spray painted while others were definitely hand painted-- perhaps in the field. And some tanks may have only had brown and green colors applied. I couldn't find a single photo of a US tank without camo of some form. (Until post war tanks appeared anyway-- which look like OD green). In many cases where it could be identified, there was a large outlined serial number with the base color showing through, painted below the turret on the hull sides-- but there were exceptions too--some with no discernible serials or a smaller solid serial stencil. Hope this helps, but I think you won't go wrong if you use camo-- I suspect the information on this subject is one of those items "lost to the ages".
VR, Russ
thanks