This is highly possible!

Rotbraun RAL 8017 was a camouflage color. It wasn't a primer, as were Oxidrot RAL 3009 and Rotbraun RAL 8012. RAL 8013, which was previously mentioned as superseding RAL 8012, was also known as Schiffsbodenfarbe III Rot/Kaiserrot II (Grundfarbe)was a primer. From examining B&W photos of some KTs with hard edged camo patterns, I noticed that the color which should be brown differs from 8017. This leads me to believe that this color is actually 8013. 8013 is much lighter and has a more reddish brown hue, sort of like a creamy milk chocolate. I think 8013 was already being used by late 1944 as a primer coat, and part of the camo scheme as directed on 9 Sept 44, onto which Dunkelgelb and Olivgrun were applied. I know that there are a lot of people who will disagree; but, as I stated before, I can't see the Germans using a distinctly red color as a component of a camouflage scheme.

The order in question was " September 31, 1944 – Rotoxid primer, “sparingly applied patches” of Dunkelgelb RAL 7028, Olivgrun RAL 6003, Rotbraun RAL 8017." Previously, there had been Rotoxid primer, then a Dunkelgelb basecoat, the the green and brown over that. How this order reads to me is that they skipped the Dunkelgelb basecoat. Then they sprayed the three colors over the primer, covering the whole tank and matching the colors edge to edge. Leaving any Rotoxid showing would have been absurd and lazy. This is how I read this order, and I agree with Joe, no red oxide showing when an AFV left the plant.

Think I meant RAL 8012, which can also be described as "chocolate brown", and can still be a viable camo color even though it's a primer. So tanks could have left the assembly line in RAL 8012 Rotbraun primer, then have patches of just Dunkelgelb and/or Olivgrun added. The remaining exposed areas of RAL 8012 would just be substituting for the previous brown camo color.

RAL 8012 is definitely not a "chocolate brown" RAL 8013

It depends on the light it's being viewed in. In the chips you posted on the previous page RAL 8012 looks like a light chocolate brown - not dark chocolate. Each time the same color is reproduced it appears slightly different - sometimes more reddish; sometimes more brownish. I suppose this will be like arguing over the "correct" shade of Dunklegelb.

Well, Chory's book includes actual paint chips; so, I can say without any doubt that 8012 is definitely red in hue. I'm looking at it at this very moment and there is no similarity between RAL 8012 Rotbraun and RAL 8017 Rotbraun/Schokoladenbraun whatsoever. Google "RAL 8012", "RAL 8013" and RAL 8017" and you'll see the difference between the three. Eckchay ouryay emailyay, O.K.?

Allow me to submit this observation: Ever notice those really cool camo paint jobs applied to numerous Panthers, KTs, halftracks, etc. that include a reddish-orange-brown color which is supposed to be a diluted RAL 8017 Rotbraun/Schokoladenbraun? I'll bet that the modelers who applied that particular color didn't use any of the available RAL 8017 modelling paints to achieve it. That's because, no matter how much you dilute RAL 8017 Rotbraun/Schokoladenbraun, you'll always end up with a dark brown hue. I'll go farther and say that the paint used to achieve that reddish-orange hue was probably Pollyscale Panzer Red Brown, any manufacturer's FS30117 Earth Red, Humbrol 113 Matt Rust, Humbrol 160 German Camouflage Red Brown, Tamiya XF64 Red Brown, Vallejo Model Air 70940 Saddle Brown. What all these colors have in common is that they are all almost spot on matches for RAL 8013 which I think is the most likely color that was supposed to make up part of the camo scheme incorporating the primer coat as indicated in the directive Matthew referenced. RAL 3009....nah. Too red. RAL 8012....nah. Also too damned red. RAL 8013.....yeah....that's the ticket. Creamy brown.......with a hint of red. Just like a Hershey bar.....

"Mmmmmmm....choc-o-late"!