Hi,

How would you paint the spare tracks on a german tank? Rather rusty, rather black?

thx

spit

Manganese steel like that used in German tank tracks is a dark steel color with a slightly brownish hue. It rusts very slowly. Manganese content may have been reduced later in the war due to shortages.
Thomas Jentz said there is some indication that German tank tracks were delivered in red oxide primer rather than bare metal, but this is not confirmed.
Black finishes on tank tracks are common on postwar Soviet tanks, as they were coated with a bitumin-based black paint as a preservative. In service, this would wear away, of course.

thank yuo Gerald

May be true. Here's one captioned pic from Concord's Panzer Vor 4:

Great stuff Tat thanks for that info

No problem Peter. Glad to be of help.

I find it strange that we cannot be sure some detials like that one. I mean there are still living people who served in the Wehrmacht. Why just we don't ask them? One of them would remember it for sure. Strange. Don't you think?

not that strange,In order to ask, one would have to know one personally,wouldnt he? or the vet would have to be a regular reader of this site.Also these vets would be in their mid to late eighties, perhaps recollection of these details might not be so clear I mean I cant remember small details about my 1st car in 1976.