Hi,

I've just bought the Tristar Afrika Korps figure set and was struck by what I thought is quite an unusual colour call out in the instructions.

Tristar suggest that the "cup" part of the water canteen be painted either dark grey (OK) or red.

Now I've scoured most of my references and cant find any mention of red being used.

I'd just like to know if red was used and if so was it just restricted to the Afrika Korps or can it be used with other German troops,

Cheers

I have never seen it painted in red. I checked my photo references and did not see it red. The colors that I have seen it painted are black, field grey and desert sand yellow. The gas mask container was also painted in field grey and desert sand.

Henry

I have seen a pic of a canteen that had a reddish brown enameled metal cup along with the bakelite type body and a khaki web carrier that has a cross strap. It is the only photo I have seen such color on the cup, so I would consider it fairly nontypical. The bakelite type body was actually a compressed resin impregnated wood that is a dark semi gloss brown. It was produced in 1942 for the tropics and again by the end of the war. The most common canteens(even in afrika) had a brown wool cover and either the black leather continental strap or the tropical khaki web variant. The cups came in 2 styles. The narrow bakelite cup, usually black or dark brown but if other german bakelite is any indicator it could show up in reddish or orange browns. The typical metal cup came in black and from '41 on, olive green . I do not know at what level helmets, mask carriers were painted for desert war, but I am sure the cup and mess kit would also be painted on occasion.

There are tons of variations I just hope to point out the most common.

Thanks all for your replies. Shame the red doesn't seem to be accurate as it would have been an interesting addition.