I'm planning a vignette based around a German MG/Observation cupola. This is a steel "dome" used on "fort defences" / Atlantic Wall and I wondered what sort of paint scheme would have been employed on the original - those that remain today have all rusted! Thanks

If its the turret taken from a French Somua or Renault tank they would be painted in a two or three color scheme ( to match the surrounding terrain). Paint and weather it like you were painting an AFV. The concrete base might also be camouflaged or left in concrete color, again depending on its location.

Thanks for the reply. This isn't the tank turet version but simply a large steel lump with slits for observation and machine guns. It wold probably cater for 3 personnel at maximum. All the images I have found so far are modern photos and simply show the structure as pure rust in colour. I would have imagined that they would have been painted in some sort of camo scheme?

I would go with the same as the above.

Paul,

Just a thought because I don't really know but would the cam paint be the same as employed on the other types of defensive pits ie Tobruk, Gun, and AA? Maybe with a camnet over it? Thats what I would do if I couldn't find any actual references of the piece your looking for. Look at another position close by and see what it has.

Cheers, John

Hello Paul ...might have an answer for you ..half of my family is German and i called one of my uncles alittle while back and i remembered your question ..he remembers seeing them when he was in the Wehrmacht ( he was a truck driver ) ..anyhows he told me he saw them in camo and gray ,,looks like they didnt have a uniform colour so either way you go your all good .. the camo ,,as best he can remember was browns and greens .

Hope this will help ya out .

Phill

Are you talking about the dome structures on bunkers or are you talking about the mobile observation/MG post called Panzernest? In case of the latter they were always painted in colors matching that current theater they were placed in. Everything from Panzer grey to sand to green and all sorts of camo variants were possible. RPM has a nice little kit of this little bunkertype.

As for the dome type on bunkers I'm not so sure. I think at least they would be painted to get the sheen off and blend it more in with the rest of the surrounding groundworks.

THANKS!!