I'm in the process of building the old Tamiya M8 Howitzer Motor carriage and need to verify interior colors. From what I have been able to dig up, the turret interior and floor are OD, other components white in built models. The interior photos of the M8 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds show OD for everything. Any suggestions?

I hope you can find that out, maybe go with something to match the outside colours, if you don't know for sure.

Thanks Ruby for taking the time to post. I can't believe that no one out there can't help.

Hello Ernie,

I would definitely go with OD as the turret color and OD for the hull bottom and white for the hull walls. The main reason for the OD interior was to camouflage the vehicle parts which could have been seen from the air e.g. aircraft. So all bottom parts and the turret walls, which were also very visible, were painted in OD. The side walls in the vehicle were held in white so that the interior would not get to dark which could have caused difficulties handling the vehicle. So white side walls and instrument panels were used to improve orientation in the vehicle. Other open topped vehicles like the M8/20 Armored Cars used the same patterns. So I think that you are definitley OK with the described pattern.

Best Regards

Dennis

Ernie,

Dennis is correct on why there is OD inside the vehicle and where the OD is located. If you go to WarWheels.Net you will be able to find a ton of information the M8 along with photos and the names of books that show various M8's.

Good luck.

Kevin

Dennis and Kevin....Thanks for your post. i really appreciate your help. Warwheels is a great site but has no info on the M8 tracked carrieage, only on the M8 wheeled car.

As the guys said, OD inside the turret & the hull floor under the turret. Everything else white. This is the standard arrangement for all US open-topped vehicles, M8 AC, M8 HMC, M10, M36, M18, they are all the same. The SPs, (M7, M41, M43 etc. are all OD inside only because you can see the entire interior. There is no enclosed driver's compartment on those vehicles.

Oh, and the inside of the hull driver's hatches would also be OD.

Paul

thanks Paul!