Just looking at this photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/deckarudo/5410604844/
and want to know if this panzer III was painted in olive green like some of the tigers from s.PzAbt.501?
Or is it the colour of the photo that gives it it green tone.

Thanks
Karl

Karl;

From what I see.... I would vote that you are seeing a slightly-green color aberration artifact - not an olive green panzer. (PS: I remain outside that other discussion about olive-painted Tigers in Tunisia... )

This III-N would most likely have arrived in Africa wearing either a GelbBraun RAL 8000 or Braun RAL 8020 base-coat, depending on when it was depot-painted (8000 per 1941 Africa regs, switched to 8020 from April 42 by new regs - but many tanks still painted in the 8000 through later 1942), with or without some gray camo added for Tropen paint schemes. That putative "olive" wasn't in the typical German paint inventory or supply-line, and in any case probably did not get added to III-N after they got to Africa. But as we know there could have been any exception to these generalizations, and some expert will pop up with some definitive picture supporting that claimed exception!

So, by me, this image is of a typical late Africa panzer wearing one of two regulation mid- and later Africa paint schemes. And the picture is somewhat blue - green biased.

Just my opinion! Others mileage may differ!

Bob

Cheers for that Bob

What got me is if you look at the picture the surrounding grass looks true to colour but the panzer looks a fake colour.But I have to agree with you about the RAL8000.

Thanks
Karl

I'll put a vote in that it's yellow, too. The whole picture looks like it has a green tint to it.

I was going to run it through my photo program but it can't be copied.