Hi all

I'm afraid I'm asking a couple of questions about correct colours for DAK Tigers. I realise this subject has probably been tackled loads of times already, but the more I look into it the more unclear it appears to get. I have some rather nice archive photos of Tiger 121 with battle damage etc (thanks Paul) and want to do it justice with a paint job that's as accurate as possible.

Excuse me if I talk in Tamiya references, but that's my paint of choice.

I found one reference suggesting that DAK Tigers were originally painted in 1/3 Graugrun, 2/3 Gelbraun in a disruptive pattern over Panzergrau. However this appears to have only been the case until Apr 1942, which would make that scheme too early.

Tamiya unsurprisingly suggest the correct colour is Dunkelgelb (nach munster)XF60 Dark Yellow - the old favourite. But again my references are suggesting that only became a standard colour in Feb 1943.

It seems the best period match I can find is 7028 Dunkelgelb (Tamiya XF55 Desert Yellow) which seems to have been in use during the period I'm after. But this really doesn't appeal to me as a shade to use straight out of the bottle!

Perhaps more importantly I'm planning to distress the paintwork. To do so I need to know what the underlying colour would be? I was assuming from the factory they would have originally been painted in some form of Panzergrau (XF63)?

Thanks for your help, as I said I've tried with this but the more info I find the less certain things become.


Andy

I always thought the underlying color was red oxide, but it's been almost two decades since I've done German armor.
I think the more popular choices for the overdone chipping effect are a bit darker though. ranging from a dark brown or grey to almost black.

Thanks for your input Robert. I was planning on over chipping

I was thinking red oxide was the primer colour, then panzergrau was the standard factory colour at that time (mid to late '42)? An appropriate 'camo' colour would then be applied according to the theater of operations, in this case North Africa. I've found this which sort of backs my hypothesis:-



It's supposedly taken of a Tiger arriving at Tunis. (Although the people don't appear to be dressed as I would expect for N Africa 1942! However the light arrangements do look DAK Initial Production. You'll notice the transport tracks and missing muzzle. It looks very dark - suggesting a dark gray? It could also be a red oxide I suppose - but I'm not liking that idea.

The missing muzzle brake in this photo was airbrushed out by the German propaganda censor. I think this photo was taken in Italy as the unit was traversing the area on its way to Tunisia.

I've lost track of the current thinking on the colors, but, IIRC, the first Tiger company in Tunisia was in the 1/3-2/3 official scheme (over factory panzer Gray) and the second company was shipped over with the new standard dark yellow.

I could very well be wrong, though.

Maybe David Byrden will chime in with the most recent analysis.

For sure, none of them were "Pea Green"!

Andy,
Not sure if you've seen this or not.
Link: www.tiif.de/thread.php?threadid=436

Shows more photo's of Tiger you posted earlier.
If you seen, then my bad.

See ya in the funnies...................

Thanks Mike/Brian.

I'm thinking safest bet is a Dunkelgelb over panzergrau which is what I'd planned initially

thanks for your help.

Happy new year

Andy