I want to build a Panther being given a coat of primer. I know that the vehicle minus barrel received a coat of red oxide(forgive the simplistic reference). How was the underside of the tank painted? I doubt it was suspended by a crane. Was there a trench underneath of it? I'm at a total loss.

Hey matt,

I just googled WWII German tank factory and came up with these images:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=wwii+german+tank+factory&biw=1920&bih=901&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RtW9VICvD_aKsQSz2IHYBQ&ved=0CCkQsAQ

The tanks were lifted and moved by cranes from one part of the factory to another. I haven't looked too in depth at the photos, but they may help some.

I would think that the empty lower hulls and turret shells were dipped, much like car bodies are done today. If they were actually spray primed, my vote would go towards them being suspended.

For the final color, the only three real options are that they were suspended, or they were on a raised split platform, or they were pulled over a pit (like a grease pit). The pictures in the link Dave provided show tanks both suspended, and on split platforms. To get the best coverage the lower hulls had to be painted before the wheels were put on

There are some decent pictures of the production line in Panzer Tracts 5-2 (Ausf A) which give some clues, although to me at least, there are some inconsistencies in that one photo looks as though the wheels and hull have all been left in primer until after assembly but another shows Dunkelgelb wheels on a hull with the lower hull sides also painted but the upper hull still in primer.

I would suggest that however the underside was primed (my suspicion is spraying, given that rust is less of a problem for tank manufacturers than car one as the metal is much thicker and the design life is shorter), it is most unlikely that it was a complete tank at that stage, given the number of pictures that exist of completed hulls in primer as delivered to the assembly plants from the armour suppliers.

Thank you for the replies. I had hoped this would be well documented, as Germany kept meticulous records. I did a Google search, but found nothing on when or how the tank was painted. Now, I have to determine if the wheels would have been primed, before they were attached to the lower hull. Or, at what stage during assembly to build the tank.

Matt just found this book called Nurnberg's Panzer Factory might be what your looking for,but it's a bit pricey at $55.
Have a look at the Panther that is sort of hanging on hooks.

http://www.amps-armor.org/ampssite/reviews/showReview.aspx?ID=2875&Type=BR

Karl

Karl: That's a little hard, for my wallet to swallow. I can not tell if the Panther is primed. The curse of b/w photos. I fear I may have to take artistic license. For the specific tank I intend to represent, it was very late war. I'm not sure if painting an assembled tank would have been practice, in such a desperate environment.

I'm sure the wheels would have been primed before attachment and if they were supplied by a subcontractor (likely) then very likely they would have been painted in the specified colour at that time. The Bovington Tiger I showed paint (i.e. not primer) on the hidden surfaces of the road wheels when it was dismantled.

Notwithstanding the desperate situation at the end of the war, the Waffenamt inspectors were still doing their jobs and changing the production line to paint vehicles at a different point seems like a lot of work for limited benefit. Although there is a bit of a modelling fad for bare primer parts on an otherwise painted vehicle, the evidence and rationale for this are a bit questionable - if a factory has access to welding equipment, would it not also have an air compressor? It makes much more sense to send the completed vehicle to the paint shop at the end, although some parts will already be the final colour by then. PT5-2 shows a Panther A with the engine deck grilles much lighter than the surrounding plates, which says to me that the grilles were supplied pre-painted and fitted to the hulls which were only delivered in primer. That's just my interpretation of course.

Roddy's book about the MAN factory is excellent but there are only so many books a man can buy. Allegedly....

Apologies for any odd spellings. My phone has a mind of its own.

What kit you building Matt?

That seems feasible. Primer hull and turret, minus the road wheels and, perhaps the engine deck. Those I will paint dunkelgelb. Thank you, everyone, for the wealth of information.

Dragon Panther G Steel Wheel

Maybe in a pit. Usually a trench or pit was made in the floor to spray underneath. I know we use to spray locomotive under frames in a pit...in my profession.

Still wondering why this thread is in "Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII"

Cheers,

Christophe

Allied troops capturing a german tank factory where the
workers are still busy trying to get the last Panther
ready and operational

Sorry, may have been unclear. In the photo, the deck plates as well as the hull structure are dark but the six grilles are light. Deck plates were presumably supplied by the armour factory (being rolled armour plate) but I surmise that the cast grilles were from a different subcontractor.

Robert: Thanks for the clarification.

Christophe: Because, I made a mistake. I'll see if Darren will change it.

Hulls were on a jig that revolved so that the undersides could be welded. Maybe they primed/painted them on the same jig.