You may have noticed the modelling trend to leave parts of late war German vehicles in red primer, or complete schürzen plates.

While I am aware that at the end of the war the red primer was used as one of the colours for the tri-tonal camouflage, thus saving time and paint, I wonder if there is any photo evidence of single parts (a cupola, a gun travel lock, a hatch, etc) left in primer like we see on some models.

Have you ever seen, and can share, any image showing it really happened?

This does not apply to dark grey barrels, which were more or less common and there are plenty of photos.

I can't imagine that any part which was welded to the vehicle being painted any color before being welded. I don't have any pictures. But paint and heat just don't go well together.

Bolted on parts perhaps from a subcontractor? Who knows? Artistic license is a fun part of the hobby.

"Tarnanstriche des deutschen Heeres-1914 bis heute" by Johannes Denecke, p.75 states that toward the end of the war there were:
-several Jagdtigers produced in Nibelungenwerke at the end of April 1945 and
-some JPz.IV that saw action on the Eastern Front,
that due to shortage of paint had only several spots of Dunkelgelb sprayed over the red primer.
So if photo evidence is needed the search should be narrowed to these 2 types.

About the only thing one can never say about vehicles in combat is, "It never happened."

And to echo Gary; artistic license.

Sound like a great group build idea

"Red Hatches and 1 Red Road Wheel" group build

Parts that are primed or painted that are to be welded will have the area to be welded cleaned of paint/primer before welding to prevent contamination of the welds. So parts could come in primed, have the area cleaned to bare metal and after welding have the area re-primed.

"Parts that are primed or painted that are to be welded will have the area to be welded cleaned of paint/primer before welding to prevent contamination of the welds."

In a past life(30 years ago) have welded in some appalling conditions including parts covered in paint, grease, galvanizing and water it was mild steel using welding rod meant for poor conditions. The Germans used a high nickel rod on their armor. Nickel is necessary to avoid messing up both the armor hardness and to avoid the welds becoming brittle. Nickel rod (we called it NI-Rod)is not going to do a good job on anything but clean metal.

I agree that the welded area will have been cleaned before welding.

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/pzIIIriver.jpg

Well we know spare wheels were sometimes left in primer.

G

Carlos, they are simply following the current fashion of the "exposed red primed". Looks like What If and red primer are the current tendency on german Armor. And that is good because now we have many more models we will never build that we ever had...

Coming up next: my ridiculously over-chipped E-100 in overall red primer!