It is widely known that German AFVs and softskins used during the winter months on the Eastern Front were commonly over-painted with whitewash for better camouflage. Is there any evidence that motorbikes were similarly painted? I can find no photographic references as such.

Don't know where it is exactly, but it looks like this one was whitewashed.



Possibly these too.

Maybe this one ?



This one was about to be whitewashed...



H.P.

I think you guys are over-reaching.

The first example just looks dirty to my old eyes.

I'm not saying they didn't whitewash them, I'm just saying the pictures say "not proven."

Thanks for the responses to my question ... most interesting.
I suspect that the first of Gino's photos shows a worn dunkelgelb finish, rather than whitewash (given the tonal contrast with the vehicle registration plate), or even a hastily applied coat of mud. It seems to be whitewash in the second photo, and again more likely dunkelgelb in the third photo. The first of Henri-Pierre's photos appears to show whitewash. Of course, it is difficult to be certain with b&w images, but at least I can be sure that motorbikes were occasionally treated to winter camouflage.

Why on earth would they not whitewash them when other vehicles were ?
Material ( the whitewash itself ) shortages ? Given the minimal amount required for a motorcycle I find it hard to believe. Bikes and crews expendable and not worth the time / effort to camouflage them ? Hard to believe but even if this were so the uncamoflaged bikes would certainly give away the positions of " more valuable " materiel and men . Dispatch Motorcycles performed valuable communication duties so it would seem they were worth protecting with a few pennies worth of whitewash and a few minutes worth of effort . Just my two cents.

Richard

Why would you whitewash one?

Think about it, a white bike on a dirt road, it would stand out.

Because the dirt road was covered with snow ? - I doubt they were plowed-
Following that logic , why were any vehicles whitewashed ? Columns did not move through fields and woodlands when they did not have to - roads were much more expedient.

Question , why do those guys have a mount for a bucket of white wash on the side of their bike ? Could it be they are marking a route for a convoy ? You know, big arrows and marks on telegraph poles . They are checking a map and pointing . OK the Germans pointed a lot according to most plastic model companies , but these guys seem legit Any idea on the fish marking on the front of the sidecar ?

Really good counterpoints. The camo for combat units makes sense because in the close confines of combat, making the enemy pause gives you the advantage.

But for a motorcycle, which is primarily used for messenger duties, blending in would be as important but they would be more prone to air attack and I just think that a white bike on a dirt, or paved, road would stand out, especially moving.

Now the other post, about marking a route, that I really like and it fits the role of the Feld gendarme.

Good morning.
First picture ,posted by Gino, was made on August-September 1942.
The soldier is from 24 Panzer Division, en route to Stalingrad.
The bike is paint in panzer grey, and is covered in dust and dirt.
It is written under the picture, August-September 1942.
It is from Bundesarchive, well known online and in books.

I guess the remark I made about the last picture I've posted was way off the mark...

What about these ?









H.P.

Dirt roads (as well as other roads) tend to be covered with snow in severe winter conditions.
At least they were when we had real winters around here the last time. As soon as someone starts putting sand and/or salt on the roads then it changes. Same for a heavily used road but roads didn't see that kind of usage on the eastern front.
Even if there are dark spots showing on the "road" (see one of H.P's images above) an all dark motorcycle would stand out, a whitewashed bike would look like snow with dark spots.
/ Robin




No whitewash on the bike but the road is mostly white.

Hmmm :

Not 100% sure about these two :





H.P.

White(tablecloth)wash

Frenchy as always is the arbiter, and in this case proves BOTH points: the bikes were whitewashed and were NOT whitewashed. If you want to whitewash your bike, then go ahead. But if you do, the photographic evidence would say it needs to be ALL WHITE.

There is a huge amount of photographic evidence for the war. Let's use it wherever we can.

Thanks, H.P.

You're welcome Bill

H.P.