Another question. Does the "Russian blue" color seem correct for the internals of the tank (including the drive train?) I though red primer for the floor and other bits; red primer or metallic for the drive train.

Thoughts?

Red primer. Even for the transmission after most of the informations.

Like the their Tiger I mid production, RFM incorrectly list these part blue grey instead of primer.

There are few parts in blue grey, but kind of minor part can you can just put primer and call it oxidation...

I'm more well versed in Tigers than Panthers, but the blue-grey was the official internal colour for the lower areas, in the first half of the war. You would see almost no red primer at all within a Panzer at this time.

The decision to leave some things in primer seems to be a cost cutting measure and it came into force about the middle of 1943.

David

In the book: "Germany's Panther Tank: The Quest for Combat Supremacy", by Thomas L. Jentz (the author for the Panzer Tracts), Page 91, para. 5.3.11, says the following:

"On 25 August, 1944, the Waffenamt ordered that, effective immediately, the interior of the Panther was no longer to be painted multicolor."

I interpret that to mean that the full interior was to be left in red oxide primer.

on page 102, para 5.3.34, "On 15 February, 1945, MNH received a notification to again start coating the inside of the Panther Ausf. G turrets with Elfenbein (ivory) paint."

I read this to mean that the hull interior stays red oxide primer.

Thanks for the info. I think this answers my questions.