Hi all
I dragged out my Scorpion & Scimitar kits to do some work on them & started thinking about how I might do the colour schemes. I have Bison's sets for Gulf War '91 & Iraq 2003/2005 for unit options for both. The more recent conflict set clearly explains that vehicles were in the standard dark green/black with 'light stone' overspray. However the ODS set only shows profiles in the British Desert Sand of the time. So to my questions...
1. Would Scorpions & Scimitars in '91 have been in dark green/black prior to overpainting in their desert colour, or would they have received their desert cam after a period in base maintenance?
2. How hard wearing was either the ODS or OIF sand camo? If/when sprayed over dark green/black, was it applied quite well thus eliminating any 'ghosting' of previous camo but subsequently chipped/wore off or was it sprayed thinly, so that it could be seen as more of a 'token' coverage (almost like a filter) - & then still subsequently wore/chipped off?
3. The dark green - when did the shade change from Deep Bronze Green to the current NATO IR Green?

TIA

Shaun,

I can only respond to Question 3 and I believe it was around 1971; these paints were meant to be IRR but to my eye the paints today look different in tone from those I recollect in the 70s/80s.

I vaguely recall seeing a Defence Council Instruction (Army) at some time confirming the order but can't remember the actual date.

British Army of the Rhine vehicles had been experimenting with matt camouflage schemes long before 1971, as well they might, seeing that their survivability (on the battlefield) would have been a little fraught faced as they were with the Soviet Behemoth.

CVR(T) came into service at around the same time but I certainly recall seeing plenty in Bronze Green; any paint change can take years to achieve throughout a whole Army.

'Hope this helps somewhere along the line!

Brian

The answers for 1&2
The regiment's and battalions vehicles were all still in Europe pattern before running through a shed and being covered in light stone paint by contractors, some done before departure and on arrival in port, the weather when painting had an effect on how the paint stuck or not,never saw a translucent one but not to say it didn't happen.
one contractors painting of vehicles a yellow colour caused the unit to be called custard troop (414 tk transporter squadron), the only ones that at the time would have sand/green colour on them were the ones going to batus in Canada after base overhaul and were allocated to go there.