I'm building Dragon Kit # 6525.

This is the Sd.Kfz.7/1 2cm Flakvierling 38 auf Selbstfahrlafette.

Basically a half track with a quad 20mm anti-aircraft gun on the back.

Three of the 4 suggested color schemes show a base paint coat of Panzer gray over the entire vehicle, but with Dunkelgelb being added as a camouflage color in the form of stripes.

This seems wrong to me and perhaps a mis-interpretation of black and white images of vehicles in winter. Dragon's "Dunkelgelb" was probably a winter white wash in reality being added in an artistic striped pattern.

At least that is my theory.

Does anyone know more about this? Anyone have confirmation of German units using Dunkelgelb as a camouflage color on top of the old gray paint scheme post February 1943?

Thanks!

Hi Jim. It is the same old situation of how do you decipher B&W pictures. It is open to anyone's interpretation and the old 'Unknown Unit' just underlines conjecture.

That said, occasionally, field reports will give details on what orders were carried out and what maintenance crews had repaired, etc. In amongst that you will see references to scarcity of paint supplies, use of locally obtained stock, etc, and this can be matched to photos of unit vehicles.

There are recorded documents stating maintenance crews and tank crews used Dunkelgelb over the Grey as a camo due to limited stocks of the later for a full repaint, but to extend that over the broader masses as evidence of widespread use may be taking it too far.

In the end, you cannot say definitely if Dragon is right or wrong. If no one can prove you right, then conversely, they cannot prove you wrong. Build your kit the way you want and enjoy it.

'Nother possibility is one of the "DAK trop " colors. Units in southern Russia and Italy/Balkans received equipment painted in the "North Africa" colors.

..and a whole new can of worms has been opened.....

Hi Jim, forgive this bit of self-promotion…

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/248518&page=1

It was based on a couple of German archive photos of a 2nd Pz Div vehicle present at Kursk i.e. July 1943, the book they were in is buried in storage which is why I’ve provided this link instead, so you’ll just have to trust me it’s definitely an authentic scheme. It does seem a strange thing but I also remember reading the explanation that Peter mentions, that for a few months after the Feb 1943 order supplies of dunkelgelb were sent to the fronts to retro-paint grey vehicles, and some units decided to stretch the supply further by using it sparingly & creatively

Thanks to everyone for their replies, and especially Tim!

I was leaning in the direction of abandoning the gray/yellow striped idea, but now I think I am back on board with it due largely to Tim's comments. It's certainly a visually interesting scheme and something a bit different.

This reminds me of the famous Tiger I tank "TIKI" which has also often been shown in that gray/yellow scheme. I think the more recent conventional wisdom on that is that it was probably just a normal camouflage scheme of olivgrün or rotbraun or both over dunkelgelb.

And that's another can of worms! LOL

To add to the worm stew ….. could be fuel with local dirt. DAK did that originally.

Sorry, but do the instructions give you the Unit and date of the camo pattern?