Hey guys I need alittle help. I about to finish one model and begin a Marder II but I'm not sure what the base color was. I need to know where they were used and what colors they we're they painted. Another thing when is the best time to apply a wash to make the tank look dirty. I want the mesh grating around the front areas to look like its full of grime. If its gonna be a lighter mustard color for the base than I need this wash to look good. One more question what does "DAK" stand for? I've seen a couple of modeling sites with german AFVs labeled this. Was it an elite group or division? Any help from you guys is greatly appreciated!

DAK=Deutsches Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps. This was Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's elite German Army operating in North Africa. I'd guess the base coat for an early Marder would be panzer gray, a later vehicle would be that Afrika Mustard color.

The Marder II was Issued to all Panzerjager units (Tank Hunters) in July 1942. The base color would have been mustard yellow. The DAK as Sabot pointed out was the Deutsches Afrika Korps.

The Marder II would have been used on all fronts. I respectfully disagree with Tiger101 about the base paint color. I'm not so sure that the base color would have been dark yellow on all Marder IIs. All Marder IIs used by the DAK sure, but in 1942 they were still using dark gray as a base for units being sent to the Eastern Front. It wasn't until 1943 that they changed the base for all vehicles to dark yellow.



Apply the wash after you paint the entire vehicle in whatever camoflauge pattern that you have chosen and protected that base coat of paint with a dull coat (I use Testor's dull cote).

Here are the steps that I take:

1) build entire vehicle
2) prime
3) paint base color and then camo if required
4) apply gloss coat
5) apply decals (if I am using dry transfers I don't do step 4)
6) apply dull coat
7) wash(s)
8) dry-brush
9) paint details such as tools
10) apply pastel chalks

I paint the vehicle using acrylics and use a wash of 90% turpenoid and 10% Windsor & Newton oil paints (black or burnt umber).

HTH

According to what I can find most, if not all vehicles that were deilivered to the DAK were Panzer grey. When they got to Africa the crews applied a heavy coating of mud to turn their vehicles a light colour. Which Marder II are you doing?? there were two.

load this into your address bar:

http://www.achtungpanzer.bos.ru/gallery/g_marder4.htm

use the red arrows under the picture to see more pix.

Scott

Hi Autofix - it depends on what year you plan to portray your
Marder in. Before the Summer of 1943 only "grey "/ "panzer-grey " was
the color used on all vehicles.
During the Battle of Kursk in July 1943 German armor was painted in "sand-yellow "
which was to be the standard base coat on all vehicles hence forth. The shade's started
to then vary from "yellow-olive " to "Dunkelgelb ( Dark-yellow ) base coat's.
The best advise is to look into the time frame and Panzerjagerabteilung that you plan
to model the Marder II after, and gather solid reference's.

- ralph

I stand corrected. Thank you gentlemen. I thought that the mustard yellow order came down in Feb 1942 for all new production vehicals. Thanks again.