I have recently acquired some foriegn vehicles that I know were used by the germans after occupation. I have researched these and found some pictures, but the problem is they are all black and white.
Would the vehicle have been repainted into the german grey scheme or would it have been left its native colour. We are talking about vehicles early in the war usually from Poland and France.
Many Thanks
Robbo

hi

i have a copy of a picture of some Renault tank, that was captured during the ivasion of france and was abandonned in 44 (belgium).

as far as i can see on the pic, that Renault tank had camo scheme and german ID numbers.

i hope this would helpt you

greetings

dmd

If you can be more specific about the kits you bought (brand & vehicle) may be I can help...
Not always the same approach in repaintig AFVs and other vehicles was used.
Ciao

If it was early in the war, I believe that owing to the blitzkrieg, the crews would not have done very much to the captured armour other than paint balkenkreuz all over it! and they of course would be first in line for air recognition covers.
If you were more specific, so would I be.

hey Robbo,

if memory serves me correctly, there was a German order that all captured vehicles were to be re-painted (as appropriate) in correct German colors.

That said, if you depict a captured vehicle that has been re-pressed into service, the early grey (i.e., 1939 - 1942) color scheme would be correct. If it is front line troops, then little change (outside of chalk or some other obvious cross) would be appropriate.

HTH,
Dave

I agree with that... I have seen many pics of captured equipment that was repainted in German colors.. Later in the war, the insignias were painted over with the german cross but the vehicles bore the initial paint color.. :-)

Thanks guys. that was the answer I was expecting. I have a couple of little French vehicles that were often used as artillery tractors and am playing with the idea of copying a photo I've seen of a tractor and AT gun balancing dangerously on a couple of inflatable rafts for a river crossing.
Many Thanks
Robbo

In the Balkans tanks which were looted during the 1940 French campaign were in action against Tito's partisans. Hundreds of French tanks had been captured but their one-man turrets did not fit the German tactical pattern so that they were of little use to the panzer divisions. However, captured French Hotchkiss Char Leger H-39s were used extensively for anti-partisan duties in Yugoslavia. Some captured French tanks retained their French Army green, but some appear to have been repainted German dark yellow.
Generally, Germans did not always factory-modify-captured equipment, field modifications were very common and totally non-standard. The most common modification to tanks was the replacement of original cupola top with split hatch covers.

I think artistic licence is in order.

A lot depended on what theater the vehicles were in. Captured vehicles serving in Normandy, usually of the French variety, for example the Lorraine Schlepper were usually painted the German 3 color scheme of Yellow, Red Brown and Olive Green. Captured vehicle in Norway and Denmark, also mostly French tanks and outdated German tanks, for occupation and Anti-Partisan duties retained the early German Gray or French colors they had before being captured. Russian captured vehicles were generally repainted Dark Yellow and had oversized national markings, i.e., Balkankreuz. There were always exceptions to the rules and I'm sure you can find examples to contradict what I have said. But for the most part Captured vehicles in "HOT" or COMBAT zones were given priority and repainted and vehicles used only in rear areas and on "quiet fronts" weren't necessarily repainted. Jeff

This site should be of help.

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/ct.htm

What about Russian equipment captured in 1941? From black and white photos, it's essentially impossible to distinguish Russian armor green from German panzer gray. Would it also be standard to repaint this type of captured equipment Panzer gray?

That's a good question! I really don't know. I've never seen any color plates or photos of captured Russian stuff in German Gray. That will need to be researched. Later...Jeff

Hey Dave,

There was a SS unit (Das Riech???) that utilized captured T-34/76's. These were definately repainted in German yellow. Larger German Crosses were painted on these to stop eager Germans!

I have seen pictures of T-34/76's placed on armored trains and these too have been repainted and camoflauged.

Dave

Thanks. I've seen pictures of the SS T34's but I think those were taken in '43-'44. I was thinking more along the lines of tanks pressed into service immediately following the opening months of Barbarossa, like the BT's, T-26's, etc.

Dave,

For the begining months of Barbarossa, many of these main aggressors were shot up of failed. BA-6's and T-26 served no chance to the German armor. The T-35 and T-28's had some transmission and other mechanical failure (more T-35's were lost thsi way than killed in action).

I do know that there are a couple shots of some Russian tractors being used for some supply reasons, but the likelyhood (I will not say absolute here) is that in the opening months, little was re-introduced into service.

Dave

I'll be more specific. I've seen a lot of photos of T-26 tanks in German service. I can only assume they were captured in quantity during Barbarossa. Perhaps they could have been captured in 1942. Either way, were they repainted panzer gray as a matter of policy, or mearly marked with big crosses on the Russian olive green? What is the chance they were regularly left olive green and simply overmarked with German crosses?

Just to take a little diversion here...A lot of the Russian stuff was used by the Finnish Army and remarked in Finnish colors....is it possible that the Germans gave this to Finnland or did the Finnish army capture this stuff in the war with Russia? I know the Finns used German Stugs and panzer IVs. Maybe the reason you don't see the Germans using captured early Soviet stuff too much is because they were overconfident that they were going to win and didn't think they needed to use it PLUS it was inferior to the Wehrmacht vehicles. By the way...Finnish cammo colors were very cool. I think I will try to model a Finnish Stug soon. Steel Masters had a great article on Finnish Stugs. Now if I can only find it! Jeff

As I said previously, armour was painted as and when the wehrmacht was able to if at all...there is evidence for both theories. As it happens, those vehicles captured in France more often than not was repainted, those AFV's in the East were more often NOT painted but left in the russian green colour BUT oainted with huge balkenkreuz all over. There is photographic evidence to prove both sides of the arguement....don't let one person persuade you....get reference material of the tank you want to build! It is quite possible to have a 'Dunkelgelb'machine next to a Russian green one from the same unit.

Thanks Martin. That's the sort of generlization I was seeking. I found a picture of a T-26 in German markings and I want to build a model of it. I think I'll go with Russian green paint.