OT - Visit to Bovington Tank Museum - Pic Heavy! | Forums

[VikingGrandad]

Great set of photos Goose - thanks for sharing!

Originally posted by Goose_Green:
Also, what gives with the strange paint scheme of the picture below?

I was wondering about that colour scheme too. The brick-red colour looks like one of the standard primer colours factory-applied to panzers (dark yellow was also used). Perhaps this was a camouflage design used in the North African campaign, in terrain where the rock/sand was more of a red colour?

[VikingGrandad]

Originally posted by Kaleun1961:
And now I have this strange sensation coming over me.... my right leg is beginning to twitch up and down and I have this strange urge to sing the Panzer Lied.... Obs sturmt oder....

Good to see you K61!

[Messervy]

I second that!

P.S.
The man's name is Gery Majewsky.

[GerritJ9]

The Panther in the pic is an Ausf. G, the final model to see service (first was, strangely, the Ausf. D, followed by the Ausf. A). Panthers never saw service in North Africa, though early Tigers did. So the scheme is definitely not a North Africa scheme.

[Celeon999]

Ive looked for that camo sheme but couldnt find it.


By the utilized colors, my guess is that it is some sort of autumn-woodland camo used on the east front.

Hello Kaleun1961, long time no see

[VikingGrandad]

Originally posted by GerritJ9:
The Panther in the pic is an Ausf. G, the final model to see service (first was, strangely, the Ausf. D, followed by the Ausf. A). Panthers never saw service in North Africa, though early Tigers did. So the scheme is definitely not a North Africa scheme.

Sounds right. Come to think of it, I've never seen a photo of a Panther in Africa! I know Panthers were introduced in 1943 to oppose the T-34 on the Eastern Front but, from what you're saying, too late to see action in Africa too (where I bet they would have done very well).

It certainly looks like an Ausf. G because of the tapered side armour, but didn't they also have the 'chin' added to the lower part of the main gun's mantlet, to prevent deflected shots ricocheting downwards into the top of the hull? This one doesn't appear to have that, but maybe not all Ausf. Gs had it. Or maybe this one was repaired at some time using an older turret.

I reckon the colour scheme was an unofficial one, perhaps a quick paint job by the crew themselves, over the factory's red primer finish. It would certainly look a lot better if the museum painted it in more conventional panzer camouflage colours.

[Kaleun1961]

Originally posted by Celeon999:
Ive looked for that camo sheme but couldnt find it.


By the utilized colors, my guess is that it is some sort of autumn-woodland camo used on the east front.

Hello Kaleun1961, long time no see

I believe Celeon is correct. I've seen this paint scheme used in Tamiya 1/35th scale models of German armour, specifically on a Tiger kit I had many years ago. I recall it was an Eastern Front autumn '43 scheme. By then, camouflage schemes were becoming more important for German armour, as they were being pushed onto the defensive and thus required camo for hiding armour from the growing Red Air Force and to make them more effective in ambush operations.

Thanks for the greetings, guys. I've been quiet lately, more of a lurker than a poster, but I still keep an eye on the board. My SH3 game rig is acting up at the moment, so I have not been to sea for some time. But I'm getting itchy for another Knight's Cross, so I may soon get my rig sorted out.