A desert Sherman in the making

[robw_uk]

Based on what I have read, brown and even a red brown are options on support vehicles.

Age of the truck is a factor also. Light Stone was the base color for roughly the middle to the late periods of the desert campaign. Older vehicles could be in Portland Stone and even display a Caunter scheme with both Light Stone and Portland Stone.

Remember, light blue had no place in any camouflage paint scheme outside the LRDG or SAS. Those folks had the leeway to paint their trucks and Jeeps as needed.

Here's an example of that.

G

thanks... not ready to build my quad yet so will wait and do some research closer to the date

[robw_uk]

The roof roundels used in the desert appeared and disappeared according to who ruled the air at the time, IIRC in at least some instances they were painted on removeable panels.

With regard to the Quad colours I'm guessing you are enquiring about the colour of the disruptive pattern.....Black or green are certainly oprtions, brown I'm not sure about.

Here's Mike Starmer's guide from the MAFVA site: http://www.mafva.net/other%20pages/starmer%20camo.htm

oohhh a removable panel sounds a possibility... could add a nice variation... will do some investigation

[Mike Starmer]

This is very good build but your choice of scheme is based on some highly speculative artwork. I have photographs of this Sherman and there is nothing like that contrast between colours to be seen. The tank was photographed immediately after the new October 1942 camouflage orders were promulgated when these brigade initiated design were banned. So it may be that only the white demarcation line was ever applied.

Top Surface roundels were mandatory on all vehicles from June 9th 1942 NOT discrectionary. Removable panels were allowed where normal necessary stowage would obscure the permanent marking.

As for disruptive painting on Quads in mid 1942 brigade instigated schemes were applied over Light Stone basic colour which would have been applied at BOWs. The paints for these ad hoc designs could have been colours from the Camcolours range. There were no specific designs. In October 1942 this type of painting was totally banned and quads were not allotted a specific disruptive pattern as were AFVs and some other vehicles. Patterns on these and most softskins were of no tactical value, so they remained either plain Light Stone or Desert Pink.

[AgentG]

Not based on any art work at all. I googled images and found two good shots of the tank parked in the desert. I see what i believe to be light stone, dark green and white covered completely with dust.

G

[Mike Starmer]

I see what i believe to be light stone, dark green and white covered completely with dust.

I take your point but the WD numbers is visible so not so dusty. When Dennis Oliver and I were working on the bokk 'The New Breed' he modified the picture with the white stripe obliterated by a black band to see if thwere were an obvious other colour. There was no contrast between the areas above and below that line. BTW the Jeep is probably Desert Pink,

[AgentG]

For those of you completely lost right now, I present this photo as reference.

Courtesy of the internet for discussion purposes only.

Mike, approximately what date can you put on the picture?

Your research is far more thorough than mine.

G

Edited February 2, 2016 by AgentG

[robw_uk]

well it is definately tonally different - and I would say from the front fading that the darker colour was applied on top of the lighter....

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I don't think it's fading, think it's dust.....Shermans came off the line in Olive Drab.

What I see there is an OD sherman with camo overpainted in sand and the edges tidied up in white.

[AgentG]

She's finished and in "Ready for Inspection"!

G