Jump to content

Ju-87 B-2 colour schemes


gunpowder17

Recommended Posts

Does anyone have any pics of unusual / better than box art colour schemes for the ju-87 b-2. Did they have them in winter camouflage?

Hello Gunpowder17,

I can't answer for any schemes being 'better than box art' since that is a rather subjective question, I can say however that Ju 87B aircraft have worn winter camouflage.

I do recommend that you take the time to visit the Colchester Public Library for they have the following items as listed below which may be of use to you;

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka by Robert Michulec and Matthew Willis

Junkers Aircraft & Engines, 1913-1945 by Antony L. Kay

The above titles are according to their catalogue available for loan at time of posting.

Junkers Ju 87 by Herbert Leonard & Andre Jouineau, translated by Alan McKay

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka by Peter C. Smith

The above two titles according to their catalogue are overdue from loan and were due for return on the 20th of March at time of posting.

Cheers,

Daniel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info guys. I really meant i was looking for a more eye catching scheme. I have the new edition of the Airfix 1/24 kit , and it does have the Immelmann scheme for Libya with the brown colour over the standard green and green camouflage. I would really like to do a winter scheme and mount it on a snowy base. Were the winter schemes whitewash like the tanks or actual paint?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a white distemper, often applied roughly.

In the first winter Eastern winter (41/42) that is true. The Germans were caught on the hop by that one. There are all sorts of haphazard schemes to be seen.

By the second winter a whole series of directives and orders had been issued regarding winter camouflage which was to be applied "with aviation lacquer 7126.21".

In addition aircraft produced,maintained or overhauled during the winter months were to be returned to the Eastern Front with a factory or maintenance workshop applied solid white coat of winter camouflage.

Here's your "snake" Stuka.

REF.jpg

I lashed this one up from the old 21st Century Toys kit.

PRQtr_web.jpg

Cheers

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The key references (Ullman and Merrick) are a bit vague on this. Both speak of 7126.21, but Ullman states this was a June 1943 standardisation of Ikarol 2515/21 which had been used the previous winter (1942/43) and that no ready-use white was available for 1941/42. He is rather loose with the word "temporary" in places, and it is not certain whether he means the paint or just that the scheme would be removed come the spring. If he offers some suggestion for what was used, I missed it on a quick look-through, but the appendices give no mention of a white distemper (as opposed to the removable Black for bomber undersides). Merrick suggests that a white pigmentation of the paint used for tactical markings was used in this winter, but argues elsewhere that this was a permanent paint as opposed to a removable distemper.

Therefore I cannot confirm the use of a white distemper at any time - given that one prime characteristic of snow is that it is wet, perhaps a permanent paint makes more sense!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info guys. I really meant i was looking for a more eye catching scheme. I have the new edition of the Airfix 1/24 kit , and it does have the Immelmann scheme for Libya with the brown colour over the standard green and green camouflage. I would really like to do a winter scheme and mount it on a snowy base. Were the winter schemes whitewash like the tanks or actual paint?

http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ju-87B-Stuka/Ju...er-1941-01.html

Judging by the darker colour behind the swastika, I'm guessing something has been applied over the standard camo colours and is wearing off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ju-87B-Stuka/Ju...er-1941-01.html

Judging by the darker colour behind the swastika, I'm guessing something has been applied over the standard camo colours and is wearing off.

Whatever was applied it certainly wore off! Lots of evidence of very scruffy looking aircraft.

Graham I agree with you that Ullmann (who I more or less paraphrased above) in particular is rather vague about what was temporary and what was permanent. He says rather airily that aircraft delivered in a solid white coat would be repainted by the units at the appropriate time,presumably at the spring thaw,but gives no inkling as to whether this involved removing the white coat or over-painting it!

Cheers

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ullmann describes it in the text as a permanent paint, but his use of temporary in the captions only serve to confuse matters. However even a permanent paint, if applied fairly thinly in the field, would wear off over a Russian winter.

It is interesting to find, despite all that has been written on the subject, (yet) another aspect of Luftwaffe camouflage that hasn't been properly pinned down.

Just to avoid any possible confusion, I don't think anyone is suggesting that the "snake" was in a winter scheme, just that it was another interesting one. I suspect the swastika was just avoided, rather than the desert "yellow" paint wearing off locally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...