British Khaki Green No.3 colour confusion

[Selwyn]

On 6/2/2016 at 3:26 PM, Simon said:

Hello everyone

I'm busy with some vehicles to go with an R.A.F. Stirling diorama from the late 1941 period. At this time they would be painted in Khaki Green No.3 with Nobel's Dark Tarmac disruptive camouflage. I've just bought a copy of Mike Starmer's excellent reference 'Brirish Army Colours and Disruptive Camouflage in the UK, France and NW Europe, 1936-1945' , which has a mix for KG3 using Revell acrylics 361/360/84. I've mixed up a small sample to see how close I can get, and it's pretty close to the swatch in the back of the book

However, prior to getting the book I'd bought a bottle of MIG Productions 113 'Khaki Green No.3 (Brit. 1939-1942)', and tried some of that as a test.

So, here are the two Khaki Greens, plus a sample of Revell 78 standing in for Dark Tarmac, as recommended in the book (usual caveats about screen colours etc, but the difference in tones are pretty close):

The MIG 115 KG3 is way, way lighter than I'd have thought it should be, and more yellowy - more like R.A.F. Dark Earth in lightness and tone, and the Revell KG3 mix is darker than the Revell 78 - I'd assumed that the grey would be a bit more dark than the KG3, like this:

I realise 'scale effect' usually means making colours lighter, so I can of course lighten up the Revell 360/361/84 mix, but I see Trackpads also do a Khaki Green No. 3 in their D.O.A. range, but their website has been 'down for maintenance' for a few days, so I wondered if anyone had seen their version?

Many thanks

Simon

I thought Green G3 was phased out in 1941  due to difficulties in obtaining  pigments. It was replaced by SCC 2 brown, which was used upto 1944 D Day and beyond on second line vehicles. RAF vehicles apart from 2 TAF would be at the back of the queue for the new green in 44 as the priority would be the front line. so I suggest your vehicles should have the SCC2 base colour.

 

Selwyn

 

Selwyn

[Kingsman]

The SCC2 change from G3 came in 1942.  Earlier vehicles were not routinely repainted and plain G3, G3/G4 and even pre-war Bronze Green could still be seen on home service vehicles right through the war. So G3 or G3/G4 is perfectly OK for 1941 Somewhere In England.

 

As you say. SCC2/14 vehicles could be seen in NWE post D Day.  All new production from early 44 was SCC15 regardless of end user.  As refuellers and other ground equipment were station assets, not squadron property, many new ones were needed for 2ATAFs new airfields in NWE.  Many, if not most, of these would have left the factory in SCC15 in the 6 months prior to D Day and thereafter.

[Steben]

10 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

The SCC2 change from G3 came in 1942.  Earlier vehicles were not routinely repainted and plain G3, G3/G4 and even pre-war Bronze Green could still be seen on home service vehicles right through the war. So G3 or G3/G4 is perfectly OK for 1941 Somewhere In England.

 

As you say. SCC2/14 vehicles could be seen in NWE post D Day.  All new production from early 44 was SCC15 regardless of end user.  As refuellers and other ground equipment were station assets, not squadron property, many new ones were needed for 2ATAFs new airfields in NWE.  Many, if not most, of these would have left the factory in SCC15 in the 6 months prior to D Day and thereafter.

 

Well pointed out. Nazi-Germany had a tendency to go with "last one in first one out" practice, meaning the age of parts on a vehicle weren't very orderly spread. Nor paintwise.
The UK however worked with running down inventory before changing to new paint. I remember seeing original parts of motorbikes still in G3 way into 1943, while some parts in early 1942 were already SCC2. Another plant.