Panzer IV F2(G) Colour Scheme

[phlarris]

Greetings. I'm about to start on the Dragon Panzer IV F2(G), having just finished a Panther.

 

Could anyone provide any details of camo'd colour schemes for the tank? The Panther got the Dunkel Gelb treatment (as it was my first time with an airbrush), but I'm feeling a bit more adventurous with this one.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Phil

[Kingsman]

There were no defined schemes.  An Ausf G would have been factory-finished in Dunkelgelb, although an F2 would most likely still be finished in Panzergrau. 

 

F2s were used by the Afrika Korps so you have the option of a desert scheme, often seen worn back to the factory grey in places.  I'm not sure if the G made it to Tunisia.

 

Once Dunkelgelb became standard in 1943, tanks were issued with tins of Rotbraun and Olivegrun paint paste to be thinned with petrol, turps or water (all of which changed the colour and density of the mixed paint differently).  In theory there were spray guns, but in practice they were few and far between.  Units and individual crews applied camouflage as they saw appropriate and with whatever means they could find.  There is a photo on line of a crew "painting" (daubing?) a PzIV with rags wrapped around bundles of straw!

 

Bearing in mind the number of PzIVs built there is a fair degree of licence and it would be very hard to say that any scheme using the 3 colours is wrong.  Except that PzIVs would not have been in the "ambush" or "disc" schemes.  Any pattern involving patches, swirls, stripes etc is fair game.

 

There's always the winter whitewash option (especially if you don't like the camo result!).

 

I would find a photo in a book or on line and copy that, using it as a guide for the bits you can't see in the picture.

[AgentG]

An F2 would be painted dark gray unless it was sent to Africa, There are exceptions to the rule. F1's and F2's as well as G's were diverted to Russia from Tunisia. You will see tropical camo on tanks in southern Russia. 

 

Pz IV 4 G's did definitely make it to Tunisia. Most, if not all were in tropical colors, RAL 8020 with RAL 7027 camo. 

 

Dark Yellow became the official base color for German armor in April 1943. This is just a month before the end in Tunisia however some have described Yellow Pz III N's in dark yellow. 

Tunisia is quite a bit more temperate than Libya so you will see vehicles painted sand yellow, RAL 8020, with Gray green, RAL 7008 camo patterns.

 

Lots of potential for colorful builds. 

 

G

[phlarris]

Many thanks both. I think that the Dunkelgelb with Rotbraun and Olivegrun is the way I'm going to go. One question - would tools have been painted with the camouflage??? I've seen some painted (mainly in museums), but can't see things like jacks and spades being painted in the camouflage colours...

 

Also, are there any good  websites for tank images? I have a number of books, but am always on the lookout for new photos...