Phil1960 Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Hi All, I'm working on 1/35 Elefant from Tamiya. I'd like to built no. 113 from 1./s.Pz.Jg. Abt. 653 in Italy. In Panzerwrecks no 13 Italy 2 are some nice pictures of 113. In particular it can be seen a white (I think) vertical stripe on right side of fighting compartment . I was wondering if it was painted by crew or if it was added later by Americans after the destructive attack by Usaaf fighter bombers. Second question: the internal part of plug in rounded access doors on lateral sides of fighting compartment were painted in red primer? Many thanks for your kind help. Ciao Filippo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Hi Filippo can't answer your questions but you might find this useful https://mikesresearch.com/2019/07/28/elefants-in-italy-1944/ Filippo just done some digging around in my books...the white marking ....is it the right rear of the super structure ...if so it denotes company and platoon...dependant on company and platoon they could be yellow red or white if they were yellow or red they would have a white outline white was 1st company red was 2nd company and yellow was 3rd company 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil1960 Posted April 28, 2021 Author Share Posted April 28, 2021 Hi M3talpig Many thanks, I know Mike site but I cannot find an answer. Anyway I want to reproduce 113 some days before it was destroyed. So it could be nice add that stripe on. Ciao Filippo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 I couldn't find any details about the white stripe but I had this picture in a book that shows the hatch painted a lighter colour. I assume it is the same for the ones you asked about. https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/germany/tanks-2-3/elefant_ferdinand/elefant-332-ukraine-1944/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 I think this is the picture of Elefant 113 and the stripe. It looks like the line is faded or worn over the zimmerit, so it might have been there for a while before being knocked out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Here is a Ferdinand from 653 (?) which has a dark stripe in the same dimensions in the same location: https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/germany/tanks-2-3/elefant_ferdinand/ferdinand-elefant-panzerjager-abteilung-653-2/ And another Ferdinand with what looks like a dark strip also from 653: https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/germany/tanks-2-3/elefant_ferdinand/elefant-schwere-panzerjager-abteilung-653-6/ I'm thinking whether the color of the stripe may signify company or a command vehicle? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 An Elefant in 653 (?) in Italy with what appears to be a similar vertical stripe... Oddly, you don't see the stripes on Elefants in 653 later in Germany in 1945... http://www.thirdreichruins.com/spjabt653.htm?fbclid=IwAR3A1MeCGyLVV7WsMjimEV-rESlpHHs7eTTc6e7k77XvXgs2GpyU_Bz_ErA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 I posed this question on the Panzer Research and Reference Facebook group (Adam R Mann et al.). Lots of interest and one reply from Albert Panza regarding the last photograph of an Elefant (converted Ferdinand) above: Quote Can't help you much with these stripes only so far: The toolbox of the Ferdinand is already moved to the rear, the camo is Abt. 654 style -> for me that's later in '43 after abt. 654 vehicles were given to the abt. 653. If your two Elefants are in Italy (for simplification sake Elefant = Ferdinand + Zimmerit) they belong both to the first company, since the rest was deployed in the east. Therefore Ferdinad and both Elefants can be part of the same company at different deployments, possibilty for a vehicle-indentification marking makes sense to me. (I'm not an expert and can be wrong). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Browne Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Regarding the loading hatch interior colour, I would go with the later 'rule' (whatever that is?) of painting in the exterior colour. Even if this was not how they left the factory, units would presumably have painted them for camouflage. However, it could well be in the RAL1001 Elfenbein, red oxide primer (unlikely IMO if the interior is RAL1001...) or exterior colour. The image of the open loading hatch posted by @Stef N. above, seems to show the inside of the hatch door in the interior colour, possibly RAL1001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 On 13/05/2021 at 02:35, Peter Browne said: An Elefant in 653 (?) in Italy with what appears to be a similar vertical stripe... Oddly, you don't see the stripes on Elefants in 653 later in Germany in 1945... http://www.thirdreichruins.com/spjabt653.htm?fbclid=IwAR3A1MeCGyLVV7WsMjimEV-rESlpHHs7eTTc6e7k77XvXgs2GpyU_Bz_ErA I like this photo. It has the clearest showing of the wear on the inner wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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