Tiger II, Power on the Prowl

[cyberia]

I'm certain that was the reason for it. He also mentioned using panzer gray stocks left over from the the early part of the war.

[LAH 1 SS]

Yes i knew that the panzer grey was being used it is often mistaken for the dark olive green often used as well

[PanzerBob]

Given the different things I've read over the years in reference to the painting of German Armour, especially near the end of the war, your Uncle's story has credence with me. He was painting panzers and remembering the drums being marked Luftwaffe stands to reason being a Luftwaffe man. Besides this is one of those topics that the source would have nothing to gain from relaying his experience.

I think we have all read at some point that crews at times were left to their own devices in regards to cam paint and this includes the liberation of paint stores from any place one could get it. Some units had strict SOP's on cam others didn't and as the war ground down to the end some armour was lucky to have primer. I have seen pictures of vehicles that could have very easily had a light grey applied, B&W would have a hard time showing the difference. House paint, Dye to aircraft paint I have no problem believing it all; near the end it would have been whatever was handy.

Even in peacetime soldiers come up with non standard solutions, so at the losing end of a war this would prevalent from the factory to the foxhole


Bob out

[cyberia]

Interesting POV, Bob, and it jives with something my father told me.

He said that pre-war and early war the 14th Pz. Div. had a very strict SOP when it came to paint. Not only did color have strict mix for match guidelines, but regardless who was doing the painting either the crew or an assigned paint team, all accessory equipment had to be stripped off the vehicle first. Tools, cables, spare links and so on. Any crew that failed at this even by a single item faced "auffallen", that is to be placed on the extra duties list.

However, he told me that when they were in "Karacho" mode and racing like hell between fights in 41 and 42 this practice was all but abandoned. Not officially, but whitewashing or over spraying everything was just over looked. They had no time for letter perfect paint jobs.

This is no doubt why some photos show vehicles with letter perfect paint, while some appear to have had whitewash or what have you just slapped on.

[cyberia]

A Henschel Tiger II on the move in France, 1944

[cyberia]

Colorized photo of a pair of Tiger II in Budapest-1944

[cyberia]

Pointing out multiple impact points on the frontal armor of a Tiger II

[cyberia]

Painting a TII

[cyberia]

Then and now...

Video of a group of Tiger IIs turning a corner in Tondorf, Germany during the Ardennes Offensive-1944



A freeze frame of the same column turning the same corner



The corner in Tondorf as it appears today

[cyberia]

Tiger II, date and location unknown