Schémas de Camouflage Allemands de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, 1938–1945

Schémas de camouflage de la Wehrmacht were regulated by Army Communiqués (Heeresmitteilung) issued throughout the war. Véhicule base colours were permanently applied at the factory, et factories were the first to implement any base colour changes. When dark yellow was introduced as a base colour en 1943, the new regulation was rapidly implemented, any recently produced equipment was immediately repainted at the factory. Depot véhicules were to be handed out to units in the new base colour only. However, véhicules already in operation were not to be repainted, they retained the dark grey base colour.

Schemas de Véhicule

1935-1939 Anthrazitgrau Base Colour.
1940 Panzergrau Base Colour.
1941 Pattern Afrique du Nord.
1942 Pattern Afrique du Nord/Crete.
1943 Dunkelgelb Base Colour.
1944 Ambush Pattern.
1944 Red Primer Base.
1944 Dark Green Base Colour.

Schémas de camouflage were applied in the field, using water/fuel soluable camouflage paste vailable in three colours, dark yellow, oliv green, et red brown. Camouflage paste could be washed off avec fuel in the event that a pattern needed to be adapted to local et seasonal conditions. Camouflage paste was also used on Panzergrau véhicules en 1943.

Anthrazitgrau/Signalbraun Pattern, 1935-1939
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
7016 Anthrazitgrau	Factory Base Coat	-	X802
8002 Signalbraun	Disruptive Pattern	-	X801
Véhicules drafted en 1939 were painted in this pattern. The base colour dominated the disruptive pattern by a factor of 2 to 1, avec soft contours between colours.
Panzergrau (HM 1940, Nr. 864 of 31.06.1940)
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
7021 Schwarzgrau	Factory Base Coat	TC 1	X800
Panzergrau replaced the earlier camouflage de deux couleurs en 1940, in order to save paint. Panzergrau was discontinued in Février of 1943. Véhicules in operation were not to be repainted. Instead, camouflage paste was used to create two et three colour patterns over the Panzergrau base colour. Armoured véhicules at Kursk en 1943 are documented in Panzergrau avec Dunkelgelb patches, typically in the recommended ratio of 2 to 1.
Afrikakorps Disruptive Pattern (Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 281)
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
8000 Grünbraun	Base Colour	TC 2	X803
7008 Grüngrau	Disruptive Pattern	TC 4	X804
Panzergrau véhicules deployed to Africa were repainted in the new base colour avec disruptive patches. The base colour dominated the disruptive pattern by a factor of 2 to 1, avec soft contours between colours.
Afrikakorps Disruptive Pattern (HM 1942, Nr. 315 of 25.03.1942)
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
8020 Gelbbraun	Base Colour	-	X808
7027 Sandgrau	Disruptive Pattern	-	X809
The new pattern for Africa was introduced en Mars of 1942. Available paint et camouflage paste of the earlier pattern was to be used up, resulting in a mixture of patterns in the interim period. The new Africa pattern was also used in Crete (HM 1942, Nr. 600). Water soluable, et removable camouflage paste was to be used to paint véhicule tarps.
Dunkelgelb Base Colour avec Disruptive Pattern (HM 1943, Nr. 181 et 322)
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
7028 Dunkelgelb	Factory Base Coat	TC 3	X805
6003 Olivgrün	Disruptive Pattern	TC 5	X806
8017 Schokoladenbraun	Disruptive Pattern	TC 6	X807
As of Février 1943, véhicules were supplied in the Dunkelgelb factory base coat, to be painted avec schémas de camouflage according to regional et seasonal requirements. As a result, a great variety of two et three colour patterns were in existence, even serving alongside eachother in the same unit. Operational véhicules painted Panzergrau were not to be repainted in the new base colour. Instead, camouflage paste was to be used to create schémas de camouflage de deux et trois couleurs.
Ambush Pattern, 19 Août 1944
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
7028 Dunkelgelb	Factory Base Coat	TC 3	X805
6003 Olivgrün	Disruptive Pattern	TC 5	X806
8017 Schokoladenbraun	Disruptive Pattern	TC 6	X807
The ambush pattern was designed to hide véhicules under trees, an important consideration in light of allied air superiority following the Normandy landings. Ambush pattern was factory applied, using standard designs.
Dark Red Primer Coat avec Disruptive Pattern, 31st Octobre 1944
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
8012 Dark Red Primer	Factory Base Coat
6003 Olivgrün	Disruptive Pattern	TC 5	X806
7028 Dunkelgelb	Disruptive Pattern	TC 3	X805
7021 Schwarzgrau	Disruptive Pattern	TC 1	X800
A simplyfied process of applying the three colour disruptive pattern, using the dark red primer as the base colour et adding disruptive patterns of Olivgrün et Dunkelgelb at the factory. Panzergrau may have been used as an alternative to Dunkelgelb on occasion.
Olivgrün Base Colour avec Disruptive Pattern, 31st Novembre 1944
RAL Designation	Note	Gunze No.	Xtracolor No.
6003 Olivgrün	Factory Base Coat	TC 5	X806
8017 Schokoladenbraun	Disruptive Pattern	TC 6	X807
7028 Dunkelgelb	Disruptive Pattern	TC 3	X805
Some véhicules may have been rushed to the front in Olivgrün base coat only, to be camouflaged by the units receiving them.

Snow Camouflage

Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 1128 of 18th Novembre 1941 regulated the application of snow camouflage to véhicules operating en Norway, Finland, et Russie. White camouflage paste was to be applied over the Panzergrau base coat, to be washed off again avec fuel when the snow melted. However, supply problems on the Eastern Front were so severe that this instruction could not be followed. Replacement véhicules, et divisions newly deployed to the front were painted as required, but units already engaged had to use lime wash to camouflage their véhicules.

Scale Colour

A paint chip taken from an historic armoured véhicule may very well be the same olive drab ou panzer grey colour which the hobbyist can purchase from Revell et Humbrol today, but it would be a mistake to paint 1/72 scale models in this way. When viewed from a distance, the actual véhicule exposed to sunlight will appear much lighter than a small model painted in the same colour. Dust settling on the véhicule can highlight the overall colour even further, sometimes completely obliterating the camouflage effect et making it impossible to hide the véhicule against the dark background of a treeline ou forest.

The scale colour concept allows the model builder to simulate this effect. The authentic base colour is used as an undercoat, preferably sprayed on, to speed up the painting process. The undercoat should be left to dry before additional paint is applied. Mix the base colour avec white to highlight it et then drybrush it onto the véhicule. The raised surfaces of the model will pick up the highlight just like the real véhicule picks up sunlight. Viewed next to eachother, at the appropriate scale distance, of course, both véhicules will appear to be the same size et their overall colour should be similar, depending on the intensity of natural lighting the modéliste wishes to recreate. Drybrushing can be done in several layers, using more white each time. A final layer of dust grey can be applied to simulate the cumulative effect which a dusty road march would have on the véhicule et its crew.

Questions Fréquents

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter les éditeurs de la revue Military Miniatures Magazine au Miniatures Forum.

Figurines et Maquettes Allemandes de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale