White Outline Numbers Failed!

Well, my attempt to paint out the center of the white numbers on the Tigers didn't work out. I ended up leaving the centers solid.

There are a number of decal manufacturers out there that make white outline numbers, but none of them currently produce an "S" in white outline that I need for my Tigers. For now they will have to remain solid while I noodle out what to do.

Tim, they call him...

Kursk Painting Issues

Das Reich's Tiger company (8th) carried specific markings at Kursk. The normal turret numbers of 833 became S33 (in this case). The problem is how to get white outlined letter/number decals. No one makes them. It takes a special printer to print white so I can't do them myself. I even tried some custom decal makers, but the cost is too much. I decided to try something. I purchased some white letters/numbers and am going to apply them to the turret and see if I can paint out the center. Yes... lots of magnification (lots and lots). If it works tomorrow I should have pictures... or maybe the next day.

Faster, faster, must paint faster

Kursk Painting Log #2

Faster, faster, must paint faster

Progress shown in blue italics:

German Tank Force
12 Panzer IV H - Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, detail painted, decaled, black washed, ready for highlights, crew and matte spray.
4 Tiger E- Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, ready for green camo and detail work.
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads - Assembled, primed, magnets on gun

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon - 80% painted and based
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon - 80% painted and based
6 Stug III G - Assembled, base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, ready for camo & detail work ,
3 Wespe - Partially assembled, base coated dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, working on support vehicles and crew

Stukas - Completed
FW190s - Completed

First Soviet Armored force
10 T-34 obr1941 - Completed
4 su76 - Base coated green, detail painted, weathered, working on crew and decals

Stormaviks - Base coated green

Faster, faster, must paint faster

Kursk Painting Issues

Harold... Kursk... Must paint faster, must paint faster...

One of the things I am frustrated over is trying to be accurate (within reason) when I paint a unit.

In the spring/summer of 1943 the Germans issued some new directives about camouflaging their armored vehicles. Kursk takes place right in the middle of this (July 1943). One would come to the logical conclusion that all the tanks would be painted in the new three color camouflage? I will avoid the diatribe on how things don't work out like that and move on.

Tigers
Working with black and white pictures can present a problem. I have seen some nice pictures of Das Reich Tigers with two color camouflage. The base appears to be dark yellow, but the contrasting patches are darker, so olive green or red brown? I have read a couple descriptions of the Kursk area being very green during the battle, so a dark yellow base with green patches would seem to be the order of the day. I went to look online and find two images of the same Tiger tank from Das Reich, S33, one shows the contrasting patches in green, the other in brown. Argh! I have seen lots of prints of Kursk, some have the grass brown, others green. In fact the cover of the FoW supplement (Hitler's Fire Brigade?) has two Panthers advancing at Kursk through a sea of green grass (they are identified as Das Reich Panthers, which were NOT at Kursk) so what the hell, I get to pick...green it is!



The Tigers were assigned to the 8th company, SS-Panzer regiment 2. Normally this would yield company numbers of 800, 801, 810 etc. This was true in the run up to Kursk. Just prior Das Reich switched to using the letter 'S' (schwere or heavy) in place of the company number. So 800 becomes S00; 810 becomes S10 and so on. Trouble is this numbering was done in white outline numbers, no decals exist that I can find that will work for this. I loathe the idea of trying this by hand so I am not sure what to do here.

Panzer IV's
I have also noticed that most of Das Reich's Panzer IV's hull schürzen are missing, while they carry it on the turrets. I haven't been able to discover why, but I have two ideas.

* When the tanks were shipped, the turret schürzen were installed and the hull mounting brackets and hull plates had to be installed in the field. So first idea, is perhaps time did not permit installation of the hull skirts.
* Second thought, the initial model of the hull skirts had a very poor mounting system. The skirts were easily damaged or torn off. So maybe they weren't installed or removed because of this?


In any case I am modeling my Pz IV's without side skirts, but with the turret skirts. I have seen a few pictures of Das Reich Pz IV's carrying turret skirts with zimmerit on them. I sanded the zimmerit off most of the turret skirts and left it on some for variety.

I also don't see any real evidence of more than a dark yellow base on the Pz IV's so I have left them dark yellow. Company markings also seem to be missing, the only marking showing on the turret skirts is the national Balkan cross.


To further complicate things, it appears that Leibstandarte and Totenkopf had photographers embedded with them during the battle, while Das Reich, did not. Or perhaps his photos didn't survive.


Tim, frustrated they call him...

Kursk Painting Log

Harold... Kursk... Gateway 2010...

Ok so here we are (progress shown in blue italics):

German Tank Force
12 Panzer IV H - Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted ready for detail work
4 Tiger E- Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads - Assembled, primed, magnets on gun

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon - 80% painted and based
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon - 80% painted and based
6 Stug III G - Assembled, base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted ready for detail work ,
3 Wespe - Partially assembled (tracks on)

Stukas - Completed
FW190s - I may have kits of these guys somewhere

First Soviet Armored force
10 T-34 obr1941 - Completed
4 su76 - Base coated green, detail painted, weathered, ready for crew and decals

Stormaviks - Base coated green