lighting ww2

The inside of most, if not all, German tanks was a kind of buff or ivory. Don't know anything about lighting, but am pretty sure they has some low wattage stuff.

Good luck;

Bill

I beleive the 'off-white color' of German AFV's was called 'elfenbein'. At least I think so.

Glenn

Model master makes a color in their enamel line called Panzer Interior Buff. Looks pretty good, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Some refs I've read say that current pieces look like an off white with a pinkish or even greenish tint to it, depening on weathering, I suppose.

Bill

German tanks, as stated, were buff (ivory) inside with a neutral gray below the sponsons. US tanks were white inside with white interior lights (can't remember if there as a red lens also, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't). One light was over the main gun on most tanks, another between the driver and bow gunner and yet another (on M5A1's) over the bow machine gun for loading. Instrument panels and sights were lit also for ops at night. British tanks were silver inside, if the Churchill and Cenurion at the Patton Museum are correct!

The US interior lights were round with the lens being a bit smaller than the body (about 4 inches in diameter total for the assembly).

Hope this helps.

Ron.

thanks all , i've got a 'on target' book on tigers from verlinden productions from a way back but all the pictures from the real thing interior are all in black and white and no mention off colour and from the pictures can not make out if there was lighting or not (what the point of putting pictures in it ?) thanks again

as far as panthers are concerned they where either painted in ivory as mentioned or not painted (it says they left it with only primer in a book i have, now with that said i don't know if they used the same red oxide primer inside as they did outside they dont specify it)

German tanks were equipped with small, rectangular adjustable lights, (Abblendleuchte), usually mounted in the roof or sides of the turret and in the driver's / radioman's compartments. I believe they were also able to change from white to red light.

the lighting in German tanks were Green and the US tanks had Red lights
there is a story about Ernst Barkmann driving up to an American Sherman at night, thinking it was one of his untill he saw the colour of the interior lights

QUOTE: Originally posted by PantherLehr as far as panthers are concerned they where either painted in ivory as mentioned or not painted (it says they left it with only primer in a book i have, now with that said i don't know if they used the same red oxide primer inside as they did outside they dont specify it)

Yes,

The same red primer. A bit brighter and more intense than US primer... from what I've seen on the Patton Museum's Panther (yes, it was original).

Ron.

You are right Captian Caveman, green is the color of german AFV interior lights. I have read about the encounter Barkmann had with the Shermans at night, so I should know better. I don't know what I was thinking?
Here is a picture of a Abblendleuchte in a tattered looking Hummel's driving compartment.

its ok i had to check at the time becouse i new they were different colours but forgot who had what colour
the Barkman story is a good one (the fog of war)