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I've taught and written military/diplomatic history my
entire life and can testify that "revising" a given party line can
make for some very good history: see the much more complex and rich view of the
Crusades held by contemporary historians when compared to the cardboard
"religious fanatics/land-hungry noble" argument put forth by Gibbon
and copied until the 1950s. It can also lead to calamity: I saw diplomatic
history destroyed by neo-Marxists writing during the heated atmosphere of
Vietnam convince the bulk of the historical community that the Cold War was
caused by Harry Truman and not Joseph Stalin. (This point of view has changed a
bit since scholars got into the former Soviet archives, mostly thanks to Boris
Yeltsin. Turns out "Uncle Joe" was a bigger thug than we dreamed.)
One thing about "revisionism" - it's a very good way to get attention
if you can make your case. And it reflects a very profound and fascinating
phenomenon: at certain levels we know more about the past than those people who
lived in it, at others, we know profoundly less. This is true in little issues
too. Can even raise temperatures in the room. (Henry Kissinger once remarked
that faculty politics were so nasty because the issues were so small.) So let’s
look at the great color debate.
Jentz and Doyle have spent years writing and researching
German armor. They’ve obviously found a good niche. I have one of their books
and I like it. Along the way, however, they found it useful to make what I find
an extremely questionable argument that knocks a prominent work of the
generation preceeding them – “Panzer Colors” by Culver/Murphy. Below are some
bits from a piece by Jentz and Doyle: note their claim to new evidence and the
implied argument and Culver and Murphy didn’t do their job:
_______________________________________________________
Panzer Facts #4
ACCURATE CAMOUFLAGE COLORS AND PATTERNS
FOR GERMAN PANZERS FROM 1933 TO 1943
by Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary L. Doyle
The correct camouflage colors and patterns applied to German Panzers from 1933
to 1943 have been published in the recently released Panzer Tracts No.1-2 -
Panzerkampfwagen I - kl.Pz.Bef.Wg. to VK 18.01. These colors are based on
German Army orders and manuals and original RAL paint chips from 1922 to 1941.
How did we succeed in getting these colors and patterns right when so many
other attempts have failed? The answer is simple - persistent in-depth research
that took over 15 years. This investment in time and money was needed to sort
out the right answers when we were faced with seemingly contradictory evidence.
We also refused to release the results until we could accurately print the
colors through a tightly controlled process.
What caused others to publish results that are so far off the mark? It
shouldn't have been lack of guidance. Our good friend and mentor, Walter J.
Spielberger wrote an article entitled "Coloring of German WWII Tanks"
which was printed in George Bradford's AFV News Vol. No.3 in November 1965.
Spielberger stated that: "Up to 1935, the Reichswehr colored their
vehicles in the usual multicolor pattern, mainly green, brown, and yellow.
Starting in 1935, the official paint for all German vehicles, including armor,
was a dark grey/dark brown combination. Since 1940 the dark brown was
discontinued and all vehicles were painted in dark grey only. . ."
As an example let's look at the Squadron/Signal Publication "Panzer
Colors" since it is widely known and many modelers, model magazines, and
other authors use it as their key reference. The authors of "Panzer
Colors" state:in their Sources and Acknowledgements:
"The basic information on official WW II German camouflage color
specifications is contained in a c. 1957 paper by F. Wiener, written for the
R.A.C. Tank Museum at Bovington. . . Walter Spielberger's book on German
armored cars, 1900-1945, provided the material on Reichwehr color schemes. .
."
on page 9 in the text:
In 1922 new standards for painting vehicles were issued, retaining the wartime
gray, green, and brown for combat type vehicles, . . .
on page 10 in the text:
In 1935, the new Wehrmacht standardized a new basic scheme for all large items
of military equipment, including all vehicles and large weapons. The colors
were dark gray and dark brown, and the proportion of color to be used was 2/3
gray to 1/3 brown, . . ."
and, on page 11:
"The Campaign in France and the Low Countries was fought by German vehicle
painted overall dark gray, . . ."
Walter Spielberger had already correctly determined that the Reichswehr colors
were yellow, green, and brown not gray, green, and brown. So where did the
authors of "Panzer Colors" come up with the idea that the
"Reichswehr" colors were gray, green, and brown - and - where did
they get the false impression that Panzers employed in Poland and the Campaign
in the West were painted dark gray? Let's take a look at the reference that
they claimed was used.
David Fletcher at The Tank Museum provided a copy of the document that the
authors of Panzer Colors stated that they had used. The report "Der
Anstrich des Heeresgeraets 1939-1945 1945" was written by Fritz Wiener (a
close associate of Walter Spielberger). This report had been translated into
English in November 1967 as "Painting of Army Equipment 1939 - 45"
and contains the following relevant statements: "With the change from
multi-coloured combat uniforms to plain colours, striking colours were avoided
on equipment. As far back as 1914 all armies went on active service with their
equipment painted grey-green, grey-brown or in a similar unobtrusive colour.
During the first World War they attempted to make large equipments (guns,
vehicles, etc.) less visible to the enemy by painting them with large irregular
patches in shades of grey, green, and brown. This so called "Mimicry"
type of painting was then adopted by the Armed Forces (Reichswehr). . . After
1935, the Armed Forces introduced a new and considerably darker shade of
grey-brown for use on their equipment. . . .This paint was in general use in
the Fall of 1939, but the first alteration came in 1939 (sic - 1940 in the
original document).
OK: now let’s see what Culver and Murphy actually wrote on
the page 10 – a page before they made their “error” and one not mentioned by
Lentz/Doyle:
“Late in 1939, a new specification was promulgated, changing
the official vehicle color scheme. In order to save supplies of paint, vehicles
and equipment – previously painted dark gray and dark brown – were to be
painted in overall dark gray. It is probable that this order was not completely
carried out before the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. After the Polish
campaign had ended, the winter of 1939/1940 was spent in repairing damaged
vehicles, bringing the new Panzer Divisions up to strength and replacing many
obsolete tanks and vehicles with more advanced types. By Spring of 1940, most
vehicles were painted in the single color dark gray. HM 1940, no. 864, dated
July 31, 1940 standardized this order for all vehicles and heavy equipment.”
Culver was wrong about the Reichswehr Yellow. But what the
two tone Panzers of 39/40? In another piece Lentz/Doyle argued that “all” AFVs
through the French campaign were in two tone. Culver argues that those two tone
vehicles still in use from Poland (several hundred vehicles) would like have
remained two tone in France, but that anything new or rebuilt would have been
gray. So Culver says some of the AFVs were brown/gray but most gray. (For
Lentz/Doyle claims see below.)
(http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=172769&page=1
But let’s get down to where the two agree. Both Culver and
Lentz/Doyle agree that something happened in 1939 concerning color: this quotes
Lentz from above: .”After 1935, the Armed Forces introduced a new and
considerably darker shade of grey-brown for use on their equipment. . . .This
paint was in general use in the Fall of 1939, but the first alteration came in
1939 (sic - 1940 in the original document).” Do note the term “alteration” –
this means something changed. Culver wrote a new order was “promulgated” in
late 1939 (not clear if this meant after Poland, but if the incentive was to
save paint, this would have referred to new vehicles – you wouldn’t save paint
by repainting old ones) ordered vehicles be painted gray. The two are saying
exactly the same thing here. What Culver doesn’t have is a Directive #. If
you’ve ever studied a bureaucracy you’ll know that a good idea leading to
action on the is often later followed up some a stamp of approval written in
triplicate by the appropriate office. So let’s think this one through.
- Everyone
who was there and talked about it said German tanks in France were gray.
Lentz/Doyle argue that the gray and brown colors were so close that they
are rarely possible to identify in the photo record. Lentz/Doyle repeatedly
claim the photo record is overwhelmingly misleading – this tells you what
the people that took the photos thought. To me, this is a red flag.
- Both
Lentz/Doyle and Culver agree that something happened in late 1939 to alter
the brown/gray pattern. I guess Lentz/Doyle argue that this was a proposal
not acted upon until it had been approved by channels in July 1940 when
gray was adopted as a general color. Culver/Murphy argue that in late
1939 the Wehrmacht began painting new AFVs gray but that this did not
become the norm until the reequipment process of winter 39-40. (I can
testify that the process referred to did take place. It was a time of
furious activity throughout the Wehrmacht – indeed, the speed with which
they worked as opposed to their enemies showed up in May 1940.) Culver
agrees that some German AFVs would still have had the gray/brown scheme in
May 1940. Lentz/Doyle argue they all did.
- Classic
impasse. A conservative historian would say “case not proven” and leave it
at that. Let’s look for something that has the “ring of truth.” A change
in color scheme either takes place or is proposed in late 1939. The status
quo was gray/brown. Why make the change at all? Two answers immediately
suggest themselves. 1) Because the colors were so close, painting them
both was a waste of energy. 2) All gray was better, so let’s change what
we’re doing and paint them all gray.
- This
leaves at another point where there is agreement. In July 1940 the
Wehrmacht went all gray. They did this in the wake of the most spectacular
military victory of the 20th century until that time. If all
AFVs in the Wehrmacht were gray/brown, why, pray tell, would they make the
change at all? Was this simple inertia – of a decision proposed in late 39
put into action in the summer of 1940 regardless of the outcome of the
greatest triumph in the history of German arms? Or was it the final
bureaucratic seal of approval of a process that had been going on for about nine
months and was viewed as vindicated by the French campaign? (Would also
mean repainting a small number of two toned vehicles as opposed to
repainting the entire Panzerwaffe.) Might add that the second argument
sits nicely on the side of the photo record and the memories of a small
army of old soldiers.
I have not and will not spend years studying German AFV
colors. Maybe Lentz and Doyle are right. If so good for them. If nothing else,
modelers can paint brown and gray early war tanks. If they had a proper “paper
trail” rightly beloved of historians, there’d be no quibbling. Some progression
of documents that said “we’re wasting the German tax-payer’s Reichsmarks on
brown paint – let’s think about repainting the army next summer.” And maybe
they took one document and a very select group of photos and came to the wrong
conclusion. If they did so, they would be in a very large boat. There are few
more vague notions on earth than progress, and nobody in the field of history
will take newer research as better.
And while we’re at it what is gray? If you really want to
know what Panzergrau looked like at the factory you’d need to know the pigments
and their ratios. Knowing the “color” tells you only the ball park. In front of
me I have a tube of Winton “Paynes Gray” one of the most important colors in
art. Winton, like all quality paints, lists its pigments. Here’s how they make
their “gray”: Pigments- Ultramarine
(PB29; Amorphious Carbon (PBk6); Powdered Slate (PBk19). Used individually
those pigments would make dark blue, black and white paints. Together they make
a dark gray. I used this paint in addition to some black and white (basic gray)
and got a dead ringer for Tamiya German Grey.
The End.
Eric