DAK colors

Some where i have a color picture of a burned up Pz IV E that shows a lot of chipping and if I recall it's Dark Grey underneath.

Don't quote me on this but I believe about everything was sent to Afrika in Dark Grey until later in the Tunisian campaign. The factory color switch to Dark Yellow didn't occur till 1943 so i think you'd be safe painting it in a German Grey base yes...

5th Light Division arrived in Tripoli with all of its equipment painted overall Panzer Gray.

Once they moved out into the desert, an improvised camo of mud made from the local earth was smeared on the vehicles to blend them in with local terrain (somebody scanned this from Squadron's Panzer Colors volume I)

Later in 1941 the first "tropical" camo colors were developed for equipment in Africa. In 1942 new different colors were developed and fielded. And finally in Feb 1943, Dark Yellow was introduced.

Testors makes the colors

http://www.testors.com/category/136417/WWII_German_Panzer_Colors

Thanks  stilkpusher, love the pictures.

So going by this if I wanted to build a PzVI Ausf;D for early 1942 I could paint it gray  and then go over that with Desert yellow, right??

The first Tropen scheme was introduced in March '41 and paint stocks were supplied to units in the field for use. All vehicles sent to the N. Afrika theater via the depots in Italy had a base coat of Pz Gray with the Tropen scheme applied at the depot prior to shipment. Vehicles that had specific Tropen modifications were finished in Tropen schemes at the factories as it was already known where they were going (unless they were diverted at the last minute to places like southern Russia...but that's a different story).

So by early 1942 (the 2nd Tropen scheme was introduced in March '42) a Pz IV-D still in service would have had ample opportunity for painting in the field or at a depot and would most likely be sporting the first Tropen disruptive scheme (2/3 RAL 8000, 1/3 RAL 7008) over the factory Pz Gray.

As a side note, there's no such thing as "Desert Yellow" when talking about the authorized DAK schemes, that's a Tamiya made-up color designation.

Well what about this?

http://stugiii.com/germanvehiclecamouflage.html

You can stroll down and see the Africa paints listed. I would rather stick with acrylic paint like Tamiya and Vallejo if at all possible,

Those all look great. The last two pictures was what I had in mind. I just don't want to use enamels at all except for the weathering.

stikpusher

5th Light Division arrived in Tripoli with all of its equipment painted overall Panzer Gray.

 

Once they moved out into the desert, an improvised camo of mud made from the local earth was smeared on the vehicles to blend them in with local terrain (somebody scanned this from Squadron's Panzer Colors volume I)

Later in 1941 the first "tropical" camo colors were developed for equipment in Africa. In 1942 new different colors were developed and fielded. And finally in Feb 1943, Dark Yellow was introduced.

Testors makes the colors

http://www.testors.com/category/136417/WWII_German_Panzer_Colors

 

 

I just realized something. In the second picture some of the panzers on the right are Pz IV's and you said they were from 5th Light Division. Well they are listed on my decals sheet. If I'm not mistaken 811 is the fourth tank up on the right and I have that number from the  5th Light Division.