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Tiger I Ausf E Late Camo' Expert Needed!!!

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 15, 2012 8:54 AM

Yes...

It is a late production Tiger I E...Most of the whitewashed ones I've seen were in such livery during the '43-'44 winter...not that many operational ones after the late summer of '44...

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Friday, June 15, 2012 8:32 AM

wbill76

Steve,  If you're looking for inspiration, just look up at the top banner pic for the FSM site. Big Smile

Can anyone here definitively identify that tank???

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Austria
Posted by Byrden on Friday, June 15, 2012 3:47 AM

What if I want to NOT build a Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger (whatever that is).

Well, you can't really, because it's essentially an Early Tiger.

Tiger E were old and battered by Winter 1944, and the logistical situation was so bad that crews might not have had time to whitewash them. I can't find a photo of one, whether because it didn't happen, or they didn't have film to play with, I don't know.

A grey turret on a Late Tiger seems very unlikely because they stopped using the grey base colour at the factory long before.

David

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
Posted by tigerman on Thursday, June 14, 2012 3:24 PM

One problem with Tiger production is that it was time consuming and expensive. They say you could build 2 Panthers for every Tiger I. Think if the Germans gave up on their Tiger production and switched to Panthers earlier? Yah, it probably wouldn't have made much difference.

   http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

 Eric 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:32 PM

SMJmodeler

 Manstein's revenge:

 

Your basic issue is that Tiger I's were rare at that stage of the war---mostly you saw Panthers and Tiger II's...

 

Manny: Why did Tiger I production cease?  Was the Tiger II a huge "upgrade" ... Was the Panther considered superior to the Tiger I?  Were the Russian KV's and JS forcing the Germans to go bigger?  Same thing with our M26? 

 

Aug 1944...yes, it was from a firepower and armor point of view...the main issue was the few numbers (less than 600) in which thet were built, their weight and fuel shortages...both sides forced the other to go bigger and better...  

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:11 PM

Also, the next generation of German tanks, the E series, were in part based on the Tiger II and Panther. It would have made sense to end Tiger I production.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Texas
Posted by wbill76 on Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:05 PM

SMJmodeler

 Manstein's revenge:

 

Your basic issue is that Tiger I's were rare at that stage of the war---mostly you saw Panthers and Tiger II's...

 

Manny: Why did Tiger I production cease?  Was the Tiger II a huge "upgrade" ... Was the Panther considered superior to the Tiger I?  Were the Russian KV's and JS forcing the Germans to go bigger?  Same thing with our M26?  

You have to remember that the age of the Tiger I design was showing by 1944 especially in relation to Soviet armor advancements during the same time period...Tiger II had sloped armor and other improvements that made it a better all-around heavy tank design. The Panther was the replacement for the Pz IV and incorporated similar concepts of sloped armor and enhanced firepower with the longer 7.5cm gun. The only reason the Pz IV continued in production was the inability of the production capacity to supply enough Panthers to take their place. Kind of ironic when you consider it...the push/pull between quantity/quality resulted in a hybrid solution that satisfied neither conditions in the end.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
Posted by tigerman on Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:22 PM

Manstein's revenge

 

 SMJmodeler:

 

NOW I"M GETTING CONFUSED!!!...Tongue Tied  Let's get back to what I have to work with.  AFV Tiger I Ausf E Late kit. 

What if I want to NOT build a Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger (whatever that is)...does that just totally blow the "gray turret  plausible" idea?

 

Your basic issue is that Tiger I's were rare at that stage of the war---mostly you saw Panthers and Tiger II's...

 

Actually at this stage, you probably still saw more StuG III's and Pz Iv's then King Tigers. Wink

   http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

 Eric 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:22 PM

Manstein's revenge

 

Your basic issue is that Tiger I's were rare at that stage of the war---mostly you saw Panthers and Tiger II's...

Manny: Why did Tiger I production cease?  Was the Tiger II a huge "upgrade" ... Was the Panther considered superior to the Tiger I?  Were the Russian KV's and JS forcing the Germans to go bigger?  Same thing with our M26? 

 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:14 PM

SMJmodeler

NOW I"M GETTING CONFUSED!!!...Tongue Tied  Let's get back to what I have to work with.  AFV Tiger I Ausf E Late kit. 

What if I want to NOT build a Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger (whatever that is)...does that just totally blow the "gray turret  plausible" idea?

Your basic issue is that Tiger I's were rare at that stage of the war---mostly you saw Panthers and Tiger II's...

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:02 PM

If your building a late, then yes, no grey. The only Tigers in Grey were the very first ones.

Gruppe Fehrmann is simply the name of the unit. I believe it was one of several units formed in the dieing days of the war. I am assuming these tanks had come from training schools and were upgraded with Zimm and the late model running gear.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:54 AM

NOW I"M GETTING CONFUSED!!!...Tongue Tied  Let's get back to what I have to work with.  AFV Tiger I Ausf E Late kit. 

What if I want to NOT build a Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger (whatever that is)...does that just totally blow the "gray turret  plausible" idea?

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:46 AM

Byrden

Actually, the Gruppe Fehrmann Tigers consisted of early turrets on their original early hulls. Only the wheels and tracks were upgraded to Late style.

David

 

 

Now that makes more sense. Would make a nice build.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Austria
Posted by Byrden on Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:37 AM

Actually, the Gruppe Fehrmann Tigers consisted of early turrets on their original early hulls. Only the wheels and tracks were upgraded to Late style.

David

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:32 AM

Steve, the problem with that is as i mentioned before, the turret is not a late. It has the dustbin style cupole and psitol ports of an early. This looks like an old turret was fitted onto a new hull.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Thursday, June 14, 2012 11:26 AM

Gentlemen:  Thank you very much for the input, expertise and evne photos!!!.  This is one of the things I found so great about the forum...the wealth of knowledge and interests is so vastBeer.

It seems more and more apparent to me that to stay in the plausible category the late will need to have zim', no whitewash, and could be three-color w/ gray turret...I DO LIKE THAT!!!

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:57 AM

T26E4

That grey turret is one of the Kampfgruppe Fehrman Tigers.  Subsequent photos have shown that it was no grey.  And it was a specific, cobbled together unit -- no whitewash.

 

From the looks of it, it was more than just the unit that was cobbled together. If i am not mistaken, thats a steel wheeled hull with a very early turret.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Austria
Posted by Byrden on Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:42 AM

Ah, I see.

That decal sheet covers some Tigers that are well-photographed Tigers, but also some that are speculative. We don't have any photos of "C32", for example (you can see all the known photos thumbnailed at TIIF.DE.).

The Tiger with the grey turret is a speculative one.  Its unit, Gruppe Fehrmann, had a handful of old second-hand Tigers, and Peddinghaus are speculating that they had an "F05", consisting of a hull and turret from two different vehicles with different paint.

This isn't impossible, but there are no photos of this "F05". Paint mismatches like this are rare, but I could find you one or two, such as this grey tank which is camouflaged with mud;

David

 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by T26E4 on Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:38 AM

That grey turret is one of the Kampfgruppe Fehrman Tigers.  Subsequent photos have shown that it was no grey.  And it was a specific, cobbled together unit -- no whitewash.

 

Roy Chow 

Join AMPS!

http://www.amps-armor.org

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:43 AM

Byrden

Why would the turret be grey?

I found this on the net, I was referring to the middle one on the right.  I also received a decal sheet from Bob Bailey that had the same scheme:

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Austria
Posted by Byrden on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 7:33 PM

Why would the turret be grey?

David

 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 3:39 PM

Byrden

SMJ, I can't find a single photo of a Late Tiger with whitewash. All the known photos are at TIIF.DE

David

I may add the whitewash to my mid and go with a three-color w/gray turret on the E late.  Thanks for the website, it looks great...all in German though so I'm shooting in the darkBlind Fold as I poke around. 

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Austria
Posted by Byrden on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 2:21 PM

SMJ, I can't find a single photo of a Late Tiger with whitewash. All the known photos are at TIIF.DE

David

 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Schroon Lake, NY
Posted by SMJmodeler on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 8:39 AM

Manny/T26E4/Bish: Thanks for your expertise, I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge!

Bill:  That Tiger right here on the forum page is great, but it's not what I have in mind.  I thought a whitewash over a three color would be cool.  Thanks for the input.Yes

dupes: Thanks for the link, cool schemes!  As you rummage the stash keep the Tiger I -Mid in mind for whitewash too.  I may do 2 builds for T-man's Steel Cats. The E Late and the Mid.  One will be whitewash, no zim, probably the Mid, The E may go gray turret with two-color (I posted a pic' in the GB thread).  Thanks for your willingness to help.  BTW still waiting to start our "conversation"Indifferentabout AMPS East.  

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: Coastal Maine
Posted by dupes on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 8:19 AM

SMJ - have yet to poke though all of my kit decals (I think I have every Tamiya and DML Late Tiger boxing?), but I did find you a whitewashed Tiger Late from Bison Decals. Look up set #35126, "To The Last Bullet #3". It's a mixed set of vehicles including what you're after in a ragged, rapidly fading scheme.

I suppose you could try this link as well:

http://www.bison-decals.com/35126.html

Beauty of that one is that you'd have left overs galore to replace the kit decals in all of those Tamiya kits you've got. Stick out tongue

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Texas
Posted by wbill76 on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 4:29 PM

Steve,

If you're looking for inspiration, just look up at the top banner pic for the FSM site. Big Smile

Dressing up a late Tiger in whitewash isn't outside the realm of possibility IMHO.

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by T26E4 on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 2:45 PM

The issue with Tiger IIs during the Ardennes campaign was there was no snow on the ground at the onset of the offensive.  Snow didn't start falling until about Dec 20-22 and the jump off of the attack was Dec 16.

 

To the OP: whitewash was a unit level decision.  The fact is most Tiger Is were out of action by late '44.

Roy Chow 

Join AMPS!

http://www.amps-armor.org

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 12:41 PM

Pics of white washed Tigers don't seem ten a penny. But i have a pic of a Command Tiger from early 44 which looks white, and theres at least one Tiger II from early 45 that was white washed. I don't see no reason why they wouldn't be if the situation allowed, but i don't think it was a given fact that it was always done. Just look at the Tiger II's during the ardennes campaign. 

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 12:27 PM

Tiger I production ended in the Aug/Sep of '44 timeframe so any that survived could have received a winter whitewash...It would also have had zimmerit on it and probably been in an overall dark yellow color or dark yellow base w/ camo applied "in the field"...

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