British tank Valentine Questions

Hi again,

that was a quick entry after a years absence but the barbecue was screaming for attention.

I am building MiniArt's Valentine MkIII and would like to depict it in Russian service.

Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

Svenne

The kit is a little gem

The interior of British tanks is silver unless the tank is originally of US origin (like a Sherman or Grant), then it would be gloss white. The interior hatch color is normally the color of the tank exterior. When tanks were overpainted in a new camouflage scheme (for example a green tank painted sand for the desert), the hatches were closed so then the interior hatch color would often be the original exterior color and not get the new color.

Thank you Rob,

I was thinking pale green, duck egg blue or off-white.

Thanks

Svenne

Good question Svenne, I'm glad you asked!  But Rob, when you say silver, you mean they actually painted the interior a bright silver color?  Or was it more of a steel color?  And why silver?  Almost every other country's tanks had some other light colored interior like white, buff, light green, etc.  

Yes, a shiny silver to better reflect light inside. we used gloss white, the UK used silver, the Germans used an ivory white buff color. Read the caption next to the second photo down on this link.

mapleleafup.net/.../churchill2.html

You are the MAN Rob!  That's some cool info sure to be of use for Svenne and others!

Thank you Rob & Ernest.

Silver was unexpected - but silver it is :)

Svenne

Well this might throw a wrench into the works, depending which reference is more recent.  I could be wrong, but I thought Mike Starmer was the go to guy concerning British armour.  

He puts forth silver till mid 1940, from which point it was gradually switched to gloss white.  A sort of introductory letter for the associated website dated 2004 now puts the changeover as mid-war. 

regards,

Jack

Since Mike didn't stop by to answer the original poster's question, Svenne got an answer to the best of my abilities. Sorry if my information isn't correct. I will refrain from answering any questions concerning British armor (armour) in the future and allow you to be the site expert in directing questions on those matters.

I don't know if Mr. Starmer is signed up to these forums, but his name and research has been referred to here in the past.  I only discovered his work a few years ago.  I linked his web page for the benefit of all. 

I'm just a google expert

regards,

Jack

Again, I defer to your superior knowledge regarding British armor, although I know the two modern British tanks that I've been inside have had a silver interior. I've only been inside a Chieftain (unsure of the Mk) and a Challenger 1. Having spent decades in US tanks, the UK's silver color stands out in my mind.

Yes, it seems the British did return to silver interiors post war.

Did a little more digging to find out why the change to white and found this interesting thread.

regards,

Jack

I have read that until late 1941 the color was an aluminum pant (tamiya's AS-12 rattle can works well).The change to gloss white was for the need to use the aluminum paint in the aircraft industry. But the change over was not completely done. Valentine tanks built 5 miles apart by two different companies at the same time had different interiors (one aluminum and one gloss white). Companies used up their stocks of paint before switching over. For example, there are pictures of Churchill Mk VII Crocodiles with aluminium painted interiors.

For vehicles in North Africa I would use an aluminium color for British made vehicle. Lend Lease would use American colors. As there isn't a truelly uniform timeline of departure from one color to another and also the depot time to get the vehicles to the field the choice may be up to the modeller. For example, all Matilda II's used in North Africa should have interiors aluminum colored, but those used in the Pacific and Burma amy be either of the two colors.

Here's Starmer's reference:

www.mafva.net/.../Starmer%20camo.htm

Mike T.

An additional time line clarification:

"additional information is that many, but not all vehicles built during the later part of 1942 to the middle of 1944 may have white interiors as a shortage of the aluminum pigments gave the aero industry priority use on it. "

Mike T.

Thank you guys.

That does explain why so many of the reference pictures show white interiors.

I made a mess off my first "Silver" attempt but I must admit that it is quite interesting :)

Svenne

Wow, the things you learn on this forum!  Very, very good information to have....Thanks Rob, Jack and Mike T. for all the info.  Thanks Svenne for posting the question!!

I find that illustrators will use white as a default for interior colors, I believe even the German vehicles appear so. I guess that it appears better in print. The interior silver paint was dulled a bit to an aluminum color, so not actually a bright silver. As I mentioned before, Tamiya rattle can AS-12 (it applies nicely) or Testors Metalizer Aluminum Plate would be good choices from the photo's I have seen.

Good luck with your projects.

Mike T.