Beginner's guide to German Armor

The basic interior color should be an off-white/ivory color that the Germans called Elfenbein. Various other components of the interior would be different colors. A green (field gray-ish) primer was used on engine components like the transmission and, assuming you are building an earlier variant (pre-Ausf F), the floor would also have received a similar green primer treatment. HTH!

Groovy!  That helps a great deal.  I'm just now discovering for myself the gripes associated with Dragon instructions

Sorry, but I think you're confusing 2 colours here.

The colour called "feldgrau" was a dark green, similar to the British "bronze green". It was used on equipment that would be manufactured separately, like telescopes.

The grey-green colour for the inside bottom of the hull was a very different thing.

See my page about this;  http://byrden.com/panzers/Colours

David

Modelmaster makes a Panzer Interior Buff.

As far as building a Panzer II,I found this log very helpful:

www.armorama.com/modules.php

Just don't do the often made mistake where modellers paint the inside surfaces of hatches in the ivory color.  It was rarely seen in some pre-war vehices.  Someone finally pointed out that having visible and exposed white hatches on an otherwise dark grey or camouflaged tank was a bad idea.

Why some modellers fail to see this incosistency, while spending bundles of $ on aftermarket PE and transfers and washes and pigments and filers  is a huge irony to me.

I have to agree with Roy on this, any crew hatch will have the interior size the camo color. If it is an early North Africa vehicle, you may have the oddity of sand color outside with the interior side of the hatch panzer grey (it's original exterior paint color). This is true with vehicles for most countries. I get a kick of seeing M3 Lees with the interior side of the side door painted white. That would have been a great aiming point for the enemy. In reality it was olive drab, just look at the old Bogart movie "Sahara" to see it.

Mike T.

Thanks for the tips.  I've always wondered about the interior of hatches thinking from a ground attack pilot's (Or A/T crew's) perspective that the  "tree" or "Shrub" with the white circle  on top may be worth putting a few rounds into.....You know......for practice.  Makes sense that they would have painted them the same exterior color.  

Also, I see a lot of you armor guys chipping off hard edges of the exterior with the original grey base coat.  Is this done primarily by a small brush and a steady hand?  I use a similar technique on aircraft interiors, usually seats, with burnt umber or dark gray to represent those large flakes that come off of parts during heavy use.  Same technique here just on a larger scale?

As far as exterior chipping goes, have a look at DAK photos to get an idea of how much you should do. While the initial batches of equipment was repainted in Africa under less than ideal conditions, the replacement stuff was painted at the factory. As was re inforcement equipment for the most part. Early DAK AFVs were overcoated with local sand/mud concoctions until camo paint colors were later developed and made available. Of course that stuff did not wear as well as paint and the chipping was far more profound.

Thanks Stik.  I appreciate the info.  

One more color question:  I picked up the Legend stowage set for the Panzer II.  Any guides for the coloring on German tarps, bedrolls, equipment, etc that would be strapped on?

Oh lots of variety here. Early tarps would be a dark gray to match the vehicle. But then smaller tents would be a splinter pattern camo. Either of those items could be covered with mud or paint to better match the local environment. Not to mention that they will suck up desert dust on their own as they sit on the vehicle in transit. I am not sure about later stuff on factory painted desert camo vehicles, but an educated SWAG says that those tarps would be in some tan or tropical olive shade to match the vehicle. The smaller tents would still be in the splinter pattern. And dont forget how the DAK loved to pick up captured British tropical gear, clothing and such....

It looks like they did not get the memo about the interior hatch color... Is that what you are referring to G?

I think when it comes to the inside colour of hatches, it depends on which hatch it is. I seem to recall the painted the inside of my Pz IV D side hatch white, and i am sure i had seen that on the real things. According to Panzer Colours, this was done but was not common. These hatches would not normally be open when in action, except maybe the loaders side hatch so he could throw out spent cases.

Like many things, especially when it comes to German armour, there are always exceptions to the rule.

According to the upcoming Dragon release of this kit, this Mk IV was painted by the workers of the Munich plant during Oktoberfest after a session in the Fest tent... Perhaps they may have been more freewheeling than normal...