Tamiya's Porsche King Tiger decals

Turret numbers were different for each Company. So red numbers would be correct but just depends if they are right for the 3rd Company. They are working off B&W photo's so it is open to some guess work. I have noticed in the past that Tamiyas decals can be the wrong colour, i built their Mid production Tiger one and it had red numbers which should have been green.

This side on pic of Tiger II's of the 503, albeit the later version, are of tanks of the 3rd Company. To me, the numbers look close to the same colour as the cross, which we know for a fact is black.

But they are not exactly the same so could easily be red.

I am not at home at the moment so don't have access to my refeance books. I can't remember if the colours used for each company was to a set standard or if each unit decided which company would use which colours them selves. I'll try to have a look tonight.

Thanks a lot Bish! I checked profiles from a 90's book, Dragon, Meng and Hobby Boss color charts/profiles and they all point to black numbers... I think I'll end up getting an Archer dry transfer set ; will spare me the gloss coat! 

Just checked my Panzer Colours referance and they should be red.

So much for my sources... thanks a lot, Bish!

Model companies are not always the most reliable sources, they often get it wrong. And a lot of the time its down to guess work.

Would have mentioned this sooner, but for login problems.

For what it's worth, Volstad and Restayn both show the 503rd's numbers as black and white. 

Tigers in Combat I, omitted this detail in the marking descriptions for the Porsche Tigers of the 503rd. However, the proceeding Tiger I's and the following Henschel Tiger II's are described as having black and white numbers . Convention? I don't know.

Osprey's Kingtiger by Jentz and Doyle show 314 "Anneliese" of the 503rd as having red and white numbers.

I'm not sure that the various authors have settled this matter conclusively yet, but I'd put my money on Jentz, which would confirm Culver's Panzercolors. Continued research would yield further opinions, I'm sure.

Looking at large, high contrast images of 334's numbers online and from some of my books,  they appear lighter than the balkenkreuz, therefore more likely red.