Hi, I´m about to paint my Elefant and I´m not able to find solid information about the camo schemes. I´ve even seen same unit with very diferent schemes- I´m interested in 332 and 232 unit but don´t know which one in real. Had same problem with some other units.
Any trustable source to get info about these units? What is your opinion between Tamiya and amusing info?
Any help will be really apreciated. Thanks
332 in Tamiya
332 in Amusing Hobby
332 in Wudawnictwo Miltaria book nº187
232 in Tamiya
232 in Amusing
334 in Amusing
334 in Ferdinad/Elefant Gunpower publication nº22 from Ajopress
Unless someone has a colour image of both…you can use some artistic licence on the design and the colours…each manufacturer recommends different ones and that means variations on the same colour … See if you can find definite written colour references from that period, and then go from there …
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Agree 100% with what Johnny said.
Even if one finds a color image, there’s always a question of color shift in photography of that era etc.
Ferdinand-tank-destroyer
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Is your question concerning color, or the pattern used? If it is the pattern, try to find one or more photos of the vehicle or at least the same unit, and go based on that. Do the best you can to figure it out (can be very hard with black and white photos), but don’t worry about it too much. Unless there is a good, period color photo of the vehicle, everything is just interpretation. All those references you posted are just that, artist interpretations. Your interpretation is just as valid as theirs are.
Ken
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The two surviving museam vehicles can also help get sort of a feel. Neither is restored to its exact WW2 paint scheme from what I understand.
Elefant
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As Ken said, usually it is hard to see clear patterns from black and white photos of dusted vehicles so the artist do their best at guessing.
If you need references, in my opinion the best is the Combat History of sPzJager Abt 653 by Karlheinz Munch:
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Because pictures of elefants are so hard to come by, I would pick your favorite of the availability patterns you posted and then try to follow it as close as you can
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No pics are clear enough to make out a pattern and this is why interpretation varies. As Carlos says, dust obscures too much for clarity.
Few manufacturers have colour diagrams with any research into the schemes at all, so comparing kit instructions will never get you the right result for the most part.
Here is 332 before it was converted to an Elephant.
and after:
The vehicles of heavy anti-tank unit 653 went through at least 3 major refits, the first being the upgrade from Ferdinand to Elephant. The camo on these vehicles varied vehicle to vehicle, and there were repaints involved along the way.
So the patterns varied on each vehicle during its life, so pinpointing exactly what pattern applied where and when you want to depict the vehicle is the big question. But really, paint it how you want to, no-one is going to be able to criticise if you do any of the schemes you listed.
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Many thanks to all for your responses.
I will choose one from Amusing hobby as I find more atractive.
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I’m curious if Ferdinand 332 and Elefant 332 are even the same vehicle. Once the Ferdinand went in for rebuild to Elefant configuration, it may have been assigned a new number upon completion. Perhaps it could have been assigned to the other heavy tank hunter battalion equipped with Elefants. One would have to know the serial number of the hull.
Same vehicle according to the book “The history of the Heavy Anti-tank Battalion 653”. The quote serial numbers throughout.
