What colour where churchills used in Europe

Hi

I am about to start a Tamiya Churchill and have a question before I start.

For Churchills used in Europe what colour would they have been painted.

I guess it would not be Olive Drab like the Shermans as they arrived from America painted OD so what colour would the British have used on this home grown tank, I have had a look around and think I have narrowed it down to two. Bronze Green and Khaki Drab.

Anyone got any thoughts on this.

Thanks

Paul

Neither Paul

Assuming you are going to be doing it as a MkVII, from the box (although be advised the one in the box has postwar features) then it should be SCC15 British olive drab, which is not far from US olive drab but lighter and greener (although NOT green)

Chris

Hi Paul,

There a good reference from Overloon here **LINK**

The problem is knowing exactly how accurate was the restoration; I am sure it was restored as close as possible in all likelyhood. Probably a fairly accurate guide short of an RLM number from Vauxhall. Maybe they still have records?

Harvey

or you get one of mike starmer's books which gives sample chips and exact paint mixes

Vauxhall have no info on churchills AT ALL, I have tried to contact them previously and they were barely aware the company had ever so much as designed a tank. After the war they were required to surrender all documentation relating to war work to the War Department and it all resides somewhere forgotten in the national archive sadly. One day they will get around to digitising those files (as they slowly are all their paper files) and we will finally get to see them

Chris

Why am I sad, but not shocked.

Harvey

Its not really a shock Harvey. Like most corporations these days they pay peanuts. You don't get history graduates for peanuts.

Thanks everyone

I had completely forgotten about SCC15 Sounds like a good use of my White Ensign Olive drab that is too Light and too green to be Olive Drab.

I do know the Tamiya kit is wrong for WW2 but I am not that bothered about total accuracy as I am not a "Proper" modeller, as long as I leave the air filter armour off it will be close enough for me.

Paul

Paul, no-one said you are not a 'proper' modeller if you don't cover all the details, I just wanted too make sure you knew

If you had wanted to know and no-one had told you then that would be wrong, if you know and chose not to do anything about it no-one is saying you are not a 'proper' modeller

Hi Chris

It was me who was saying I am not a proper modeller, I build for the fun of building and painting and often don't worry to much over any inaccuracies in my models, I have built enough Tamiya Kits to not let inaccuracies hinder my enjoyment.

Anyway back to the Tamiya Churchill, I have my Final paint colour sorted and will soon be starting the build, now obviously the Tamiya Kit is best suited to make a very late war or early post war version but is there anything obvious that I should leave off to give an impression of a 1944/45 tank, without spending on aftermarket items as I am too skint and or tight to bye anything extra and my modelling skills are not upto doing much scratch building.

I understand the Armour covers to the air filters should be left off, is there anything else.

What about the track guards how common where they in the field, I know all the ones used in the Dieppe raid are shown without any guards fitted, was this because they where not used or that they got ripped of by all the stones from the beach.

Thanks again for all the help with this

Paul

Hi Paul

See if you can find any images of 34th Armd Bde during Operation Veritable Reichswald Forest 8 Feb '45 in support of 51st HD... lots of mk 7's to gawp at lol.

I've read that some tanks lost their track covers due to all the branches being picked up by the tracks...one example was that the tank picked up so much debris that the turret got wedged solid!

RE;- Colour...I have been told by a veteran that yes tanks were 'green' SCC15 but given a week in the field with dirt grime etc this meerly became a background hue to everything else that adhered to the vehicle.

HTH

Nick

Edited By Nick Richardson on 15/07/2012 02:28:02