V3000S German Truck - 1/72 Scale

[Ralph Haus]

Finally, after 8 months or so on order, and assurances from my local HS that there were not any bullet holes (none that would affect the model anyway), my IBG V3000S kit arrived from Poland. After Vic's welcomed departure from aircraft building and a motivation to do something on the bench other than something with wings, here is the kit.

IBG V3000S German Truck - General Service. 1/72 scale.

This kit, first peek, brings new meaning to 'some assembly required'. Not only is it 1/72 scale with 'many' tiny pieces, even the cab is a component build. The only full form part is the canvas top! I'm hoping some of those thin section parts (exhaust system) make it through my 'clumsy hands' assembly.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Oh wow, nice one and definitely a nimble finger build, going to enjoy watching this one. An unusual subject as well Ralph.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Not happy with the very 'general' directions for painting. I need to do a bit of research on engine and frame details. I find it hard to believe 'everything' was coated either tan or geay (depending on theater)? Surely The frame was black and the exhaust components rusty (like was on my '49 Ford)? Also there has to be some subtle color changes between the metal and wood paint applied?

 

[Wurger]

As momo serves Germans used one colour overall for both the chassis , cab and all details there. The colour depended on the period of time rather... the Dunkelgrau up to 1943 and then the Dunkelgelb.
Certainly the tinge of the coat used for the "undersides" was changing because of the weather conditions, dust , dirt, etc ....

Dark Grey - Panzergrau , RAL 7021, 1939-1943. Also known as the Dunkelgrau.
Dark Sand - Dunkelgelb , RAL 7028, 1943-1945. The colour was called the Wehrmacht Olive as well.

The tinges of the coats could depend on the theatre or time. For instance the Dunkelgelb was more yellowish for the Mediterranean Theatre , more greyish, also called the Panzer Dunkelgelb, used between 1943 and 1944 while the one used at the end of the war was of the greenish tinge. Additionally , the paint tones varied depending on a factory.

the pic source: the net.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Hmmm! I am going to finish as the kit describes as North Africa 1942. What little I have found (so far) indicates these trucks were overpainted with the Gelbbraun, over the German Grey. Not clear yet if at factory or in the field? In either case I find it hard to believe the undersides would have been repainted as well? Remaining factory gray (or component colors)? As the one article pointed out, the box art correcty depicts the african corps (?) artwork on the door as being on the original gray paint. I certainly need to do more research.

 

[Wurger]

The Germans noticed quite early ( just in Russia and the N.Africa ) that the Dunkelgrau factory colour wasn't the best camo coat. Therefore they started to paint the vehicles with the Dunkelgelb colour. The paint was applied in the field workshops initially and unofficially. Officially the colour was introduced in 1943. So no wonder you may find the "colour mix" on the German vehicles in 1942. However the basic coat was still applying overall. It was a kind of the saving of the work time. Having the one colour for all details you may re-paint a vehicle more quickly than doing that with five different coats.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Good info Wojtek.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Good information. Fills in some holes in the color changes. However, I find it hard to believe the entire under carriage (frame), that is not readily visible, would have been repainted. I can visualize the field workshops receiving a Dunkelgrau unit and having to change its color to Dulkelgelb. But I Can"t envision crawling under the unit to paint all! I would suspect that anything that could be painted, on one's knees, from the outside was all that was covered?

Which would bring us to the interior. My understanding is the door panels, as the seat components, were a red leather (color). Other than the seat itself, would the crew have been that lazy to paint everything? The instructions imply this?

 

[Wurger]

IMHO if the re-painting was quickly your suspicion is correct. The new coat was applied at the visible "outer" surfaces only. But it should be kept in mind that all new vehicles got the overall painting in a factory. I have checked on a couple of pics with the DAK trucks in. These that came to the N. Africa with the unit from the Europe look like being re-painted with the Dunkelgelb colour applied over the Dunklegrau. Images with the later DAK vehicles show them coated with the RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb or RAL 8000 Gelb Braun overall. This may suggest that those that came later as the replenishment and were painted with the desert camo in a factory before sending to the Africa.

Regarding the colours for the cabin interior and its details.... the factory coat for the interior was the same as the one used for the exterior painting. So it means the the interior could be either of the Dunkelgrau or the Dunkelgelb. The basic coat was applied to all cockpit details except the cushions of the seats there. The steering wheel could be either of the base coat ( mostly ) or just left in the colour of the material it was made of. Especially , if it was made of the different material than the steel pipe.
The same way of painting was used by Russians in ZIS and GAZ trucks we had in my regiment. The entire interior was of the khaki-green paint. The exception were the cushions , the steering wheel and lever knobs and indicator dials that were of black. The doors didn't have the panels. There was a kind of flat plate attached. It could be either of the matal or a wood ( plywood) for the older ZIS or GAZ trucks. As the result the door panels were of the base colour too.
The appearance of the track cabin of the German WW2 tracks was the same rather. However it seems that the "red leather" colour should be of more yellowish tinge IMHO.. But the colour could vary depending on the factory and the track brand.

Here is an example of the Mercedes 3000/L701 cabin interior painted with the Dunkelgelb colour ...

the pic source: Niemiecka ciężarówka. Mercedes 3000/L701

and the door panel of the Luftwaffe Mercedes Benz LG3000 Kfz. 384 painted with the Dunkelgrau paint.

the source: Luftwaffe Mercedes Benz LG3000 Kfz. 384 - Axis History Forum

and Mercedes Benz L3000 LKW ...

the source: the net.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I seem to recall in my military days and as an expat, all vehicles were very basic in detail and were painted from top to tail in one colour, wheels, chassis, suspension, cab (inside and out) and all other details a bland single colour (with the exception of the engine) and the only other exception would be the colours of mud, muck and grease.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Wurger, agreed. This will be an interesting finish out, going from European gray to African tan. I will paint the Dunkelgrau overall first and then do an Dunkelgelb overcoat. I'm Still mentally flipping a coin as to wether the field repaint crew bothered to repaint the interiors? Inside the haul areas but maybe not the cab? I have seen a couple of builds (larger scale) that have the door panels showing the same colors as the seating. But that very well could be 'builders' choice.

 

[Wurger]

I agree with Vic's post. That's what I remember from my long time service. The military vehicles always were very basic in details and painted with one colour overall.
Also I agree that the field maintenance crews didn't bother to repaint the cab interior.

A such result can be seen in the two shots of a Opel Blitz model ..

the pic source: dws.org.pl • Zobacz temat - Opel Blitz Tamiya 1/35

 

[Ralph Haus]

I agree with Vic's post. That's what I remember from my long time service. The military vehicles always were very basic in details and painted with one colour overall.
Also I agree that the field maintenance crews didn't bother to repaint the cab interior.

A such result can be seen in the two shots of a Opel Blitz model ..

View attachment 665135
View attachment 665136
the pic source: dws.org.pl • Zobacz temat - Opel Blitz Tamiya 1/35

Great info again. I will be keeping the small details original finishes and colors (door handles, knobs). I would believe the factory would have masked these when the original gray was applied?

 

[Wurger]

IMHO the small details weren't attached when the interior was painted. Most of the details was added just after the process as the final assembling at the factory. Therefore they weren't painted or just painted with different colours by their manufacturers.

 

[Ralph Haus]

For me the paint scheme is settled then. Now all I have to do is assemble all those tiny little pieces! My only regret building this vehicle may be that I should have gone with a larger scale.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Now the paint scheme is settled, am looking forward to this build.

 

[Snautzer01]

perhaps of intrest

 

[Ralph Haus]

Very much so, thank you.