To further confirm my mental illness, I have researched this topic and concluded that the HL Panther G represents a Panther, as produced from Oct. 1944 - on.

This is due to;

Mantlet “Chin” Sept 1944

Raised Crew Compartment Heather October 1944

Exhaust Shrouds October 1944




Source is this very detailed site;

http://www.panther1944.de/en/sdkfz-171-pzkpfwg-panther/technik/technical-changes.html


If a person is trying for the most accuracy in finishing this tank, this means no Zimmerit and no Hinterhalt (disc) camo, since this camo was discontinued prior to Oct. 1944.

From Dec. - on, it looks like green, not yellow, was the base coat.

Like many of these rules, there were some exceptions, shown in actual historic photographs, here is one that has all the "October” features, with yellow; perhaps it depended what paint was on hand.



There is a nice conversion kit to make this an earlier D version, but it costs about $330.00 Can, more the purchase price HL Panther;


http://www.profiline-models.com/PzKpfw-V-AusfD--Panther.html



Of course, not everyone wants to go to this degree of following the “rules” and a lot of fun can be had using the imagination in finishing, or have the HL Panther “stand in”for an earlier version when it comes to painting.

After all, according to Hollywood, circa 1965, these are KT’s, and they used Panzer Grey in late 1944

You are insain .....enough said ......but in a good way .

Article on late Panther camo from the time of the HL Panther G, link does not work  , so here it is in a different format;

Hi Glen:

Lots to read.
I am now working on a Panther G IR which came in the blue gray colour and I now have it pretty much torn apart and am waiting for my Walterson 3:1 w/ 400's to arrive and trying to decide if I should try using The RX-18 + Mako board or adapt an extra  TK-22 That got a little damaged and is getting  some repair help. ( I also aquired metal sprockets etc. and tracks from Curtis)

But making use of the Grey Blue colour and deciding what I can do for Camo is my current problem.
I have not seen many examples of the blue with additional camo schemes.
Got any pics or ideas.

Wayne

Wayne

That period in the last 12 months of WWII is tough to find definitive data on German tank camo for lots of reasons, including a shortage of photographic paper = not many pictures from late 44/1945.

That article I put up there was well researched with historic photos for back up.

There is a lot of good stuff there and there appears to have been a common camo pattern, as shown.

There were exceptions, like my Panther 435, which has historic photo documentation; it had a yellow base with the green and brown "graffiti", very non-standard.

I am sure there were some other, imaginative, isolated examples of field paint jobs, done to suit local conditions and using what was on hand.

It is an interesting subject, I will take a look for some other references.

i painted one like this

I don't want to stifle creativity, the colour looks good but all my research indicates that panzer grey was no longer used as a base colour much past early 1943.

For example, IIRC, the Tiger I went from grey to yellow base approx. Jan./Feb. 1943.


The choice depends on what the modeler is going for, accepted "test book" reality (or perception of it) or creative license.

Then there are compromises, for example; my Porsche Turret KT does not have zimmerit   , and it should, I was too lazy to do it.

I'm considering an all-metal panther from rctank.de as my next BIG project... they have a few nice packages these days what with their new metal lower hull...

The only real negative being the lack of 'quality' recoil system; they use the HL unit (Bleh)... 

Glen, tempting?  http://www.rctank.de/Panther-G-metal-edition-metal-lower-hull-metal-wheels-metal-track-Recoil-unit-and-IR-battle-system

Strato50 wrote:

Glen, tempting?

Unfortunately not, right now.

I bought this more modern German vehicle last October;






................and realized that most of my riding gear is due for replacement (Helmet, Jacket, Riding Pants, Gloves), so this has been taking time and $$$$; got everything but the pants, waiting on a delivery at the shop to try some for fit.

Those pictures were taken on Oct. 22/13 when I picked the bike up at Wolf BMW, London, if it looks cold, it is because it was; 5C for the 2 1/2 hour run home.  Looked like rain most of the way back, but it didn't    



Anyway, I am contenting myself with an HL Panther build, with a Clark, 3:1's w/400's and a Tamiya Receiver.

Short list of units I am choosing between, all Nov. 1944 or later;

3rd Panzer

5th Panzer

10th SS Frundsberg

Munchenberg Div.

Should make a choice on the unit/colours, soon.

Another Panther site

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Panzer-V_Panther.php

Very nice Glen!

I'm considering cosolodating my existing German fleet into a single battalion but I'm not sure how feasible that is... my Tiger and PnzIII are in Afrika Corps colours but the PnzIV is not.. not even sure if the IV / L48 long barrelled tanks made it to that theatre. 

Am I right in guessing that only two divisions had Tigers in Africa?

Strato50 wrote:

Am I right in guessing that only two divisions had Tigers in Africa?

I believe so, Abt.'s 501 and 504.

Having everything in one unit might be a challenge if one is going for extreme historic accuracy since the various models represent different time; like the HL Tiger is an early one, late 1942/early 1943 while their Panther G is Nov. 1944 - on. 

A collection could track the unit through its history, if they operated all the types.

Then there's the case of the Tiger, which was usual assigned to Heavy Tank Battalions, in most cases; these would be assigned to operate with different units so a person could pick units that operated with each other.  Or, I believe some Waffen SS Panzer Div.'s may have operated everything from a Pz III to Tiger I over their history.

Researching this stuff will drive you nuts; I am proof of that.