Camouflage and painting of the Beutepanzers Mark IV

[Shadow of the Belle Epoque]

Greetings!

For some time I've been doing a small, private research for a future article about the captured British Mark IV tanks in German hands. Yet there's one aspect that is really hard to check and it needs a deeper research... The camouflage of the captured vehicles.

Photos suggest, that Germans had repainted the captured vehicles and used their own camouflage standards... But each captured vehicle seems to have an unique pattern, instead of some standarization.

I would be grateful for any tips, literature or photos of Beutepanzers, as it would certainly help in my research! So far I know about the one book that could help me (http://63528.activeboard.com/t41949691/tankograd-beute-tanks-volume-1-2/ ) but it's almost 100% impossible to get that publication in my country.

[centurion]

I'll post some pictures 2morrow (using tablet at moment whiccch is limiting)

[centurion]

In freikorps service

Courtesy of the AWM

Learning how to unditch

Minor repairs

[Shadow of the Belle Epoque]

Thank you very much for your photos, Centurion.

It seems that these vehicles are usually painted in three-colored camouflage... With the exception of famous "Liesel", that was painted in only one color probably. Here's the photo of "Liesel" from my collection, and it seems that she was painted in only one color (sorry for using the external link, I hope this won't be a problem) : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=546444358783549&set=a.546430978784887.1073741827.477660828995236&type=1&theater

Seems that the Geman camouflage was more resembling the original painting of the Mark I, rather than Mark IV vehicles. It could be interesting to check the camouflage of A7V also, maybe they were used in the same manner, as on the Beutepanzers.

[centurion]

Not the only example

[Shadow of the Belle Epoque]

http://www.nevingtonwarmuseum.com/germany-tanks---beutepanzer-british-mk-iv.html

Here's another bunch of photos of Beutepanzers...

So far, we can say that they were three "main" types of camouflage:

- one-colored tanks, like "Liesel" and some A7V

- Multicolored one

- one color, with many "spots" placed all over the vehicle.

Also, it's interesting to see the various versions of the cross used to mark the vehicles. The old version seems to be the dominating.

[centurion]

[Shadow of the Belle Epoque]

Another site with collection of Beutepanzers...

http://www.landships.info/landships/tank_articles.html#

In this section http://www.landships.info/landships/models.html# they have a coloured paper model of Beute Mark IV, but I don't know if the used colors are comfirmed... Again, it's a shame that I don't have the Tankograd publication.

[centurion]

Be careful at least one of those photos shows captured British Mk IVs after recovery from Cambrai but before they have been re gunned etc and entered into German service so you cannot deduce much from their paint style. Also note that Liesel is shown in camouflage, Beute panzers do seem to have been repainted on occassions.

[Shadow of the Belle Epoque]

Thank you for your tip, I'll be careful with these site then.

Another photos from internet:

http://images.mesdiscussions.net/pages14-18/mesimages/2548/DEUMarkIVLotte01.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk301/area23shelter/Armoured%20Cars/ww1germantank1.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff181/Peter_T1958/Diverse/88e849bf.jpg

[RexPolyglotus]

There are actually colour photo of these tanks from the time (autochromes).

Here is a selection of these images: 

[James A Pratt III]

There is also the book" The German A7V and captured British Mark IV tanks of WW I" by Maxwell Hundleby and Rainer Strachen