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Camouflage - Winter Whitewash
G-man69
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 04:36 AM UTC
Hi all,

When applying whitewash as a winter temporary camouflage would it be applied around any spare tank tracks that have been used as appliqué armour, or would it have also been daubed over tracks as well?

My gut tells me it would have been applied liberally to the hull and turret, and to anything adorning them, but I'm not sure either way.

Any advice, or comments, would be greatly appreciated, .

Cheers, ,

G
Johnnych01
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 04:44 AM UTC
I would say a general coat all over as anything else left untouched would stand out and be a lovely aiming mark....
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 04:48 AM UTC
YouTube clip of whitewashed panzer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROAE2H4alCM

Whitewashed spare tracks but the white has worn off the area around the spare tracks





Those spare bogie with road wheels was probably loaded onto the tank after the whitewashing, maybe only to carry them to some other tank in need of spares


A white wash which leaves unbroken contours of recognisable objects seems like a failure,
"Look Ivan, there is a shovel and some spare tracks moving across that snowdrift ...."
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 04:53 AM UTC
Another cool option:

...newspapers ....


Someone writes about winter camouflage for models:
https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=1736
G-man69
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 04:56 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I would say a general coat all over as anything else left untouched would stand out and be a lovely aiming mark....



Hi John,

Thank you for taking the time to comment, much appreciated, and a very valid point about aiming mark, the reddish rust would show bright against a whiteish background, .

Cheers, ,

G
G-man69
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 05:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Another cool option:

...newspapers ....



Hi Robin,

Thanks for the comments and images, newspaper is certainly an unusual solution...just glad they didn't have page 3 pinups back then, otherwise there'd be a couple of tasty aiming points, .

Your "Look Ivan,..." comment made me chuckle, thanks for that, .

Thanks again, and cheers, ,

G
Scarred
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Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 - 06:39 AM UTC
Poke around in here, lots of pictures of tanks whitewashed showing different results.

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/
G-man69
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 01:12 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Poke around in here, lots of pictures of tanks whitewashed showing different results.



Hi Patrick,

Thanks for the link, I've added it to my favourites, only had an initial glance so far, but it looks like it has some very useful images.

Thanks again, and cheers, ,

G
165thspc
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 04:54 AM UTC
Love the photo showing newspapers as camo! Ingenous!

As to tracks and road wheels; these are subject to getting wet not to mention the wet mud and dirt would quickly abrade the whitewash paint. I would think the white camo would quickly limit itself to the non-moving parts and things not in contact with the ground.
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 05:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Love the photo showing newspapers as camo! Ingenous!

As to tracks and road wheels; these are subject to getting wet not to mention the wet mud and dirt would quickly abrade the whitewash paint. I would think the white camo would quickly limit itself to the non-moving parts and things not in contact with the ground.



Tracks would definitely get their whitewash polished off.
The roadwheels would depend on the weather, it doesn't get wet when the temperature is below -10 Centigrade ( 14 Fahrenheit). Parts that get hot is another thing but I doubt that roadwheels will become warm enough when is it minus 10 C outside. When it gets down to minus 20 C (-4 F)and your chin starts getting sluggish or minus 30 C (-22 F) and you have to eat your steaming hot food fast before it freezes to the sides of your "slop container" then the snow will not get wet.
It could still get packed between road wheels so clearing it out when stopping is still mandatory.
Below -30 C it just gets horrible, brrrr, bring a stick when you go outside to do Nr 1 kind of horrible ...
Before you ask: Yes, I have camped in a tent for 10 days at -30 C, it is easier to keep dry at those temperatures, just remember to breathe slowly ....
Scarred
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 06:35 AM UTC
Remember whitewash isn't paint. It will wash off, come off in the rain, flake an rub off. Running gear wouldn't stay white and scrapes from bushes would show the underlying cammo. It would be missing or worn around hatches, engine accesses, where crew climbed or walked on the tank.

When I was kid we lived near a dairy and I'd go there whenever I could. I remember them whitewashing the milking parlor and how if you bumped up against the walls you would wind up with white dust on your clothes.
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 07:44 AM UTC

or




snow clinging to roadwheels (NOT whitewash or white paint)


In some cases the winter camouflage was real paint and not simple whitewash

Road wheels packed with snow which hasn't been rubbed off yet


Not a panzer




Snow, especially grainy snow, can be abrasive but wheels with hubs/centers dished inwards would cake up with snow which would protect any whitewash underneath.
Driving in deep snow is not the same as driving in sand, dirt or mud.
TopSmith
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 09:16 AM UTC
Wow, that Tigers loader is one macho guy!
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Friday, July 03, 2020 - 09:35 AM UTC
Just count the shots for an hour or two and try to figure out where he has stashed all that ammo ....
165thspc
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Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2020 - 06:25 AM UTC
I thought I had posted this already a long time ago - sorry.

For winter white wash I just use good ole grade school tempura paint. If I don't like the results I wash it off before it fully dries.





165thspc
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Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2020 - 06:37 AM UTC
And another idea entirely - bed sheets!

165thspc
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Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2020 - 06:40 AM UTC




165thspc
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Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2020 - 10:23 AM UTC
More whitewash reference and models over on this thread:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/287777&page=1#2418690
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