A surprise release is this new book published in the Czech Republic which covers the development and implementation of camouflage colours used by German forces in WWII. Printed on very high quality paper, the book’s 70 pages take the reader through both a technical analysis of the German camo system as well as a general history of German forces in the second world war.

The book features some great paint chips which will prove useful to the modeller. Included in the pages following the chips are some nice colour images of non restored German gear such as headlights, helmets and gas cans in their original colours. These images are very important as they show the amount of variation possible even in a standardised paint system.

Andrew Dextras

BORESIGHT
(March 2001, USA)

Wehrmacht Heer Camouflage Colors 1939-1945, by Tomas Chory, English translation by Charles Kliment. Soft cover, spiral bound, 70 pages, 28 B&W photos, 26 color photos, four pages color art, 21 color chips, charts, appendices and glossary.

The new "bible" on the subject of Wehrmacht ground vehicle colors in World War 2, has finally arrived. Obviously well researched, this book ought to answer nearly all questions regarding what certain colors actually looked like as per factory specifications. To do this, the author has transcribed and translated many of the pertinent orders regarding the subject and included them in the English text. However, there is a "hole" in that there are no orders quoted between the three-color scheme of 1943, through to the order of January 1945. The orders are also repeated in the original German. There is also a page with 21 attached paint chips matched to the RAL 840R World War 2 specs (not to be confused with later RAL standards). The well done text, in English, describes the origin and function of the RAL (Reichsausschuss für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung), the types of paints, their chemical make-up and how they were to be used. Also covered is a brief history of German military operations and how they effected the camouflage policy of the Wehrmacht's vehicles and equipment. There is a color section illustrating typical color combinations and the years they would be seen keyed to the text. The text also briefly describes the many types of vehicles in use. There are color photographs illustrating un-restored original vehicle parts and equipment, as well as a series of color photos showing (mostly) originally painted vehicles at Aberdeen after the war. Some of the black and white photos and illustrations are of dubious value regarding this particular subject. However some, especially those which show late versions of the Sdkfz. 251 Ausf. D, Sdkfz. 234/3 and Bergepanzer 38(t) with 2cm FlaK 38, are extremely interesting and heretofore unseen by this reviewer. So, until a certain well-known team of researchers does what we've been begging them to do for the past five years, this book is IT! This book will be a limited print run and will become scarce quite soon. If you model German vehicles you should not be without this book. If you miss it, you'll be sorry! Highly recommended, value for money: excellent.

FINE SCALE MODELER
(July 2001, USA)

Wehrmacht Heer Camouflage Colors 1939-1945 by Tomas Chory. Color chips, color photos and in-depth references in one source.
     When studying references for modeling, I’ve always wanted to know what the heck the “RAL” prefix stood for regarding German/European markings – it’s something that comes up a lot at FSM. Chory’s Camouflage Colors answers my question on page 8, before the text even gets rolling – impressing me right from the start.
     The 70-page, spiral bound book breaks down the origins of Germany’s use of camouflage and the specific colors used – it even provides paint chips and camouflage examples for every type of AFV it could fit in its pages. It goes on to relate to the reader the proper coloring of the gear found stowed on the AFV’s, and even German lettering fonts.
     If you’re modeling WWII German armor, this publication is a “must have”. It’s a comprehensive look at Germany’s AFVs and an insightful research text with plenty of never-before seen color photographs and interesting tidbits of information. From Aura Design Studio.

Chris Appoldt

FIRST READ
Despite the undoubted popularity of WWII German military vehicle models, there has been a noticeable shortage of reference books dedicated to Wehrmacht colour research. The excellent “Panzer Colors” series had almost exclusive coverage of this area until recently joined by a similarly focused range of soft-cover books from Eastern Europe.
     “Wehrmacht Heer Camouflage Colors 1939-1945” is a new book by Tomas Chory that concentrates on this fascinating area of research. This book is spiral bound with 72 pages in heavy quality, glossy paper. Production qualities are very high.
     The book takes a logical approach to the subject. Its primary focus is the colours and their application. The text commences with a description of the role of the RAL institute as the organisation behind standardisation of camouflage colours, followed by a breakdown of the different types of paints and their designation. The bulk of the text refers to paint application to different categories of vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, armoured vehicles, tanks, tank hunters and self-propelled guns.
     The next section discusses the application of colours in various theatres. This is helpfully supported by translated extracts from Wehrmacht colour instructions. The original orders in German are also supplied as an Appendix.
     “Wehrmacht Heer Camouflage Colors 1939-1945” is peppered with photos of vehicles and equipment. These are a combination of wartime photos and pictures of restored vehicles. 16 pages of full-colour photos include some really wild late-war schemes.
     However, in my opinion, the greatest value of the book lies in the “Table of Color Hues”. This is a single page that displays actual colour chips for all the standard colours used on Wehrmacht vehicles in WWII, plus three pages describing each of the colours and their application. Interestingly, the table provides four variations of the ubiquitous Dark Yellow colour used from April 1943 until the end of the war. Colour chips are provided for each, and the text differentiates the usage of the different shades. The oft-misunderstood colours used in North Africa are also logically covered.
     My only complaint is that, at 25mm x 25mm, the colour chips are too small to fully appreciate the subtleties of the various paint finishes. Even so, they will be a fantastic reference tool for modellers.

CONCLUSION
At only 57 pages, it would be unreasonable to expect this book to provide a totally comprehensive coverage of WWII Wehrmacht colors..
     However, considering this space limitation, Tomas Chory has assembled a very useful reference that clarifies many of the common questions and misconceptions relating to German military vehicle colours. The colour chips and their descriptions are a terrific modelling asset and are almost worth the price of the book alone.
     I expect that this book will frequently be open on the modelling table as a helpful reference for my future Panzer projects!
     Highly Recommended for all modellers of German military vehicles.

Thanks to Jamin Janetzki at Scale Effect for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2001 by Brett Green