Baptism by Fire - Zimmerit on Panther G

[erc1]

Hi, I have been playing around with a HL Tiger and Panther G for a while and decided to take the plunge and paint/detail the Panther. I started with zimmerit using Squadron green putty. I think the results are so-so, I may try using milliput or another type of epoxy (suggestions? advice?) for the rest of the tank. I am looking for an "in the field application" look - well, not really, but that the story I am sticking to

Red primer undercoat next - suggestions for authentic colour? Cheers

[Von kraftwerk]

Hi there,I think you're being hard on yourself,the zim looks ok,even factory applied was'nt perfect,G models all got zim in factory up till sept 44 then discontinued,most if not all zim G's had early round mantlet,but a few early chinned types may have got zim,a pic I got seems to show zim over red oxide,its possible according to some evidence that sheet metal eg mudguards skirt rail,bin etc were primed black,the tank would have then be sprayed dark yellow RAL 7028,zim period had field applied camo,hope this helps

[Saxondog]

This link is to a great Panther site,you may have it already. Also I think the Zimmerite looks great,and these guy's did all sorts of stuff in the field as the crews did not always agree with the changing spec's or instruction from the ministry. They did every thing they could to gain a tactical advantage, Saxondog


http://www.panther1944.de/en.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sparks]

Hi erc1,
Welcome to the forum

[Von kraftwerk]

ps primer would show on you bare armour where zim has flaked I'm sure,I'm nearly sure that zim was left in its buff colour and sprayed yellow,factory painted camo started when zim was coming to be phased out,its possible that some G's with zim had factory applied ambush scheme,IMHO Tankmads KT 555 is a good example for colours and pattern,

[majordisastor]

Your Zim works for me - I like the missing segments as well.

I tend to favour the Milliput extra fine putty myself - keep it wet once its on the tank and you can work it for longer.

Looking foreward to seeing more !!

Andy

[Von kraftwerk]

I agree MD milliput extrd fine you can also mix in water colour buff paint to stain it to more real colour while mixing the 2 parts,good for chipping afterwards for shrapnel and small arms damage,there are a few different schools of thought on how the stuff was textured, 1 waffle stamp only on StuG III possibly a roller with square studs, 2 tile grid on Panther A early Jagdpanther early I'm lucky to have a real one near to hand,appears to have had a dimple roller dimples about size of a pencil diameter and appear quite random,then scored in tile pattern.50mm sq approx, 3 standard pattern Tiger I zim is coarser on turret maybe toothed trowel or toothed roller according to some German enthusiasts/researchers,similar pattern on pz 4,stug 4,jagdpz 4,Brummbar,Panther A/G(some A's have a tile grid)some G's have tile grid on top of standard texture,Panther zim mostly has vertical groove,except MNH production horizontal grooves like Tiger II ,Jagdtiger,Sturmtiger,Elefant,there are a few exceptions tile pattern on stug 3,pz 4 G,standard pattern on stug 3,field applied very rough on Panther D,and on early Tiger I,these are rare examples,any thing to add I must have missed something,a gear or cog of suitable width could be useful zimmerit roller

[majordisastor]

I tend to favour a more basic 'stick it with a peice of metal ' approach myself .....



This might help as well.....

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op= ... 182&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Andy

[Von kraftwerk]

Yes MD screwdriver tip does the trick,its not how you do it,its what it looks like,and that looks like good zimmerit,I think even if roller with teeth was used on the real thing,it would look too regular on models,real zim would have been rollered while sloppy and the edges of the grooves would round off before drying which was over 24 hours,that more than likely the reason they stopped applying the stuff. Sept 44 and Germanys enemies knocking on the door east and west,

[majordisastor]

Thanks for the Zimm compliment Von Kraftwerk !!

Apparatntly the reason they stopped using Zimm was a report from the field that it would catch fire and endanger the tank, It was a chemical mixture of some sort ....

Here is a brief snippet from somone who was in at the start of this stuff....

Robert A Pertuss. Dipl.ING.HSK 1903 – 1986.

“ I may introduce myself as, Builder of Tiger and Konigstiger."

I think its only fair that we allow him to tell us a little about Zimmeritt from the factory point of view…

“One day Ministerialrat Kniepkamp showed up in Kassel and reported that the Russians used magnetic mines , which close combat soldiers attached to the side or the rear of the Panzer.

These mines were highly dangerous for the Panzer and should be rendered ineffective by a thick grooved layer of some sort of cement applied to the surface of the Panzer. With this method the magnets which are to hold the explosive charges onto the steel surface would not be strong enough to keep the mines in place.

Our purchasing department was able in the course of one afternoon ,to find out what material would be suitable, and quickly obtainable. It had to be fast drying and had to become stone hard.

Two days later the first drums of nitro-spachtel arrived. With the use of quickly improvised comb like toolsmade from thin sheet metal, we made a fist test application, with best results. In only three hours the stuff was hard and could accept the camouflage paint. Panzers ready for delivery the day after the nitro-spachtel was received had this protective coating applied. Panzers were delivered that way until the very end.”

Interesting little snippet from the pages of history ...

Andy