Europe 1939 - May 1945

  • Anthrazitgrau 1935–1939
  • Panzergrau 1940 - Feb. 1943
  • Dunkelgelb Feb. 1943 - Oct. 1944
  • Olivgrün Nov. 1944 - May 1945
  • Rotbraun Nov. 1944 - May 1945

North Africa April 1941 - May 1943

  • Grünbraun Mar. 1941 - Apr. 1942
  • Gelbbraun Apr. 1942 – Feb. 1943
  • Dunkelgelb Feb. 1943 - May 1943

It is important to remember, that the table lists the closest model colour matches for a particular standard colour applied to an actual vehicle, not a model of the same. In order to paint a 1:72 scale model of a particular vehicle, the scale colour effect needs to be taken into account. As a rule, matching model colours should be mixed with 10-30% white in order to arrive at the scaled down vehicle base colour. Approximately 40-50% white is recommended for drybrushing the highlights.

RAL Colour Conversion Table
Designation Vallejo1 Xtracolor Humbrol Revell Testors Tamiya Gunze
1001 Elfenbein 976 (120) - 121 - E 6213 XF57 (?) H85
Improbable vehicle interior colour for walls, bulkheads, etc., with the exception of hatch covers, which were camouflaged on both sides. Too dark to be realistic, particularly in 1:72 scale. This colour or RAL 1002 Sandgelb were probably used to paint steel helmets, gas mask containers and other personal equipment used in Africa.
1005 Erdgelb Nr. 22 923 (117) - 81 - - - -
Possible earth yellow variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932.
2004 Orange 851 (24) - 18 2 30 E 1791 X6 H14
3000 Feuerrot - - 19 2 31 E 2741 X7 H3
3004 Dunkelrot - - 20 2 32 - - -
3009 Oxidrot 982 (137) - 70 2 37 - - -
Red Oxide Primer, 1939 - Mai 1945.
Vehicle base colour, November 1944 until May 1945.
3026 Leuchtrot 733 (207) - 209 332 1775 - H23
6002 Grün Nr. 27 - - - - - - -
Possible green variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932.
6003 Olivgrün 890 (90) X806 117 (105?) 361 E 7733 XF58 (?) H303 / TC-5
Disruptive pattern over Panzergrau, Eastern Front 1942
Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgelb, Feb. 1943 until October 1944.
Vehicle base colour, November 1944 until May 1945.
Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945.
6006 Feldgrau, Nr. 3 888 (92) - 108 310+380 - - -
Wehrmacht Feldgrau used from 1935 to 1945 to paint ammunition boxes and equipment.
6007 Grün Nr. 28 979 (97) - 91 - - - -
Bottle green colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918.
6014 Gelboliv 897 (98) - 75 - - - -
Bundeswehr "Nato-oliv" vehicle and equipment colour. Light brown or reddish mud was sometimes used to create disruptive patterns. In 1984 the new three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich was introduced, but even in 1999 many soft vehicles still show the old base colour without pattern. In some cases, the new disruptive pattern has been painted over the old Gelboliv base colour. Some vehicles which have been repainted in the new pattern still sport certain parts painted in the old base colour, such as front and rear bumpers on some trucks, and road wheels on some M113 APCs.
6020 Dunkelgrün - - 195 - - - -
6031 Bronzegrün 893 (95) - 116 65 - - -
Bundeswehr vehicle base colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984.
7000 Grau 991 (159) - 140 (145?) 57 - - -
7008 Graugrün
(Khakibraun) 		880 (113) X804 26 2 86 2098 - H81 / TC-4
Disruptive pattern over Grünbraun, applied in irregular patches covering 1/3 of the vehicle. Africa, Mar. 1941 until Apr. 1942.
Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 281.
7009 Feldgrau, Nr. 2 830 (102) - 111 67 - - -
World War One Feldgrau, may have been used on some vehicles in World War Two as well.
7010 Zeltgrau - - 161 66 - - -
Possible variant of World War One Feldgrau.
7011 Eisengrau 898 (48) - 79 71 - - -
Reichsbahn lokomotive colour used until the summer of 1942. It is likely that locomotive factories occasionally used supplies of this colour to paint tanks when RAL 7021 was not available. This may explain why some Tiger I tanks manufactured by Henschel display relatively light grey colours.
7012 Staubgrau 869 (162) - 79 77 - - -
7013 Braungrau 887 (93) - - - - - -
Possible variant of World War One Feldgrau.
7016 Anthrazitgrau - X802 134 - 2101 - -
Vehicle base colour; dominated the Signalbraun disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. All vehicles drafted in 1939 were painted in this pattern. Also known as Fliegerblaugrau, and used for Luftwaffe ground vehicles and steel helmets.
7017
Dunkelbraun Nr. 45 		- - 10 9+84 - - -
Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgrau Nr. 46 (RAL 7021), used in the 1937 two-colour pattern.
7021
Dunkelgrau Nr. 46 		862 (168) X800 67 2 (182?) 9 2094 XF63 TC-1
Base colour of the 1937 two-colour pattern. Named Schwarzgrau in subsequent RAL colour charts.
7021 Schwarzgrau 862 (168) X800 67 2 (182?) 9 2094 XF63 TC-1
Popularly known as Panzergrau.
Vehicle base colour 1940-1943, replacing the earlier two-colour pattern.
Heeresmitteilung 1940, Nr. 864 dated 31st June 1940.
7027 Sandgrau - X809 187 - 2103 - -
Disruptive pattern over Gelbbraun, applied in irregular patches covering 1/3 of the vehicle. Africa, May 1942 until May 1943.
Heeresmitteilung 1942, Nr. 315 dated 25th March 1942.
Also used in Crete (HM 1942, Nr. 600). Many vehicles arrived in Africa in the original Schwarzgrau RAL 7021 base colour, and they may have received wavy striped patterns or irregular patches in Sandgrau as well. At least two Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. N (7,5 cm KwK L/24) carried a disruptive pattern of Sandgrau over "Dunkelgelb nach Muster".
7028 Dunkelgelb 914 (119) X805 94 (72?) - 2095 XF55 H403
First standard colour developed for agricultural vehicles and equipment, used as a military standard colour after October of 1942. Vehicle base colour, February 1943 until October 1944.
Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945.
Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945.
Dunkelgelb
nach Muster 		882 (118) - 83 - - TS-3, XF60 TC-3
Second standard colour developed for military use. Vehicle base colour, February 1943 until October 1944. Many shades and variations of this colour existed.
Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945.
Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945.
7031 Blaugrau 992 (160) - 27 2 (144?) 79 - - -
7033 Grüngrau - - 115 - - - -
Interior armoured vehicle colour used on transmissions.
7035 Hellgrau - - 196 - - - -
8000 Gelbbraun
(Grünbraun) 		879 (114) X803 118+93 380 2099 - TC-2
Vehicle base colour; dominated the Graugrün disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, March 1941 until April 1942. Many Panzergrau vehicles were repainted in this colour. When the paint chipped or rubbed off, Panzergrau would show again underneath.
Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 281.
8002 Erdgelb Nr. 17 - X801 186+94 380 (?) - - -
Earth yellow colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918.
8002 Signalbraun - X801 186+94 380 (?) 2100 (?) XF52 (?) -
Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgrau, applied in irregular patches to 1/3 of the vehicle. All vehicles drafted in 1939 were painted in this pattern. Not to be confused with modern RAL 8002 Signalbraun.
8010 Braun Nr. 18 984 (140) - 160 383+86 - - -
Brown colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918.
8014 Braun Nr. 18 g - - - - - - -
Possible brown variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932.
8017 Rotbraun
(Schokoladenbraun) 		872 (149) X807 160 (177?) 81 2096 XF64 TC-6
Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgelb, February 1943 until October 1944.
Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945.
8020 Gelbbraun 824 (128) X808 93 2 (63+93?) 16 2102 XF57 H79
Vehicle base colour; dominated the Sandgrau disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, May 1942 until May 1943.
Heeresmitteilung 1942, Nr. 315 dated 25th March 1942.
Also used in Crete (HM 1942, Nr. 600).
8027 Lederbraun 871 (147) - 63+250 84 - - -
Bundeswehr vehicle disruptive colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984.
9001 Cremeweiß - - 41 5 - - -
Bundeswehr interior armour colour, also used for tactical signs and turret numbers. RAL 9001 Cremeweiß may have been used by the Wehrmacht as well.
9002 Grauweiß 820 (4) - 28+34 5+371 - - -
Most likely tank interior colour used by the Wehrmacht, probably also used for tactical signs and turret numbers.
9005 Anthrazit 861 (170) - 85 2, 33 2 302 - - -
9010 Weiss 951 (1) - 34 2 5 E 0053 XF2 H11
9011 Schwarz 950 (169) - 33 2 8 E 9983 XF1 H12
9021 Teerschwarz - - - 6 - - -
Bundeswehr vehicle disruptive colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984.

Please refer to the German vehicle catalog for more information about camouflage schemes, and vehicle markings.

Footnotes

  1. Vallejo Acrylic Model Colours are listed with two number, i.e. "976 (120)". The colour’s order number (Ref) is followed by its position number (Pos) in brackets. The position number indicates the relative position of the colour on the Valley Model Colour chart.
  2. Also available as acrylic paint. Testors Model-Master "E ...." numbers indicate acrylic paint, other numbers are Model-Master enamels.