Lithuanian modeler building Czechoslovak T-72 - help needed

[Pavel Klouček]

Pánové kopíruju sem dotaz z Nymburku, protože je šance, že se tu toho někdo spíše ujme. Aby se kolega z ciziny nemusel registrovat, tak to sem hodím já.

Hello gentlemen,


a friend of mine has recommended me this page to get more information for my next project. I am about to build a Czechoslovak T-72 and while browsing the net I came across this picture. Can anyone of you help me to clarify:

- which version is it (M/M1 - I noticed a front armour plate is missing, so probably M?)
- what is the purpose of the white stripes painted over a turret?
- the camo does not seems to be a standard khaki one, did Czechoslovak vehicles use also black and green camos or is this a Czech vehicle?

Thanks a lot for your help, happy modelling

Jari

Přílohy

[greenbaron]

Well, that's nice bunch of questions, so I'll try to answer them, although I am former armoured cavalry/recce, not tankie.

Type of T-72 in the picture: I would say it's T-72M but I could be mistaken due to different systems used by Soviets (for export) and by CSLA/CSSR... T-72 made by Tamiya is not flawless in fact so you will definitely need conversion sets offered by Hungarian producer SBS - probably front of the hull and the turret...

White stripes: These were used as quick recognition measure of "opposing army" during two-part exercises, that means vehicle marked with stripes belongs to "enemy". These stripes form cross when observed from above, sometimes iven main gun barrel upper qurter was painted... Width varied but usually they were as wide as "square brush"... Funnily, vehicles of Warsaw Pact "friendly armies" flooding Czechoslovakia in August 1968 were marked in the same way with white stripes, i.e. they were "enemy"...

Water soluble paints: You have to take in account the fact that our armoured and softskin vehicles except of Pandurs, T-72M4CZ and Danas (and quite small fleet of other relatively rare vehicles) are painted plain "khaki green" now... That was the case of our T-72s, BMP/BVP-2s, too... That system of watersoluble paints used for camouflaging vehicles during different seasons and climatic conditions and in different environment is pretty old (invented cca in fifties/sixties of 20th century) system based on seven colours. These were intended for use during possible conflict of alliances...
These colours were: No. 1 White, No. 2 Earth Yellow, No. 3 Brick Red, No. 4 Earth Brown, No. 5 Light Green, No. 6 Dark Green and No. 7 Black, they were delivered as powders.
Old stock paints were and still are used for temporary camouflage of vehicles taking part in field exercises and that is the case of your T-72.
There are written regulations and manulas providing recommended colours combinations for summer, spring, autumn and winter, but all depends on situation and no rule is totally rigid. Hence the number of colours combinations and possible schemes is literally endless, I saw many colourfully painted vehicles and even crazy schemes during my service.

I have to say it was pretty difficult to find complete set of matching paints in a single line of modelling paints, for instance Tamila acrylics could provide only Nos. 1 and 7 paints...

Quite extensive bunch of samples of original paints (made in different years) were collected and their samples (painted on green background) were compared to various ranges of modelling paints... It could be approximated that there were changes of No. 7 and No. 6 paint shades cca in 1963 and 1974 respectively.

It is necessary to mention that
- paints are of pretty strong matt finish in fact and it is strictly prohibited to use spray gun for applying them...
- paints should be applied by wide brushes and even by broom or rag of cloth, if necessary…
- it was strictly prohibited to mix shades to reach for example "grey" shade...
- when wet due to rain or moisture, they get more rich of colour or a bit brighter appearance...

There are possible matches:
No. 1 White: Humbrol Matt 34 White Gunze H11 Flat White
No. 2 Earth Yellow: Humbrol Matt 24 Trainer Yellow Gunze H71 Middle Stone
No. 3 Brick Red: Humbrol Matt 100 Red Brown Gunze H07 Brown
No. 4 Earth Brown: Humbrol Matt 110 Natural Brown Gunze H37 Wood Brown
No. 5 Light Green: Humbrol Matt 150 Forest Green Gunze H058 Interior Green
No. 6 Dark Green: pre 1974 Humbrol Matt 102 Army Green Gunze H330 Dark Green
No. 6 Dark Green: post 1974 Humbrol Matt 149 Dark Green Gunze H302 Green
No. 7 Black: pre 1963 Humbrol Matt 160 Camouflage Red Brown Gunze H406 Chocolate Brown
No. 7 Black: post 1963 Humbrol Matt 33 Black Gunze H12 Black

There were quite good approximations of above described colours provided by Síra Hobby (except of No. 8 Black post 1963), but honestly, I do not knot whether they are still available…

Some formations of former CSLA kept their vehicles prepared for camouflage application and so thin outlines of different colour stripes and blotches were painted on their surface, usually in black...

Seems to be a rocket science at the very first glance but in fact the art of camouflage is pretty flexible - try to imagine the situation of camouflaging vehicle in the strawberry field, at the edge of a field of blossoming sunflowers, on the dusty road between fields of cotton (just before harvest), in the snow with some arty shell explosion craters or in a semi destroyed and partly burnt-out building... Are those seven paints enough? Yes, they are.

HTH

P.S. That T-72 in the picture provided by our Lithuanian colleague has been camoed by irregular stripes of No. 7 Black, No. 5 Light Green, No. 6 Dark Green and No. 4 Earth Brown paints...

[jari.ruk]

Hi there,

I have finally made it here. Thank you guys, this is a nice bunch of information, frankly useful one.
I am about to get the WWP In detail book they have recommended me on nymburkforum page, so hopefully I will have plenty of photos to use.

Regards,

Jari

[greenbaron]

Hi Jari, great to see new member here, especially one with interest in our armour...
All information as presented above was compiled on official military manuals and field regulations and those suggested paint matches are based on comparing original camouflage paints with modelling paints.
My guess on paints used on vehicle in the picture is only pure guess based on my personal experience and I have to say I do not believe any part of surface was left not painted/camouflaged. These paints have certain infra(red) signature reduction capability so leaving part of vehicle unpainted would be serious mistake and that could mean regulations and rules were not obeyed... One of (7) paints is very similar to usual "plain khaki" paint used on our vehicles...