.

32. A moment of rest after the capture of Voronesh. The SdKfz 10/4, armed with a 20 mm antiaircraft cannon with a protective shield, is finished with dark gray RAL 7021. The camouflage is augmented with bundles of straw that effectively disrupt the silhouette of the vehicle. The uniform of the driver, who folded the windshield, is made from cloth colored in the hue of field gray RAL 6006; his helmet is of the same color. The German flag on the hood of the car in the background was used to identify friendly units to Luftwaffe aircraft.

1941: Russia

The armored vehicles taking part in Unternehmen Barbarossa were without exception camouflaged in Dunkelgrau. During the summer, the vehicles were covered by a thick layer of dust. Some photographs show vehicles covered with light-colored dust in such a way that they seem to be sprayed with a light camouflage color. In the autumn their camouflage was complemented by layers of mud, which was always plentiful on the Russian roads. The Russian mud was something new for the German soldiers. Its season started regularly in the autumn following long-lasting rains, and in the spring after the thaw. The dust roads changed into bottomless beds filled with sticky and greasy mass that immobilized any movement of all the vehicles. All transport was grounded for several weeks. In the winter, the mud period ended with the first frosts; in the spring, it was necessary to wait until it dried up. In the autumn of 1941 the mud season lasted a whole month and the usually very formal General Bock, commander of the Army Group Center, described in his diary the situation on the autumn Russian roads by unusually strong words.

The OKH plans counted on the Russian campaign to last only several weeks and to end before the winter. The summer uniforms of the soldiers and the equipment of the vehicles corresponded to this plan. The advance of the Army proved to be slower than planned and the first snow began to appear as early as October. An official regulation specifying winter camouflage was issued on November 18, 1941 (H. M. 1941, Nr. 1128). It stated:

“Units in Norway, on the Finish front and in Russia may camouflage their vehicles (including automobiles) with a camouflaging white paint during the time when the terrain is snow covered. The decision to use it rests with the commander of each unit. Use the washable camouflage paint according to the changed technical delivery specifications 6345. The units can order the paint with their other supplies from the quartermaster depot. The paint is applied over the current dark gray paint and is removed the snow thaws.”

This white emulsion paint, which could be diluted with water was eminently suitable for the winter conditions. Even when it froze like a rock (at minus 40 C), it could have been used after thawing. When completely dried, the paint was resistant to rubbing and rain. It had to be removed mechanically, by brushes, wood shavings or straw, in combination with soda water. Its removal did not damage the underlying paint. It is quite probable that during the hard 1941–1942 winter, it was not possible to supply the units with this paint in any appreciable amount due to very severe supply problems. The supply routes were getting longer and with the advent of the extreme frost the vehicles and equipment started to fail. The weapons froze because their lubricants were not frost-proof, the starter motors of the motor vehicles were braking down, and the engines had to be started by lighting fires under them or keeping them running for hours at a time. This naturally led to their increased wear and to an enormous consumption of fuel. The crews, like their comrades in Africa, had to improvise and use all the available resources. A very popular whitewash was a lime solution applied by brushes or brooms in various variants (Figure 11 and 12). In an emergency chalk or white bed sheets were used. Some vehicles were not camouflaged at all and remained in dark gray paint, which contrasted strongly with a white background...
...SAMPLE
... 

ARMY VEHICLES  |  DEVELOPMENT OF GERMAN CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS IN THE YEARS 1939–45  |  TABLE OF COLOR HUES  |  COLORS ON ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT