Hello all,
I'm about to start Tamiya 1/35 German Panther Type G Early version.
On the side of the box it shows a winter camo scheme (Dark Yellow with a white wash over it).
2 Questions: The winter camo doesn't seem to show zimmerit but the normal 3 colour camo scheme next to it does show Zimmerit, I thought the zim was applied at the factory , so shouldn't they all have it?
Secondly, I cant find any reference photos with a White wash over Dark yellow scheme at all, could anyone please post some links of any they know.

Cheers

Whatever the box art shows, if it's a Panther G it will have been painted in a multi-colour scheme. Initially this was Dunkelgelb with unit workshops applying Rotbraun and Olivgruen to it but later (from mid-September 1944) the factory painted the camouflage before despatch to the depots (Dunkelgelb vehicles in transit were a bit too obvious to marauding Jabos).

Pretty well all those painted Dunkelgelb and camouflaged by the units (so up to September 1944) will have had Zimmerit applied at the factory. Some appear (e.g. PB 105) wth Zimmerit and a factory 'ambush' scheme. Any survivors still in use by the time whitewash was required would have had it applied over the existing scheme.

Any photos that you find of Panther Gs with whitewash will have had it applied over a scheme based on either Dunklegelb, primer (this is disputed by some but Jentz was adamant that it happened) or Dunkelgruen (the final base colour applied at the factories, to which reference has been found dated 20th December 1944).

In my opinion, which you can treat as you wish, the best single source for this is Jentz & Doyle's Panzer Tracts 5-3, which costs a mere USD24.95 and is full of useful facts (as opposed to speculation), drawings and photos. Germany's Panther Tank by the same authors is also very good.

The terms 'early', 'mid' and 'late' are shorthand (like 'slow' or 'low risk') and not necessarily helpful as the Germans obviously did not know how long the war would last and so never used them. Your idea of the end of the 'early' period might not be the same as mine. Kit manufacturers are also not always correct in their labelling and may mix features of different production periods, particularly if using restored vehicles for reference, so the introduction dates forvarious features given in Panzer Tracts are invaluable in determing what should be present in a particular timeframe. No raised heater towers in Normandie, for example!

Hope this is of help anyway.

Very useful, Thank you