Has anybody ever figured out the code for putting on the decals for Italeri models, cause on the directions it shows the different decals with numbers beside them numbering 1 thru 17, but there is 2 to 4 of each one on the decal sheet, then they show pictures in black and white of a camo colored Marder 3 with letters with lines pointing to little squares on the Marder in different places, but there isn't 17 letters they got ABCDM on one with each letter pointing to a different position, then another picture has EFG, then another has FGHLM, and the last picture has FGHLM, but all together it has ABCDEFGHLM, now I figured the M is for number 17 cause I see the stripes on the picture on the front of the box, and number one in the German cross, not to mention the colors of flat tan, European green, military brown, now I've never seen them colors, and I thought I read somewhere that these models are recomended for the ages 10 and up, and I can't figure this out.anybody else have this problem? Thank you a head of time.

Hi straightedge,
On the instruction sheet there will be a list of the decals numbered 1 through ?? with a discription of what each decal represents, such as a specific unit. At the end of the description there is a letter. The letter shows where the decal goes on the kit. So basically you need to decide which set of decals (which unit) you want to use and get the letter from that, say it is F. Then any decal that has that letter (F) with it can be used for that unit. Where it shows several letters together, ABCDEFG for one area, you would just use the one letter from the group you picked (F). If there is no letter after the description that means you can use that decal with any unit you want, such as the kill rings on the main gun barrel.

As far as the colors go. They are supposed to represent the three tone camoflage that was pretty much the standard on German vehicles towards the end of the war.

I hope that this helps you out some.

What ever happened to the dark red primer, with a dark yellow base coat, and I believe I had read an artical that most of the tanks going into battle didn't even get their chassis painted that some were left the dark red primer, that the Germans called it Dunkelgelb or dark yellow, and this has tan and later the artical said they had a disruptive pattern of Dunkelgelb which is dark yellow, and Olivegrum, and Schwartzgrau, is it the tan better matches then any of the yellows.

I'm sorry Harv there isn't any explanation on the decals, or the directions, all they have is a picture of each decal with a number over it, and on this Marder 3 it has 17 different decals from Italeri. The picture of the real Marder 3 has the number 1 decal wich is the black German cross on the side of its armor, then it has the number 17 decal on the barrel, which is the rings, and the number 1 thru 4 is the different German crosses, then number 5 is the letter K, then number 6 is the letter G, but like I said the diagrams that show letters with lines pointing to little squares or rectangles on the Marder in different locations, which in no way resemble the any of the decals in shape. It would be nice if they did have an explanation but they don't anywhere that I can see, unless it is in a different language, but all the english language mentions nothing about it, but thank you anyway for trying.