Edited by Thomas L Jentz with 1/35 plans by Hilary Doyle
Published by Panzer Tracts, 100 pages, ISBN 0-9708407-8-0
The word for this one is Wow! Following one from Volume 1-1 on the Ausfuhrungs A and B we get here the full story of the “Kleine Befelswagens”, including the true story of the commander’s cupola. The Schulefarhzuege driver training Panzer Is without superstructures and turrets are also covered, as is the conversion of gun-tank Ausf A’s to driver trainers by removing their superstructures and turrets and the provision of extra gun-tank Ausf Bs by fitting them to specially built chassis. How many of us had ever heard about that?
Krupp’s export designs, the LKA and LKB, are here too and covered in just as much detail. Then comes the Pz I Ausf C, with its development from early projects to the production version, and the VK18.01 Pz I Ausf F in both pre-series and production types. Like the Befelswagen and driver trainers, all of them get excellent photo coverage from the German archives and equally excellent multi-view scale plans. There are even interior shots of the VK18.01!
Then there’s a section on combat use of all types apart from the export LKA and B, from the Spanish Civil War to 1941, though not including North Africa. Yes, I did say all types. The Ausfs C and F are included, complete with in-service photographs from their time in Russia.
Then comes the really startling chapter. The true story of pre-war and wartime German camouflage, with excerpts from the regulations giving the dates of changes, and also the official company and platoon markings. Here is the proof that monotone grey tanks were not in service until the fall of France – photographs showing dust over the paint have fooled us all. It remains debatable how many tanks may have had their brown pattern-painting overpainted in grey before the fighting in France ended – the order wasn’t given until 12 June 1940 - but the only possible argument from now on will be whether Germanic discipline could ever have allowed any to be issued to the troops without the brown paint.
But there’s more! Messrs Jentz and Doyle have found original colour chips of the true colours for the multi-colour pattern of the early 30s as well as the 1937-40 paints, and have taken special care to provide matching samples in this book! . “Panzer grey” is shown to be very dark indeed, almost black, and the brown is very hard to distinguish from it even without a coating of dust. It’s good to be proved right – I’ve argued for some time now that the grey was more of an off-black and far darker than any model paint.
This is an absolutely essential book for any enthusiast for German armour. Whether or not your interest lies in the Panzer I series, you must have it for the camouflage and paint colour information.
