still don't know what color to paint my tanks
Actually i think i did figure out the tanks, just not anything else.
The pacific paint scheme was the popular winner in the poll, but I really don't have the right equipment for that. My force is modelled around the North Africa/Sicily/Italy campaign. Though I suppose I could still paint up the forces that are appropriate for the Pacific theatre in those colors - my army's going to be mismatched anyway as you will see below - I think that would be a little too incoherent on the same "side" of the table with desert-painted forces. Perhaps as a side project for later.
So what I've decided: overall a Tunisia themed force with the following specifics:
* "Honey" Stuart light tanks = basic desert/sand color. These have been in service since Alamein and have not seen a new paint job. These tanks look really boring in plain khaki green so I am going to paint them tan.
* Sherman III's = light mud/black camo - these will be painted in the Italian campaign colors, as historically that's when the New Zealand 4th Armored Brigade came into action. Not quite chronologically accurate as Italy happened after Tunisia, but, whatever.
* Infantry = my infantry are the "mediterranean" models with the short-sleeve desert shirts but the standard issue long-sleeve trousers. I'll paint the shirts desert sand color and the trousers service-colour (greenish brown) and the helmets... same color as the uh, tanks, that I'm not actually painting that color (khaki green)
* Trucks, gun tractors, and other vehicles = I am really undecided. Historically speaking, if I'm doing the Tunisia thing I should go with the khaki green. Which will match the infantry and is an interesting break from the standard "desert rats" beige. So interesting, in fact, that all the british players in the area have decided to use it instead of beige. I kind of like the beige. If I have light sandy-colored bases, the darker khaki might look better in contrast (esp. for the big artillery pieces), but the trucks don't really have bases. So, i don't know.
The pacific paint scheme was the popular winner in the poll, but I really don't have the right equipment for that. My force is modelled around the North Africa/Sicily/Italy campaign. Though I suppose I could still paint up the forces that are appropriate for the Pacific theatre in those colors - my army's going to be mismatched anyway as you will see below - I think that would be a little too incoherent on the same "side" of the table with desert-painted forces. Perhaps as a side project for later.
So what I've decided: overall a Tunisia themed force with the following specifics:
* "Honey" Stuart light tanks = basic desert/sand color. These have been in service since Alamein and have not seen a new paint job. These tanks look really boring in plain khaki green so I am going to paint them tan.
* Sherman III's = light mud/black camo - these will be painted in the Italian campaign colors, as historically that's when the New Zealand 4th Armored Brigade came into action. Not quite chronologically accurate as Italy happened after Tunisia, but, whatever.
* Infantry = my infantry are the "mediterranean" models with the short-sleeve desert shirts but the standard issue long-sleeve trousers. I'll paint the shirts desert sand color and the trousers service-colour (greenish brown) and the helmets... same color as the uh, tanks, that I'm not actually painting that color (khaki green)
* Trucks, gun tractors, and other vehicles = I am really undecided. Historically speaking, if I'm doing the Tunisia thing I should go with the khaki green. Which will match the infantry and is an interesting break from the standard "desert rats" beige. So interesting, in fact, that all the british players in the area have decided to use it instead of beige. I kind of like the beige. If I have light sandy-colored bases, the darker khaki might look better in contrast (esp. for the big artillery pieces), but the trucks don't really have bases. So, i don't know.