I tried to take a closer look at colour markings of German bombs recently, and the topic appeared to be more complex than I initially thought...
Generally, according to official manuals I know, before July 1942 German HE and AP bombs for normal climate were to be painted dark gray RAL 7021 (although RAL 7016 was mentioned one time), while aluminium and shortly later pale blue (what shade?) for tropical climate.
Since July 1942 all these bombs were to be painted beige-gray RAL 7027.
But what were colours of other types of bombs in these periods?
According to what I managed to find in manuals and books (save for OP-1666 as I don't trust it too much as far as colours are concerned), it was like this:
SB, SC, SD, PC, PD - RAL 7021 before July 1942, then RAL 7027
S Be - green all the time
Brand - RAL 7021 before July 1942, then RAL 7027...?
NC - feldgrau (NC 250) before July 1942, then RAL 7027 (NC 50) or feldgrau (NC 250)?
ZC - RAL 7027 from July 1942, but what earlier?
Flam - ?
Streubrand - ?
BL - yellow-brown before 1942, then RAL 7027
AB - RAL 7027 from July 1942, but what earlier?
Is this correct - and what are the missing colours?
Another question is colour marking for HE and AP bombs.
I guess it was like this (as illustrated below):
- at least HE bombs had no colour markings in 1939 (what about AP?).
- at some point later (1940? 1941?) a marking of bomb type was introduced in form of a tail cone fully painted with an appropriate colour - yellow for SB and SC, red for SD, yellow with a blue stripe for SD 1700 and blue for PC and PD. I believe this way of marking was rather short lived as photos of such bombs are relatively rare.
- the colour marking was reduced to longitudinal stripes on tail cones not later than spring 1941 (?). SB bombs were marked with two yellow stripes now (while apparently with only one stripe initially). This system remained in use till 1945.
L.Dv. 8/g 4 manual of June 1942 includes a table presenting colour markings of bombs, where colourful tail cones are drawn, while these markings are described as stripes only in the accompanying text. As the manual cancels the March 1941 edition (with two Deckblaettern), I suspect the table is simply reprinted in the 1942 edition from an earlier edition with no alterations.
On the other hand, SC 50 and SC 250 bombs with stripe markings are illustrated in the April 1941 edition of the L.Dv. 8/1 manual (while SC 1000 has no colour markings).
Thank you for any clarifications
Grzesio
Generally, according to official manuals I know, before July 1942 German HE and AP bombs for normal climate were to be painted dark gray RAL 7021 (although RAL 7016 was mentioned one time), while aluminium and shortly later pale blue (what shade?) for tropical climate.
Since July 1942 all these bombs were to be painted beige-gray RAL 7027.
But what were colours of other types of bombs in these periods?
According to what I managed to find in manuals and books (save for OP-1666 as I don't trust it too much as far as colours are concerned), it was like this:
SB, SC, SD, PC, PD - RAL 7021 before July 1942, then RAL 7027
S Be - green all the time
Brand - RAL 7021 before July 1942, then RAL 7027...?
NC - feldgrau (NC 250) before July 1942, then RAL 7027 (NC 50) or feldgrau (NC 250)?
ZC - RAL 7027 from July 1942, but what earlier?
Flam - ?
Streubrand - ?
BL - yellow-brown before 1942, then RAL 7027
AB - RAL 7027 from July 1942, but what earlier?
Is this correct - and what are the missing colours?
Another question is colour marking for HE and AP bombs.
I guess it was like this (as illustrated below):
- at least HE bombs had no colour markings in 1939 (what about AP?).
- at some point later (1940? 1941?) a marking of bomb type was introduced in form of a tail cone fully painted with an appropriate colour - yellow for SB and SC, red for SD, yellow with a blue stripe for SD 1700 and blue for PC and PD. I believe this way of marking was rather short lived as photos of such bombs are relatively rare.
- the colour marking was reduced to longitudinal stripes on tail cones not later than spring 1941 (?). SB bombs were marked with two yellow stripes now (while apparently with only one stripe initially). This system remained in use till 1945.
L.Dv. 8/g 4 manual of June 1942 includes a table presenting colour markings of bombs, where colourful tail cones are drawn, while these markings are described as stripes only in the accompanying text. As the manual cancels the March 1941 edition (with two Deckblaettern), I suspect the table is simply reprinted in the 1942 edition from an earlier edition with no alterations.
On the other hand, SC 50 and SC 250 bombs with stripe markings are illustrated in the April 1941 edition of the L.Dv. 8/1 manual (while SC 1000 has no colour markings).
Thank you for any clarifications
Grzesio
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