ATOM 1935-1945 Soviet Camouflage Colors Set

Soviet equipment of the years 1935 to 1945

The finish of Red Army equipment changed several times over ten years. Prewar machines carried a dark green; after the fighting broke out there was a switch to a more sparing shade, which was mixed in factories and in field workshops alike and differed from batch to batch. Winter finish was sprayed or brushed in lime whitewash straight over the green and was washed off in spring, which left a mottled surface where it was never possible to tell where the factory ended and the front began.

What is in the set

Six bottles cover this range from dark olive tones through gray and green in the 4BO shade to reseda green. The last bottle is a white intended for washing off, which once dry can be partly removed with water and a bristle brush and so imitate a worn winter finish.

Application

The paint is acrylic, thins with water and suits an airbrush and a brush alike. The shades can be mixed with one another, which with Soviet equipment is an advantage rather than a risk: two vehicles in the same unit differed more than anyone building to a chart would expect today. It therefore pays to bring the surfaces to life with a subtle difference of tone even before shading.

The winter layer

The washable white is applied over a dried base and always unevenly. It can be wiped off with a damp brush within a few minutes, more heavily on the edges and around the hatches, where a crew moved about most.

Under the green it pays to run a dark base into the joints and under the fenders. It then shows through even after several coats and saves later shading.