36 replies to this topic

[FrozenKemp]

This mod replaces the colours of the camouflage patterns for British tanks with more historically accurate colours.  The biggest changes the mod makes can be seen here, but I reviewed every camouflage pattern in the game and updated them to better values.

 

How do I know they are better values?  My source is the self-published booklets for scale modellers by British modeler Mike Starmer who has spent decades researching the subject.  I have also been assisting Mike over the past year in examining the colour chips at Library and Archives Canada where in fact I found there are original colour chips for the three-colour "Caunter" scheme, one of the changes made by this mod.

 

The biggest colour changes made by the mod are shown here: 

 

 

In the upper left we have the previously light green summer camouflage pattern supposedly used by the Canadians in 1942 (I have my doubts).  By 1942 stocks of the chemicals for green paints were running low and the British (and by extension Canadians) changed to browns. 

 

In the upper right we have the previous two-tone green pattern for 1940.  

 

In the lower left we have the "Caunter" pattern which by default contains blue in World of Tanks.  This blue came about through mistakes made by museums back in the 1960s or 70s.  However, as I've said, I've actually seen original colour chips and I can assure you that this is correct.

 

In the lower right we have the formerly purple LDRG pattern.  While the exact tones used by the LDRG are I think still unknown, this replaces the purplish colour with an approximation of the "desert pink" that was used by the British for all their tanks in the second half of 1942 and in 1943.  I think it's a little more palatable.

 

I would LOVE to read your feedback (hopefully not too negative!).

 

You can download the mod here

 

https://wgmods.net/655/ 

 

As usual just extract the files into your current res_mods folder. 

 

Version History

 

1: Initial version

2: Added red/white/red nation icon made by wookie_monster.  Tweaked pretty much all the colours.  (Did colour correction on my photos and THEN sampled them.)  Black is less deeply black now, desert pink is a little darker, etc. 

3: Added four division emblems. 

4: Added a bunch more emblems

5: Tweaked a few colours for greater contrast

6: Scrapped

7: Adapted to work in new camouflage system.  Had to darken one colour due to limitations of hex-editing. 

8: Slightly lightened Light Green for better contrast.  Revised 3-colour summer camouflage so it is now sand/olive green/blue-black rather than sand/olive green/brown.  It more closely resembles Wargaming's version now 

Edited by FrozenKemp, Apr 17 2018 - 12:05.

[tod914]

Nice job on the research.  I'm looking at the desert "splinter" pattern in game.  It seems to be yellow/beige and black.  Is the black correct for that pattern?

[FrozenKemp]

Man, I had a whole reply typed up and the forum ate it because it didn't like my photos.

 

I haven't actually ever seen a picture of a tank in that pattern so I am suspicious that it doesn't exist.  WG isn't necessarily able to actually implement the real patterns in the game.  For instance, the "Stripes" camouflage, which uses the historical "Caunter pattern" colours, doesn't really look like that. 

 

So what I did with some of the patterns was at least set them up with possible historical colours.  The general two-tone colour patterns had a base colour which could be:

* Light Stone (yellow)

* Portland Stone (the paler yellow I used in Two tone plain camouflage)

* Desert Pink (which I put in the LRDG pattern)

 

And a second colour which could be:

* Dark Brown

* Black

* Green!

 

At one point they in fact had tanks in pink and green, hoping that would work both for the battle at El Alamein (where the sand is that sort of colour) and when they got to Tunisia, that it would help blend with the green vegetation there. 

 

Crusader tank in the classic two-tone pattern:

https://en.wikipedia...er_tank_III.jpg

 

Sherman tank in Italy in the 'desert combined camouflage' which was never used in the desert

https://upload.wikim...erman_SHEIK.JPG

 

P.S. just remembered there was a period in which every unit made its own camo so maybe that's when the splintered pattern was used.  if so, yellow and black could be correct. 

Edited by FrozenKemp, Sep 30 2017 - 22:41.

[FrozenKemp]

P.S. if people would prefer I change the black back to brown I could do that. 

[tod914]

I would be one for the brown instead of black.   Either way is fine.  I like what you did with them.  Regarding the desert "stripes", you made mention blue was never used if I understood your statement correctly.  Rather interesting.  Seemed that blue was depicted in a lot of references over the years.  Model kits, books, etc..  How exactly did that error come into play?

 

 

[Avalon304]

tod914, on Sep 30 2017 - 15:17, said:

I would be one for the brown instead of black.   Either way is fine.  I like what you did with them.  Regarding the desert "stripes", you made mention blue was never used if I understood your statement correctly.  Rather interesting.  Seemed that blue was depicted in a lot of references over the years.  Model kits, books, etc..  How exactly did that error come into play?

 

 

 

I think we should let The_Chieftain take care of this one:

 

https://youtu.be/bSx...gaPQo_xBsb&t=57

Edited by Avalon304, Sep 30 2017 - 23:36.

[The_Chieftain]

Glad to see this as an option, I might well download them myself,

 

For those of you who have not been around for long, we did change the Stipes scheme a whiles back to a more realistic scheme. Players complained that they had lost their pretty scheme, and so we changed it back.

[FrozenKemp]

I think I miiiiiight have to do another pass over all the colours (because I'm a perfectionist).  I took pics of the paint colours in fairly bright sunlight and e.g. desert pink seems too light in the garage to me now.  

 

The next version will include wookie_monster's red/white/red nation symbol for the British as well. 

[FrozenKemp]

New version uploaded - many of the colours look pretty much the same although the light green in the green/khaki pattern is a different shade now.  You probably won't notice much difference to be honest.  However this version does give you a red/white/red nation symbol for the Brits, courtesy of wookie_monster.  

[tod914]

Looks great Kemp!  Will be looking forward to adding these to some of my tanks comes the next cammo sale.  The European theater of Operation, did the majority of the Brit tanks enter combat with just a base color, or was cammo applied to them?  Normandy and after to be specific.  Thanks.

 

[FrozenKemp]

Normandy and after the Brits were basically just using a base colour of olive drab which was a close match to the US paint.  I guess the focus had changed to adding actual vegetation to tanks. 

 

The only exceptions I can think of are on trucks, some armoured cars, and I think some Churchill tanks of the Guards armoured division which had a pattern like so:

 

http://www.surfaceze.../linkcmpmme.jpg

Edited by FrozenKemp, Oct 02 2017 - 04:26.

[FrozenKemp]

I am excited!

 

This obviously would not effect how anyone else sees your tank, but I figured out how to substitute new textures for the emblems in-game, found one for the British 11th Armoured Division already in the game files, and was able to change that into a square shape alpha mask that provides some nice transparency so - all I need is a square image and I can make a divisional emblem (that will, again, only show on your computer).  e.g.:

 

6th Armoured Division, "The Mailed Fist"

 

Edited by FrozenKemp, Oct 03 2017 - 02:40.

[FrozenKemp]

The Armoured Divisions are here!

 

 

 

 

 

I have set up the mod to replace four of the recently awarded emblems with these division symbols.  (Snake 1, Snake 2, Heart and Ghost).  Instructions are also provided to replace the Union Jack with one of these symbols.  (Note that of course these only change the display of these emblems to you.  Other players will see the original WG-provided emblems.)

About the symbols:

 

The "Black Bull" was the symbol of the 11th Armoured which fought in France and Germany.  3 RTR, one of its component units, was the unit equipped with the first Comet tanks.

 

The eye symbol of the Guards Armoured Division dates back to World War 1.  The Guards were actually a crack infantry division, part of which was converted to armour during WW2.

 

The Desert Rats, the 7th Armoured, are the most famous of these units, which fought throughout the desert campaign, into Italy, and then France and Germany.

 

Finally, the mailed fist represents the 6th Armoured Division which fought alongside American units in North Africa and Italy. 

 

Edited by FrozenKemp, Oct 06 2017 - 03:44.

[FrozenKemp]

I tweaked some summer pattern colours for increased contrast and added more emblems.

These are the emblems now included:

 

[tod914]

Nice Kemp!  I'll add those in this evening.  I wish they offered more historic patterns and emblems.

Edited by tod914, Nov 04 2017 - 17:25.

[FrozenKemp]

Tod, you may be the only guy who's installed it, so if you want different emblem substitutions from what the mod is delivering let me know  

[Life_In_Black]

FrozenKemp, on Nov 04 2017 - 11:41, said:

Tod, you may be the only guy who's installed it, so if you want different emblem substitutions from what the mod is delivering let me know  

 

Any chance you could replace the in-game Israeli flag with the Israeli air force's Star of David roundel? Early on some Israeli armored vehicles carried the symbol as well, so there is a reason for wanting this.

[FrozenKemp]

Life_In_Black, on Nov 04 2017 - 12:05, said:

 

Any chance you could replace the in-game Israeli flag with the Israeli air force's Star of David roundel? Early on some Israeli armored vehicles carried the symbol as well, so there is a reason for wanting this.

 

If the image is available online this would be pretty easy!  I'd make it a separate download. Let me look into it later.  

 

I have gone back and forth on whether to substitute something for the Union Jack for this mod.

[Life_In_Black]

FrozenKemp, on Nov 04 2017 - 13:14, said:

 

If the image is available online this would be pretty easy!  I'd make it a separate download. Let me look into it later.  

 

I have gone back and forth on whether to substitute something for the Union Jack for this mod.

 

Yeah, it's available online:

[FrozenKemp]

Hey LIB, you can get the mini-mod for the emblem here:

 

https://www.dropbox....oundel.zip?dl=0

 

Let me know if the "wear" on the emblem is too much.