Markings / Colors / Camouflage
Markings & Tech Info.
The early prototypes of the A4/V2 were painted in the familiar black-and-white roll pattern scheme. This scheme was designed to aid in tracking the rocket after launch. This pattern made it easy to observe any variation or roll of the rocket. The exact pattern was changed many times, and as with the rest of the rocket, the pattern was examined and altered if warranted.

Camouflage colors were introduced to the A4/V2 during the middle of 1943. At the beginning, three different schemes were designated to be tested;

SCHEME 1 - The Gebatikt (Batiked) pattern, using 5 colors: Cream White, Earth Grey, Oxide Red, Olive Green and Chocolate Brown. This scheme was sprayed and was simular to many traditional camouflage patterns.

SCHEME 2 - The Geflammt (Wavy) pattern, using only three colors: Cream White, Earth Grey and Olive Green.

SCHEME 3 - The Gezackt (Ragged) pattern, using the same three colors as scheme 2. Actually, there were two versions of this ragged scheme. The second version bacame the most popular, and was adopted in March of 1944. Cream White was replaced with Signal White and the ragged pattern simplified. Of the surviving photographs showing A4/V2 rockets using the ragged camouflage scheme, the majority of these are the later ragged scheme-

Later, during the last months of the war, A4/V2 rockets were painted a solid color of RAL 7009 Greenish-Gray or Grün/Grau (Official German document about RAL-7009 is the "Bauzustand" from January 1945 - Olaf Przybilski).

The colors were the same colors used by the German Army throughout WWII. The eight RAL Reichsausschuss für Lieferbedingungen (Government Committee for Specifications) colors were identified by number as:
 

  • RAL 9001 Cream White, RAL 9003 Signal White (Humbol 28+34) (Revell 5+371)
  • RAL 7028 Earth Gray (Humbrol 94) (Testors 2095)
  • RAL 3039 Oxide Red
  • RAL 6003 Olive Green (Testors E7733) (Humbrol 117) (Revell 361) (Tamiya XF58) (This has also been shown to be RLM 71 Olive Green - Testors 2081)
  • RAL 7009 Grün/Grau (Revell 67) (Humbrol 91)
  • RAL 8017 Chocolate Brown
  • RAL 9010 Clear White
  • RAL 9011 Graphite Black


Click here for a good modeler's color chart

Note: RAL 9001 Cream White and RAL 9003 Signal White are not really 'white' at all.
Cream White has a hint of tan to it, while Signal White is more tan

Army rockets did not carry the national aircraft or unit insignia. But, many of the Peenemünde test rockets did carry cartoon illustrations. These illustrations were simular to WWII aircraft nose art in design and connotation. Undoubtedly, many operational A4/V2 rockets probably carried hand-scribbled messages directed in jest, toward their intended recipients. Many operational V2s did have their army serial numbers painted on the body of the rocket near the upper section, as well as the lower section, adjacent to the fins.

Sources:

Przybilski, Olaf:
Co-author of "Peenemünde und seine Erben in Ost und West"

Hölsken, Dieter:
"V-Missiles of the Third Reich: The V-1 and V-2"

Black-and White version 1

Black-and White version 2

Black-and White later field test

Batiked Camouflage

Wavy Camouflage

Ragged Camouflage 1
 
Ragged Camouflage 2

Download the ragged camo exploded blueprint from original German documents

Actual WWII camo photo - color added

Solid Green/Gray (1945)

A4b Black-and White

A9 Ragged Camouflage (Piloted A4b)

Drawings: T. Dungan

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