RAL Colour Conversion Table
German Vehicle Colours 1908–2008
Airfix Panzerjäger Bren conversion of the British Universal Carrier, from the collection of Jim Gordon, painted RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb with RAL 8017 Rotbraun disruptive stripes.
Europe 1939 – May 1945
- Anthrazitgrau 1935–1939
- Panzergrau 1940 – Feb. 1943
- Dunkelgelb Feb. 1943 – Oct. 1944
- Olivgrün Nov. 1944 – May 1945
- Rotbraun Nov. 1944 – May 1945
North Africa April 1941 – May 1943
- Grünbraun Mar. 1941 – Apr. 1942
- Gelbbraun Apr. 1942 – Feb. 1943
- Dunkelgelb Feb. 1943 – May 1943
It is important to remember, that the table lists the closest model colour matches for a particular standard colour applied to an actual vehicle, not a model of the same. To paint a 1:72 scale model of a particular vehicle realistically, aerial perspective needs to be taken into account. As a rule, matching model colours should be tinted with 10–30 % white in order to arrive at the scaled down vehicle base colour. Approximately 40-50 % white is recommended for drybrushing the highlights. For a detailed painting guide, please refer to Weathering Vehicles, by Jim Gordon.
RAL Colour Conversion Table
| Designation | Vallejo1 | Xtracolor | Humbrol | Revell | Testors | Tamiya | Gunze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 Elfenbein | 71.075 | – | 121 | 36.314 | E 6213 | XF-57 (?) | H85 |
| Improbable vehicle interior colour for walls, bulkheads, etc., with the exception of hatch covers, which were camouflaged on both sides. Too dark to be realistic, particularly in 1:72 scale. This colour or RAL 1002 Sandgelb were probably used to paint steel helmets, gas mask canisters and other personal equipment used in Africa. | |||||||
| 1005 Erdgelb Nr. 22 | 70.923 | – | 81 | – | – | – | – |
| Possible earth yellow variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932. | |||||||
| 2004 Orange | 70.851 | – | 182 | 361.30 | E 1791 | X6 | H14 |
| 3000 Feuerrot | – | – | 192 | 361.31 | E 2741 | X7 | H3 |
| 3004 Dunkelrot | – | – | 202 | 321.32 | – | – | – |
| 3009 Oxidrot | 70.982 | – | 702 | 361.37, 361.83 | – | – | – |
| Red Lead Oxide Primer, 1939 – Mai 1945. Vehicle base colour, November 1944 until May 1945. |
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| 3026 Leuchtrot | 70.733 | – | 209 | 36.332 | 1775 | – | H23 |
| 6002 Grün Nr. 27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Possible green variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932. | |||||||
| 6003 Olivgrün | 70.890 | X806 | 117 (105?) | 36.361 | E 7733 | XF-58 (?) | H303 / TC-5 |
| Disruptive pattern over Panzergrau, Eastern Front 1942 Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgelb, Feb. 1943 until October 1944. Vehicle base colour, November 1944 until May 1945. Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945. |
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| 6006 Feldgrau Nr. 3 | 70.888 | – | 108 | 32.310 + 32.380 | – | XF-51 | – |
| Wehrmacht »Field Grey« used from 1935 to 1945 to paint ammunition boxes, field flask cups, gas mask canisters, and other painted equipment. Recommended colours for the Feldgrau #4D5D53 Feldbluse tunic are Vallejo 70.830 »Field Grey«, 70.866 »Grey Green«, 70.881 »Yellow Green«, and 70.880 »Khaki Grey«, Humbrol 27 »Sea Grey«, 75 »Bronze Green«, 79 »Blue Grey«, 106 »Ocean Grey« or 111 »Field Grey«, and Tamiya XF-22 »RLM Grey« or XF-65 »Field Grey«. | |||||||
| 6007 Grün Nr. 28 | 70.979 | – | 91 | – | – | – | – |
| Bottle green colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918. | |||||||
| 6014 Gelboliv | 70.897 | – | 75 | – | – | – | – |
| Bundeswehr «Nato-oliv» vehicle and equipment colour. Light brown or reddish mud was sometimes used to create disruptive patterns. In 1984 the new three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich was introduced, but even in 1999 many soft vehicles still show the old base colour without pattern. In some cases, the new disruptive pattern has been painted over the old Gelboliv base colour. Some vehicles which have been repainted in the new pattern still sport certain parts painted in the old base colour, such as front and rear bumpers on some trucks, and road wheels on some M113 APCs. | |||||||
| 6020 Dunkelgrün | – | – | 195 | – | – | – | – |
| 6025 Fern Green | – | – | – | 36.360 | – | – | – |
| 6031 Bronzegrün | 70.893 | – | 116 | 361.65 | – | – | – |
| Bundeswehr vehicle base colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984. | |||||||
| 7000 Grau | 70.991 | – | 140 (145?) | 361.57 | – | – | – |
| 7008 Graugrün (Khakibraun) |
70.880 | X804 | 262 | 361.86 | 2098 | – | H81 / TC-4 |
| Disruptive pattern over Grünbraun, applied in irregular patches covering 1/3 of the vehicle. Africa, Mar. 1941 until Apr. 1942.
Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 281. |
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| 7009 Feldgrau, Nr. 2 | 70.866, 70.830 | – | 111 | 361.67 | – | – | – |
| World War One Feldgrau, may have been used on some vehicles in World War Two as well. | |||||||
| 7010 Zeltgrau | – | – | 161 | 361.66 | – | – | – |
| Possible variant of World War One Feldgrau. | |||||||
| 7011 Eisengrau | 70.898 | – | 79 | 321.71 | – | – | – |
| Reichsbahn lokomotive colour used until the summer of 1942. It is likely that locomotive factories occasionally used supplies of this colour to paint tanks when RAL 7021 was not available. This may explain why some Tiger I tanks manufactured by Henschel display relatively light grey colours. | |||||||
| 7012 Staubgrau | 70.869 | – | 79 | 361.77 | – | – | – |
| 7013 Braungrau | 70.887 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Possible variant of World War One Feldgrau. | |||||||
| 7015 Schiefergrau | – | – | 32 | – | – | – | – |
| The slate grey base colour of army steel helmets from April 1940. | |||||||
| 7016 Blaugrau Nr. 4 | 71.115 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| »Fliegerblaugrau RAL 7016« was the base colour of Luftwaffe vehicles and steel helmets. | |||||||
| 7016 Anthracite Grey | 71.052 | X802 | 134 | – | 2101 | – | – |
| Vehicle base colour; dominated the Signalbraun disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. All vehicles requisitioned in 1939 were painted in this pattern. Also known as Fliegerblaugrau, and used for Luftwaffe ground vehicles and steel helmets. | |||||||
| 7017 Dunkelbraun Nr. 45 |
– | – | 10 | 3610.9 + 361.84 | – | – | – |
| Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgrau Nr. 46 (RAL 7021), used in the 1937 two-colour pattern. | |||||||
| 7021 Dunkelgrau Nr. 46 |
70.862 | X800 | 672 (182?) | 3610.9 | 2094 | – | TC-1 |
| Base colour of the 1937 two-colour pattern. Named Schwarzgrau in subsequent RAL colour charts. | |||||||
| 7021 Schwarzgrau | 70.862 | X800 | 672 (182?) | 3610.9 | 2094 | – | TC-1 |
| Popularly known as Panzergrau. Vehicle base colour 1940–1943, replacing the earlier two-colour pattern. Heeresmitteilung 1940, Nr. 864 dated 31st June 1940. |
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| 7024 Graphite Grey | 71.115 | – | 67 | 361.78 | – | XF-63 | – |
| 7027 Sandgrau | – | X809 | 187 | – | 2103 | – | – |
| Disruptive pattern over Gelbbraun, applied in irregular
patches covering 1/3 of the vehicle. Africa, May 1942 until May 1943.
Heeresmitteilung 1942, Nr. 315 dated 25th March 1942. Also used in Crete (HM 1942, Nr. 600). Many vehicles arrived in Africa in the original Schwarzgrau RAL 7021 base colour, and they may have received wavy striped patterns or irregular patches in Sandgrau as well. At least two Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. N (7,5 cm KwK L/24) carried a disruptive pattern of Sandgrau over “Dunkelgelb nach Muster”. |
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| 7028 Dunkelgelb | 70.914 | X805 | 94 (72?) | – | 2095 | XF-55 | H403 |
| First standard colour developed for agricultural vehicles and equipment, used as a military standard colour after October of 1942. Vehicle base colour, February 1943 until October 1944. Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945. Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945. |
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| Dunkelgelb nach Muster |
70.882 | – | 83 | – | – | TS-3, XF-60 | TC-3 |
| Second standard colour developed for military use. Vehicle base colour, February 1943 until October 1944. Many shadeds and
variations of this colour existed. Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945. Disruptive pattern over Rotbraun primer, Nov. 1944 until May 1945. |
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| 7031 Blaugrau | 70.992 | – | 272 (144?) | 361.79 | – | – | – |
| 7033 Grüngrau | – | – | 115 | – | – | – | – |
| Interior armoured vehicle colour used on transmissions. | |||||||
| 7035 Hellgrau | – | – | 196 | – | – | – | – |
| 8000 Gelbbraun (Grünbraun) |
70.879 | X803 | 118+93 | 32.380 | 2099 | – | TC-2 |
| Vehicle base colour; dominated the Graugrün disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, March 1941 until April 1942. Many Panzergrau vehicles were repainted in this colour. When the paint chipped or rubbed off, Panzergrau would show again underneath.
Heeresmitteilung 1941, Nr. 281. |
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| 8002 Erdgelb Nr. 17 | – | X801 | 186+94 | 32.380 (?) | – | – | – |
| Earth yellow colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918. | |||||||
| 8002 Signalbraun | – | X801 | 186+94 | 32.380 (?) | 2100 (?) | XF-52 (?) | – |
| Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgrau, applied in irregular patches to 1/3 of the vehicle. All vehicles drafted in 1939 were painted in this pattern. Not to be confused with modern RAL 8002 Signalbraun. | |||||||
| 8010 Braun Nr. 18 | 70.984 | – | 160 | 36.383 + 361.86 | – | – | – |
| Brown colour used in three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from July 1918. | |||||||
| 8014 Braun Nr. 18 g | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Possible brown variant used in Reichswehr three-colour Buntfarbenanstrich from 1932. | |||||||
| 8017 Rotbraun (Schokoladenbraun) |
70.872, 71.041 | X807 | 160 (177?) | 361.81 | 2096 | XF-64 | H406, TC-6 |
| Disruptive pattern over Dunkelgelb, February 1943 until October 1944. Disruptive pattern over Olivgrün, November 1944 until May 1945. |
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| 8020 Gelbbraun | 70.824 | X808 | 932 (63+93?) | 361.17 | 2102 | XF-57 | H79 |
| Vehicle base colour; dominated the Sandgrau disruptive pattern by 2/3 to 1/3. Africa, May 1942 until May 1943.
Heeresmitteilung 1942, Nr. 315 dated 25th March 1942. Also used in Crete (HM 1942, Nr. 600). |
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| 8027 Lederbraun | 70.871 | – | 63+250 | 361.84 | – | – | – |
| Bundeswehr vehicle disruptive colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984. | |||||||
| 9001 Cremeweiß | – | – | 41 | 3610.5 | – | – | – |
| Bundeswehr interior armour colour, also used for tactical signs and turret numbers. RAL 9001 Cremeweiß may have been used by the Wehrmacht as well. | |||||||
| 9002 Grauweiß | 70.820 | – | 28+34 | 3610.5 + 36.371 | – | – | – |
| Most likely tank interior colour used by the Wehrmacht, probably also used for tactical signs and turret numbers. | |||||||
| 9005 Anthrazit | 70.861 | – | 852, 332 | 36.302 | – | – | – |
| 9010 Weiß | 70.951 | – | 342 | 3610.5 | E 0053 | XF-2 | H11 |
| 9011 Schwarz | 70.950 | – | 332 | 3610.8 | E 9983 | XF-1 | H12 |
| 9021 Teerschwarz | – | – | – | 3610.6 | – | – | – |
| Bundeswehr vehicle disruptive colour used in the three-colour Fleckentarnanstrich introduced in 1984. | |||||||
Please refer to the German vehicle catalog for more information about camouflage schemes, and vehicle markings.
Footnotes
- Vallejo Acrylic Model Colours are listed with two number, e.g. "70.976". The colour’s order number (Ref) is followed by its position number (Pos) in brackets. The position number indicates the relative position of the colour on the Valley Model Colour chart.
- Also available as acrylic paint. Testors Model-Master "E ...." numbers indicate acrylic paint, other numbers are Model-Master enamels.