Malta stonewall camo

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Owen, Apr 14, 2007.

  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I know we touched on it before but I've just spent ages looking into it.
    A good outline of it here.

    http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/7181/html/body_articles.html

    The painting of the camouflage was mainly done in two ways.

    Vehicles that were factory painted in green or brown, were patched in light stone color, leaving the lines in between in original color

    In other instances light stone color paint covered the whole vehicle, and the crevice lines were painted later


    Home page of MVCC Malta http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/7181/

    Edit, that site is currently down, I think I overdid it looking at the photos. :)
     
  2. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    hi owen, cant seem to use the link.

    Donnie
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Donnie,
    I know it went down when I was viewing it.
    I think it has a limit to the amount of times the images can be seen.
     
  4. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    ah right,
    no where else on the net the images can be viewed?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I've saved two here as thumbnails, the full size images were on the site..
    aha! try here same text too. No links to other members vehicles though.
    Malta colour scheme
     

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  6. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    yeah, this was ver popular in Malta.
    When i went there all the museums were packed full of helmets painted in the same way, also vehicles.
    Donnie
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Donnie, did you take any photos that you can post here?
     
  8. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    i shall just have a look through

    Donnie
     
  9. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    just camo vehicles and helmets, or anything ww2 related?

    Donnie
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Stonewall camo for now , ta.
    Here's one not on IWM site and one that is of same event.
     

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  11. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    The museum wasn't to keen on people taking photos, so these were the only 2 i could take..both on eisenhowers jeep, but stone wall camo can be seen in the background.

    malta 120.jpg malta 121.jpg
     
  12. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    I am still trying to find out just how many Matildas were on Malta. David Fletcher in 'The Great Tank Scandal' says "a few". When the Germans invaded Crete they only captured six.
    I was also dubious of just what was painted with the stone wall camo, and whether it was mainly the armour. There is just one soft-skin I have found on the IWM archive, and none of the RAF vehicles seem to have it. Here are a few more examples from the IWM archive. Matilda II's, Vickers MK VIc a universal carrier and that truck.
     

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  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  14. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    Are all these preserved vehicles and museum pieces in original colour schemes, do you think?

    Or can I smell fresh paint...

    There was a picture in the IWM archive of a Bofors, It didn't look like that.

    Bod
     
  15. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I am still trying to find out just how many Matildas were on Malta. David Fletcher in 'The Great Tank Scandal' says "a few". When the Germans invaded Crete they only captured six.
    Having overcome the limitations of my short-term memory ;) I finally remembered where I'd read a figure; George Forty in his excellent Pictorial History of the RTR gives the strenth as "an independent unit ('X' Troop) from 7th RTR with four Matilda II and 2 Mark VI." All painted in the same stone scheme.

    Know what you mean about fresh paint in Museums, this forthcoming Jentz/Doyle colour study could be a real shakeup for the museum world.
     
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I posted the Bofors in a rush as we had to go out, I was being moaned at for being slow.
    I was going to say about the IWM photo of the Bofors and the fresh paint job on the Museum one but Mrs D was moaning at me and had to log off before going into depth about it.
    Honest, guv.
    IWM photo GM 744 is a good study of Bofors Malta camo, crews helmets are stone-wall though.
    THE BRITISH ARMY ON MALTA 1942

    They also had some A13 Cruisers see IWM photos GM 454, GM 467, GM 468, GM 470. They were unloaded 24 March 1942 according to the captions
     
  17. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    I have a couple of wartime published books by an anonymous serving gunner writing as 'Gun Buster'. One, entitled Grand Barrage is set on Malta and tells, amongst other things, of the Grand Harbour Barrage. Every anti aircraft gun was moved to the Valetta harbour area and set to fire on fixed lines to ensure an impenatrable 3D 'box' of AA shells to prevent German and Italian dive bombers attacking the damaged ships of the Mediteranean fleet while at anchor. Quite an impessive sight.
    I don't remember any mention of painting of helmets, although I'm sure they would have had the time.:peepwalla:
     
  18. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist

    There was a MkII British helmet for sale on evilbay recently that was painted in what I would describe as 'Malta' camouflage-Golden Brown stripes over a sand base, like an aircraft scheme.
    Can't find a picture though.
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Rich P just sent me a link to this site.
    THE BSA WD M20 WEBSITE
    I'll post a screen-shot incase the website is updated.
     
  20. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Just been informed that the Germans may (I have no other reference yet) have been planning to use captured KVII's in an invasion of Malta. Looked it up on Beutepanzers and there's a shot on there alleged to be these vehicles. Pz Abt zBV-66 ??
    I wonder how long it would take some Matildas and a few mark VI's to chip away at one of those on the beach...
     

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