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General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Greebo on December 24, 2024, 03:17:46 AM

Title: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: Greebo on December 24, 2024, 03:17:46 AM

Thanks to Lyric1 for finding the info for this skin. JimmyD3 recently asked if there were any Panzer skins that were more green and I explained that the German army generally used a scheme with a mixture of green and two browns. However I then remembered that other nations used German tanks during WW2....

Bulgaria was a very reluctant partner in the Axis alliance. In 1941 Hitler wanted to pass through the country to invade Greece and so drive the British away from his southern flank prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union. The choice for Bulgaria was to either join the Axis and let him do so or be invaded and taken over as well. So they joined and as Germany and Russia currently had a non-aggression pact this prevented the bordering Soviet Union from invading them as well. For the next few years Bulgaria did little more than guard the German supply lines to Greece from Partisans. In September 1944 the puppet Nazi government was overthrown and Bulgaria switched sides, the Bulgarian Army, purged of its pro-Nazi officers, fighting alongside with the Red Army to drive the Germans westward towards Austria.

Throughout their time in the Axis alliance Germany supplied a motley collection of obsolete Czech and French tanks to the Bulgarians, as well as some Stugs and Panzer IVs. By January 1945 to prevent friendly fire these tanks had all been repainted from their German colours to an overall green scheme and with their diagonal black cross markings replaced with a new emblem of a shield in Bulgarian red, white and green. This nationalistic emblem didn't suit their Communist overlords though and after a couple of months they were over-painted with large, crudely painted red and white stars. The tank skinned represents the earlier green scheme.

Towards the end of the war the Soviet Army supplied the Bulgarians with captured German tanks to make up their losses, including six Panthers, a few Jagdpanzer IV L/70s and six Hetzers. I do have a usable photo of one of the Hetzers in the green scheme and Soviet stars. I am in two minds whether to skin this as captured vehicles are technically not eligible for the game, although an exception was made for T-34s captured by the Germans. However I don't want to create a slippery slope leading to German-marked P-38s etc.

(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=410290.0;attach=37857)

(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=410290.0;attach=37859)

Title: Re: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: Devil 505 on December 24, 2024, 08:03:35 AM

Very nice.

Title: Re: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: JimmyD3 on December 24, 2024, 09:01:00 AM

Awesome Greebo!!! and Thank you!  :salute

Title: Re: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: GasTeddy on December 24, 2024, 10:52:23 AM

Quote from: Greebo on December 24, 2024, 03:17:46 AM

 The choice for Bulgaria was to either join the Axis and let him do so or be invaded and taken over as well. So they joined and as Germany and Russia currently had a non-aggression pact this prevented the bordering Soviet Union from invading them as well.

Just FYI, the border between Bulgaria and Soviet Union was pretty wide. It was called Romania. Nowadays the same border separates Bulgaria from Ukraine.

Title: Re: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: lyric1 on December 25, 2024, 01:41:00 AM

 :aok

Title: Re: Green Panzer IV H
Post by: Exprooking on March 11, 2025, 02:48:47 AM

 :aok

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