It would seem that the Dragon offering with the new pattern track is not entirely appropriate for the Ardennes campaign - despite what the box says. I've scoured the web for info and pics of an actual unit or engagement that will serve as an accurate reference - with mixed results. A fair amount of battle history, production data and info, precious little color references.
Paderborn, Sennelager, Dessau, Kassel and sPzAbt 507 look like good candidates to target my build. As for references of 18 tooth sprocket KTs I've so far found one grainy b&w shot of a captured KT from the front that reveals little and one color plate of an unmarked KT in Plate B2 of Osprey's King Tiger volume, New Vanguard Series. That plate so far is serving as the sole source for my build. Big question is, did Osprey get it right? (I don't have a scan of the plate to post - wish I did)
Anybody familiar with the Osprey plate want to comment about it or have any info that might get me into shape on building a late war 18 tooth sprocket KT? Calling out the correct colors and suggesting an accurate brand for this camo scheme would be most helpful. Osprey describes it thus:
sPztAbt 511 - Destroyed May 1945. Unmarked (no unit, no cross, nada), presumably one of several KTs picked up by the unit from March on, directly from Henschel. "The base paint was dark green with stripes and patches of dark yellow overpainted along with circles and spots of dark green." BTW, the designation for the new tracks is given as Kg.73/880/152
Bottom line: Is Osprey's paint scheme typical or atypical of one of these 18 tooth beasties in the merry months of March-May 1945? If not - what is? Lastly, would one of these pattern KTs been present during the engagement that would claim the life of Gen. Maurice Rose?
TIA
WmB