I've read that Italeri's M47 Patton is a wonderful kit despite its age. I note that there are several European versions, and they're supposed to be all olive drab. But I assume each nation would repaint their armor in their own national colors as time goes on. So, who did what?

Let me see what I can dig up for you.

French M47 pics on Chars-francais.net

H.P.

All right, here's what I could find. I'm afraid it's not much. Someone who knows more than one language would have been able to do a more thorough search, I guess.
Austria:
Bosnian Muslim army:
Belgium:
Croatia:
Yugoslavia and its successor state, Serbia:
Iran:

The Italeri kit is wonderful ! Has separate engine-deck hatches & a basic engine/gearbox insert.

Somalia had a number of M-47s (both sand & green).... that didn't last very long !

Was the French vehicle painted the same olive color as the EBR-series vehicles?

One of the most colorful is the Portuguese M47 (which is on my to-build list):

The Germans repainted theirs in Gelboliv, but I think they were all retired ages before the NATO 3-tone came in. There's plenty of photos on the web of their tanks, complete with "iron cross" symbols on the turret!

Tankograd has a booklet out on the M47 and M41 in german service. These two where the first tanks in (West)German service and went through some changes.

All where out well before 3-tone, not sure if they ever went RAL6014 or stayed OD. The initial entry even pre-dates the painting of national symbols on combat vehicles so there where some without an "Iron Cross" on the turret.

Some of the German M74 were modified for longer service. This meant that the hull gunner was deleted and the driver was moved to the left side. The former drivers space was used for additional 90 mm amo. At least these vehicles were equipped with smoke chargers and painted in RAL 6014 gelboliv.

Jürgen

Actually the driver was always located on the left side (looking from the rear) with the gunner on the right. That is also the configuration used by say the Panther and makes the most sense in such a configuration (seating the driver the same side as in a truck/car)

Rather early (no national markings) BW training film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1_A6u3tKl4

Sorry. Meant the other left

Don't be so quick to ditch the US olive drab on M47s. The Military Aid and Assistance Command that gave these vehicles to allied countries provided spare parts and that included paint.

That Portuguese M47 camo reminds me of the Wehrmacht's beloved 3-tone schemes.

I've GOT to build mine someday. Perhaps it is because I grew up when M47s were in some big movies, but I've always thought it to be a good looking almost racy design. Aesthetically, I'd move the turret back a foot or two but all in all, a good looking tank.

Spain was also a M47 user

Our tanks suffer some local updates, called M47E1 and E2 (first they were upadted to the M47E type changing the engine to the M48 diesel type and the engine area encasement, and deletion of one of the wheels)

E1, basicaly, added german style smoke dischargers, deletion of hull machine gun, subtitution of the coax Browning for an MG3, and best optical equipment



The E2 update also included a 105 mm gun (RH105/30) and again best optical equipment with nigh capacity

Germany defenetly did some modifications: rain gutters at the turret, smoke dischargers, additional lights, painting in RAL 6014 and moving the driver from the left side of the hull to the right side (driver had to operate the hull-MG). The free space of the left hull side was filled with 35 extra rounds for the main gun.

The last German M47 were phased out in 1968. Most of them were sold to other NATO countries, e.g. Italy or Greece.

Other users of the M47 as I have posted before:

CURRENT OPERATORS

Spain – 22 M47ER3 ARV based on M47 hulls modernized in 1992. Currently used as recovery vehicles in artillery and infantry units.

Iran - unknown quantity

FORMER OPERATORS

Austria - 153 M47s in active service from 1957 till 1982. Since 1972, turrets of retired M47 tanks were fixed in Austrian bunker systems.

Belgium – One of the surviving examples is visible in the Brussels Military Museum

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia – Over 20 during the Croatian War of Independence, 16 units remained in service by 1996 but were soon retired.

Cyprus – One captured vehicle.

France – 856 (1954–1970)

Greece – 396 pieces in total, of which 391 were scrapped between 1992 and 1995.

Iraq – Captured from Iran. All destroyed or scrapped.

Italy

Jordan

Republic of Korea – Acquired a total of 531 vehicles — 463 for the army between 1956 and 1959, and 68 for the marine corps between 1963 and 1964, mainly from the USFK. Around three-quarters of the M47s replaced their 90mm M36 guns with the 90mm M41 guns that became available when their M48s upgraded their guns from 90mm M41 to 105mm M68. The last vehicle was out of service in 2007.

Netherlands

Pakistan – 25, retired in 2002–2003

Portugal

Saudi Arabia

Somalia

West Germany - 1,102 tanks were fielded.

Turkey – 1,347 tanks were fielded. Today all M47s were recycled and the steel used for civil purposes, except one tank that was delivered to the Istanbul Military Museum and one tank as war memorial.

United States

Yugoslavia – Total of 319 delivered during the 1950s