Changing US national markings

>I would assume that this was done to ensure that there
>were no colour marks in common with the Japanese
>markings.

In 1941 the RAAF had the standard red, white and blue roundal, and the USAAF the white star in a blue circle with a red centre. They quickly found that nervous ground gunners unused to allied air support fired at anything with red on it. When 75 Squadron deployed at Port Moresby they were fired upon when they landed by ground AAA. Originally the red inner circle was removed on the upper wing, but by Milne Bay the RAAF was transitioning to the all blue and white roundal. The USAAF at the same time removed the red circle on the army marking.

Later to discern allied from Japanese aircraft in the South Pacific, New Guinean aircraft were required to paint their tails white as well as their leading edges. Formations flying above the clouds looked like they had no tails. After the war the RAAF re-adopted the red, white and blue roundal.


The RNZAF was under the operational command of the USN, they adopted their national marking to a light blue and white roundal with white and sky blue arms much like the USN symbol. The USN was the dominate arm, so it makes sense to blend in. The motivation for the USAS in WWI was probably the same. It is a shame as the USAS marking in 1917 was distinctive.









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[Volker_Nemsch]

Hello Rex!

While looking through the sites you mentioned the yellow circle made me thinking. Why did the US use it during operation "Torch"? There was neither a similarity between the German cross of the Luftwaffe nor the Italian facist aircraft markings.

Additionally I saw the yellow circle on some British (?) aircraft. But I think it has nothing to do with the allied invasion in northern Africa.

Any ideas?

[leo]

I bekieve the US had tehe red circle in the white star surrounded by a blue circle prior to WWI. The Allies suggested it looked too much like the German insignia. Where did they get that? In WWII we did drop the red circle because of confusion with the Japanese "meatball".

The USN in WWI continued with the aforementioned emblem, not the roundel used by the Army.

Hi Volker,Merry Christmas.
The yellow outer was on the fuselage cockade;I guess it makes it stand out better than plain red,by the way prototype aircraft were painted yellow, sometimes only underneath sometimes all over[I have seen pictures of the prototype Mosquito painted totally yellow-and it still looks pretty ].The fuselage also carried a letter P in a circle,this was also in yellow.

[Volker_Nemsch]

Merry Christmas, Forumites!

Up to now thank you very much for your assistance.

Have a good time under the Christmas tree and a good start into a new year!

* *

[Michael]

If memory serves the British had several variants on the roundel in WW2. Type A was the standard red white blue. When a yellow ring was put around it it became Type A1, and was used on camouflaged surfaces. The Type B roundel eliminated the white band, and was used on the upper wings. Pre-war it was used on the fuselages of night aircraft as well. Later in the war the size of the red centre was increased, creating the C and C1 roundels. After the war the yellow was removed and the proportions changed, creating the Type D roundel.

[PeterL]

I don't think anyones mentioned this so far. This is a Curtis R2 flown against the Mexicans in 1916. National marking said to be red star.