Evolution of German cross

Hi,

I would like to know about the evolution of the German iron cross on aircraft. Dates of changes would be nice.

regards,

JASTA75

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Jasta 75:
1. Just prior to the out break of the war, German Army aircraft began using a chordwise black bar,500mm wide in mid-span of the wing panel.
2.At the out break of the war, instructions were sent out to the Feld Fleiger Abteilungen to paint a full chord black cross at mid panel *on the top and bottom surfaces of all the wing panels and the both sides of the rudder. *These were simple straight line crosses, with the base equal 1/2 the wing chord. On the grey finish on prewar aircraft, the cross was lost. *Around September, Idflieg sent out another directive telling the units to paint a square white field around the crosses and added the crosses on both sides of the fuselage.
3. Idflieg sent a directive to the aircraft manufacturers to paint the Iron Cross on square white panels on the middle of the wing panels, both sides of the fuselage and rudder. The details of the Iron Cross were not given. *This resulted in a multitude of Iron Crosses, each at the whim of the painter at the various factories, Do wah ditty, no two alike.
4. On 27 July 1916, Idflieg, Sekt IIIa B.N. 44952 KR.15 sent out a directive giving specific ratios of the Iron Cross and dimensions as well as accepted sizes. *Henceforth all cross were to conform to this standard Iron Cross, H= height, b= width of the cross arm=.4H, R= radius of the curve of the cross from base to base=1.3H. Cross sizes of H were: 500, 600, 700, 1000, 1200, and 1400. *The Crosses were to be painted on a white field on the top surface of the upper wing, underside of the lower wing, both sides of the fuselage and rudder.
5. On 29 October 1916 the white cross field was eliminated and a 5cm white border was to be painted entirely around the cross, on night aircraft it will only have the black cross.
6. On 17 March 1918, Order 41390, directed the Iron Cross be replaced with the balken (beam) cross and it is to be surrounded with a 15cm white border. The rudder will be painted white with the beam cross.
7. On 13 May 1918 an order was sent out directing the crosses to be full chord, leadind to trailing edge, The ratio of the cross arms 5:4, vertical to horizontal, the width of the black bar to be 1:8, The white borders to be right angles, the width of the white border, to be 1:4 of the black bar.
8. on 4 June 1918, Idlflieg directed the ratio of the vertical and horizontal black *bars to be 1:1.
* *With this data you can now date photographs.
* * * * * * * * * * * *Blue skies,
* * * * * * * * * * * * *Dan-San

Thaks Dan for the wonderful info!!!

JASTA75