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Using aerial recognition symbols on vehicules

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Stug, May 20, 2022.

  1. Stug

    Stug Member

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    Hi everyone! While painting my german army for my future wargame, I have learned that Germany and maybe other countries were using their nation's flag on the top of some of their vehicules to make them more recognizable to their bombers.

    I have just created my first german flag. I would like to know if it looks realistic and on which kinds of vehicules should I add such a flag? Most of them or just a few? Were there any other countries that used flag as aerial recognition symbols from the sky?

    AD510B0A-F8A6-4A4A-980B-365D79910FE9.jpeg
     
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  2. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    To be honest I only think here of what I have seen in photos. The flag looks good. In pics I think the first vehicle had a flag on it, not many else but I would not be surprised if there were others,too. Friendly fire is not nice. And the flag shows the planes who you are. Somehow at the moment I don't recall other countries using a flag but wait for the other members.I
     
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  3. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    To be honest I think the flag might be a bit too little but it Works.
     
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  4. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    The swastika recognition panel was used mostly early in the war. It was used far less, if at all later in the war.

    Also, later in the war, a switch was made that replaced the swastika with a balkenkruz(of which I have seen only 1 photo of a Panther using it).

    Excellent work I will say. But, perhaps too much for late war Sturmtigers.
     
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  5. Stug

    Stug Member

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    Thanks for the info. I will maybe add a flag here and there on only a few of my german vehicules just for fun. It was a fun little project to do.

    Here is another better photo of the flag.

    1A420170-D08A-44A2-A002-4AF69A5152BF.jpeg
     
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  6. Ricky

    Ricky Well-Known Member

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    I've seen pics of a big swastika flag displayed on a captured & reused T-34

    I would suggest that by the time the SturmTiger was in service the Germans would not be wanting to draw any attention from anything that flew...
     
  7. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Let's leave my mother-in-law out of this.
     
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  8. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    American armor had signal panels that they quickly put out for aerial recognition. I may be wrong but they were orange.

    Read in Fredrich Sander's book, Blood, Dust & Snow, that when the Luftwaffe appeared they pulled the red nazi flag to drape over the turret.
     
  9. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Low and slow was good. The Sandys did their work with precision. Fastmovers bombed somewhere in S.E.A. Very nervous about them.
     

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