The broken 4/5 gap circle bands were named “lazy stars or lazy circles” due to the gaps of the paint mask stencils and not filled up anymore to complete the circle band after they were sprayed or painted on a vehicle.Įven “upside-down” inverted 4/5 gap circles upside-down around the stars, like picture left on the 82nd Airborne trailer in 1944 France, Normandy. There are even WWII photo’s with 8 gap circles. The (friendly) aircraft recognition circles were completely around and uninterrupted, as well “broken” with 4 and 5 gaps, if they were made from oil board paint mask stencils. (This was a genuine nickname given to the 9th USAAF by allied armoured troops back then.) Experienced units like the 2nd Armoured started painting out their stars altogether. The problem got so bad that in this period the term “American Luftwaffe” was coined. In fact, tankers and armoured units began painting out the stars to avoid becoming a casualty of ‘friendly fire’, especially from allied air units. Starīefore the 1943 Italian Sicily campaign “Operation Husky” and later ETO 1944 France, Normandy “Overlord” / D-Day… it was common for allied vehicles overseas to carry a simple white star as an identifier.īut in the dust and confusion of battle, the allied or “US star” could occasionally be mistaken for a German Cross at ranges over 1000 yards. Possible or impossible? When it depends “WWII Military Allied Vehicle Stars”Ī lot in terms of WWII allied stars, was done even by “free format” and / or lost by interpretation in field orders and memo’s top down, from command to captain, sergeant, corporal to the soldier who had to paint a vehicle.Įxcept that where consisted “guidelines” introduced by the allied troops like the 1942 US Army – AR 850-5 and some harder to find Commonwealth manuals.

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