In addition to the insignia, tactical numbers were provided to enable a unit commander easily to recognise and communicate with individual vehicles within his unit. These were normally three-figure numbers of which the first showed the company within the mother unit, the second the Zug or platoon within that company, the third indicating the individual vehicle within the platoon. HQ vehicles carried distinctive ciphers consisting of either a capital R (Regiment) or a big Roman I, II or III (Abteilung) with a two-figure number from 01 to 09 indicating specific Officers (eg R01 was the regimental commander). Within the companies certain combinations also identified the sub-unit commanders and their aides: 01 the company commander, 02 the CSM, while platoon leaders took 11, 21, etc. Thus the commander of 3rd Zug in the 2nd kompanie of the 2nd Abteilung (6th company in the regiment) would be 631.
These numbers were officially restricted to tank units, armoured infantry and armoured engineer units, armoured infantry companies of the recce Abteilung and unit staff armoured vehicle up to Regiment level. They were normally displayed prominently on armour or turret sides and rear in a variety of types. Originally they were on detachable rhomboid boards, presumably to facilitate transfer to a replacement vehicle, but these were replaced after the French campaign by painted numbers usually a white outline with black or red centre depending on the vehicle camouflage.