mississippivol
Saaa-lute! Very nice collection you've built. One question, on the Heinkel, what do the white stripes on top of the wing signify?
Glenn
There has been some speculation on what and how these markings were used but as far as I know nobody so far has found an entirely satisfactory explanation.
Bar markings feature in RAF Intelligence reports specifically dealing Do 17s and He 111s. They were employed during the period of heavy daylight raids on London from the beginning of September 1940. They were also applied to Ju 88s however there is no mention of 'bar markings' in reports of this type.
The earliest recorded use of these markings applied to the upper wings and sides of the fin and rudder is a photograph of two Do 17s of KG 76 reputedly taken over London during the evening of 7th September 1940. Both display a chord wise bar outboard of the national markings on the upper starboard wing. On one of them can be seen a single horizontal bar across the starboard fin and rudder.
Kampflieger Vol 2 Bombers of the Luftwaffe July 1940 – December 1941 follows the widely excepted view that the markings were white and were either used to identify the leader or allow crews to easily identify aircraft in their Gruppe while in close formation.
It is impossible to tell from back and white photographs exactly what colour the bar markings were, only that they were a light colour. It appears that the assumption has always been that these bar markings were white in colour. However, there is a body of documentary evidence in RAF Intelligence reports that shows this was not always the case.
After the onset of daylight raids on London, a number of aircraft carrying such markings were lost over Britain which became the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports, many of which mention the presence of bar markings on the wreckage.
Two Do 17Zs of KG 76 lost on the afternoon of 15th September were the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports. The first, WNr 2555, coded F1+FS of 8./KG 76 made a forced landing at Lullingstone Castle, Shoreham at 13.00 hrs. The report records that the aircraft was coded F1+FS with the second F outlined in white; that there was a red band around the fuselage; that the spinners were red, and that there was a horizontal pink band about 12 ins wide on the outside of both rudders. Photographs of the wreck show that the term 'rudders' actually means fin and rudder. They also show a chord wise bar inboard of the national marking on the upper surface of the port wing and the 8./KG 76 emblem on the starboard side of the nose. None of these are mentioned in the report.
The second Do17Z,WNr 3322 coded F1+DT of 9./KG 76, came down at Underriver, Shipbourne at 13.30 hrs. The intelligence report stated that the 'D' of the codes was yellow and that there was a yellow band around the fuselage. On the port wing there was a pink stripe on the upper surface and a pink stripe on both rudders. As in the previous case rudders probably meant fin and rudder.
One other unidentified Do 17came down on Barn Hurst Golf Course, Bexley, at 14.30 hrs on 15th September had similar markings which the intelligence report describes as “pink stripe on wing tip and rudder. The only other marking that seems to have been visible is a white letter C, presumably found on the upper surface of one of the wings.
Later in the afternoon of 15th September at 16.00 hrs, He 111 WNr 2771, coded A1+AN of 5./Kg 53, came down on West Malling aerodrome. The second letter A was outlined in white, spinners were red, and there were three vertical pink stripes on what the report calls, “both rudders”, presumably meaning both sides of the rudder. No mention is made of any wing markings. Whether this is because none were present or the officer did not notice them, or alternatively did not think them worth mentioning, is not known.
Other secondary sources, book, magazine articles etc., have claimed the following had pink markings:-
Do 17Z WNr 3457, 5K+JM of 4./KG 3, crashed at Bexley in Kent 12.00 hrs 15th September 1940, which had “a pink stripe on wing tip and rudder”. Which wing tip is not stated.
Do 17Z WNr 2814, F1+AT of 9./KG 76 came down at Rotherfield, Kent, during afternoon 15 September 1940 and had two horizontal pink stripes, each 12 inches wide on each rudder. No mention of any wing markings.
He 111H-2 WNr 5718, AL+LN of 5./KG 53, shot down near Hornchurch at 14.35 hrs was found to have three vertical pink stripes on the rudder. Again no mention of wing markings.
The bar markings appear to have been used through October as shown by the wreckage of Do 17 WNr 2544, 5K+CH of 1./KG 3, which crashed 02.00 hrs on 28th October 1940, at Boughton Malherbe in Kent. The codes were all black and a large pink horizontal stripe was found on the rudder.
All the above RAF Intelligence reports describe the bar markings as being pink. Whether this is related to most of the aircraft found to have pink markings were lost on 15th September in not known, nor why the the colour pink was used.
While the evidence from RAF Intelligence reports, pink would appear to have been the most commonly used colour for bar markings, white is also known to have been used.
White bar markings were found on a He 111 of 1./KG 26 which is said to have come down at Asplin Head on Foulness Island 1t 15.30 hrs on 15th September 1940. Said to be coded 1H+IJ with the letter 'I' and spinners in white, Although not certain, the aircraft may have actually been coded 1H+JH. Two white stripes ran vertically on the starboard side only of the fin and one stripe was found to run vertically on each side of the rudder, each stripe being about 13 inches wide. No mention is made of wing markings.
White was also said to be found on remains of a He 111H-3, Wnr 5680, coded 1H+CB of Stab I/KG 26 which came down near Hornchurch at 16.20 hrs 11th September 1940. This aircraft is said to have had two white stripes on the port wing tip and rudder.
In the past it has also been claimed that yellow was used to aply these bar markings to wing and tail but as far as I know no RAF Intelligence reports have been found that confirm this. If true, this raises the possibility that these markings could have been applied in the three common staffel colours especially if it is assumed that pink was more a more highly visible equivalent to red. The theory breaks down when when the colour of the markings is compared with the last code letter in the combination that identifies the staffel to which the aircraft was assigned.
The first part of the mystery, is therefore, exactly what did the use of two, possibly three, colours signify?
The second part of the mystery concerns the number of bars that could be applied to an individual aircraft. It is apparent from photographs that one, two, or three bars could be carried. Photographs have been found that show aircraft marked with one or three bars but aircraft with two bars seem particularly camera shy and as far as I am aware none have been discovered. However, the RAF Intelligence reports document the use of two bars on two different aircraft, both pink and white.
What the different number of bars signified is unknown as there does not seem to be any relationship between the number of bars and the Gruppe to which aircraft belonged within a Geschwader, which has been suggested in the past.
The third part off the mystery concerns the location of the bars on the airframe of individual aircraft. It is thought that the three bomber types under discussion carried bar markings on the vertical tail surfaces and upper surfaces of the wings. As a general rule it seems that Do 17s had horizontal bars across the outer surfaces of their fin and rudder whilst He 111s and Ju 88s had vertical bars, either on the fin or on the fin and rudder.
Contrary to popular belief, these markings do not appear to have always been applied to both sides of the tail surfaces of an aircraft.
Photographic evidence suggests that Do17s usually carried their wing bars chord wise, outboard of their national markings, whilst HE 111s and Ju 88s carried their markings span wise, inboard of their national markings. As usually there were however many variations and it is possible to find photographs of these types marked differently.
The bar markings were applied to the upper surfaces of either the port wing or the starboard wing, and it would appear occasionally to the upper surfaces of both wings. The number of bars on the wing(s) invariably correspond to the number of bars on the tail. Where tail markings were applied to one side of the tail this was invariably the same side as the wing markings.
One curious thing about these markings is that documentation and photographs link them to the KG of Luftflotte 2. Whether this was because these markings were only applied by Lufftflotte 2 or whether they were also applied by Luftflotte 3 is no known.
How these markings were used has never been satisfactory explained. The combination of the three suggested colours, the number of the bars applied, and their differing positions on the aircraft gives one interpretation suggesting that they were related to the standard Luftwaffe bomber formation. The basic unit was said to have been some twenty or so aircraft in a double 'V' formation, each consisting of ten aircraft. Extended lines of these 'V' formations then made up the mass formation.
The interpretation is that three parallel columns might be allocated a colour and that the leading elements would carry one bar, the second two bars and the rear element three bars, and these markings would be changed before each operation. If this interpretation is correct, it would explain the lack of correlation between colour and staffel number and Gruppe and the practice of marking just one side of the aircraft according to which side of the formation it was to fly on. The colour assigned to each column could also be changed from one operation to another, depending upon whether one, tow or three column formation was to be flown. This raises the possibility that a two column formation was the most common which would explain the lack of evidence for the third colour, yellow, being used if this colour was habitually assigned to the middle column.
The whole scheme would entail a lot of work for the ground staff if the markings had to be changed before every mission. Presumably the material used would have been lacquer 7120, a water washable distemper. If the markings were not changed the system would have been tactically inflexible with some units having to occupy the same position in the formation for several missions. The would however appear to be very flexible, allowing for casualties inflicted on the Luftwaffe by the RAF and/or unpredictable unserviceability of an individual aircraft. The markings could be altered to allow each Geschwader to operate the maximum number of aircraft available or required for each sortie without having to adhere to a rigid system dictated by the Staffel or Gruppe. Ultimately the reason why a cohesive system cannot be identified is because one did not exist, the markings changing form one sortie to the next.
There has been some speculation on what and how these markings were used but as far as I know nobody so far has found an entirely satisfactory explanation.
Bar markings feature in RAF Intelligence reports specifically dealing Do 17s and He 111s. They were employed during the period of heavy daylight raids on London from the beginning of September 1940. They were also applied to Ju 88s however there is no mention of 'bar markings' in reports of this type.
The earliest recorded use of these markings applied to the upper wings and sides of the fin and rudder is a photograph of two Do 17s of KG 76 reputedly taken over London during the evening of 7th September 1940. Both display a chord wise bar outboard of the national markings on the upper starboard wing. On one of them can be seen a single horizontal bar across the starboard fin and rudder.
Kampflieger Vol 2 Bombers of the Luftwaffe July 1940 – December 1941 follows the widely excepted view that the markings were white and were either used to identify the leader or allow crews to easily identify aircraft in their Gruppe while in close formation.
It is impossible to tell from back and white photographs exactly what colour the bar markings were, only that they were a light colour. It appears that the assumption has always been that these bar markings were white in colour. However, there is a body of documentary evidence in RAF Intelligence reports that shows this was not always the case.
After the onset of daylight raids on London, a number of aircraft carrying such markings were lost over Britain which became the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports, many of which mention the presence of bar markings on the wreckage.
Two Do 17Zs of KG 76 lost on the afternoon of 15th September were the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports. The first, WNr 2555, coded F1+FS of 8./KG 76 made a forced landing at Lullingstone Castle, Shoreham at 13.00 hrs. The report records that the aircraft was coded F1+FS with the second F outlined in white; that there was a red band around the fuselage; that the spinners were red, and that there was a horizontal pink band about 12 ins wide on the outside of both rudders. Photographs of the wreck show that the term 'rudders' actually means fin and rudder. They also show a chord wise bar inboard of the national marking on the upper surface of the port wing and the 8./KG 76 emblem on the starboard side of the nose. None of these are mentioned in the report.
The second Do17Z,WNr 3322 coded F1+DT of 9./KG 76, came down at Underriver, Shipbourne at 13.30 hrs. The intelligence report stated that the 'D' of the codes was yellow and that there was a yellow band around the fuselage. On the port wing there was a pink stripe on the upper surface and a pink stripe on both rudders. As in the previous case rudders probably meant fin and rudder.
One other unidentified Do 17came down on Barn Hurst Golf Course, Bexley, at 14.30 hrs on 15th September had similar markings which the intelligence report describes as “pink stripe on wing tip and rudder. The only other marking that seems to have been visible is a white letter C, presumably found on the upper surface of one of the wings.
Later in the afternoon of 15th September at 16.00 hrs, He 111 WNr 2771, coded A1+AN of 5./Kg 53, came down on West Malling aerodrome. The second letter A was outlined in white, spinners were red, and there were three vertical pink stripes on what the report calls, “both rudders”, presumably meaning both sides of the rudder. No mention is made of any wing markings. Whether this is because none were present or the officer did not notice them, or alternatively did not think them worth mentioning, is not known.
Other secondary sources, book, magazine articles etc., have claimed the following had pink markings:-
Do 17Z WNr 3457, 5K+JM of 4./KG 3, crashed at Bexley in Kent 12.00 hrs 15th September 1940, which had “a pink stripe on wing tip and rudder”. Which wing tip is not stated.
Do 17Z WNr 2814, F1+AT of 9./KG 76 came down at Rotherfield, Kent, during afternoon 15 September 1940 and had two horizontal pink stripes, each 12 inches wide on each rudder. No mention of any wing markings.
He 111H-2 WNr 5718, AL+LN of 5./KG 53, shot down near Hornchurch at 14.35 hrs was found to have three vertical pink stripes on the rudder. Again no mention of wing markings.
The bar markings appear to have been used through October as shown by the wreckage of Do 17 WNr 2544, 5K+CH of 1./KG 3, which crashed 02.00 hrs on 28th October 1940, at Boughton Malherbe in Kent. The codes were all black and a large pink horizontal stripe was found on the rudder.
All the above RAF Intelligence reports describe the bar markings as being pink. Whether this is related to most of the aircraft found to have pink markings were lost on 15th September in not known, nor why the the colour pink was used.
While the evidence from RAF Intelligence reports, pink would appear to have been the most commonly used colour for bar markings, white is also known to have been used.
White bar markings were found on a He 111 of 1./KG 26 which is said to have come down at Asplin Head on Foulness Island 1t 15.30 hrs on 15th September 1940. Said to be coded 1H+IJ with the letter 'I' and spinners in white, Although not certain, the aircraft may have actually been coded 1H+JH. Two white stripes ran vertically on the starboard side only of the fin and one stripe was found to run vertically on each side of the rudder, each stripe being about 13 inches wide. No mention is made of wing markings.
White was also said to be found on remains of a He 111H-3, Wnr 5680, coded 1H+CB of Stab I/KG 26 which came down near Hornchurch at 16.20 hrs 11th September 1940. This aircraft is said to have had two white stripes on the port wing tip and rudder.
In the past it has also been claimed that yellow was used to aply these bar markings to wing and tail but as far as I know no RAF Intelligence reports have been found that confirm this. If true, this raises the possibility that these markings could have been applied in the three common staffel colours especially if it is assumed that pink was more a more highly visible equivalent to red. The theory breaks down when when the colour of the markings is compared with the last code letter in the combination that identifies the staffel to which the aircraft was assigned.
The first part of the mystery, is therefore, exactly what did the use of two, possibly three, colours signify?
The second part of the mystery concerns the number of bars that could be applied to an individual aircraft. It is apparent from photographs that one, two, or three bars could be carried. Photographs have been found that show aircraft marked with one or three bars but aircraft with two bars seem particularly camera shy and as far as I am aware none have been discovered. However, the RAF Intelligence reports document the use of two bars on two different aircraft, both pink and white.
What the different number of bars signified is unknown as there does not seem to be any relationship between the number of bars and the Gruppe to which aircraft belonged within a Geschwader, which has been suggested in the past.
The third part off the mystery concerns the location of the bars on the airframe of individual aircraft. It is thought that the three bomber types under discussion carried bar markings on the vertical tail surfaces and upper surfaces of the wings. As a general rule it seems that Do 17s had horizontal bars across the outer surfaces of their fin and rudder whilst He 111s and Ju 88s had vertical bars, either on the fin or on the fin and rudder.
Contrary to popular belief, these markings do not appear to have always been applied to both sides of the tail surfaces of an aircraft.
Photographic evidence suggests that Do17s usually carried their wing bars chord wise, outboard of their national markings, whilst HE 111s and Ju 88s carried their markings span wise, inboard of their national markings. As usually there were however many variations and it is possible to find photographs of these types marked differently.
The bar markings were applied to the upper surfaces of either the port wing or the starboard wing, and it would appear occasionally to the upper surfaces of both wings. The number of bars on the wing(s) invariably correspond to the number of bars on the tail. Where tail markings were applied to one side of the tail this was invariably the same side as the wing markings.
One curious thing about these markings is that documentation and photographs link them to the KG of Luftflotte 2. Whether this was because these markings were only applied by Lufftflotte 2 or whether they were also applied by Luftflotte 3 is no known.
How these markings were used has never been satisfactory explained. The combination of the three suggested colours, the number of the bars applied, and their differing positions on the aircraft gives one interpretation suggesting that they were related to the standard Luftwaffe bomber formation. The basic unit was said to have been some twenty or so aircraft in a double 'V' formation, each consisting of ten aircraft. Extended lines of these 'V' formations then made up the mass formation.
The interpretation is that three parallel columns might be allocated a colour and that the leading elements would carry one bar, the second two bars and the rear element three bars, and these markings would be changed before each operation. If this interpretation is correct, it would explain the lack of correlation between colour and staffel number and Gruppe and the practice of marking just one side of the aircraft according to which side of the formation it was to fly on. The colour assigned to each column could also be changed from one operation to another, depending upon whether one, tow or three column formation was to be flown. This raises the possibility that a two column formation was the most common which would explain the lack of evidence for the third colour, yellow, being used if this colour was habitually assigned to the middle column.
The whole scheme would entail a lot of work for the ground staff if the markings had to be changed before every mission. Presumably the material used would have been lacquer 7120, a water washable distemper. If the markings were not changed the system would have been tactically inflexible with some units having to occupy the same position in the formation for several missions. The would however appear to be very flexible, allowing for casualties inflicted on the Luftwaffe by the RAF and/or unpredictable unserviceability of an individual aircraft. The markings could be altered to allow each Geschwader to operate the maximum number of aircraft available or required for each sortie without having to adhere to a rigid system dictated by the Staffel or Gruppe. Ultimately the reason why a cohesive system cannot be identified is because one did not exist, the markings changing form one sortie to the next.
There has been some speculation on what and how these markings were used but as far as I know nobody so far has found an entirely satisfactory explanation.
Bar markings feature in RAF Intelligence reports specifically dealing Do 17s and He 111s. They were employed during the period of heavy daylight raids on London from the beginning of September 1940. They were also applied to Ju 88s however there is no mention of 'bar markings' in reports of this type.
The earliest recorded use of these markings applied to the upper wings and sides of the fin and rudder is a photograph of two Do 17s of KG 76 reputedly taken over London during the evening of 7th September 1940. Both display a chord wise bar outboard of the national markings on the upper starboard wing. On one of them can be seen a single horizontal bar across the starboard fin and rudder.
Kampflieger Vol 2 Bombers of the Luftwaffe July 1940 – December 1941 follows the widely excepted view that the markings were white and were either used to identify the leader or allow crews to easily identify aircraft in their Gruppe while in close formation.
It is impossible to tell from back and white photographs exactly what colour the bar markings were, only that they were a light colour. It appears that the assumption has always been that these bar markings were white in colour. However, there is a body of documentary evidence in RAF Intelligence reports that shows this was not always the case.
After the onset of daylight raids on London, a number of aircraft carrying such markings were lost over Britain which became the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports, many of which mention the presence of bar markings on the wreckage.
Two Do 17Zs of KG 76 lost on the afternoon of 15th September were the subjects of RAF Intelligence reports. The first, WNr 2555, coded F1+FS of 8./KG 76 made a forced landing at Lullingstone Castle, Shoreham at 13.00 hrs. The report records that the aircraft was coded F1+FS with the second F outlined in white; that there was a red band around the fuselage; that the spinners were red, and that there was a horizontal pink band about 12 ins wide on the outside of both rudders. Photographs of the wreck show that the term 'rudders' actually means fin and rudder. They also show a chord wise bar inboard of the national marking on the upper surface of the port wing and the 8./KG 76 emblem on the starboard side of the nose. None of these are mentioned in the report.
The second Do17Z,WNr 3322 coded F1+DT of 9./KG 76, came down at Underriver, Shipbourne at 13.30 hrs. The intelligence report stated that the 'D' of the codes was yellow and that there was a yellow band around the fuselage. On the port wing there was a pink stripe on the upper surface and a pink stripe on both rudders. As in the previous case rudders probably meant fin and rudder.
One other unidentified Do 17came down on Barn Hurst Golf Course, Bexley, at 14.30 hrs on 15th September had similar markings which the intelligence report describes as “pink stripe on wing tip and rudder. The only other marking that seems to have been visible is a white letter C, presumably found on the upper surface of one of the wings.
Later in the afternoon of 15th September at 16.00 hrs, He 111 WNr 2771, coded A1+AN of 5./Kg 53, came down on West Malling aerodrome. The second letter A was outlined in white, spinners were red, and there were three vertical pink stripes on what the report calls, “both rudders”, presumably meaning both sides of the rudder. No mention is made of any wing markings. Whether this is because none were present or the officer did not notice them, or alternatively did not think them worth mentioning, is not known.
Other secondary sources, book, magazine articles etc., have claimed the following had pink markings:-
Do 17Z WNr 3457, 5K+JM of 4./KG 3, crashed at Bexley in Kent 12.00 hrs 15th September 1940, which had “a pink stripe on wing tip and rudder”. Which wing tip is not stated.
Do 17Z WNr 2814, F1+AT of 9./KG 76 came down at Rotherfield, Kent, during afternoon 15 September 1940 and had two horizontal pink stripes, each 12 inches wide on each rudder. No mention of any wing markings.
He 111H-2 WNr 5718, AL+LN of 5./KG 53, shot down near Hornchurch at 14.35 hrs was found to have three vertical pink stripes on the rudder. Again no mention of wing markings.
The bar markings appear to have been used through October as shown by the wreckage of Do 17 WNr 2544, 5K+CH of 1./KG 3, which crashed 02.00 hrs on 28th October 1940, at Boughton Malherbe in Kent. The codes were all black and a large pink horizontal stripe was found on the rudder.
All the above RAF Intelligence reports describe the bar markings as being pink. Whether this is related to most of the aircraft found to have pink markings were lost on 15th September in not known, nor why the the colour pink was used.
While the evidence from RAF Intelligence reports, pink would appear to have been the most commonly used colour for bar markings, white is also known to have been used.
White bar markings were found on a He 111 of 1./KG 26 which is said to have come down at Asplin Head on Foulness Island 1t 15.30 hrs on 15th September 1940. Said to be coded 1H+IJ with the letter 'I' and spinners in white, Although not certain, the aircraft may have actually been coded 1H+JH. Two white stripes ran vertically on the starboard side only of the fin and one stripe was found to run vertically on each side of the rudder, each stripe being about 13 inches wide. No mention is made of wing markings.
White was also said to be found on remains of a He 111H-3, Wnr 5680, coded 1H+CB of Stab I/KG 26 which came down near Hornchurch at 16.20 hrs 11th September 1940. This aircraft is said to have had two white stripes on the port wing tip and rudder.
In the past it has also been claimed that yellow was used to aply these bar markings to wing and tail but as far as I know no RAF Intelligence reports have been found that confirm this. If true, this raises the possibility that these markings could have been applied in the three common staffel colours especially if it is assumed that pink was more a more highly visible equivalent to red. The theory breaks down when when the colour of the markings is compared with the last code letter in the combination that identifies the staffel to which the aircraft was assigned.
The first part of the mystery, is therefore, exactly what did the use of two, possibly three, colours signify?
The second part of the mystery concerns the number of bars that could be applied to an individual aircraft. It is apparent from photographs that one, two, or three bars could be carried. Photographs have been found that show aircraft marked with one or three bars but aircraft with two bars seem particularly camera shy and as far as I am aware none have been discovered. However, the RAF Intelligence reports document the use of two bars on two different aircraft, both pink and white.
What the different number of bars signified is unknown as there does not seem to be any relationship between the number of bars and the Gruppe to which aircraft belonged within a Geschwader, which has been suggested in the past.
The third part off the mystery concerns the location of the bars on the airframe of individual aircraft. It is thought that the three bomber types under discussion carried bar markings on the vertical tail surfaces and upper surfaces of the wings. As a general rule it seems that Do 17s had horizontal bars across the outer surfaces of their fin and rudder whilst He 111s and Ju 88s had vertical bars, either on the fin or on the fin and rudder.
Contrary to popular belief, these markings do not appear to have always been applied to both sides of the tail surfaces of an aircraft.
Photographic evidence suggests that Do17s usually carried their wing bars chord wise, outboard of their national markings, whilst HE 111s and Ju 88s carried their markings span wise, inboard of their national markings. As usually there were however many variations and it is possible to find photographs of these types marked differently.
The bar markings were applied to the upper surfaces of either the port wing or the starboard wing, and it would appear occasionally to the upper surfaces of both wings. The number of bars on the wing(s) invariably correspond to the number of bars on the tail. Where tail markings were applied to one side of the tail this was invariably the same side as the wing markings.
One curious thing about these markings is that documentation and photographs link them to the KG of Luftflotte 2. Whether this was because these markings were only applied by Lufftflotte 2 or whether they were also applied by Luftflotte 3 is no known.
How these markings were used has never been satisfactory explained. The combination of the three suggested colours, the number of the bars applied, and their differing positions on the aircraft gives one interpretation suggesting that they were related to the standard Luftwaffe bomber formation. The basic unit was said to have been some twenty or so aircraft in a double 'V' formation, each consisting of ten aircraft. Extended lines of these 'V' formations then made up the mass formation.
The interpretation is that three parallel columns might be allocated a colour and that the leading elements would carry one bar, the second two bars and the rear element three bars, and these markings would be changed before each operation. If this interpretation is correct, it would explain the lack of correlation between colour and staffel number and Gruppe and the practice of marking just one side of the aircraft according to which side of the formation it was to fly on. The colour assigned to each column could also be changed from one operation to another, depending upon whether one, tow or three column formation was to be flown. This raises the possibility that a two column formation was the most common which would explain the lack of evidence for the third colour, yellow, being used if this colour was habitually assigned to the middle column.
The whole scheme would entail a lot of work for the ground staff if the markings had to be changed before every mission. Presumably the material used would have been lacquer 7120, a water washable distemper. If the markings were not changed the system would have been tactically inflexible with some units having to occupy the same position in the formation for several missions. The would however appear to be very flexible, allowing for casualties inflicted on the Luftwaffe by the RAF and/or unpredictable unserviceability of an individual aircraft. The markings could be altered to allow each Geschwader to operate the maximum number of aircraft available or required for each sortie without having to adhere to a rigid system dictated by the Staffel or Gruppe. Ultimately the reason why a cohesive system cannot be identified is because one did not exist, the markings changing form one sortie to the next.