grey on top Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Hi, There are two types of invasion stars applied to the front/hood of vehicles. There is the star with broken circle surround or the star with complete circle. My understanding is that the broken circle is the generic invasion star and the complete circle is the Normandy/D-Day invasion star. Am I correct? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 I think the broken circle just shows it was applied with a stencil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 WWII Military Allied Vehicle Stars explained:- https://armyvehiclemarking.com/blog/2018/03/22/alliedstar/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchlesswdg3 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Interesting that we were told by the folk that used my particular MV in the Normandy campaign was that the first thing they did was to paint out the bonnet star! Seems some thought the emblem was too good a target, which is kind of contrary to the scurrilous saying of those days that if the Germans flew over, the Allies ducked; if the British flew over, the Germans ducked; and if the Yanks flew over, everyone ducked! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey on top Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 2 hours ago, matchlesswdg3 said: Interesting that we were told by the folk that used my particular MV in the Normandy campaign was that the first thing they did was to paint out the bonnet star! Seems some thought the emblem was too good a target, which is kind of contrary to the scurrilous saying of those days that if the Germans flew over, the Allies ducked; if the British flew over, the Germans ducked; and if the Yanks flew over, everyone ducked! Oh how true!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey on top Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 So, reading the link from MatchFusee the circle was added to prevent the plain white star and the german cross being confused by allied pilots. The star and circle with gaps is called a lazy star as it was applied using a stencil. It seems that the gaps should have been filled in. Maybe because they had time to prepare for D-Day more vehicles had complete circles? Having looked at many achieve photos a lot of vehicles on D-Day did have the full circle although in pictures after D-Day I have seen the lazy star. I am only wondering about the star because I only want to paint my hood once only to be told by someone that I have got it all wrong. Just to confuse things General Patton had all the vehicles under his command have a yellow circle - with or without gaps I wonder!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 50 minutes ago, grey on top said: I am only wondering about the star because I only want to paint my hood once only to be told by someone that I have got it all wrong. That will happen no matter what you do! If you can find period phots showing the same as what you have done, you can't be 'wrong'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 To my knowledge the yellow circle was used in the Italian campaign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey on top Posted May 12, 2020 Author Share Posted May 12, 2020 I got the paragraph below from the website mentioned by MatchFuzze above. https://armyvehiclemarking.com/blog/2018/03/22/alliedstar/ The “yellow” circle adopted during Operation Overlord / D-Day 1944 was mostly used by General Patton’s troops. Who were also at the 1943 Italian Sicily campaign / Operation Husky. Even Gen. Patton himself had a yellow circle band everywhere in Europe on his vehicles, like his Dodge Command Car .Maybe I misunderstood the above paragraph - does it mean Patton's personal vehicles? ...and maybe not the ones he used in Northern Europe? I stand corrected Thanks everyone for your contributions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 I believe the paint is called M5 Liquid Vesicant Detection Paint or Gas paint. Whether this was painted on for its intended use or just because it’s yellow we will likely never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Well I just googled it and typically there was an order so ignore my “likely never know comment” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Well you can't argue with that primary source information way to go, however it raises another question which is why is it so rare to find photographic evidence of this order actually being carried out ?? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 I wonder if it was cancelled/superseded but either that didn’t filter down to the troops or those that had already had it prior to cancellation didn’t remove it. this is a well known photograph and every vehicle including the 1/2 track has the detector paint on it suggesting some units enforced it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummermark Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 I see on the half track just past the drivers door towards the rear there is a small black star within a yellow circle. why the black star not white? what would be all the stenciling past the black star towards the rear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 23 minutes ago, hummermark said: I see on the half track just past the drivers door towards the rear there is a small black star within a yellow circle. why the black star not white? what would be all the stenciling past the black star towards the rear? Can't provide an answer on the black star other than perhaps a unit specific identifier The stenciling I suspect will including shipping dimensions and weights for the vehicle often seen at this period on the petrol tank of trucks such as GMC etc and on the right side lower cowl quarter panel on jeeps Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummermark Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 I thought shipping dimensions but the first line is quite long and out of proportion to the usual shipping dimensions I have seen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Another example of a black star:- This new M4A3E8 tank is covering highway H-4 outside Bastogne, Belgium on 8 January 1945. The tank is parked at the edge of a field along the highway in a hull down position. Source:- https://mikesresearch.com/2019/01/27/m4a3e8-sherman/ 10. Unit markings.—Gasoline solvent paint or paint as prescribed by the War Department will be used. a. Unit markings.—National symbol. (3) Whenever requirements for camouflage and concealment outweigh the requirements for recognition, the national symbol may be covered by lusterless olive-drab gasoline solvent paint, camouflage nets, oil and dirt, etc., or will be removed. Source:- http://www.lonesentry.com/panzer/jeep-markings.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummermark Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 I can get the Whenever requirements for camouflage and concealment outweigh the requirements for recognition, the national symbol may be covered by lusterless olive-drab gasoline solvent paint, camouflage nets, oil and dirt, etc., or will beremoved. but the half track in the picture has a big white star on the hood so I do not think the small black star on the side is done for concealmen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzH Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Re the yellow gas paint, I remember this lot being found and sold off on ebay Also, assuming these are all from the same unit, the variance in styles of stars, circles and numbers...! https://jalopnik.com/germans-discover-military-jeep-hoods-used-to-repair-a-c-1831021112 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 On 5/15/2020 at 10:58 AM, hummermark said: I see on the half track just past the drivers door towards the rear there is a small black star within a yellow circle. why the black star not white? what would be all the stenciling past the black star towards the rear? The jeep on the right had the same black star on the bumper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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