"Typhoon stripes" Topic
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World War Two in the Air
994 hits since 6 Apr 2015
SteelViscount 07 Apr 2015 8:53 p.m. PST
Did the Typhoon have stripes on both sides of the wings, or just the bottom? I've seen both used. Does it have to do with the Allies painting stripes pre-D-day?
Rabbit 3 08 Apr 2015 2:05 a.m. PST
Typhoon`s had stripes painted under the wings long before the adoption of the more universal D Day markings.
This was to avoid confusion between Typhoons and FW 190`s when flying at low level as British AA gunners sometimes managed to confuse the two.
Stripes on tail and above the wings only appeared from D Day onwards though and soon disappeared again from the upper surfaces after June 1944 on most fighter types at any rate.
SteelViscount 08 Apr 2015 7:35 a.m. PST
So, under-wing before and after Normandy, top and tail during?
Richard Humm 08 Apr 2015 11:32 a.m. PST
The Special Identification Markings for Typhoons were introduced on 19th November 1942, consisting of Night stripes each 12" wide and 24" apart with the outboard stripes aligned against the inboard edges of the ailerons and with the inboard stripes at the wing roots, and the gaps between the Night stripes filled in with White. These markings were removed on 7th February 1944, and Typhoons in service between February and June should have had Medium Sea Grey undersurfaces with 32" National Marking II applied (the roundel with the narrow white ring between the red and blue).
On 5th June 1944 the AAEF Invasion Stripes were introduced above and below the wings and around the rear fuselage. These were all 18" wide, with three White and two Night stripes in each position. It appears that the stripes above the wings and on the upper fuselage started to be removed from aircraft based in France around the end of June.
The stripes on the wings were ordered to be removed between 25th August and 10th September 1944. The lower fuselage stripes were ordered to be removed on 31st December 1944.
Thanks, Richard and Rabbit! Since I'm doing 1945, no stripes, then.