Chronological Development of B-17 Camouflage and Markings

Photographs provide an historical record as to what the B-17Fs and Gs assigned to the 95th Bombardment Group [BG] looked like, but these photographs may show a variety of camouflage and markings. Accordingly, it is important to understand the concepts employed in the application of camouflage and markings. This section is not intended to replace the detailed discussion in Roger A. Freeman's The Mighty Eighth (Jane's, 1970); Kenn C. Rust's Eighth Air Force Story (Historical Aviation Album, 1978); Dana Bell's Air Force Colors, Volume 2, ETO & MTO 1942-45 (Squadron/Signal, 1980); and Steve Birdsall's B-17 Flying Fortress in Color (Squadron/Signal, 1986). Throughout this section, one axiom governs; namely, the issuance of instructions did not necessarily imply immediate alteration to existing camouflage or marking systems. There was a transitional period because no bombardment group stood down from operations because a portion of the bombers were not properly marked. What follows is a chronological review of the major alterations affecting the 95th's markings and camouflage.

May 1943

When the 95th flew its first operational mission on 13 May 1943 to St. Omer, all B-17Fs had the camouflage paint scheme applied at the factory. The upper surfaces were painted with Number 41 Olive Drab, while the lower surfaces were covered with Number 43 Neutral Grey. The National Insignia, a blue circle with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on it, was positioned on the upper left and lower right outer wing panel as well as on either side of the fuselage forward of the waist window. The only visible means of identifying a particular bomber was the aircraft serial number. Painted in yellow, these numbers appeared mid-way on the vertical stabilizer. Often, the last three digits of the number were used in historical documentation to identify the aircraft. For example, B-17F 42-29708 had the number 229708 appearing on the vertical stabilizer and the number 708 would be used in the documentation. Each aircraft was assigned an individual letter code for intra squadron recognition, but these letters were not applied to the aircraft for visual identification.

27 June 1943

As the operational strength of the 8th AAF grew, a need surfaced for an identification marking system that would promote a more immediate air-to-air identification. Such a system would assist the bomb group's assembly of the formation as well as identification of the group and its position within the bomber stream. Not having any experiencein this area, the 8th AAF looked to the Royal Air Force [RAF] for advice and subsequently adopted the RAF's unit identification system. Here each squadron received a two-letter code applied on both sides of the waist section forward of existing the National Insignia. The codes for the 95th's squadrons were:

334 BG

335 OE

336 ET

412 QW

Continuing with the RAF system, each aircraft received an individual letter code, known as the Radio Transmission code [R/f] that was placed on both sides of the waist section aft of the National Insignia. This R/f code carried the same dimensions as the squadron codes. All codes were painted light grey except for those of the 412th Squadron which initially appeared in sky blue.

29 June 1943

As a modification to the National Insignia, a white rectangle was added to either side of the blue circle. Known as the "Star and Bar," this marking was outlined with a red border. Because the squadron codes were often applied within inches of the existing National Insignia, the "Bar" often overlapped the squadron codes. There are examples of the old squadron codes being painted over and relocated forward of the "Bar," but operational considerations often delayed this relocation. As a result, there are a number of photographs showing the codes obscured by the "Bar."

Late June and Early July 1943

As the number of B-17s increased, changes in the marking system were introduced; that is, the use of geometric symbols to distinguish aircraft in one combat wing from another. Aircraft of the 4th Bomb Wing [BW], which included the 95th until the following September, placed a white rectangle on either side of the vertical stabilizer above the serial number and the upper right outer wing panel. 'Each group was assigned a letter to be superimposed onto the rectangle. For the 95th, the letter was "B," which initially appeared in yellow and then in insignia blue. At this time, the individual aircraft letter, the R/f code, was also applied in yellow below the serial number. Shortly thereafter, efforts were taken to reduce the visibility of the National Insignia and the geometric symbol by painting the white areas light grey. Sometime before January 1944, this practice was reversed and white was reinstated.

14 August 1943

The red border outlining the Star and Bar was replaced with insignia blue.

13 September 1943

Restructuring of the 8th AAF placed the 95th under the 13th Combat Bomb Wing [CBW] of the newly formed 3rd Bomb Division [BD]. At this time the 3rd BD retained the former 4th Bomb Wing markings.

December 1943

As the number of operational aircraft for each group grew, it became possible for groups to dispatch more aircraft than could be accommodated by the then standard 21 aircraft formation, but not enough aircraft to fill two formations. Consideration was given to establishing Composite Groups, where aircraft from several different Groups from the same Combat Bomb Wing or Bomb Division are organized together to fly a single mission. To facilitate the recognition of these aircraft, the 13th Combat Bomb Wing proposed that each group be divided into an "A" group and a "B" group. Aircraft assigned to the "B" group carried a unique marking, the purpose of which was to ease in air identification as "B" aircraft from the 95th, 100th, and 390th attempted to assemble into a formation. Briefly, a white stripe was placed aft of the white rectangle on the vertical stabilizer and to the right of the rectangle on the outer right-wing panel. Operational considerations forced the abandonment of this marking by 26 December 1943.

Late February 1944

B-17Gs began arriving in natural metal finish [NMF] because of the determination that heavy bombers no longer required camouflage paint schemes. The following serial number blocks were without camouflage:

To be sure, some crews aired misgivings about flying the NMF bombers since they "stuck out" in the formation of olive drab bombers. Some consideration was given to camouflaging these NMF B-17Gs or stripping the paint from those bombers still camouflaged. Neither measure promised to be economically feasible nor did these measures support any operational necessity. Even so, some bombers were stripped of paint and most groups were thinned of camouflaged aircraft through operational and non-operational losses. In the case of these NMF aircraft, the serial number, squadron codes, R/f codes, and the geometric symbol were painted black and the Group letter "B" was painted in white or left in NMF. When B-17Gs were introduced with the "staggered" waist positions, the National Insignia was moved aft of the right waist position. Here, the squadron and R/f codes remained in the same position.

July 1944

Squadron codes remained in force, but a further means of identification came with the application of a colored band around the foremost part of the B-17's nose area. There is photographic evidence that a similar band appeared around the rearmost portion of the tail section. This tail marking appeared for only a very limited period, but it is not clear if this was an unofficial or official marking. The colors were:

334 – Yellow

335 – Dark Blue

336 – Bright Green

412 – Red

2 January 1945

As a further means of identifying the wing and the groups within it, each wing devised a distinct pattern. For the 13th Combat Bomb Wing, a diagonal stripe was applied to the upper right and lower left outer wing panels. A similar stripe was placed against the trailing edge on either side of the vertical stabilizer. The color for the 95th was red.

Winter 1945

Squadron codes no longer applied to replacement aircraft. Existing codes remained in place.

March 1945

The red stripe on the vertical stabilizer was replaced by painting the entire rudder red. It is not clear if existing stripes were removed.

Observations

For reasons that have nothing to do with camouflage or markings, some B-17Fs had the vertical stabilizer painted Number 42 Medium Green. While there is ample speculation, it appears that the subcontractor providing the component received and accordingly used the wrong paint. Once discovered, production demands overruled repainting the mismatched stabilizer. Care must be taken not to mistake this situation with the repainting of battle-damaged areas of the aircraft or the freshly painted areas that had undergone field modifications, such as retrofitting of the "cheek" guns to B-17Fs and early B- 17Gs. The ground crews' repair and modification efforts often created a patchwork effect as freshly painted areas stood out, especially against the olive drab upper surfaces that had faded considerably from exposure to the English climate. As operations intensified and the need increased to return aircraft to combat, there simply was not the time to repaint repaired areas, generating in rather short order NMF B-17s with camouflaged components such as outer wing panels, as well as camouflaged aircraft sporting NMF components. In summary, then, variation is the operative word when considering what a B-17 assigned to the 95th Bombardment Group might have looked like on a given operational sortie.

{The preceding information is an abstract from the “Operational Record of the 95th Bomb Group (H) – A Supplement to B-17’s Over Berlin, Revised/Updated – 1990” by Paul M Andrews, copyright 1990 by the 95th Bomb Group (H) Association}