Personalized planes??
So this may have been a topic I just couldn't find, but why are the German planes more personalized than allied planes? Was there ruled for painting planes? I've seen allied planes with art work or bits painted a certain color but nothing like German planes. What was the German logic behind some of the outrageous paint jobs? Sorry for the noob question and I'm extremely sorry if this topic has been covered and my search skills need work.
Tom
I am far from an expert, but I know the British actively downplayed the individual exploits of their pilots... with a few notable exceptions, one such being Albert Ball. That is one reason, I assume, for their more low-key approach to aircraft decoration. It appears to be systemic.
The Germans, on the other hand, celebrated their champions... they got a lot of press. This did both good and bad... it buoyed morale when the Luftstreitkräfte was kicking butt and taking names, but also had the opposite effect when the inevitable happened and their heroes fell.
In Germany happened something similar to medieval age when knights made their coats-of-arms, to be recognized from far away. Even if that was not completely by the book at first.
The British RFC Command frowned on personal decoration & sent out clear orders to paint out any such efforts once they knew of them. However the Royal Naval Air Service did allow many Squadrons to use colourful schemes. Seems they thought it good for Esperit de Corps.
The Germans started out with plainer aircraft but soon saw the value of allowing pilots to personlise their planes & the Jastas soon developed unit colours or markings as well as allowing pilots to have individual schemes.
imho, what the Germans did was basic IFF. A visual method of Identification Friend or Foe. Could not tell you if it was more as protection from their own newbs or not though.
The Germans also stated that they did it to aid ground recognition in confirming kills by an individual pilot.
Hadn't heard that, but it makes sense... as does Wargamer's comment about IFF.Originally Posted by greenalfonzo
Thank you everyone for the great answers. Does anyone know where the French stood on the issue?
Somewhere in between.
They placed a bit more emphesis on the achievements of individual pilots than the British did and went for some sometimes flamboyant squadron markings.
They also allowed individual pilots to have their own insignia as well.
The British army`s idea was to concentrate more on the achievements of squadrons rather than individuals, feeling that it was better for unit morale.
Last edited by Rabbit 3; 04-01-2013 at 05:55.
Which is a little weird, considering it was Oswald Boelcke (IIRC) who stated: "it does not matter who scores the victories, so long as the Staffel wins".
Thanks again everyone. This is such a great place for info. Someone almost always has an answer and isn't rude about questions from the new(ish) people. Such a difference from the rest of the Internet.
It is of course more risky to exploit the achievements of single pilots rather than the team performance. If that particular ace dies - the drawback in morale can be huge. On the other hand a single person offers more identification possibilities - and hence is more powerful propaganda object - than Jasta X or Squadron Y.
Don't worry Tommy.
One of our august members put it most succinctly somewhere else.
To the effect that the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.
I must admit that I like his attitude.
Rob.
Yes, it's always fine to ask the question; even if it's been asked before, the answer may have changed
Karl
Most likely Manfred von Richthofen was the first who had the idea in early 1917 to paint his Albatros in his favourite color.
A plane marked like that seem to take the practical advantage for the pilots to immediately recognize their leader. And also helped the observers on the ground to better follow the confrontations up in the sky.
The effect on the morale of both friend and foe should also not be underestimated.
A little later other pilots followed his example.
Actually Michael, it was a Frenchman who first painted his aircraft red - Jean Navarre over Verdun in 1916 - http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...port-N-11-Bebe
Yes, thank you. Most likely MvR was the first German who ...
Yes, I think that's right.
I think I just read somewhere that Boelcke flew a blue albatross D.II. Which would make sense that MvR would paint his plane red since he supposedly worshiped Boelcke. Granted I'm far from an expert on the matter.
Sorry, I can't see why 'worshipping Boelcke' would make anyone want to paint their aircraft red, particularly if the subject of your hero worship allegedly painted his blue. Like many former 'ground regiment' officers who personalised their aircraft to conform with their previous regimental herealdry, MvR's Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Alexander der III. von Russland (1. Westpreußisches) Nr. 1 used red. LvR chose yellow as that was the colour of his former regiment, Dragoner-Regiment Von Bredow (1. Schlesien) Nr.4. As Wargamer & GreenAlfonso stated it was introduced as much for friendly recognition as anything else.
Last edited by Baldrick62; 04-07-2013 at 07:46.
Maybe worship was a strong word, but from what I've read it certainly sounded like it. My original theory was more along the lines of Boelcke painted and personalized his plane. So MvR followed suit with his own personalization when he became a squadron leader. Just a theory, but that would mean Boelcke was the first german technically to personalize an aircraft.
You're certainly right that MvR, like the vast majority of his contemporaries, would have greatly admired Boelcke, and as someone serving under Boelcke, probably more than many. However, both Greg VanWyngarden and the late Dan-San Abbott debunk the theory of Boelcke flying a blue aircraft. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/ca...-ii-d-iii.html
Ok then, guess that answered that
It is incredible to think though, that given these events occurred less than 100 years ago and that with people like Boelcke and MvR we're talking about 'A-list celebrities' of their day, there are so many gaps in our knowledge. It goes to illustrate the chaos which engulfed the losers of the Great War (including Tsarist Russia) and the destruction that was visited on remaining state archives and records across Europe and Asia during the subsequent second round.
You raise a very good point Balders old chap. Many, many German pilots use the colours of their previous Regiments (mainly Cavalry) in some form with their personal emblems. Also Coat of Arms for their Town or State. Certainly MvR wanted his aircraft to stand out to help identify his victory claims.
Most interestingly he first had one of his plains painted a drab earth/brown colour as camoflarge but soon gave that up for the flamboyan all red colour on an Albatross D.III.
Can you really say that Boelcke was the first (German) pilot to add personal markings to his plane? I don't know the date he painted his plane, but Jack Herris has various German aircraft individually marked with stripes (Fokker E.II - von Crailsheim) or large names (Albatros B.I - WEDDIGEN) dated to early/mid 1915.
Linked to the IFF issue, might it also have been to identify leaders among the Germans, so they could more easily get back into formation/receive orders/rally after a fight?
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