Military markings on United States army vehicles were upgraded in August 1942 when specific new rules were adopted. New marks, from the national identification symbol downwards were ordered to be put on "all motor vehicles assigned to tactical units".

History

During World War I, the letters US or U.S. were used to identify vehicles of the American Expeditionary Forces. Formation signs and War Department vehicle identification numbers were painted on the sides. United States Army Ambulance Service vehicles carried a red cross and the Caduceus symbol which had been adopted by the U.S. Medical Department in 1902. War Department vehicle numbers were put on vehicles as was section identification signs, SSU meaning services support unit, with 2 or 3 digit number (e.g. SSU 525). Between the wars a standard vehicle serial number was introduced. An insignia USA W-????? (W for War Department) was used, the first or first two numbers indicating the vehicle type, the rest of the numbers being sequence numbers. All symbols were painted in white. A prefix K was used by the US Signal Corps on certain special vehicles.

National identification

Three colored star, circle with blue background and white five pointed star with a red circle, that does not touch the blue background. Used pre-war and is identical to the marking on aircraft. Three colored star, as per two color star with a red circle, that does not touch the blue background. National flag, used predominately on vehicles in North African landing from November 1942 were painted in the sides of softskins bonnets and on the front and sides of armor. Two color star – circle with blue background and white five pointed star used in North Africa from late 1942. Star and stripe - bar, five pointed star and bar. Saw service in North Africa, Sicily and to a lesser extent, the SW Pacific. Used on tanks with the bar circling the turret with a star on each side. 22 inch diameter star. From January to August 1942 the star and bar was painted in air corps yellow.

Army regulation AR-850-5 issued August 1942 ordered a plain white five pointed star, as the national symbol, it was seen in all theatres from 1943 and by 1944 was the most common national identification sign. The star point was supposed to be facing rearwards on flat surfaces, upwards on a glacis.

In armored units, the white star was often painted out or a circle around the star was added, to avoid looking like a German cross at distance. 2nd Armored painted the vehicle number on the turret side in yellow for the same reason in Normandy, with the numbers being removed by D+14.

The August 1942 regulations authorised, when camouflage and concealment outweighed recognition requirements, the national insignia could be dulled, painted over with olive drab lacklustre gasoline solvent paint, or covered.

+ White star size and locations 1942-5 (in inches)VehicleBumperBonnetCab roof turret topCab doorsSidesRearOther Motorbike 6 (gas tank) Car 4 (c) 36 (from 1945) 20 (rear) 15 Jeep 4 (c) 15 (1½ inches from dashboard) 6 (rear) 12 (l) Command car 4 (c) 15 15 (rear) 10 (c) Weapons carrier 1/2 ton 4 (c) 20 (25 from 1945) 10 (c) 10 (c) Weapons carrier 3/4 ton 6 (c) 25 10 (r) 10 (c) 1 1/2 ton cargo truck 6 (c) 20 (open) 25 (closed) 36 (closed) 25 15 (open) 10 (c) tailboard 15 (l) mudguard 2 1/2 ton cargo truck 6 (c) 32 (open) 32 (closed) 25 15 (open) 10 (c) tailboard 15 (l) mudguard 4 ton cargo truck 6 (c) 25 32 25 10 (c) tailboard 15 (l) mudguard Scout car Half track 36 20 15 (c) 20 (c) radiator Light tank 20 (turret) 20 (turret) 15 (hull from 1945) 10 (c) Medium tank 20 (turret ) 36 (engine deck of M3) 15 (turret) 15 (hull from 1945) 15 (turret) Additional regulations from 1945 M8 armored car 36 (engine deck) 15 (turret) 15 (hull) 15 (hull) 15 glacis Priest SP gun 20 15 or 20 (l & r) 25 glacis Grant tank 20 (turret) 36 (engine deck) 15 (hull) 25 glacis Sherman tank 20 (turret) 60 (engine deck) 25 glacis Tank destroyer 45 (engine deck) 20 20 36 glacis note: (l) left, (c) centre (r) right

March 1944 Army Regulations gave permission for the national sign to be that chosen by the respective service command, allowing USMC and Army Air Forces to create their own.

Formation signs

Formation signs on plates 6 inches high and 9 inches wide, located front right and rear left, were standard until the end of 1941 when they were limited to staff cars and Jeeps in the Army. Most in the form of a shield and ribbon with a motto.

Army Regulation AR-850-5 issued August 1942 set out a standard bumper code which came in four groupings.

Group 1 + Smallest appropriate unit UnitNumberLetter Infantry Division Arabic numeral Armored Division Arabic numeral Δ (3 inches high with ¼-inch stroke) Cavalry Division Arabic numeral C Airborne Division Arabic numeral AB or A/B Army Corps Roman numeral Armored Corps Roman numeral Δ Cavalry Corps Roman numeral C Airborne Corps Roman numeral AB or A/B Army Arabic numeral A Air force Arabic numeral star (3 inches high) Zone of communications ZC Army Ground Forces AGF Services of Supply SOS General Headquarters GHQ Zone of interior ZI Reception center RC Replacement training center A or C or Δ or Star RTC Training center TC Firing center FC Peninsular Base Section PBS Other units Use non conflicting letters

Group 2 + Separate unit identifier 1942–1945Branch or serviceLetterNotes Airborne AB Amphibious AM APH from 1945 Anti-Aircraft Artillery AA Armored Δ Army Air Force Star wings and propeller from 1945 Cavalry C Chemical warfare G Coast Artillery CA Corps of Engineers E Field Artillery FA F from 1945 Infantry I preceded by ½ inch dash Medical M Military Police P Mountain MN from 1945 Ordnance O preceded by ½ inch dash Quartermaster Q Signal Corps S Tank Destroyer TD Tank Group TG not used from 1945 The dash in front of I and O is to avoid confusion with numbers

Group 3

+ Company codes 1942–1945CompanyCodeNotes Headquarters HQ Lettered Company Lettered designation Anti tank AT Ammunition AM from 1945 Cannon CN Depot DP from 1945 Heavy Weapons HW Maintenance MT Mortar MR from 1945 Reconnaissance R Rocket RT from 1945 Service SV Train TN Weapons W Other non conflicting letters

+ Independent company codes from October 1942CodeBranch or Service AW Automatic weapons Con Construction DP Depot DS Direct Support GAM General Auto GS General Support HW Heavy Weapons MR Mortar MT Maintenance PM Parachute maintenance R Reconnaissance RP Repair TMP Transportation motor pool X Separate Company Unusual service units could invent their own 1-3 letter code.

Group 4 serial number of the vehicle

The Serial number of the vehicle in normal order of march. Vehicles assigned to headquarters will be grouped with HQ vehicles and given small serial numbers. It was normal to adopt a convoy order number in a logical format, HQ vehicles would be numbered 1-10, 1st platoon 11-20, 2nd platoon 21-30 etc.

Stencilled in white, max 4 inches high, front and back of the vehicle, groupings were separated by a one-inch dash. Groups three and four may be on the opposite end of the bumper. If put into two lines, Group 1 was over Group 2, and Group 3 over Group 4. A trailer would carry the same bumper number of its towing vehicle.

+ Examples of bumper numbersGroup 1Group 2Group 3Group 4Note 101AB 506PIR F 4 101 Airborne, 506 Parachute Infantry, 4th vehicle of Company F 2Δ 17Δ C 7 2nd Armored Division, 17th Armored, 7th vehicle of Company C 8I 34-I B 23 8th Infantry Division, 34th Infantry, 3rd vehicle of 2nd platoon of company B VIII 704TD HQ 6 8 Corps, 704 Tank Destroyer Battalion, 6th vehicle of HQ 1C 61F A 10 1st Cavalry Division, 61st Field artillery, Battery A vehicle 10

Tactical signs

The August 1942 regulations set out the rules surrounding tactical markings:

Divisions, independent brigades, combat commands and combat teams may prescribe tactical markings for their command. Painted on the vehicles they may be in color, their location, size and design using geometric shapes to be specified. To be changed in a combat zone when appropriate with no written record of the system.

Painted on turrets or hull sides of Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV), on bumpers of halftracks and softskins.

They included: One digit numbers in 1st Armored Division in North Africa painted in black alongside the tactical sign. One or two letters and one or two numbers such as B-18 or DT-7, as large as possible. Triangles, oblongs and circles in various combinations and formats designed to identify vehicles down to platoon level.

Names on vehicles Vehicle names were authorised and used on AFV's as a form of tactical sign, often using names starting with the same letter to designate vehicles of the same platoon or company.

Battles, places, people and girls names were common.

Non formation signs

War department number

The 1929 system of unique war department number was allocated by the Army Quartermaster Corps. Until mid 1944 a prefix of W- for War Dept. was used. Australian produced vehicles for US use in the Pacific theatre had a prefix of U. A K- prefix indicated a U.S. Signal Corps designation.

From January 1944, a vehicle where the engine was suppressed to reduce radio interference had an S painted after the number either side of the bonnet.

Prefix numbers indicated the type of vehicle.

+ War Department number prefix LetterVehicle typeLocation 0 Trailers centre of back 00 Maintenance trucks hood both sides, tailgate 1 Cars under hood on right side, upper part and registration plates (until 1942) outer surface of hood on each side and rear panel (1942 to 1945) 10 Kitchen trailers centre of back 2 Utility truck ¾ ton to 1 ton (incl. Jeep) (until 1942) Light truck up to 1 ton (incl. Jeep) (from 1943) hood both sides, tailgate † 20 Reconnaissance trucks and Buses hood both sides, tailgate 3 Light truck 1¼ to 2 ton (until 1942) Medium trucks up to 1½ tons (from 1943) hood both sides, tailgate † 30 Tanks and some special vehicles both sides near front and rear 4 Medium truck 2½ to 4 ton (until 1942) Trucks of 2½ to 5 ton (from 1943) hood both sides, tailgate † 40 Tracked and half tracked vehicles (except tanks) both sides near front and rear 5 Heavy truck 5 ton or over (until 1942) Trucks over 5 ton and prime movers (from 1943) hood both sides, tailgate † 50 Fire and crash trucks hood both sides, tailgate † 6 Motor cycles and motorcycle combinations rear registration plate 60 Armored cars and special command vehicles (including searchlight, radio and command) both sides near front and rear 7 Ambulance hood both sides, rear door 70 Amphibious both sides near front and rear 8 Wheeled tractors hood both sides, tailgate † 80 Tankers hood both sides, tailgate † 9 Full and half tracked tractors hood both sides, tailgate †

† For trucks without hoods, numbers to be painted on each end of drivers seat.

The first 99,999 jeeps had five digit numbers after the prefix, thereafter six digit numbers.

Army vehicle numbers were preceded by USA or US ARMY, normally appearing on a line above the number in same color and size as the number. If there was room, it could all appear in one line. For Marine Corps vehicles, substitute USMC. The 1942 regulations (AR-850-5) required U.S.A. over the 5 or 6 digit number.

The 22 April 1942 regulation also specified that the numbers were to be painted using a stencil in blue drab lustreless enamel with numbers one inch high on motorcycles, two inches on trailers and US registration plates and four inches high and two inches wide on all other vehicles.

The 22 April 1942 regulation on color were amended and from 1943 the numbers were prescribed to be painted white, as blue drab was too hard to see.