Panzer I turret markings

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luckystrike78
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Joined: 25 Oct 2016, 19:18
Location: Saxony

Panzer I turret markings

#1

Post by luckystrike78 » 13 Feb 2018, 20:09

Does anyone know the sense of these checked turret markings. One can find them during manouvers 1936 - 1937/38. My first thought was simply to distinguish the different parties but I have strong doubts now.
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Hoss65
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Joined: 06 Jul 2014, 12:26
Location: North East England

Re: Panzer I turret markings

#2

Post by Hoss65 » 14 Feb 2018, 18:36

I have seen a photo in a book with a caption that described them as an umpire's vehicle markings during a military exercise. Unfortunately I cannot recall which book and can't find it or the photo at the moment. There is another photo in Squadron Signal Publications book Panzer Colours 2, page 6, which show a Panzer I ausf A with the same checkerboard markings as your picture of a Panzer I turret. There it is described as indicating the company HQ platoon of a tank regiment. According to the book it was not used "for long" as colour-coding companies and platoons was not made standard practice and the now familiar numbering system was adopted instead.


luckystrike78
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Posts: 224
Joined: 25 Oct 2016, 19:18
Location: Saxony

Re: Panzer I turret markings

#3

Post by luckystrike78 » 14 Feb 2018, 19:22

Thanks for your reply. I have a lot of these pics in my archive and I can exclude both book-opinions.

It has something to do with manouvre - that is for sure. Ap. 1/3 of the tanks (not all) are marked this way - mostly one or two in a platoon (most liekely in all of the companys). It was obviously important to show it to the side and back of the tank - not so much at the front. So I conclude a marking for own forces or manouvre control (referees). It something remebers me to modern crash test vehicle:
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