Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

This is my old text written for excellent but now non existent armyairforces.com

413th FG markings
During training 413th FG, 1st FS used A+numbers combination in front of national insignia (as on n/m P-47D coded black A309). An 413th FG olive drab P-47D, with white nose ring, photographed at Bluethenthal Field (today Wilmington International Airport), North Carolina, late 1944, was coded white A- (A dash, or minus), probably denoting 1st FS.
All 413th FG aircraft in the Pacific, natural metal P-47Ns, had 24'' letters in front of national insignia. Early markings included nose rings in squadron color - 1st FS black, 21st yellow, 34th FS white.
Squadron emblem carried under cockit, on starboard side only, mostly by 1st FS and then followed by 34th FS. It is not confirmed that 21st FS displayed emblem(s) (then it was 'panther head', and current 'playing cards' emblem will revert to the old one when ROCAF training is over).
1st FS. In March-April 1945 transfered from the USA to Marianas by the escort carrier USS Kwajalein. Unit markings allegedly painted during the cruise on 49 P-47N aircraft. 1st FS used AA-AZ codes on fuselage in front of national insignia, 24'' tall, in black, unique styled letters (with asymetrical 'A' and thiner horizontal lines). A+numeral combination was used to avoid duplicate codes (for example A2 coded P-47N, s/n 44-87830). Black nose ring, wingtips, and rudder with n/m diamond.
Disembarked at Guam, moved to Tinian after a few days and the first missions were flown from Saipan, Marianas, to Truk. Later missions to Formosa, Japan and China mainland when in May/June 1945 entire 413th FG moved to permanent base at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, and joined the ground echelon there.
During July 1945 1st FS at Ie Shima painted entire tails medium blue, with yellow diamond on centre tailplane, serials overpainted. Nose ring remained black.

21st FS. Codes BA-BZ, also B+numerals (for example B4). Early markings: dark heart (black rather than blue) on yellow rudder (as on BG s/n 44-87897), also yellow nose ring with thin black stripe.
Later entire tail in yellow, with blue heart, sometines outlined white, usually on forward tailplane. Serials overpainted. Thin black stripe separating yellow and n/m.
34th FS. Early markings: white nose ring with thin black stripe, black spade on white rudder, black 24'' fuselage codes CA-CZ. Markings as such already in use at Marianas, May 1945, during first combat missions in concert with 7th AF, while still on the move to Ie Shima. Codes CA-CZ (for example CD s/n 44-88112 and CF s/n 44-87979, with black spade on rudder).
Later entire tail in yellow, with black spade on forward tailplane and serials overpainted. Same codes and also C+numerals combination (known examples C5 and C7 at Ie Shima, summer 1945). Nose ring also yellow. Group CO's plane also flew in that livery, with 24'' personal codes HRT (H.R. Thyng).

WW II 21st FS YELLOW HEART ON BLUE TAIL MARKINGS
I admitt that I really can't tell medium blue from yellow in b/w photographs, so it could be yellow heart on medium blue, as claimed in Dana Bell's "Air Force Colors, Vol. 3" (with correct text about coding, but illustration showing wrong shape of 413th FG tail markings, similar to those of 414th FG, probably mislead by 413th FS. Otherways it is a great book). The same information is in text only in Kagero's "Fighters over Japan" and illustration on the Sword's decal sheet showing P-47N 'Little Girl Yip' coded BD with blue tail and yellow heart. Maybe this was influenced by the later time 21st FDS blue color, so here are a few words about it.

USAF DAYS
When 413th was activated again in the 50's (under 479th umbrella), squadron badges were carried on both sides of F-86H fuselage or tail. Colored areas denoted squadrons, but varied for entire group/wing at one time or another. One set included fuselage top with single angled fuselage stripe+single horizontal tail stripe. Another one included front to back angled 2 stripes in sq. color on fuselage, also on tail, following tail shape, and wing tips.
Squadron color was red for 1st FDS, 21st FDS blue, 34th FDS green and newly arrived 474th FDS yellow. When replaced by the F-100s in 1955, only squadron emblems were carried under cockpit at first and later in the middle of the single horizontal tail band in squadron color, with single nose strip in sq. color, replaced on the new F-100Ds by two horizontal tail color bands in squadron color, often with wing badge ('SIVA') in the middle of the lower broader band. Three vertical nose stripes in sq. color carried on the nose.

413th FDG/FDW 1955-58, TFW 1958-59
George AFB, California
F-100 Supre Sabre
Squadron Sqn Color Sqn Name
1 FDS/TFS Red Fightin' Furies/Griffins
21 FDS/TFS Blue Gamblers
34 FDS/TFS Green Rude Rams
474 FDS/TFS Yellow

Assets (both aircraft and personnel) absorbed into 31st TFW as 306-309th TFS at George AFB in 1959. 31st wing changed the tail badge, but markings remained the same.
308th TFS FW-440 (56-3440) had green tail and nose stripes with white trim and later flew at Homestead AFB. At Aviano AB the same plane was painted white overall with TAC emblem only.

MORE NOTES
Preserved P-47D-30RA Thunderbolt 44-32798 that served with the original 413th FG (Dec 1944-Mar 1945) is today displayed at Hill AFB, although not in 413th FG markings but restored as the famous Eagleston's aircraft. More at
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p47re...7-4432798.html