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Old 9th September 2008, 12:50
klemchen klemchen is offline
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RLM color question

Hello,
there were two yellows on the RLM palette, Gelb 04 with perhaps a very slight orange tinge, and Gelb 27 which was more like lemon yellow. Verbally, 04 was also called Chromgelb and Lehmgelb (clay yellow), 27 Postgelb. As far as I know, 04 was originally intended as code color for fuel, but it was also widely used as a general marking color. I used to believe that 27 was intended as unit color of the third Staffel of a Gruppe, because in that range of numbers there were other colors for similar purposes. Since 04 was used as recognition color for axis aircraft in the east and elsewhere, I imagined that it was also often used as Staffel color, but only inofficially on unit level. Now some time ago I ran across a statement from the early years of the Luftwaffe saying that the color for the third Staffel of a Gruppe was to be Lehmgelb. This leaves the purpose of 27 completely unclear. In the literature I have not found a hint. Although e.g. Ken Merrick (like other authors) has 27 on several color samples in his recent two volumes book on Luftwaffe colors, he does not explain in his text what it was used for (if at all). Can anybody give an answer?
Thanks in advance,
klemchen
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