Japanese aircraft leading edges?

[David_Aiken]

Aloha All,
Thanks for quoting my post:
"On 18 April 1942, the Japanese HQ discovered that the US insignia with the red dot confused Japanese AA gunners. They began to place large white squares and 'bandages' behind/around the Japanese national insignia for "Homeland Defense" aircraft. Some of these "Homeland Defense" white markings found their way to the South Pacific.

"Head on tests revealed they needed some other quick identification of who was who...and both the Japanese Army and Navy tested RED leading edge stripes on aircraft.

"On 11 Sept 1942 the official order came from Imperial Headquarters for the IJA-IJN to have YELLOW leading edge stripes. The order was sent out on 12 Sept 1942 according to the date stamp below. Japanese researcher "Summer" located this order recently, in the Japanese equivalent to the US NARA.

"Applications of yellow stripes were noted in the 'field' in October 1942."

The document was again posted at: http://www.airwarfareforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7881

Of interest, the width varied...the REX was quite narrow, only two inches!

[fsbofk]

Interesting that the red dot in the early-war US insignia confused Japanese AA gunners. The US deleted the red dot from the white star at about that same time but for a different reason - seems both sides thought the aircraft were Japanese !