USAAF Roundel December 7th, 1941
When the Japanese attackers soared over Pearl Harbor, they first chose to strike the airfields and hangars where all the planes were housed. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, most of the planes sat outside their hangars, situated wingtip-to-wingtip.
When the attack began, pilots were unable to get the Pearl Harbor aircraft to safety, and very few were able to take off to return Japanese fire. Ninety-two U.S. Navy planes and 77 U.S. Army planes were destroyed that day. In addition to those lost, another 31 Navy planes and 128 Army planes sustained considerable damage. The US Army Air Corps began painting its roundel on only the top of the left wing and only the bottom of the right wing February 26th, 1941, intended to help facilitate recognition of friend and foe if the United States became embroiled in the spreading conflict. The other reason was to “eliminate a balanced target” by presenting a somewhat asymmetrical effect — if you see two white stars (i.e., one on each wing), it is easier to aim your guns between them.
The US Navy resisted this change and reverted to the roundel on each wing early in the war on January 5th, 1942. In the months after the attack on Pearl Harbour - following the late June 1941 conversion of the USAAC into the United States Army Airforce - it was thought that the central red dot could be mistaken for a Japanese Hinomaru, from a distance and in May 1942 it was eliminated on all aircraft in service the red dot was painted over with white.
When the Japanese attackers soared over Pearl Harbor, they first chose to strike the airfields and hangars where all the planes were housed. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, most of the planes sat outside their hangars, situated wingtip-to-wingtip.
When the attack began, pilots were unable to get the Pearl Harbor aircraft to safety, and very few were able to take off to return Japanese fire. Ninety-two U.S. Navy planes and 77 U.S. Army planes were destroyed that day. In addition to those lost, another 31 Navy planes and 128 Army planes sustained considerable damage. The US Army Air Corps began painting its roundel on only the top of the left wing and only the bottom of the right wing February 26th, 1941, intended to help facilitate recognition of friend and foe if the United States became embroiled in the spreading conflict. The other reason was to “eliminate a balanced target” by presenting a somewhat asymmetrical effect — if you see two white stars (i.e., one on each wing), it is easier to aim your guns between them.
The US Navy resisted this change and reverted to the roundel on each wing early in the war on January 5th, 1942. In the months after the attack on Pearl Harbour - following the late June 1941 conversion of the USAAC into the United States Army Airforce - it was thought that the central red dot could be mistaken for a Japanese Hinomaru, from a distance and in May 1942 it was eliminated on all aircraft in service the red dot was painted over with white.
When the Japanese attackers soared over Pearl Harbor, they first chose to strike the airfields and hangars where all the planes were housed. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, most of the planes sat outside their hangars, situated wingtip-to-wingtip.
When the attack began, pilots were unable to get the Pearl Harbor aircraft to safety, and very few were able to take off to return Japanese fire. Ninety-two U.S. Navy planes and 77 U.S. Army planes were destroyed that day. In addition to those lost, another 31 Navy planes and 128 Army planes sustained considerable damage. The US Army Air Corps began painting its roundel on only the top of the left wing and only the bottom of the right wing February 26th, 1941, intended to help facilitate recognition of friend and foe if the United States became embroiled in the spreading conflict. The other reason was to “eliminate a balanced target” by presenting a somewhat asymmetrical effect — if you see two white stars (i.e., one on each wing), it is easier to aim your guns between them.
The US Navy resisted this change and reverted to the roundel on each wing early in the war on January 5th, 1942. In the months after the attack on Pearl Harbour - following the late June 1941 conversion of the USAAC into the United States Army Airforce - it was thought that the central red dot could be mistaken for a Japanese Hinomaru, from a distance and in May 1942 it was eliminated on all aircraft in service the red dot was painted over with white.