discussion White width marking on German vehicles

[Guest]

I've seen the ends of front bumpers and the backs of trucks painted white, I assume to indicate maximum width. But they all seem to be the German grey vehicles in my photos. Did dark yellow vehicles ever have these markings?

I've attached a photo to make my question clearer..............

View attachment 44852

Cheers.

View attachment 48008

View attachment 161034

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Alex

Good question, and I wish I could give you a definitive answer with a photograph to back it up but I can't think of one I have in my reference. My guess would be that such detail 'niceties' were phased out as the war progressed and efforts were concentrated on simply getting vehicles to their units in quick time. This is not to say that those markings couldn't have been field applied, but I think (in Normandy for instance) the tendency would be to cover the entire vehicle with as much camouflage material as possible to try and evade the marauding allied fighter bombers rather than to pick out the odd fender that may get a few dings.

In short I guess if your building a representative vehicle then you can paint the markings, no one would pull you up for being wrong. German field markings are pretty varied to say the least so I'd just go ahead with what you feel looks best.

Sorry, I know I've not been too much help but that's how I'd go forward.

Cheers

P

 

[Ian M]

It is my belief that the white markings on the trucks, which was also present on some of the Allied trucks as well, had a whole other purpose. Not so much so the driver could get through the gate with out dinging the bodywork but more so that foot soldiers could see them in the dark and get out the way before being run down by an unlit truck.

I would imagine that in the field these marks would of been neglected, but on bases and airfields I would thing they where kept white(ish).

I may be totally wrong, but I think it's along those lines.

Ian M

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Paul.

I think your theory makes good sense, and would explain a lot. I'd like to add them to my coal burning Opel Blitz but wanted photo proof before I got busy with the white paint. At the end of the day I guess what you say is true - who's to say it wouldn't have had those markings? I remember a B-17 ball turret gunner once told me, (when I asked a question about a book I was writing), everything you can imagine happened, no matter what official records say and people remember. ...

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Ian, that's another good point. I did think of this, but then again, would you see white markings any clearer than grey in the dead of night, especially with no lighting/blinkered head lights?

 

[Guest]

It seems, after a few minutes trawling the t'interweb, that the majority decision from all the ww2 authorities is that the white tips to the bumpers (etc) gave greater visibility when being driven in blackout conditions... mainly so oncoming drivers had some indication of the width of the truck that they were about to drive past.

The paint was a water based variety and was wiped off and repainted as and when the vehicle moved from unit to unit or base to base.

There were apparently standardised dimensions for the paint but as it was mostly applied in the field this was often overlooked and was just slapped on.

Hope this helps Alex.

 

[spanner570]

Alex, I have in my possession my late father's photographic diary of his time in the RAF Regiment during WW2. In it is a photo of an armoured truck he used to drive whilst stationed in this country before he was shipped out to the Far East......The wings are painted exactly as your Blitz truck. He makes reference to these markings in his description of driving in the blackout. They were indeed used to make the vehicle more visible at night.

So I guess the same would apply to your Blitz truck.....

The rods with 'balls' on the front wings were also painted white, these were width indicators to help the driver manouver.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[Guest]

Thank you Colin and Ron, that's been most helpful! I've search the internet for days and couldn't find any written info about it. Last night I did find a couple of photos of the later painted trucks, and they appeared to have white -tipped bumpers. I'm going to go with it.

Thanks again

P.S. Ian, you were right!