CAMOUFLAGE & MARKINGS |
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OF THE FINNISH ARMOURED VEHICLES 1939 - 1945 |
CAMOUFLAGE & MARKINGS |
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OF THE FINNISH ARMOURED VEHICLES 1939 - 1945 |
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National Insignia Winter War Before the
Winter War Finnish armoured vehicles didn't have any
national insignias. During the Winter War tanks were
marked with white-blue-white stripe around the upper part
of the turret. Each stripe was 100 mm wide. This insignia
was almost invisible when used with the winter camouflage
but too clearly visible against the green summer paint.
The exact shade of blue is not known but it could have
been the same used by Finnish Air Force [FS
25123]. Continuation War and Lapland War A less visible black and white swastika with short end arms, 325 mm in total height, was adopted for the new national insignia of Finnish armoured vehicles on 21 June 1941. Unlike Finnish Air Force national insignia it was clearly inspired by the German one.
Originally the new insignia was to be painted on both sides and on the rear of the turret but later two more ones were added onto the front of the vehicle and onto turret roof. At least certain - if not all - StuG III Ausf. Gs had roof swastikas painted on the top of the gun mantlet. T-34s had similar marking painted on the large single turret hatch. In practise there were numerous modifications of swastika concerning size, number of insignias, long arm ends, larger white edges and colour - even mirror images have been seen. During the static trench warfare period between the summer 1942 and the summer 1944 markings were standardized. Additionally heavy tanks had an additional short flag pole with small flag of Finland on the turret roof. In the summer 1944 newly captured Soviet tanks had very large swastikas for security reasons. 1st Division captured a few T-28 and T-26 tanks and BA-10 armoured cars. Temporarily formed Armoured Detachment [Panssariosasto / 1.D] (Commander 2nd Lt./Lt. L. Törni, later US Army Captain Larry Thorne) used blue and white swastikas with long arm ends and a blue vertical identification stripe on their vehicles. A new
white-blue-white cockade insignia (diameter 240 or 300 mm)
was adopted after the war as late as on 1 August 1945 and
was similar to Finnish Air Force insignia. Unit and Tactical Markings 1939 - 1940 During Winter War Armoured Battalion
didn't use any unit or tactical markings. 1941 - 1942 In Continuation War Armoured Battalion didn't have any unit marking. Later the official (sleeve and cap) emblem of Armoured Division ("three arrows") was not either used on any armoured vehicles. At the beginning of the Continuation War battalion used the following company [Komppania, K] markings painted at least on the upper hull front plates:
Colour was
probably white (or yellow) but the exact details are not
known. These markings were used until Armoured
Brigade was formed in late winter 1942 but the
older markings were not removed from the tanks. Armoured Detachment / 1st Division 1941 - 1942 A white
letter "P" was used on both front and rear of
tanks of Armoured Detachment of 1st Division
during the late summer and autumn of 1941. "P"
was derived from the name of division commander Col. P.
Paalu. 1942 - 1943 Early in 1942 the I Armoured Battalion used white geometric company [K] markings:
White number indicating the sequence of vehicle in 1st and 2nd Armoured Companies was placed inside the geometric symbol. Third company had less tanks but its numbering followed the same guidelines:
4th and 5th (Light) Armoured Companies of II Armoured Battalion used fraction numbering system between spring 1942 and 1943. The colour of the markings was probably white:
The
numbering system of 6th Heavy Armoured Company
is not known but it was most likely the same as with
light companies. 1943 - 1945 In April 1943 German style three digit tactical numbering system was adopted in Armoured Brigade. The colour of the number indicated the company but all these are not well known today:
The first
number indicated either the company ( 1 ... 6 ) or
battalion staff ( 0 ). The second number indicated the
platoon ( 1 ... 3 ) or company leaders' vehicles ( 0 ).
The third one was current vehicle number ( 1 ... 5 ).
This numbering system was used until the end of the war. Registration Markings R Register Before the Winter War registration numbers
were at first issued on Vickers tanks.
Registration number consisted of capital letter "R",
hyphen and one to four digit current number (for example
R-0, R-321). Only the numerals were painted on vehicles'
low front and rear in white 100 mm digits. Vehicles in R
register were used partly together with new Ps.
registered vehicles up to 1945 although the new
registration marking system gradually replaced the old
one.
. A new Ps. registration marking system was
adopted in the summer 1943. Marking consisted of letters
"Ps." (Ps and period), one to three digit
number indicating the vehicle model (T-26, StuG III etc.),
hyphen and one to three digit current individual vehicle
number (for example Ps.183-1, Ps.531-21). Marking was
painted in white 100 mm letters usually on the upper
front and rear of vehicles.
. Unofficial Markings Personal markings were rare on Finnish armoured vehicles during the war. If appeared these markings were usually pet names, small pictures or names of women painted in white on turret or glacis plate. One well known marking was the nickname "Viku" painted on the left hull side of the T-26S m/38 R-132. This vehicle was the Commander's tank of I Armoured Battalion. The
nicknames of the StuG III Gs ("Aili",
"BUbi" etc.) were officially approved and
probably the best known "unofficial" vehicle
markings. They all were painted in white on the cover of
driver's vision slot. Scored vehicles also had thin
victory rings painted in white around the gun barrel near
the muzzle-brake. Camouflage Paint Standard Finnish paint during and after the Winter War was overall field grey (very dark green). Captured Soviet tanks retained usually their original camouflage until they were repaired and repainted. All own and captured green coloured or camouflaged vehicles were repainted in field grey. Winter camouflage consisted of irregular white stripes over original paint. New winter camouflage with bluish grey stripes on overall white was tested in spring 1940 on captured T-28 tank R-48. The bluish grey colour is not known to have been used on any other Finnish tanks during winters and they were usually painted overall white during the Continuation War . Landsverk Anti II AA tanks bought from Sweden in 1942 were painted in standard Swedish three tone pattern. This painting has been handled in publication IPMS-Sweden Scala 3-4/1980. There is no official information available on the tones for these colours in Finland. Finnish three tone camouflage, introduced already on 23.9.1941 for artillery pieces and certain unarmoured vehicles, was adopted on tanks and other armoured vehicles in April 1943 after removing of winter camouflage. This new camouflage consisted of irregular shapes of grey, sand brown and moss green which varied from vehicle to vehicle. The darkness (shade) of the last two colours was almost the same and the colour borders are almost impossible to separate in black and white photos. In the summer 1944 Finns captured several Soviet T-34/85 tanks which were painted in three tone camouflage in Armoured Division before issuing to units. Tanks had very large over-sized swastika markings. The two captured JSU-152 heavy assault guns retained their original Soviet paint but had also enlarged national insignias. All tanks received from Germany in 1943 and 1944 had original German dark yellow finish. They were also equipped with armoured side plates (schürzen) which were not used in Finland, only PzKw IV Ausf. Js retained their armour plates around turret. StuG III Gs (Stu 40) imported from Germany in 1943 were repainted in Finnish three tone camouflage in Finland before issuing to units. During the summer 1944 StuGs were also reinforced with neatly installed logs on the sides and concrete on the upper front armour (this "habit" was probably adapted from the German 303.StuG Brigade). StuG III Gs delivered in the summer
1944 were painted in units either in overall Moss Green
colour or only partially without removing outer equipment
and tools. The three captured T-34/76s received
from Germany in the summer 1944 were also overpainted in
units in Moss Green colour. PzKw IV Ausf. Js
retained their original colour.
* On certain tanks additional Black was also used as 4th
colour. . |
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© 2001 - 9.10.2004 Harri Anttonen
