WWII Plane Identification

In the heat of war, being able to recognize the enemy and distinguish their planes from the planes of one's ally is an integral skill. Furthermore, correct identification can help conserve resources and anticipate attacks. 

With the stakes of this task in mind, identification symbols and defining characteristics were quickly utilized in WWII. In order to teach inexperienced soldiers and workers this talent, soldiers were trained to memorize the identification charts and each US soldier was given the Recognition Pictorial Manual. Additionally, soldiers were tested on various identification assessments and conditioned to associate various plane characteristics with either "friend" or "foe." This teaching was especially enforced during WWII because of the war's high mechanization. This new ability to easily cause maximum destruction led to many cases of "friendly fire" and death.

Enemy planes originated in Germany, Japan, and Italy while Allied planes were either from the USA or the UK.

The scale, in the top left-hand corner, shows the scale of the graphics and the relative sizes of the planes. This served as a helpful resource to soldiers and assisted their efforts to categorize and respond to the aircrafts. In addition to the scale and the design of the planes, there were signature symbols that each country's aircrafts displayed. For example, the planes belonging to the US exhibit a 5-pointed white star, which appears on National defense aircrafts produced today. However, now, the stars can be seen in a variety of colors. Meanwhile, in Japan, a red circle served this purpose, and in England, concentric circles.

US Aircraft: Then vs. Now

Standard Japanese Aircraft vs. British Aircraft during WWII