Sqn Ldr J H Iremonger's Tempest Mk V SA-F JN763

Sqn Ldr J H Iremonger’s Tempest Mk V SA-F JN763. 486 Sqn, Newchurch June 1944

Operation Planning: The cross-Channel invasion of Continental Europe, known as D-Day, required extensive planning, including measures to ensure that Allied aircraft were easily identifiable to prevent friendly fire.
Recognition Issues: With the sheer scale of the operation, involving land, sea, and air forces, there was a high risk that Allied forces, particularly ground units, might struggle to recognize friendly aircraft amidst the chaos.
Decision: To address this, a distinctive marking was decided upon: black and white stripes encircling the wings and fuselage of Allied aircraft. These “D-Day Stripes” would ensure that Allied planes were immediately recognizable, even at a distance.

Precedent: The black and white stripe concept was not entirely new; it had previously been used as a type identification marking under the wings of RAF Typhoon and Tempest fighters. However, this marking had been removed in February 1944 as part of preparations for the invasion.
Timing: The application of these stripes had to be carefully timed to prevent the Germans from becoming aware of the invasion. On 3 May 1944, HQ Allied Expeditionary Air Force requested estimates for the time needed to apply these stripes, allowing for 48 hours based on the replies.
Execution: The directive to apply the stripes was issued late on the evening of 3 June 1944, with the requirement that no aircraft bearing the stripes should fly within 20 miles of enemy territory until the invasion began.

Single-Engine Aircraft:
- Stripes: Five alternating white and black stripes, each 18 inches wide, were to be applied to both wings and the fuselage.
- Position: On the wings, the outer edge of the white stripe was positioned 6 inches from the national insignia. On the fuselage, the stripes started 18 inches forward of the tailplane’s leading edge, avoiding obstruction of the national insignia.
Twin-Engine Aircraft: The stripes were 24 inches wide on these aircraft, maintaining the pattern and purpose but adjusted for the aircraft’s larger size.
Unit Markings: Existing unit identification markings were to remain. If obscured during the stripe application, they were to be restored as soon as possible.

Squadron Codes:
- Most fighter units retained their squadron codes by masking them before applying the stripes or repainting them afterward.
- P-38 Groups: In the case of the four P-38 Groups, the wider stripes completely covered the squadron codes on the fuselage booms. It appears that permission was given not to reinstate these codes, possibly due to the anticipated conversion to P-51s, although this conversion was delayed.
352nd Fighter Group: The D-Day stripes obscured the individual aircraft letters on the fuselage of the 352nd’s Mustangs. As a result, these letters were repainted either forward of the wing’s leading edge or on the tail fin. The tail fin soon became the preferred location for these letters.

Widespread Use: The white and black D-Day stripes became the most conspicuous tactical markings of the Second World War, with an estimated 6,000 aircraft bearing these stripes during the invasion.
Camouflage Restoration: By mid-July 1944, many RAF and USAAF fighter units operating from advanced landing grounds in Normandy began to reinstate camouflage as Luftwaffe activity waned. However, some units, like the 56th Fighter Group, continued to use distinctive camouflage schemes, particularly for their new P-47M models, even as the broader use of such markings declined by late 1944.