US 1st Armored Division M3 Lee at Tabourka North Africa 1942. “F” Company, 2nd Batalion, 13th Armored Regiment.
In January 1942, the U.S. Army’s Armored Force implemented the use of a yellow star and bar insignia on its vehicles. This was distinct from the white star that was widely adopted by the rest of the army, chosen to reduce visibility and lessen the chance of being spotted by enemy forces. Despite this, some units found the yellow star too subtle or impractical, leading many to revert back to the more visible white star for ease of identification.
Footage from the North African campaign, particularly of the 2/13th Armored Regiment in Tunisia, shows that their M3 medium tanks continued to bear these yellow star insignia, although this practice was becoming less common.
The 1st Armored Division, to which the 2/13th Armored belonged, had developed a complex system of geometric markings in 1942 to help identify each tank company within the division. For the 2/13th Armored, this system included a vertical bar with a moving square “pip” on the right side of the vehicle. The placement of the pip indicated the specific company:
- Top pip: Company D
- Middle pip: Company E
- Bottom pip: Company F
Alongside this, the platoon number was marked to the right of the bar, adding another layer of identification.
During operations in Tunisia, the battalion began painting white tactical numbers on the bow of their tanks, a practice likely intended to facilitate coordination and communication on the battlefield. Numbers such as 40, 44, 47, and 56 have been documented in film footage from this period, providing insight into the system used.
Following the heavy losses the 2/13th Armored suffered at Terbourba in December 1942, the battalion adopted a makeshift camouflage technique. They applied irregular patterns of local mud over the standard dark olive drab paint of their tanks. This adaptation aimed to break up the outline of the tanks and help them blend more effectively with the North African terrain, a critical measure given the harsh realities of the desert warfare they were engaged in.