Star and other markings

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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Scratch
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Star and other markings

Post by Scratch » Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:42 pm

I've been doing research and I'm still confused as to what style and sizes of markings my jeep should have. I have an October 44 GPW (230283) and I want to put a star on the hood. I've heard the circle around the star indicates either the Normandy invasion, but I've also read that the circle around the star was implemented during the 1943 MTO campaign for better areal recognition from allied aircraft, and that it had nothing to do with Normandy, but is specific to the MTO and ETO only. My hood numbers are blue drab, but I'm not sure I've seen a circled star on hoods with blue numbers.

Do I go with a circle or not?
Do I go with a broken circle or solid?
What size star? 15", 18", 20", 25"?
If no circle, do I paint over the hinge or not?
What about the rear quarter panel stars, should they match or should it just be no circle?
What about the specs on the passenger side and the TP-25 markings?

Maybe it's all just personal preference.
Last edited by Scratch on Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 48990 Blk
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
76 CJ7 Camo
03 TJ Inca Gld


sjalbert
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by sjalbert » Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:29 pm

I've never seen a blue drab circle. They were field applied (in white).

Download a copy of the 1944 AR 850-5 from http://jeepdraw.com/images/AR-850-5.pdf
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Scratch
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by Scratch » Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:00 pm

sjalbert wrote:
Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:29 pm
I've never seen a blue drab circle. They were field applied (in white).

Download a copy of the 1944 AR 850-5 from http://jeepdraw.com/images/AR-850-5.pdf
Sorry, I didn't mean the circle in blue drab... I meant I've never seen a white circled star on a hood with blue numbers. I usually see them on hoods with white numbers.

Thanks for the link. If I'm reading it correctly... according to that, it had a 15" star on the hood, 1-1/2" from the dash, a 6" star on each side on the back, and a 4" star on the front bumper. Why no mention of the circles anywhere? I'm not planning on doing unit numbers I don't think.
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 48990 Blk
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
76 CJ7 Camo
03 TJ Inca Gld

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Re: Star and other markings

Post by dpcd67 » Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:58 pm

Because the circle was not in the AR; it was locally applied for specific missions (like D Day). Such limited uses are not in Army Regulations. And you will not see a white star and blue numbers because whomever applied the star also re-painted the hood numbers, but it wasn't the factory. So before you mark a WW2 vehicle you first have to decide what specific use and year you are re-creating. I usually make WW2 jeeps, factory original. Blue.
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Scratch
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by Scratch » Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:11 pm

dpcd67 wrote:
Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:58 pm
Because the circle was not in the AR; it was locally applied for specific missions (like D Day). Such limited uses are not in Army Regulations. And you will not see a white star and blue numbers because whomever applied the star also re-painted the hood numbers, but it wasn't the factory. So before you mark a WW2 vehicle you first have to decide what specific use and year you are re-creating. I usually make WW2 jeeps, factory original. Blue.
Thanks!
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 48990 Blk
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
76 CJ7 Camo
03 TJ Inca Gld

dcrawford
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by dcrawford » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:00 pm

There are a few well known pics of jeeps with white invasion stars which still retain their blue drab numbers. Certainly there are more pics with both a white star and white numbers, though. Take a look at the pics in this thread.
viewtopic.php?t=110318
GPW 270351 6/1/45 Dallas USA 20735727 Restoration https://fordgpw.wordpress.com/
GPW 107810 4/12/43 Louisville USA 20370495
MBT 39950 9/43 USA 0240139

Scratch
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by Scratch » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:08 pm

dcrawford wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:00 pm
There are a few well known pics of jeeps with white invasion stars which still retain their blue drab numbers. Certainly there are more pics with both a white star and white numbers, though. Take a look at the pics in this thread.
viewtopic.php?t=110318
That's what I was hoping to find, as I really like the broken circle stars. It looks like there were jeeps with a full circle and a broken circle that still had the blue writing, so I can have my choice and still be correct. Thanks!!

http://jeepdraw.com/images/Mark_clark_gpw.jpg
http://jeepdraw.com/images/INV-Star-BlueNum.jpg
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 48990 Blk
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
76 CJ7 Camo
03 TJ Inca Gld

Mark Jesic
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by Mark Jesic » Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:37 am

The TP35 markings usually go on the dashboard.

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David
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by David » Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:26 am

Or INSIDE the wheel wells I believe.

Scratch
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by Scratch » Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:58 am

I thought I've seen them above the tires on the outside?
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 48990 Blk
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
76 CJ7 Camo
03 TJ Inca Gld

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David
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Re: Star and other markings

Post by David » Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:11 pm

It will have happened, but I think this is mostly on restored jeeps?


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