"Team Yankee US vehicle markings questions" Topic

I'm to the decaling stage with my US and Soviet armor and I'm getting conflicting information about US armor marking on the internet (and the TY cover). So I thought I'd ask the collective here….

First, the Chevron. I've read that they were used to denote platoon, like this:

1st <
2nd ^
3rd >
4th V

Is this correct? And if it's correct, would Bannon or Uleski's tanks have the chevron marking? (The cover art shows Uleski's tank with a 1st platoon chevron.)

Next, the vehicle numbers. Where do the numbers go? The TY rule book clearly lays out which vehicles were which number, but (again) I've getting conflicting info as to location. The TY rule book cover art shows the numbers on the turret, in front of the smoke dischargers. But other sources say the number is on the hull skirt, by the platoon chevron. (The chevron actually rotating around the vehicle number so that it's wide base is next to the number.) The photos inside the book shows chevrons (all appear to be 3rd platoon) but no vehicle numbers.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

Not sure, myself.

Could vary by unit, I suspect.

Try checking Google Images for "M-1 Tank Markings". Perhaps add Germany, or Europe too, in the search description.

At the time in question for Team Yankee the M1s would be painted Forest Green and carry no chevron markings.

jf they had any markings they would be geomorphic sheet medal and atached to the rear turret butsle rack..other wise they would be bumper numbers.

All my M1s have the tactical signs on the back of the turrets for 2/64 armor

If you go to the FOW section on TMP and go to Little Wars TY Game you will see pictures of my force

I thought the chevrons were only used in the Gulf wars. But I do see they are on the decal sheets as well.

Google "Reforger 85" and then do an image search. M60s and M113s wore MERDC, M1s were dark Forest Green. Hardly any markings.

Wyatt

Osprey has ;two books that cover the M1
Tank War Central Front and M1 Abrams
The first book is the more appropriate one.

Chevrons were not adopted by the US Army until the Gulf War and were sometimes called the spinning Vee.
The standard pattern was "up A company, pointing right B company, pointing down C company, pointing left D company.
There were a number of variants for designating individual vehicles or platoons with vehicle numbers sometimes inside the Vee or in another location. Some units used a right pointing triangle instead of the left pointing vee for D company. Dots inside the vee were usually used for designating platoons

As for the Team Yankee period vehicles, they would have a tactical symbol mounted on the center back of the turret.
Per field circular 71-5 March 1985 the shape of the yellow geometric pattern designated the battalion 1st battalion 28 inch square, 2nd battalion 30 inch octagon, 3rd battalion 34.5 inch high diamond, 4th 30 inch circle, 5th 30 inch high hexagon. There was an inner black geometric shape designating the company A company 17 inch square, B company 20 inch high octagon, C company 23.7 inch high diamond, D company 20 inch circle, E company 20 inch high hexagon. Platoons were identified by vertical white bars with single digit vehicle numbers below them. Note the flat surfaces of the octagon and hexagon are at the top and bottom.

Other tactical markings were usually painted out as per Wyatt the Odds post

Just to throw a spanner in the works….

link

Dom the last vehicle in a convoy was supposed to fly a red flag. That photo looks like the warning triangle was being used to mark last track. So not a tac sign

It's top of the rear door I was referring to – black left-pointing chevron, with a vertical bar to the right of it, and a horizontal one above it. The same on the track in front of it as well, although not the two ITVs further ahead.

As you say, the rear one does have a warning triangle strapped to the back, presumably as back marker, while the black and white rectangles are presumably temporary exercise markings given that they seem to be simply taped on, but the chevrons are definitely permanent markings.

Dom, probably a local(BN) marking. No unit I was with in the time frame used the V markings until the Gulf

I read,as far as the WarPac vehicles went,the 3 digit number signified battalion,company and platoon vehicle or something like that,and used in inter-unit communications and ID. Example ,tank 200 would be the 2d Btn. KomBat's vehicle. 201 would likely have had the battalion Zampolit(political officer),210 1st Company/2d Btn command vehicle ,211-219 would be other vehicles of the 2/1 (211-213 for 1st platoon,214-216-2d platoon,217-219-3d platoon)

I think that's true for the Sovs and maybe other Warpac. But I have also read that it would be wartime practise to mix all of those numbers up as a counter-intelligence measure. So for eg you'd have to remember that tank 233 was now the battalion commander and not that bunch of clowns who stole your tow cable before an inspection last year….

Thanks everyone