i have two very interesting articles by peter scott about the september markings. so from this point i'm only the messenger
- markings were applied from september 7th on, and in some occasions were carried untill november 1940.
- no luftwaffe record found (so far) with the order to paint the markings, so exact purpose (of the variation) of the markings unknown, but most likely to mark their place in the big formation
- there's is photographic evidence that suggest that a complete unit would have carried the same markings, however there's also enough evidence that shows variation of the markings of the same unit of the same day.
- black and white pictures and crash reports would suggest the markings to be white only, there are just to many examples in crash report by british intelligence officers about pink markings to mark them as incorrect. and why questioning an officer's observation if every other observartion he made can be confirmed or labeled as plausible..... no photographic evidence of yellow markings, but again several records in british intelligence reports... still enought reports with markings "white". so markings could either be applied in white, pink and yellow.
- correct value for pink is unknown, as there is no 1940 ral color chart (according to peter scott - fm). one suggestion is that the pink paint was borrowed from the wehrmacht (in use to stencil unit markings on vehicles). in a november 1940 crash report the pink is described as "salmon pink", and that value is know in allied 1940 color charts. the pink could be field mixed, but without written order no known formula..... so the exact shade of pink is still speculative
- markings appear to be on luftflotte 2 bombers only, seen on do17z from kg 3 and i & iii./kg 76, ju88a from kg 77 (and probably also from ii./kg 76) and he111 from kg 1, kg 26 and kg 53
- the theory is that the number of markings on the rudder would be repeated on the wing. this cannot be proven in all occasions, as the markings don't show on photo'son wing and rudder or the markings weren't mentioned in crash report. (british crash reports weren't written according to an exact protocol (yet), so it is possible that an officer did not label the markings as relevant and therefore did not mention them)
- in general do17z had vertical markings on wing (outboard of the balkenkreuz) and a horizontal mark on rudder/fin, ju88a and he111 had horizontal markings on the wings (inboard of the balkenkreuz) and vertical markings on rudder/fin....but as always, there are confirmed exeptions to the rule
attached some screenshots of works in progress