During and before the war the Germans put swastikas on just the rudders of their aircraft and latin or iron crosses on the wings and fuselage. I was curious as to why they did not put swastikas on the wings and fuselages as well ?Also what is the cross supposed to represent and what is the swastika supposed to represent. Which was the national symbol and what was the other supposed to be for. Also why did they not put swastikas on their tanks ? Thanks for any ideas on the subject.
Swastikas were put on aircraft because in civil air fleets, the swastika was adorned as the national emblem and spilled into the military air forces. Tanks didn't have them because-actually I don't know why...I think it had something to do with refusals of the generals of the army who wanted to be associated with the military and not National Socialist policies. The Balkan Cross was always used to identify German ventures, and were originally white on the tanks-but these proved to be an excellent aiming point for Polish AT gunners in the Polish Campaign and were dropped soon after to the black design....
During the First World War, Germany painted crosses on their aircraft wings and fuselages/tails and also on their tanks (A7V's I think they were) and so, this tradition carried on into WW2. Although in a slightly different style. As Panzerknacker said, the swastika on the tail of Luftwaffe aircraft, carried over from the civil airlines, (and also from guidelines set down by the Adolf Hitler via the German High Command), with even the Zeppelins having them painted on their tails, as it was a away of promoting German (read Nazi) technology and efficiency throughout the world. You have to remember, during the secret training and build up of the Luftwaffe, quite a few pilots gained experience and navigational knowledge flying with Lufthansa, which basically run by the German government. ______________ "Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime". Adolf Galland
Panzerknaker and Sniper are right about the civilian airline connection. Also Herman Georing was a Big Nazi and influenced the Luftwaffe in having them put on the tail. The German Cross was from the Tutonic Knights era.
