John Mullen wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:

JDupre5762 wrote:

Just when did various nations adopt the various cross and cockade or
roundel insignia? Was it after WW1 started and the need for recognition
became apparent or did some nations adopt an insignia before WW1?

The US actually used a red star (like the Soviets) for a
short period of time before US entry into WWI.

Really?

It surprised me too. The source for this is the New England Air
Museum which had a photograph of a red star marked US plane and
an info card stating this was the national marking for a brief
time. I checked their page and a general Google search and can't
find any more about this, but the source and photo was definitely
seen during my last visit to NEAM a few years ago.

But:-

1) I always thought the US didn't have much air power until after WW1

I think the first US military aircraft dates to about 1909, and red
star emblem dates to pre-1917, in fact pre-1914 IIRC.

2) The Soviet Union certainly didn't exist until 1917, the same year the
US joined the war.

Right. The US red star emblem had been replaced by the roundel by
then.


SMH