American roundels at Mers-el-Kébir

[Letum]

I was talking to a vet today who served in the FAA at the attack on
the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (1940).
He mentioned that many of the planes involved in the attack where
secretly pained with American roundels before the attack.

I know that RAF/FAA aircraft where pained to look like American
planes in the invasion of Morocco (with American support for the
idea). The idea was that the French would not fight as hard against
Americans and it might help prevent the American Rookie pilots from
shooting down RAF planes (some cowboys still managed to shoot
down two RAF planes in US markings!).

However, what I am interested in is 1940. Did the RAF/FAA really use
US markings before the Americans joined the war?
Did America know British planes where pretending to be American to
avoid attack?
Is the vet I know wrong?

[Letum]

Also:

Can someone translate "päisch" (unknown language; German(?)).

[Tribesman]

It seems strange, neither type operated by the 5 squadrons present bear even a passing resemblance to US types so false markings would make little practical sense.
Plus as it was a situation where there would be plain open presence before any possible hostility what purpose would false markings serve?

[Oberon]

Oh, the conspiracy theorist in us all could have a field day with that one, particularly with the theories surrounding Pearl Harbour.

It could have been an attempt to confuse any interceptors until it was time to hit the target, or it could, [tin hat] Have been an attempt to get the Germans or Vichy French to counterattack US interests in order to bring the US into the war earlier [/tin hat]

I dare say there are a few things in the war that we still don't know the full facts about and possibility never will, quite frankly I wouldn't have been surprised if the tin hat theory I presented there was true, I certainly would have tried it if there was a possibility it would work because at that point Churchill would not have known the Battle of Britain would be won, indeed it was perhaps the very nadir of British morale at that time. France had fallen, the BEF (despite the fantastic Operation Dynamo) had been severely mauled and we were facing a force that far surpassed ours in many areas. We weren't to know that their high command would screw things up for them, or that Hitlers true ambitions lay in Russia. In July 1940 it was a case of "Well...that's it then...we're next. Better get ready for it." Of course, such information released now would heavily damage US/UK relations and so it's best kept locked away in Whitehall under the Official Secrets Act for another sixty years or so. :03:
Of course, that's the Tin Hat in me speaking, and I look forward to a rational answer to your question :yep:

[Letum]

It seems strange, neither type operated by the 5 squadrons present bear even a passing resemblance to US types so false markings would make little practical sense.
Plus as it was a situation where there would be plain open presence before any possible hostility what purpose would false markings serve?


In the invasion of Morocco even Walrus Aircraft got a white star over the
RAF roundels. That's known as fact. I guess they bet on the French
recognising roundels better than they recognise plane type's nationalities.

It's hard to prove negatives for the alleged use in 1940, so I may never know if
my local vet was part of a conspiricy of his memory isn't so good. (He swears it is still good!)


http://warandgame.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/9_98.jpg

[Oberon]

Päisch looks to possibly mean European in German. :hmmm:

Might be wrong there though...

[Letum]

Päisch looks to possibly mean European in German. :hmmm:

Might be wrong there though...


That's what I got from an automated translation machine, but I don't
trust it because the word doesn't appear in the dictionary.

[Oberon]

That's what I got from an automated translation machine, but I don't
trust it because the word doesn't appear in the dictionary.

Likewise...probably best to wait until one of our resident Jerries shows up and gives a more local translation... :hmmm:

[Tribesman]

In the invasion of Morocco even Walrus Aircraft got a white star over the
RAF roundels.
But that is much later and it was after the Germans had declared war on the US.