Reason Why US Planes Only Had One Roundel
YouTube / FlakAlley
Have you ever wondered why there is only one roundel on the left wing of US planes? While many would think that this is just a random quirk, the answer is a lot more complicated than you think!
The Reason
The reason is that this is one of the earliest examples of psychological warfare. During the interwar years up until 1942, the US invented paint roundels on both sides of their wings. However, they were soon replaced with only one roundel on the top and underside of one wing.
Imagine this – you’re a Luftwaffe pilot and as you dive down you see the big white roundel only on the left side of an Allied plane. Your eyes are naturally drawn to the bright marking on the left making the aircraft look asymmetrical. Momentarily, you get confused as to the way to aim.
You then open fire, damaging the wing instead of the cockpit and engine. The Allied plane then dives away. Now, what if that plane had symmetrical roundels? Naturally, your eyes would center in the middle of the plane.
In those few vital seconds, psychological warfare of this nature proved to be extremely effective in the survival of American pilots during the war.
