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Flashfyre -> (12/27/2000 2:11:00 PM)
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A further clarification, Charles22:
The official, recognized (by OKW) national ID marking for German combat vehicles was the Balkenkreuz, or cross. First used in Poland in 1939, it was originally a large white cross, applied to grill plates, open hatches, and shutters, as a cutout metal plate. However, it provided such an excellent aiming point for Polish ATGs, that it was modified by painting the center in the yellow divisional isignia color.
By 1940, the now-recognized white cross with black or grey center became standard on all combat vehicles. It was not used on softskinned or unarmored units, although captured vehicles were marked to aid in identification.
The swastika, on the other hand, was not an official marking. It was painted, sometimes crudely, by the men who manned the vehicles. OKW, by and large, tried to discourage this; they were not entirely successful.
As I stated before, the national flag was used for Luftwaffe ID, during ground-attack missions. Later in the war, when Allied air power ruled, the use of the flag was largely discontinued; in cases where it was not, provisions were usually made to hide or remove it quickly in the event of an air attack.
The marking you refer to (the palm/swastika of the DAK) was a divisional symbol, and was the only one of it's like used anywhere in the Wehrmacht. Not even the Waffen-SS used the swastika; the closest was 5. ss Pz. Div. Wiking. Their divisional marking was a "sunwheel".
So, in essence, the German High Command did not accept the swastika as a valid military ID marking. Units which used it were not authorized to do so, but were also not reprimanded for it.
To reiterate: the Nationalist Party's symbol, the swastika, was rarely used on Heer vehicles; nor did the SS use it. RGG, or the Regiment General Goring, did not use it. It's use on vehicles was, in general, unauthorized; it's use on uniforms was, as a rule, to denote the nation to which the soldier belonged.
As to the reasons why the military wore the swastika on their uniforms, but not on their tanks, lies in the history of the Balkenkreuz itself. It was modified from the WWI-era Maltese Cross, used on German airplanes and vehicles in that Great War. Like most military arms, the Wehrmacht was resistant to change it's markings. But the use of the new NSDAP symbol was accepted, mainly due to Hitler's successful wooing of the High Command. Promises of expansion, new weapons, and a return to nationalist ideals convinced many that Hitler was the right man for the job. How misguided they were.
The German military commanders were not in defiance of the Nazi party; they embraced it early on, with the intent to curb Hitler and his lieutenants if they became too powerful.
A final point: only high Party members wore the armbands; it was not a military uniform article, regardless of what you may have seen in the movies. It WAS dress apparel for Hitler, Himmler, Goring, and the like; as well as honor guards, parade participants, and NSDAP special units, such as the SA.
Hope this clears up a few things.
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