1-600 Suez Crisis Recognition Stripes – Standard Sizes Decals
These 1-600 Suez Crisis Recognition Stripes – Standard Sizes decals provide temporary aircraft recognition markings associated with the 1956 Suez Crisis.
Decal Information
The sheet provides Suez Crisis Recognition Stripes – Standard Sizes markings for 1-600 scale aircraft miniatures.
The standard-size stripes comprise two black bands alternating with three yellow bands. They are sized to fit most fighters and twin-engine bombers made by Tumbling Dice and Oddzial Osmy.
They are printed on clear-background waterslide decal paper. They need to be individually cut out. Apply over a properly prepared and gloss-coated model surface using normal waterslide-decal techniques.
Key Historical Details
Region / Nation: Britain & France / Egypt theater Service: British and French military aviation Time Period: 1956 Suez Crisis Primary Marking: Yellow-and-black recognition stripes Scale: 1-600 Application: Aircraft matching the depicted marking and period
Historical Information
The Suez Crisis began after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in July 1956. Britain and France subsequently prepared a joint military operation against Egypt, coordinated with Israel. Anglo-French air operations under Operation Musketeer began on October 31, 1956, with attacks against Egyptian airfields intended to neutralize the Egyptian Air Force before airborne and amphibious landings around Port Said.
To provide rapid visual identification during the combined operation, British and French aircraft were ordered to carry special recognition markings in addition to their normal national insignia. British parliamentary records confirm that the markings were applied to RAF aircraft on October 30, 1956, immediately before combat operations began. They were intended as temporary operational markings and were removed after the Suez campaign ended.
The characteristic marking generally consisted of alternating yellow-black-yellow-black-yellow bands applied around the wings and fuselage. Their purpose was similar to the better-known Allied invasion stripes of World War II: they allowed friendly forces to identify participating aircraft quickly during a complex multinational air campaign. The precise placement and appearance could vary between individual aircraft and units, particularly because many of the markings were applied rapidly immediately before operations.
The stripes appeared on an unusually diverse collection of British and French aircraft. RAF types participating in the campaign included the English Electric Canberra, Vickers Valiant, Hawker Hunter, and de Havilland Venom. Royal Navy aircraft included the Hawker Sea Hawk, de Havilland Sea Venom, and Westland Wyvern, while French forces operated aircraft such as the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak and F4U-7 Corsair.
Period photographs show the stripes particularly clearly on Royal Navy carrier aircraft. Sea Hawks and Sea Venoms operating from British carriers carried the conspicuous bands during combat operations over Egypt, while French aircraft participating in the same campaign used similar recognition markings.
