03-30-2012, 12:15 PM
By all accounts D-Day was probably the first widespread use of helmet markings for unit identification and mostly used by the assault troops. Markings varied & were inconsistant in most cases. Some infantry units painted their division insignia on the helmets, others didnt. The ones that did used black or dark colors so they wouldnt stand out. If you read veteran accounts, most of them rubbed out that white arc as best they could or covered it with mud to avoid being sniper targets. If you were a german sniper up on the bluff overlooking the beach scene in the above photo, what`s the first target your going to pick up on?