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Kiwi · 04-06-2005

Following the Japanese advances in 1942, the RNZAF began to deploy aircraft into the "forward area", and the roundels began a process of evolution that led by wars end to a distinctive RNZAF operational roundel. This ultimate roundel had many forms, however, and many more were used in the process of evolution.
The two factors which influenced the changes were the use of the red disc marking - the "Hinomaru"- as the Japanese national marking, and the adoption of white bars by the Americans as additions to their national star marking. The possibility that the red centre of the British roundel might be mistaken for a Hinomaru (particularly by US forces which were not necessarily familiar with British markings) led to several changes which consisted mainly of either reducing the size of the red or replacing it with blue. The adoption of white bars to produce a national marking very similar to the US national marking, was a reflection of the growing integration of the allied forces in the Pacific theatre.
Details of the evolution are covered in the seperate paragraphs (using the notation outlined previously) and the attached diagram depicts the main variations.

ZA The ZA roundel may have been the first roundel developed particularly fo RNZAF use. the reason for its appearance has not been ascertained, but one could speculate that it was an attempt (in the manner of the British C) to decrease the amount of white showing to the detriment of camouflage. If this were true it probably made its first appearance in 1942, and it has been positively identified on Kittyhawks during 1943. It was derived from the A by moving the blue in towards the centre, stopping half way across the white. Its proportional description is thus 48/24.
Evidence is tenuous, but it may have been applied to some Catalinas. The ZA led to several other roundels, viz the ZAZ, ZAP, and ZPA. These will be described later.

AZ, CZ, and ZAZ This family of roundels represents the first attempts to overcome the Hinomaru problem - by reducing the red centre to minute proportions. Proportionally the centres seem to have ranged from around 10 to mere 4. This latter one is depicted as the ZAZ and it was applied to Kittyhawks in the forward area. Instructions for the ZAZ were issued in April 1943, and included reducing the centre from 6 1/2 inches to 1 inch. If the original roundel had been ZA then its outside diameter would have been about 30 inches. The other two in the family seem to have had centres of about 4 inches, and generally come out with a red proportion of about 10. Other than the variation in red centre sizes, the distinguishing characteristics of the three roundels are in the size of the blue rings -or the diameter of the white to put it another way.
The AZ retained the standard A proportions for blue and white. It has tentatively identified on early Catalinas, both fuselage and under-wing surfaces, and on a Walrus fuselage. The ZAZ was based on the ZA blue/white proportions and its only identified use is on Kittyhawk fuselages. The CZ arose from the C blue/white proportions and has been identified on early Venturas on the fuselage. Although Hudsons were used in the forward area during the period that these roundels were in use, evidence suggests that the type did not carry any of these three types of roundels.

Re the attached picture.
The first Catalinas delivered in mid 1943 carried this form of roundel on both the forward fuselage and underneath the wings. Of the AZ variety under the wing and the AZ.2 shown here on the fuselage, this roundel was shortlived. This photograph also demonstrates the difficulty of taking measurements from an oblique shot of a curved surface. What measurments have been gleaned suggest the AZ rather than the CZ (the RAF C type being extant at the time)

Also shown is a Kittyhawk at Espiritu Santo wearing ZAZ.1 roundels