A graphic with two rows of roundels used on World War I aircraft. The top row shows the roundels of 6 allied aircraft: the United States, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, and Russia. The bottom row features the roundel for central powers aircraft: Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary.
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A graphic with two rows of roundels representing the major air combatants of World War I. 

The first row is labeled allies and features 6 different roundels. They represent the following:

  1. a roundel with white as the bullseye color followed by blue in the next ring then red for the outermost ring for the United States;
  2. a roundel with blue as the bullseye color followed by white and then red for France;
  3. a roundel with red as the bullseye color followed by white then blue for Great Britain;
  4. a roundel with black as the bullseye color followed by yellow and then red for Belgium;
  5. a roundel with green as the bullseye color followed by white and then red for Italy;
  6. a roundel with white as the bullseye color which is larger than the other bands on the roundel, followed by thin bands of blue and red for Russia. 

The second row is labeled central powers and has three different roundels:

  1. the first is cross shaped and black with a thin white outline for Germany;
  2. the second is square in shape and black in color with a thin white outline for the Ottoman Empire;
  3. the third is cross shaped and black to represent Austria-Hungary.

Source:

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Copyright/Owner:

Smithsonian Institution

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Smithsonian Terms of Use

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