Reason for the Circle Around the Star on Late War US Armor?

This is pure speculation on my part.

It's possible that at a distance and/or in low visibility, the star may well have lokked similar to a cross. The circle would therefore provide a definite round shape which would have been easier to discern. I have read that was the reason that bars were added to USAAC insignia.

It gave German gunners a better target to aim at? :o)

(kim)

Official reason given for adding the circle was complaints from the British in North Africa that at extreme range the star could be mistaken for a German cross. Addition of a white or yellow circle around the star was ordered for Operation Husky, the Invasion of Sicily, and was used throughout the Italian campaign. Units from Italy that participated in the Operation Dragoon landings in the south of France carried these marking in the French campaign and on into Germany. Units in the UK did not normally receive these markings, and they weren't normally seen in operations in Normandy. Gerald Owens