rommel’s vehicles in afrika korps

7/26/2019 Rommels Vehicles in Afrika Korps

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ROMMELS VEHICLES IN AFRIKA KORPS


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ROMMEL'S COMMAND CARS

The Sd.Kfz 250/5 "GREIF" - Shots of Rommel in his SdKfz 250/5 "GREIF". GREIF translates as GRIFFIN or CONDOR or ATTACK!
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1-35 Scale Model from TAMIYA from Verlinder Publications 1984
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The Sd.Kfz 250 "IGEL" Another Rommel's Command CarIGEL translates as HEDGEHOG
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The Sd.Kfz 250 "ADLER" Another Rommel's Command CarADLER translates as EAGLE.

GREIF, ADLER and IGEL

Rommel's SdKfz.250/3 semi-tracks

More Questions Than AnswersMost of us are familiar with Rommel's SdKfz.250/3 leichter Funkpanzerwagen "GREIF" (Griffon), but little has come to light about ADLERand IGEL. There are a few photos of these other two, but nothing confirming who used these vehicles. IGEL just may have been used by acommander named Keil.

ADLER (Eagle)
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The "MAMMUTS"The Dorchester 4 X 4 Armoured Command Vehicle was manufactured by A.E.C. around the Matador chassis. It had a cab-over-engine design (95b.h.p. A.E.C. diesel) and was designated either H.P. (high power) with an RCA receiver and one No. 19 Wireless set, or L.P. (low power) with oneNo. 19 and one No. 19 H.P. set. The H.P. typically had an air vent grill on the left side while the L.P. type the air vent grill on the right. Some H.P.

vehicles also had a square projection on the bonnet to attach camouflage as a lorry.

Being very popular with the troops, the Dorchester was used extensively throughout W.W.II from 1941 and on into the 1950s. The drivingcompartment and radio area in the front of the vehicle was sometimes separated from the rear of the vehicle by a wall with a door on the left side,and this main compartment in the rear could be configured in any of a number of seating/map table arrangements. There is currently at least oneDorchester on public display; it is preserved in Duxford's Land Warfare Hall in England.

The Dorchester was used by British armored formation headquarters and is found in North Africa from 1941 on. At least three of these vehicles werecaptured by the Germans early in the North African campaign and used with great joy by the DAK, being christened "Mammoths" by them. The firsttwo vehicles captured probably came from the hapless 2nd Armored Division (number "2" and another) during one of Rommel's lightning strikes in

April of 1942. Both were presented to Rommel's HQ, one being WH819834, named "Moritz" by his officers, and showing the black-white-red corpsstandard of the Afrika Korps on the front fender.

Other photos of the time period identify vehicles being used by General Cruwell(perhaps one of the original two given to Rommel), one marked as21st Panzer Divisionon the front fender, and one used by the G.O.C. of 5th Light Division to the end of the North African campaign. There areother desert photographs of Dorchesters while still in British hands, such as L4426428 (number "5") inTobruk.All of the photos show vehiclespainted in the British "counter" striped camouflage pattern of the time (dark gray, sky blue and sand tan), sometimes covered with crude washes ofmud or with camo nets.

Among the vehicles captured by the DAK on the outskirts of Mechili during 7 - 8 April, 1941, were three Armored Command Vehicles. Theseoriginally belonged to Maj.-Gen. Gambier-Parry, commander of 2nd Armoured Division; Lt.-Gen. Sir Phillip Neame V.C., commander of 8th Army;and Lt.-Gen. Sir Richard O'Connor, Assistant Commander 8th Army. Two were captured when their drivers made a wrong turn and ran right intoadvance elements of the German 3rd Recce Unit.

The Germans named one Moritzand another Max, after characters in a children's story by Wilhelm Busch. When Rommel landed his Storch atMechili to inspect the two vehicles, he found in one of them a set of Perspex sun and sand goggles. Rommel is reported to have said, "Booty ispermissable I assume; even for a general". The goggles became the hallmark of Rommel in the desert campaign, often seen above the visor of hiscap. Or so says H.W.Schmidt in "With Rommel in the Desert".

In David Irwin's "The Trail Of The Fox", the German war reporter Fritz Lucke describes it as: "An armored box as big as a bus, on giant balloon tiresas big and fat as the undercarriage wheels of a Junkers transport plane. The walls are windowless and painted in blue-gray camouflage shades.Only the driver and his co-driver have windshields, protected behind armored visors".

MORITZ:After its capture this ACV numbered 2 was used by Rommel in its original condition for a short time. It was then painted German Sand witha mottle of of light grey or blue. However, the rear of the vehicle was left in the original British "dazzle" camouflage of Sand, Light Blue and DarkBlue. Large German crosses were added to front, sides and rear. The German tank company rhomboid was added to the front right-hand mud guardand on the opposite fender it carried the 21st Pz.Div. symbol with the DAK palm below it. Moritz later received another coat of Desert Sand, but therear still remained untouched. Now the lower portion of the engine bonnet was painted white and a brand new number plate added, which was WH-
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819-834. The side crosses were also enlarged. The name "Moritz" now appeared on the bonnet sides in white. The Corps HQ sign was mounted in ametal sleeve welded to the front left wing with the DAK palm in black above it. To the left and lower appeared the Bn. HQ sign in black.

"Moritz" on the move, taken in June of 1941, the original being a Bundesarchiv photo. The name "Moritz" has been painted over the British vehicle IDnumber, and the German number appears at the bottom of the bonnet as WH 819834. You can see the lower sand color af the cammo and it's

junction with the sky blue on the side.

This shot is a close-up frontal view of the same vehicle, showing the name "Moritz" on the side, just above the fender headlamp, and the commandemblem on the mud guard with a black DAK palm symbol directly above it. (The National Archives).

MAX:the ACV numbered 3 became "Max", and seems to have remained in its original British colors. Over this was added the German crosses, plusthe DAK palm on the front right-hand mud guard. Its number plate became WH-819-835.
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Rommels Aerial Ambush.

rommel’s vehicles in afrika korps

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