Command Cars of Fieldmarschal Erwin Rommel

[Another Ahab]

Searched some and don't believe this thread is a duplicate, but glad to be corrected:

- Ran across some photos of a major piece of rolling hardware that apparently was a Command Vehicle used by Rommel with the Afrikakorps

- Thought originally it was German, but discover it was captured and re-purposed British.

Thought it might interest somebody else as much as me, and throwing it out there to see if anybody might happen to be an authority on the subject:

 

[goldneagle]

Wouldn't it be more of a Command Truck? I always see those long open Mercedes as command cars used by the Nazis.

 

[CARNAC]

Yep, it was Brit. AEC if I remember correctly.

He also used an SdKfz-250/3 as his mobile command platform. The AEC I would consider akin to his forward CP.


The ultimate small command vehicle has to go to Kurt "Panzer" Meyer for his mobile command platform being a motorcycle.

 

[Another Ahab]

Wouldn't it be more of a Command Truck? I always see those long open Mercedes as command cars used by the Nazis.

Yep, it was Brit. AEC if I remember correctly.

He also used an SdKfz-250/3 as his mobile command platform. The AEC I would consider akin to his forward CP.


The ultimate small command vehicle has to go to Kurt "Panzer" Meyer for his mobile command platform being a motorcycle.

Understanding that he used all kinds of various vehicles as Command "Cars" throughout the Africa Campaign:

- Including one like that below

- But not sure if that is Italian, British, or German in origin

Evidently both British and German units readily made use of each others' captured equipment. Reading somewhere that even Rommel's signature "sand" goggles were a British-issue item.

Here's the Command Car:

 

[Another Ahab]

The AEC

Yep, it was Brit. AEC if I remember correctly.

He also used an SdKfz-250/3 as his mobile command platform. The AEC I would consider akin to his forward CP.


The ultimate small command vehicle has to go to Kurt "Panzer" Meyer for his mobile command platform being a motorcycle.

Checked, and (naturally) you're on the money CARNAC:

- Designated the AEC Dorchester (4x4) "Mammoth" (German: Mammut)

Must have been some kind of "cozy" in that sucker under a desert sun.

Here's a couple of better images for it:

 

[Al Harvey]

Dang I was trying to remember the name of it. I believe his goggles came off the dash of Mammut and he when he found them he said something about the spoils of war or war trophies. I can't remember and can't find it right now. It's amazing how much friendly equipment was used by "enemies" on both sides.

More Info: I couldn't find that they came from the Mammut, but the goggles did come from the command car of [FONT=Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, Serif] British General Richard O’Connor.. He was quoted with saying "Booty is [FONT=Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, Serif]permissible I assume; even for a general".[/FONT][/FONT]

Also when the Germans captured the Mammut or Mammoth. They renamed the one he used "Moritz" after characters in a childrens book. Here is a good link with some photos. I studied Rommel for a while, but I still find myself learning, or maybe just forgetting things. lol

http://deutsches-afrikakorps.blogspot.com/2010/12/rommels-command-cars.html

 

[Al Harvey]

Picture comes across small but this is suppose to be right after it's capture and before they painted "Moritz" on it. They just painted the German markings over the British markings.

 

[123mack]

SdKfz-250/3. The frame on top is a HF antenna. http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gall...sdkfz-250-greif-erwin-rommel-command-vehicle/

 

[CARNAC]

Wasn't the AEC captured from O'Connell?

 

[Al Harvey]

Well one source that I found says that one of them was from O'Conner and could be the one where the goggles came from. Haven't found a great credible source but one (http://www.oocities.org/firefly1002000/mammuts.html) states the three captured AECs came from:

These HQ vehicles originally belonged to:
1. Lt.Gen. Sir Richard O'Connor, assistant commander of the 8th Army.
2. Lt.Gen. Sir Philip Neams VC, commander of the 8th Army.
3. Maj.Gen. Gambier-Parry, commander of 2nd Armd.Div. by 3rd Reconnaissance unit of DAK.

 

[CARNAC]

O'Connor yep, my mistake. I worked with an O'Connell so "DUH" on me.

 

[Another Ahab]

SdKfz-250/3. The frame on top is a HF antenna.

Wondered about that:

- Because only saw one photo with that "frame" covered with a fabric canopy

And you had to figure if it was meant to be a canopy frame why wasn't it used that way more regularly?

Now, it all makes sense.

 

[Another Ahab]

SdKfz-250/3. The frame on top is a HF antenna. http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gall...sdkfz-250-greif-erwin-rommel-command-vehicle/

Thanks 123, your link here is an excellent summary of the Fieldmarschal's vehicles.

Here's a couple more shots (below) of the Sd kfz 250/3 showing additional detail, and the radio operator set-up.

Also, check out the weapon stored on the bulkhead behind the radio operator, looks like some kind of heavy machine gun; nice looking piece of hardware:

 

[CARNAC]

thanks 123, your link here is an excellent summary of the fieldmarschal's vehicles.

Here's a couple more shots (below) of the sd kfz 250/3 showing additional detail, and the radio operator set-up.

Also, check out the weapon stored on the bulkhead behind the radio operator, looks like some kind of heavy machine gun; nice looking piece of hardware:


View attachment 524434 View attachment 524435 View attachment 524436

mg42.

 

[Another Ahab]

SdKfz-250/3. The frame on top is a HF antenna.

What's with the drop at the front of the antenna?

Seen another rubber-tired WWI German APV somewhere with a similar down-turned antenna:

- Any HAMS or radioheads here to explain that?

 

[Al Harvey]

My first thought was for low hanging power lines but I would think it would have more of a sloap for that.

 

[Another Ahab]

SdKfz-250/3. The frame on top is a HF antenna.

What's with the drop at the front of the antenna?

Seen another rubber-tired WWI German APV somewhere with a similar down-turned antenna:

- Any HAMS or radioheads here to explain that?


View attachment 524459

My first thought was for low hanging power lines but I would think it would have more of a sloap for that.

Here's a photo of the other APV I was talking about:

 

[Another Ahab]

QUOTE=Another Ahab;1623345]Understanding that he used all kinds of various vehicles as Command "Cars" throughout the Africa Campaign:

- Including one like that below

- But not sure if that is Italian, British, or German in origin

Evidently both British and German units readily made use of each others' captured equipment. Reading somewhere that even Rommel's signature "sand" goggles were a British-issue item.

Here's the Command Car:




[/QUOTE]
For the record, the vehicle was called the Steyr 1500A Kommandeurwagen.

I like that about the German language, if you need a word for something you just plain go ahead and string the whole description together into a bundle, and -bingo- you got your word:

 

[CARNAC]

Here's a photo of the other APV I was talking about:


View attachment 524532

That is a SdKfz-263 which came equipped with a MG34 machine gun in the front of the fixed turret. There was a similar armored car with a rotating turret equipped with a 20mm KwK30 or 38 and one coax MG34 known as the SdKfz232 (8rad). One without the large antenna with the rotating turret was a SdKfz231.

The 263 had a Sarz Funkgerat fur Pz Funktrupp b and was used by the signal det for motorized and panzer divisions, corps and army HQs. Intent was to us it as a mobilie communications network base. There were approximately 240 produced from April 1938 to April 1943.

 

[Another Ahab]

What's with the drop at the front of the antenna?

Seen another rubber-tired WWI German APV somewhere with a similar down-turned antenna:

- Any HAMS or radioheads here to explain that?

That is a SdKfz-263

The 263 had a Sarz Funkgerat fur Pz Funktrupp b and was used by the signal det for motorized and panzer divisions, corps and army HQs. Intent was to us it as a mobilie communications network base. There were approximately 240 produced from April 1938 to April 1943.

You know your stuff CARNAC, always impressive.

Guessing that the Sarz Funkgerat is a radio set of some kind.

Got any idea about the antenna drops/ droops?

I like to know. Must be a radio signal thing; bugs me when I don't know what it's all about.