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)lublished in 1976 by Osprey Publishing Ltd 12-14 Long Acre, London WC2E gLP Member Company of the George Philip Group Copyright 1976 Osprey Publishing Lid

Thill book is copyrighted under the Berm: Convention. All rights r(:5Cr"cd. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose: of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, 110 pan of this publication may Ix: reproduced, 510red in a rctriC\"al system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiri~ should be addres5«l to the Publishers. ISBN

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85045 095 0

The author is particularly grateful for the assistance of Brian Leigh Davis. Andrew IJiwandi, Daniel Rose, Philip Katcher and Digby Smith during the prcpar;lIion of lhe leXI and assembly of Ihe illustrations. Thc literature on lhc desert war is vast, but the main sourccs used during the preparation of this book were: Uniforms, Organisafiofl and flis/oQ' fif/lte Afrika Korps by R.J. Bender and R. D. Law, Uniformie Mi/ilaria llalirlfle by Elio and Viuorio Del Giudicc, A COl/cue Encyclo/Jtdia fif lIlt Suolld World Wtlr by Alan Reid, The Foxes fif tltt Destrl by )l;1U1 Carell, A/omtil/ by C. E. Lucas Phillips, Grrmafl Am!)' Uniforms and In.rignia '933-45 by Brian Leigh Davis, Army Uniforms of World War II by Andrcw ~..Iollo and Malcolm McGrcgor, Army Badges alld In.rignia oj World War II by Guido Rosignoli, Armies & Weapons magazine, various issues, IVorld Iilar II, various issut:S, Armour in Profile and AFI' Profiles, various issues.

FilmSCI by BAS Printcrs Limited, Wallop, Hampshire Prinled in Hong Kong

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Italian medical officer - Dote single ar on houlder and cap, incUCIlting 2nd Lieutenant - esam.in.ing wounded sergente maggiore. From the visible detail ofbi collar (Sam ' the NCO i a Ber agliere, although th usual cock' -tail plume i Dot worn OD the tapi. Note that both wear olive-green European unUorDls - Dot UDCOmDlOD in the desert., where temperatures vary harply. (lJnperial War Mus UDl)

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Brescia and Savona Divisions. On 30 January '9.P the command was redesignated Panzerarmec Afrika, or altcrnatively dculSChe-italienische Panzerarmee. Within this command DAK retained its identity. On 23 February 1943 the PallZerarmee was redesif{nated 1 Italienisehe Armce undcr the command of the Italian General Messe; again, OAK retained its identity within this command, now comprising 15 and 21 Panzer-Division and go and ,64leichlc Afrika·Oivisioll. Rommel was on the same day promoted to command Heeresgruppe Afrika. consisting of I Italicnische Armee and von Arnim's Panzer-Armceoberkommando 5 in nonhern Tunisia. On 9 March 1943 von Arnim succeeded Rommel in command of the Heeresgruppe. Throughout the book the author has tried to limit the use of the title 'Afrika-Korps' or the abbreviation OAK to references LO that actual formation of tWO. three or four divisions - the mobile spearhead of Rommel's army. and the veteran heart of the Axis forces in Africa.

The Alrlll.. Ko...,. provided • rnucb-ftHded "I"memot of powerful tDtKoriHd uail.S forth,,~. Here memben of .. armoured car UlLil (Sd.Kb. 263 wirtln. co d ..."nicm ru... ,nloed) (n'eruiH wi!Jo h ..l.... BenaSliui _010.... cyclUu.. Note the topi ptUIDt'S or !Joe Lauer, . .d the .hu,s rolcliD!:.lNI)'o'h:t ca.rbi.ae.llrnperiaJ War Mu.""o:n)

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Space has forbidden the inclusion of a comprehensive set of orders-ol:'ballle, which an: largely available from standard works; Ihis book is, aflcr all, designed mainly for Ihe swdcnl of military cOstume and the hobby enthusiast. II is hoped that the August 1942 order-of-battle. the Panzer-Armecoberkommando 5 order-of·battle for March 1943. and the brief notes on the main German divisions engaged in Africa will suffice. Details or the service of individual rlalian divisions have provro 100 elusive for the author to present a similar set of notes, but il is hoped that the many specific references in the chronology will allow readers to place individual units in their proper perspective in the overall picture. For thirt)' years the average British and American student of the Second World War has

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been encouraged to see the contribution of Italian troops in North Africa as negligible; this is a shameful libel on thousands of very gallant soldiers who on many occasions fought with great courage in spite ofinadcquate weapons, minimal transport, and unspeakable leadership. The popular image of the enormous migrations of 'talian prisoners of '940, trekking cheerfully towards the 'cage' under the careless guns of a handful of Tommies, should nOt be allowed to obscure lhe tragic heroism of, say, the Ariete Dh,;sion in '942. Well awart: that their obsolete tanks were deathtraps, they still attacked without flinching, and stOCK! their ground to the last when the battle tumed against them. It is unworthy ofan)one who II has not faced the same dangers to deny at least some of the 'talian units the respect so readily and justly given to the OAK and the 8th Army.

Ghroll%gyofihe Vesert "War $,ptanbu 1940 Et-wia Ro_et, ill his simpte d_rt -nOnD; lOOCe K.fti«bt's In the summer of 1940 Italy had some 236.000 Cross with OaIc.Ieavn al tlt...-t sbow! Powr" Mirite, which dal"thepIC't'llrebdw_ _ Marcb IMlsad.January Ig.p, men; 1,811 guns; 339 tanks and 15t combat wbal be was s_rdeet tbe Swords. (ImJH'riaI War MUHRm) aircraft in her Nonh African possessions. The fall of France in June removed any threat from along the single, incomplete. practical motor French North Africa to the west, and Marshal road along the coas!. His attack was finally Balbo's forces thus faced only Ceneral Wavcll's launched on '3 September. Ceneral Bcrgonzoli's small British and Empire garrison in Egypt. XXIII Corps, willi four divisions and an in· Organised into two combat divisions, the 7th adcqualely·cquipped armoured group, made slow Armoured and 4th Indian, this had an effective progress under punishing conditions, but after a combat strength of only 3',000 men. In western series or skirmishes with clemellls of the British Libya Balbo had Ceneral Gariboldi's 5th Army 7th Armoured Division the '23rd of March' (X, XX, and XXIII Corps, with six infantry and Blackshirt division took Sidi Barrani on the twO blackshirt divisions). In the eastern zone was evening of the 16th. General Berti's loth Army (XXI and XXJ I Both M ussolini, and, ror very different motives, Corps, with three infantry, one blackshirt and two Wavell, hoped that Graziani would immediately native infantry divisions). rvlussolini pressed push on another se\'enty-five miles to the imBalbo - and, after the latter's death at the hands portant base of Mersa Matruh. Graziani refused of his own anti-aircraft guns, his successor to overreach himselr, however. He insisted on re· Graziani - to invade Egypt without delay; the maining at Sidi Barrani while he improved his It'alian dictator wished his offensive to coincide supply lines and awaited reinforcements. He with Hitler's proposed invasion of England. constructed several fortified camps east of Sidi Graziani r istc:d this pressure, however, cor- Barrani, stretching some forty miles from Maktila rectly judging that his transport and supply on the coast to a point named Sofafi South-West situation did not allow an immediate advance far into Ihe desert; and here he stared, awaiting

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reinforcements which never arrived due to the demands of the Balkan campaign. The camps were badly sited, far tOO widely dispersed for effective mutual support given the low level of motorisation of the Italian forces. Simultaneously Churchill took the courageous decision to strip Home Forces of three tank battalions and strong artillery units - despite the danger of German invasion - and send them to Wavcll. Dtcnnb" 1940 Moving secretly at night. the British 4th Indian and 7th Armoured Di\·isions concentrated in the desert opposite the southern sector of the Italian defensive line. At dawn on the gth, while a brigade under Brigadier Selby struck west along the coast road at Maktila, 7th Armoured Division penetrated the southern tip of the enemy line and turned north to cut off lhe bulk of the Italian forces. ravaging their rear areas as they went. 4th Indian Division, with the single battalion of heavily-armoured Matilda II tanks, struck between the positions of the Cirene Division at Rabia and the Maleui motoristtl group at Nibciwa, turning north to attack the latter. The

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obsolctc M.ll tanks of the Malcui Group were no match for the Matildas of 7th Royal Tank Regimenl, and within a short time 4lh Indian Division was on its way northwards to overrun the Tummar complex, held by General Pcscatori's 2nd Libyan Division. The 7th Armoured Division reached lhe sea before night on the 9th, and lhe cut-off Libyans were finally beaten into submission the following day. Naval gunfire helped 'Selbyforce' to drive Sibille's stubborn lSI Libyan Division out of Maktila. and the following day the Italians were ordered to retreat to the Halfaya. Sollum-Capuzzo line. Cirene fell back successfully, but the Catanzara Division was caught between Buqbuq and Sollum and very roughly handled. In all, loth Army had losl 38,000 prisoners, 237 guns and 73 tanks, as against total British casualties of624- At the moment of victory Lieutenant Ceneral O'Connor's forces (soon to be designaled 13 Corps) were weakened by the rcmoval of 4th Indian Division. earmarked for Eritrea, but O'Connor did not allow the enemy to n=gain the initiative. He surged westwards in pursuit and crossed the Libyan frontier on the 14th. On the 18th he invested Bardia, shutting up Bcrgonzoli's XXII1 Corps (Marmarica and 2srd of March djvisions) and the survivors of Cirene and Catanzara in the perimeter. That day O'Connor received as replacements for 4th Indian the 6th Australian Division. January '94-' On the morning of thc 3rd O'Connor assaulted Bardia from the west; the Australians cut the perimeler, allowing lhe twenty-three remaining Matildas of 7th Royal Tank Regiment (the remainder were largely immobilised by lack of spares) to surge into the fortress and cut the defendcrs in two. On the 5th the Italians surrendered, and another 45,000 men, 460 guns and 131 tanks went 'into the bag'. 7th Armoured Division meanwhile advanced westwards to cut off the important port of Tobruk, held by the Sirte Division. After the fall of Bardia the Australians folJowed, and the attack on Tobruk began on 21 January, supported by the dozen remaining serviceable Matildas and some enthusiastic Australians in captured M.ls/40 tanks. By nightfall the vital supply harbour was in British hands, as were another 25,000 prisoners,

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208 guns and 23 tanks. TOlal losses sufTered by to Libya without delay - within about three 6th Auslralian Division in the attacks on Bardia weeks. I IS task would be limited; it would consiSI and Tobruk were 179 dead and 638 wounded. of a small but modern tank unit, anti·tank and Graziani now decided to hold the line of the ami-aircraft troops, and engineers wilh large Jebel Akhdar, the high rocky outcrop of hills be· slocks of mines. This SptrrlJn"bond or blocking force tween Oema on the coast and Mcchili in the deep would simply prevent further British advances in desert. He placed an infantry division at the Libya, thus shoring up the shaken morale of the former posilion and General Babini's armoured Italian ally, and preventing British forces now brigade OIl Mechili, confident thai he could committed in Africa from being released to serve prevent any further advance lowards Benghazi, in other theatres. The news of the fall ofTobruk and apparently ignOring Ihe fact thai the terrain accelerated these plans, and on 31 January the would prevent thest: IwO formations from acting first elements of the 5th Light Division left in concert. On the 24th the Australians ap- Germany for Naples. proached Derna, while 7th Armoured Division Ftlmwry /94 I struck south·west into the dcsefl and savaged On the 1st, Graziani decided thai he had no Babini's tanks OIl Mcchili; the I talians retreated allernative but to abandon westcrn Cyrenaica. north into theJebelrleaving a clear run across the Orden were given for the organisation of the 'blue' for the Gulf of Sine, cUlting off the whole defencc of Tripolitania and the retre31 of forces bulge of Cyrenaica. along the coast of Cyrenaica. The distance from On the 9th, at a Berghof confercncc, Hitler Derna to a point opposite Bcda fomm on the decided that a small German force must be sent Gulf of Sine was 225 miles by the only major road, the Via Balbia. The distance from Mechili, A ~ -os- bowh:.er ia .etiOlL. TIte ~ ~ • in the Cyrenaican desert, straight across the mQ()ey n.alt'" or aaifOnDII, iDdlld.iar; lopi., field alpa, side 'bulge' to Bcda fomm, was 140 miles. 7th capa, .boru, 1oa& "'--n.. .1l.ir1. IUId jadeb. (lm~ War Ma_1

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means. The available Italian units - Bologna, find him and call him to accounl for unaUlhorised Brescia. Pavia, Sabratha and Savona - were opera I ions. Most of 5lh Light Division sped shaken and demoralised. The Ariete Armoured north-eastwards to Mechili, followed by Ariete; Division was just arriving in Africa, but had not lhat town fell on 7 April, and by a lucky chance yet 'shaken down' in the new surroundings and Generals O'Connor and Ncame were captured by was equipped with obsolescent vehicles. Trieste, a a OAK patrol. Most of 3rd Armoured and 3rd motorised division, would follow, but not for Indian brigades went 'into the bag' shoru)' after-. several months. Thc 15th Panzcr Division would wards, and Rommel presscd on towards Derna arrive piecemeal during April, but could not bc while Brescia moved up the coast road. The counted upon yet. With only 5th Lighl Division, Australian brigade from Benghazi managed to Rommel was forbidden 10 undertake major avoid the trap and reached Tobruk, with the now operations. When 15th Panzer arrived he was to unified Axis army on their heels. probe towards Agedabia and, ifsucccssful, Beng. Wavell was instructed to hold Tobruk at all hazi, at the end of May. He believed, however, costs, as it could be supplied by sea and had strong that even if he took Benghazi il was indefensible defences captured intact from the Italians in unless the whole of Cyrenaica was controlled as January. The garrison of36,000 men included 9th well. He also bcJieved in exploiting local success Australian and part of 7th Australian Division, an to the hill, and was unscrupulous when it ap- armoured car regiment and an anti-aircraft peared advantageous to ignore his nominal brigade. Commanded by 9th Australian's General superior, the Italian Gencral Gariboldi. Rommel MOnihead, an iron-willed officer knowll to his wanted the vital port of Tobrllk, and on 24 mcn as 'The Pitiless Thing', this static target was March he began his wild gamble for it. With only not vulnerable to one of Rommcl's favouritc 5th Light Division, he
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April 1942, omt! 45 kilometres we t of Gazda - baud80me study of PzKpIw m i.n use as connnand ta.ff vehicle, laagered up and camou.flaged with ClUnel thorn. It bears the ntUDe'B tie'. IlluuediatJy behiud the tank· a leDt made from carnou8aged shelter-quarter . (US National rc,hjv )

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Axis forces, under purely nominal command of the lIalian General Bastico, were as follows: Cambara's Italian XX Mobile Corps comprised Ariete Armoured and Trieste Motorised Divisions, around Bir el Cubi and Bir Hakeim. Rommel's Panzergruppe Afrika comprised the OAK, and the lIalian XXI Corps. The former, commanded by Cruewell, included 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions (the latter redesignated from 5th Lighl Dh'ision), the goth Light Afrika Division (the number dates from slightly later, bUI will be used here for clarily), and the Savona Division. This formation was spread from Sidi Rezegh, south-east ofTobruk, to the Gam but and Gasr eI Arid sector behind the SoUum front. Navarrini's XXI Corps comprised the Italian infantry bulk. the divisions Pavia. Bresc-i... Trento and &logna. It was stationed south and west ofTohruk for the planned attack on that port which was preempted by the opening of 'Crusader'. Total tank strenglh was 438 - ISg Italian and 249 Gennan. The Italian M-tanks were of doubtful quality. tD~ IH2-lUli._eo(~e10U'9OpersoESPaJlZer­ however; and the German total included 6g Rqim.all. 21. P...... ~vi.i_. (US N.doaaJ ArdU__) PzKpfw lis, which were little bener. There were sent to the bottom in increasing proportion. 136 PzKpfw Ills, halfofthem filled wilh the new (Twenty per cent of Axis supplies loaded in Italy 50mm gun, and 3' PzKpfw IV!! with 75mm guns. in October were sunk en route, and in November Under Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief this figure rose (0 an appalling sixty-two per cent.) Middle East, was Ceneral Cunningham as comNevertheless Rommel planned a renewed assault mander ofath }\rmy. His plan was for 30 Corps to on Tohruk for the period 2oNovcmbcr-4 Decem- strike across the frontier 10 Cabr Saleh, in the beT; and to avoid orders from above 10 remain on expectation of drawing the OAK's tanks into a the defensive he played down intelligence hints battle in thai sector, in which they would be desthat a British offensive on the frontier was immi- troyed. Meanwhile 13 Corps would allack the nent. This offensive - Operation 'Crusader' - coastal area and capture Sollum, Capuzzo and began on 18 November. Sidi Omar. On the command the Tobruk garrison Auchinlcck's forces, now designated 8th Army, would break out and eventually rendezvous with were as follows: The Tobruk garrison, which was go Corps around Sidi Rczegh, while 13 Corps to strike at the Cerman rear in concert with the pushed on up the coastal flank. The plan was frolllier attack, comprised 70th Division, the weakened, in advance, by the removal of 4th Polish lSI Carpathian Brigade, and 32nd Army Armoured Brigade from 7th Armoured DivisionTank Brigade. On the right flank of the offensive the vital spearhead or the attack upon which all was 13 Corps, comprising the New Zealand and dependt:d and its deployment as an intermediate 4th I ndian Divisions and 1st Army Tank Brigade. column 10 guard against a penetration between On the lefl flank was 30 Corps, comprising 7th the boundaries of the two Corps. \...In 18 November, in one of the dcscrl's rare Armoured and 1st South African Divisions, and 4th ArMoured and 22nd Guards Brigades. I n all torrential storms, the advance began. While 13 the army had 724 tanks plus reserves of 200, and Corps made steady progress on the right flank in was supponcd by twenty-four combat squadrons heavy fighting, go Corps' mission failed. AJin tht: air. though a stubborn ana successful defence of Bir

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cI Gubi by Ariete COSt 7th Armoured Division some fifty tanks, Rommel did not come south with his Panzers, but remained in the Gambut area. 30 Corps reached and took Sidi Rezegh, but on 23 November was heavily attacked there and driven back by the PanzcrsofDAK and the cntire XXI Corps. 200 British tanks wcre lost, and the South Africans wcre roughly handled. If Rommel had continued his attacks he could have destroyed 30 Corps: but he chose this moment for an exhibition of dashing cavalry generalship mOI'e suitable to a divisional commander than an army commander - his besetting weakness. Leaving his forces without orders for four days, he took 100 tanks from 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions and made his 'dash to the wire'. He swooped south of 30 Corps and eastwards along the desert flank of the engaged forces, hoping to swing north from Sidi Dmar and ravage the British rear, perhaps encircling them against the coast. In this he failed; Auchinleck was not unduly impressed, and continued with his planned operations, while the 4th Indian Division stubbornly resisted Rommel's attacks. He returned to his HQon 27 November, by which time the battle was turning against him. Cunningham had been badly shaken by the setbacks of the 23rd, and was replaced by Ritchiej Auchinleck himself exerted maximum pressure, and largely took over the conduct of the battle on the ground. On 26th the Tobruk garrison and the

New Zealanders of 13 Corps linked up at EI Duda after heitvy fighting. For the next nine days a series of whirling, confused engagements took place south of Gam but, with advantage swaying first one way. then the other; but with no hope of early reinforcement Rommel was the ultimate loser in this battle of attrition. On 6 December he ordered his depleted forces to retreat westwards, leaving the unfortunate Savona to hold OUt as long as possible in the Sollum-Halfaya-Bardia area. They did not surrender until 17 January 1942 .

Dtumhtr /94' The Italian command wished to pull back only to prepared defences running through Gazala, but Rommel correctly estimated that thc Axis forces could only regroup with an)' sccurit)' if thcy rctreated as far 3.S EI Agheila. Hc used cvcry means to press his argument, and by the end of the )'ear had carried out a skilful withdrawal to that strong line. Christmas Day saw 8th Army in Benghazi once more. They had taken 9,000 German and 23,000 Italian prisoners, and dcstroyed 382 tanks. during the two-month campaign; British long-range patrols and raiding parties were particularly active during the final pursuit. Aprill!HlI- two pioneers 0(_ armooored III.Ilit u.l!ae rroat difl'e~eftl Htweal thm lUlifonns aacl hdau!". The (;.,(rl1t",r em t.IlI", I"isllt IU. fidel aop ""eked behiad lUI .lIolllduo-bn«, ••d wn d-.-. ' .........."'...'. (US N.rio-J ArdUva)

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The importance of securing the Jines of communication 10 Africa was recognised on 2 Dcccm/x."r by Hiller's appointment of Ficld-Marshal Kesselring of lhe Luftwaffe as 'Supreme Commander South', His mission, for which he was gh'en command of all German and Italian forces in the ("cntrotl .Mediterranean area and strong air reinforcements, was to neutralise Malta as an Allied base for offensive operations; to win air superiority over the sea; to ensure Axis supply lines: and to interdict Allied supply lines. (His nominal aUlhority o\'er land forces in Africa was not exercised very actively, but in facl he proved !O have a bellcr strategic grasp than RommeL) His air and sea forers in the Mediterranean soon achieved a remarkablc turn-around in the fortunes of the supply convoys, which, coinciding as it did with theoutbrea.k of war in the Far East and the diversion ofAfrican reinforcements to Malaya, placed Auchinlcck in an unenviable position. Not only did he lose expected reinforcements, but unils were aClually removed from his theat~ of command: 70th and 6th and 7th Australian Divisions, and four fighter squadrons. Yet he was still under pressure to push the Axis armies back to the Tunisian fronlier as soon as possible. January 1942 The Axis naval successes in the Mediterranean, and the air blitz on Malta allowed Rommel to H.-ceive a hundred per cent of the cargoes loaded in hOlly in this month; these included 54 PzKpfw III and IV tanks, plus armoured cars and sclfpropelled guns, and two units of Italian stm0/1tnli self-propelled guns. Keeping his intentions secret from his own superiors, as well as his enemies, Rommel laullched a surprise altack from thc EI Agheila line on 21 January. using his faithful t51h and 2 tst Panzer Divisions, plus Arietc, Trieste and Sabratha of lhe Ilalian Mobile Corps. The Italians followed the general line of the coast road while the Germans swept through the descrt inland. Advancing fifly-six miles in forty-eight hours, Rommel cut the Benghazi road; he arrived outside that city on 27 January, and British 1st Armoured and 4th Indian Divisions only escaped complcte encirclemenl and destruction al heavy cost in men and vehicles. In view of his success, Rommel was forgiven for flouting orders, and promoted Colonel-General on I February. The

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loss of thc Cyrenaican 'bulge' 10 lhe Axis had British aircraft could 110 longer support convoys from Alexllndria 10 Malta. For a time an !talo-German joint invasion of the island was a vcry real possibility. Ritchie's 8th Army now fell back to the 'Gazala line', a seriN of defensive positions (artificially created - there was no geographical reason for this line) west ofTobruk. There his supreme commander, Auehinlcck, continued 10 build up his forces for thrcc months, wisely ignoring heated inslructions from London to go back on the offensive. Rommel brought his infantry up (he now commanded thc Italian X and XXI Corps dircctly, ,",s well as the mobile XX Corps) and prepared, in his turn, for anothcr great push. Mar]unt 1942 On the evening of 26 May Rommel attacked the Cazala line. His orders were to destroy British mobile forces west ofTobnlk: to capture the vital port; and then to halt. A further advance was to be dependent on the successful invasion of Malta. (Rommel pad reservations about this Hmitation, and probably intended from the start to exploit a vie tory to the hilt. He was all too aware of the steadily improving British supply position, bUI in the event he was loo\'erreach himsclfwith fatal consequences.) British forces holding thc Cazala line comprised ; COlt'S 13 Corps. with 1st South African Division on the coast and 50th Division some twenty miles inland, supponed by 1st and 32nd Army Tank Brigades. As garrison of Tobruk, 13 Corps also commanded 2nd South African Division and 9th Indian Brigade. NOI'ric's 30 Corps, with 1St Free French Brigade at Bir Hakeim and 3rd Indian Motorised Brigade extending south·castwards from this 'hinge'. lSI and 71h ArmoUT(..d Divisions were positioned each side of 'Knightsbridge', an important track junction, and 29th Indian Brigade were at Birel Cubi. The defensive line Gazala-Bir Hakeim was fronted by a wide belt of minefields, which turned north ag'''in behind the latter position. Rommel had under command OAK (15th and 21st Panzcr, and goth Light Divisions), and Ariete and Trieste of Italian XX Corps. His lank strength was 560, including 38 PzKpfw IV and 232 PzKpfw III. While Ritchie had about 994

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tanks, only 160 of these were the new M3 Grantthe remainder were Matildas, Valentines, and Crusaders, all of which had their strengths but all ofwhich were outclassed by the German mediums. Rommel's penetration on either side of Bir Hakeim led to confused fighting. 3rd Indian Motorised Brigade was overrun and 7th Armoured Division badly beaten by 15th and 21St Panzer. Ariete was then thrown vainly but very couragc~ ously against Bir Hakeim, where it was badly mauled by Koenig's ligiOlmairts and colonial troops - who were also to pul up a good showing against Tricste and goth Light. By nightfall on the 27th Rommel was being counter~attacked 6ercely by 30 Corps, and his mobile units were becoming isolated and tangled in the mine6elds. Frontal attacks by the Italian infantr)'ofX and XXI Corps were not attracting as much attention as he had hoped. On 28 May he managed to restore his line of communication - dangerously broken while the Pan7;,ers charged around the minefields - and drove at GOt eJ Ualeb with his armour while

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April 19f2 a mortar utW orSdliitnD{W"'l.,ri.,}-~m_1 1150 15- PDlUef'-Divisi_, i.D the a.pt.red British posiooa_.t Ses-1i South. 80 kilolftdres wes1 or Bir Ralr.dm. n.e . .tdier OD th., risht wea... the ShOM webbi.Ds saite... occasion..oy WOni with .....le boob by euu.... troops i.D Mrica. (US N.u_.l ..uchi...,sj

covering himself against 30 Corps attacks around Knightsbridgc with clements of Trieste and Pavia. Success at Got cl Ualcb opencd a lcn·milc rift in thc Allied front; Rommel rcunitcd his scattered forces and e10sed the jaws of the trap on Bir Hakeim. By 2 June he had cost Ritc.hie 400 tanks, mostly the precious Granls, and thousands of dead and wounded. He had very nearly come to gricf while isolaled on the wrong sidc of thc minefields, but as always his rcactions had been faster and morc imaginati\'e than those of his dispersed enemy. Bir Hakeim held out valiantly until 10 June, when the survivors broke out successfully. On the night of the 14th the last elements of '3 Corps also diseng-.tged and pulled back; Ritchie intended to stand before Tobruk, but with only 100 tanks left he was hustled towards the frontier.

IS

Rommel attacked the port on 20June with 15th and 21St Panzer Divisions and XX Italian Corps, while goth Lighl and the newly arrived Linorio Armoured Division covered the remains of 8th Army. The antj-tank defences were in a poor stale, the minefields were incompletc, and in four hours the tanks of 15th Panzer were raging inside the perimctcr. Fiercc fighting continued until the following morning, when General Klopper of 2nd South African Division surrendered the garrison: 33,000 men of his own formation, 11th Indian Brigade, 32nd Army Tank Brigade and 20lst Guards Brigade, together with massive fuel and olher stores. Since 27 May Rommcl had takcn 45,000 prisoners. Rommel's appeal to hi:, victorious divisions for 'one more great effort' signalled his intention of pushing ahead bcyond the agreed stop-line of Halfaya Pass, despite the planned detaehmcnt of some of his units for the invasion of Malta in August. Events would show thai the Italian High Command's pIcas for the eradication of Malta, for the sake of the Axis supply lines to Africa, before any further advance in the desert, were entirely sensible; but Hiller, too, had become en· chanted by the vision of driving Britain right out of Egypt and seizing the vital Suez Canal, and he now allowed the impctuous Rommel his head. With German tanks approaching Mcrsa Matruh and 8th Army in full retreat, the prize secmed worth the risk ofoverreaching. July 1942 Auchinleck took ovcr direct control from Ritchie, and began to build his dcfcnsive linc from the sca to the Quauara Depression, just west of EI Alamein. He received two divisions of reinforcements, and was in a position to repulse an auack in early July. as Rommel arrived and threw himself straight at the Allied line, hoping to burst it open before it could become established. So fast had he advanced from 'Hellfire Pass' that he had only 6,500 mcn and fony-odd tanks up with him. goth Light was repulsed on I July, being reduced to some 1,500 infantry and fony guns. By midJuly Rommel had some thin)' battalions of infantry available, but their average strength WflS only 165 men each; 15th and 2tst Panzer and Ariete and Littorio only mustered fifty-eight serviceablc tanks bctween them! Behind the Axis

16

posluons stretched 250 miles of empty desert before the first useful depot, and Allied fighter. bombers ranged over the Via Balbia like hawks. British strength continued LO increase, and Auchinleck carried out a series of fierce local allacks, usually on Italian unit'S, taking some 7,000 prisoners in the three weeks up to 2'2 July. Rommel's eagerness had betrayed him, and for a few days his letters had a hopeless ring about them. August 1942 Churchill replaced Auchinleck as Commander-inChief Middle East with General Sir Harold Alexander; despite his fine qualities and many successes, 'the Auk' had shown consistently poor judgement in his appointment of subordinates, whom he had later had to step in and rescue. Alexander, patient, brilliant, and enormously popular, was given the simple instruction of destroying Rommel's army. His field commander was to be Lieutenant-Gencral Bernard Montgomery, who was appointed on the death of the ori.g:inal choicc, General Cott, in a plane crash. Motllgomery flew OUI immediately, and began to study Auchinleck's dispositions before EI Alamein and to pursue his very personal policy for improving 8th Army morale. Reinforcements continued to arrive, and he had been promised goo brand new American Sherman tanks and tOO I osmm. self-propelled guns - an unparalleled act of American generosity promptcd by the fall of Tobruk. Septnuber-October 1942 Rommel, still dogged by supply problems and knowing his enemy was gClling stronger daily, all'acked the British line on go August. The British positions were held by 30 Corps (gth Australian, 1st South African, and 5th Indian Divisions) and 13 Corps (New Zealand and 7th Armoured Divisions). reading from the coast southwards. Unknown to Rommel, Montgomery had strongly reinforced Alam cl HaIfa ridge, a feature running cast-west behind the southcrn end of the British line, to block any typical 'Desert Fox' hooks around the left wing and up tOwards Alexandria; this sector was held by 44th Division and two brigades from loth Armoured Division. Rommel's plan called for diversionary attacks against go Corps by the Italian XXI Corps and

Peaked cap oC an cngioeer captain; ItalianAnnyEurop anpattem.Mousc grey with black peak and trap and gold buttons, it ba rank strip thr - in gold, and the hraDch badge in gold on grey with black lozenge. (Daniel Roe Collectio.o)

Italian generaJ peaked c p: mou e grey crown and band, black peak and trap. Generals' silver braiding scwn direcdy to band; 0.0 ilver tripc abo e it indicat bri dicr-genual, two trip a divisional general, ~ 0 with a gold c:ap-badgc a gc.acraJ oC anny corp and three a Cull gc.aeraJ. The -.gle badge b re is ilver with a red backin the central ilv r ero on a red lozenge. Buttons are silver. (Daniel Ros Collection)

Infantry major' white-Govered tropical peaked cap. Rank is indicated by ODe thio gold band above one thick; th" branch badge i in gold on grey with a black lozrng", th" p"ak and trap ar" black and th" buttoWj gold. (Daniel Rose Collection)

Tropica.1 forage cap of tenente colo.oeIIo, Laneieri. Bra.nch badge' old bullion on black; rank patch i open gold wire 'box' with two ~old stars on black backing in centre. (Daniel Ro e Collection)

ltalia.n g eraJ' Corage cap in mo c grey pbcrdine; tropical pattern was idc.aticaJ but in sand-coloured twill. Flap fastened with pres tud· front badge black on red backing with white era on red lozenge; ide rank patch (full eneraJ) is of silver patterned braid with red edging, bearing three gold with red edging. (Daniel Rose Collection)

Other Rank 'Europ..an model Corag" cap in coar e olive-gr...... cloth with Oap fastened by wooden button. ArtiJI"ry badg" in black on olive-gree.n· r..pmental DlUDber 131 in whit" metal on oliv-..-green. (Danid Ro e Collection)

17

Ita.I.ian teel hehnet, paiDted sand yeUow 0 er olive-green. Brauch badge were ometime stencilled on the front in black paiDt. (Daniel Ro e CoUection)

B. da n

tra-

t riorating (not fi r the

Ii panzergren.adiere waiting the word to attack. Note hes ioul helmet coverw, high laced boots. MP'40 and pouch grenade and webbing equipment. The UnteroJ6%ier Us th fores.round has duU ochre tre e round th collar of hi jacket. (Imp rial War Mu eUUl)

18

n

rg of a for

the obviously ineviwble British riposte. Montgomel)' was now disembarking his new Shermans, and twO more divisions of men, including the famous 51st Highland. Stumme's line consisted of from north to south) Trelllo and 164th Light Di\·isions, Bologna, the Ramcke FallschirmBrigade, Brescia, the Folgore Parachute Division, and Pavia. In rcsCr\'(' behind the northern sector were 15th Panzcr and Littorio; on the coast road well behind them was the army rcserve. goth Light and Tricste. Thc southern sector of the front line was supported b) 21st Panzer and Aricte. The entirc front wa.. protccted by massi\'e mincfields some haifa million mincs in all. plus thousands of boobv~trap" - and covered by eighty~six of the deadly 88mm. anti-tank guns, and ninety·fh·c of the almost as cffcctive Russian j·62cm. weapons. some thirty of them self. propelled on Czech tank chassis. Thc Panzerarmce had j71 field guns, of whkh 371 werc !Ialian: j2:2 anti-tank guns of all calibrcs, of which 150 \\'ere Italian; 497 tanks, of .....hich 'lj9 were Italian: and 70 infantry battalions of which 42 were Italian. The infantry werc dug in, not in a continuous front but in a systcm of mutually supporting positions built for all-round defence. This formidable army was. however, deathly short of fuel and ammunition, and of air support; and in October 44 per cent of Axis supplies loaded in Ital)' wcre sent to the bottom of the Mediterranean. Montgomery's supply position was much morc secure; he could lllUster 939 field and 1,5°6 antitank guns, 1,348 tanks and 500 armoured cars, and 86 strong battalions of inrantry. Note, however, that or his apparently cnormous superiority in armour only some 300 tanks - the Shermanswcrc truly a match for the Panzcr JlIs and IVs. The Crusadcrs and Valcntines were as vulnerable to the Panzers as the Italian M-tanks were to them; while the Grant. although more formidable, had many disadvantages which prevented its meeting the Germans on equal terms, as had been proved at Knightsbridge in May and June. £1 A/amtin

At 2140 hours on 23 October, Montgomef") opened his attack with a fierce artillery barrage whith silenced the enemy's batteries and dis-

rupted his communications. After firtcen minutes the barrage lifted and sappers and mine~c1earing tanks moved fonvard into the 'Devil's Gardens' which proleclcd the Axis front line. Behind them came the infantry. The attack reI! on the whole length of the Axis line, but the weight of it was ill the northern sector, north ofRuweisat Ridge; the southern attacks by 13 Corps were important but basically diversionary. The attack caught the Panzerarmce by surprise: Rommel and the commanders of the Italian X and XX I Corps were all absent in Europe. It was also entirely different in nature from anything yel seen in the desen. ~10Illgomef")· had decided that rather than follow the classic pattern of a southern hook, with its predictable a!tempt to force the enemy against the coast, he would attack in the nonh, using the empty wastes to the south as the 'sea' into which the enemy would try 10 avoid being pushed. He also abandoned the desert philosophy that demanded an early clash or armour, in the belief that once the enemy's mobile forces were destroyed his infantry were helpless; recognizing the significance ofprevious encounters with the beltertrained and technically uperior Axis armour, he held his tanks back and attacked in a set-piece manner with carefully co-ordinatcd infantry and artillery forces. Using his superiority in numbers, he inlendt"(1 to crumble the Axis infantry line division by division, accepting casualties but forcing Rommel to commit his armour - his only reserves under circumstances which robbed them of freedom of movement. Once forced to move into a congested battlefield among the minefields and to r.'lce artillery ancllimilcd defensively-sitcd armour, the Panzers could be dcstroyed steadily without ever mccting the bulk of the British armour. In the event this is exactly what happened. The initial attack of 13 Corps in the south led to costly fighting and prevented Rommel's southern reservc, Ariete and 21st Panzer, from moving north. Meanwhile 30 Corps, led by tlle 9th Australian, 51st Highland and New Zealand Divisions, blasted their way along twO corridors in the minefields and engaged Trento and 164th Light, causing heavy losscs. 1st and loth Arm~ oured Divisions were committed to close support of the advance, but undcr tight control. When

19

goth Light, 15th Panzer and Littorio were commincd to counler-attacks lhe tank losses on both sides were heavy, but the Panzerarmcc's were relatively the more grievous in vicw of their supply position. When Rommel gOt back to his headquarters late on 26 October he found that only 39 German and 6g Italian tanks remained serviceable in his northern armoured reserve. He was forced to bring 21st Panzer up north of Ruweisat, and forty·eight hours later it was down to 48 tanks. IIS transfer also left Montgomery free to bring 7th Armoured Division north as well. By 29th October the 1st South African and 4th Indian Divisions, forming the left (southern flank of 30 Corps immediately north of Ruweisat, had made a deep penetration into &Iogna Division's sector. Montgomery was able to regroup some brig••des in preparation for the major breakthrough attcmpt, while still hammering Rommel's line and forcing the redeployment of Ariete and Trieste, Rommel's final reserves. Resisting pressure from Whitehall, Montgomery cominued to fight his planned bailie calmly and without deviation. On 2 November the breakthrough stage of the allack, 'Operation Supercharge', was unleashed. The previous night 9th Armoured Brigade of Freyberg's New Zealand Division made a very gallant attack on part of the Axis gun-line, and was virtually wiped out. 2nd and 8th Armoured Brigades movcd illlo the gap hacked al such cost by the 9th, and invited attack by 21St Panzer. Ncar Tel cl Aqqaqir a tank and anillcry ballie of unprecedented savager)' W:15 fought Out, and on 2 November some 77 German and ,~o Ilalian tanks were destroyed, LOgeliler with many guns. '''''hi Ie relative slalcl1l
20

llalian XX Corps pulled back a few miles. On the night of the 3rd/4th, 51st Highland Divisjon smashed through Ihe Axis line in lhe area ofTci 1.'1 Aqqaqir, and the New Zealand and 7th Armoured Divisions poured through the gap on the 4th. Arietc and the rest of XX Corps were destroyed where they stood, after gallant resist· ance which belies - as do SO many of the desert battles - the AIHed 'propaganda image' of the Italian soldier. On that day OAK commander General Ritter von Thoma was captured, as he leapt from his burning tank, by 1St Armoured Division. The battle was over; parts ofTrieste and Lillono and the four OAK divisions were puIJed back successfully, but were only skeletons of their former strength. Trento, Bologna, Brescia and Pavia were strandt."d without transport and 'went into the bag'; Ramcke's paratroopers made their epic escape, but the Folgore was not so fortunate. Axis losses wcrc 25,000 dead and wounded and 30,000 prisoners; 1,000 guns and 320 tanks destroyed orcapturcd; and nine generals. (Gcneral Stumme had died of a heart auack in the earl)· stages. his place being taken by von Thoma. Allied )osso were ,~.610 dead and missing and 8,950 wounded. Some 500 tanks had been knocked out, but as the Allit:s were len in command of the battlefield many were salvaged and onl)· 1.50 werc totally dcstroyed. About 110 gUlls. mostly anti-tank: guns, had been lost. ~Vol'Cmber Dumbtr '942 Rommel, whose belief in any eventual victory in Africa had 1I0W completely c"aponlled, led a skilful but desperate retreat westwards, pursued by 8111 Army and overshado">'t."d by news of Ihe Anglo-American 'Torch' landings in Morocco and Algeria. Covcring 700 milcs in five weeks, Montgomery rcached Marsa Brcga by 13 Decem· ber. Now 8th Army began to suffer from the problems of over-extended supply lines; but Rommel had no heart for delaying manoeuvres. He wanted to get the remnants of his army back to Tunis, which was being reinforced from Sicily as a bridgehead, and e\'entuall)' to take them safely home to Europe. The Anglo-American eastwards advance from Algeria on Tunis was held up by the weather and by logistic problems. as well as by political quarrels. By 31 December the Axis build-up had brought total strength in

Tunisia to 47,000 German and 18,000 Italian troops of 5 Panzcrarmee, led by Gcneral von Arnim. ~'lain uniLS werc the excellent loth Panzer Division, 334th Infantry Division, the Italian Supc.rga Division, and various miscellaneous uniLS of both nationalities, including German paratroopers and a battalion (So 1St) of the new Tiger super-heavy tanks. A temporary Axis air superiority had also been achieved over the bridgehead. JanlJary-F~bruary '943 By 26 January Rommel was on the Mareth line in Tunisia, with the remnants of OAK 15th and 21St Panzer and goth and l64-th Light Divlsions I; reinforced elements of Pistoia and Trieste; and weak new Italian forces designated the Young Fascist, Spczia and Centauro Divisions, of which the latter was nominally armoured and contained some surviving units of Ariele. On 23 February this whole force was redesignated 1st Italian Army and put under the command of the I1alian General Messc; simultaneoush' Rommel took command of all Axis forces in the theatre - i.e. 1St Italian Arm) and 5th Panzer Army - the unified command being cntitled Heeresgruppe Afrika. On 14 February Rommel launched his last offensivc, planning to exploit the inexperience of the American forces to the west while Montgomery probed cautiously at the J\hreth line in the south. Striking the unsuspccting U.S. 1st Annoured Division in the Faid Pas.~, von Arnim, with loth and 21St Panzer, innicted vcry heavy losses in the Sidi bou Zid area. He beat off a countcr.aU3ck on the 15th, and the Americans abandoned Gafsa. Rommclnow struck into their right nank with minor units of DAK, and on 17 I'ebruary loth and 2 I st Panzer were transferred to his command for an attack towards Tebcssa. On the 20th the Panzcrs took Kasscrinc Pass, and next day loth Panzer was wheeled north to take Thala, while 21st Panzer headed for Sbiba. This line ofadvance was forced on a reluctant Rommel by his superiors; he pressed for a d rive on T eOCssa in the old Wagnerian Panzer manner, correctly predicting that the Thala line would bring him into contact with strong Allied reservcs. Ii did; and the attack petered out for lack of resources. On 22 February Rommel abandoned the attempt and' dashed southwards again to face Mont.

,"

'- . .

.

tWiaa oBieu'. tropical "nice dreft., wora ........ by ......jor, ap~dyotdoe.2tIa'$at;sari' Wa.try Dimioa lojDCIs:" by IUs IlaIved wlUl~rN collar patches. (Tb..l. onit did lIot Hro·e .. Africa - doe pboto lake-. ia Sicily.) (l.m.perial War MUHum)

gomery, leaving von Arnim to launch 'Operation Oxhead', an attack on 26 Februar)' designed to cut Eisenhower's Bcja.Mcdjez cI Rab supply road and win some elbow-room. The Faid-Sidi boll Zid - Kasserine opera lions had cost the American II Corps about 3,000 dead and wounded. 4.000 captured, 235 tanks and 110 other armoured vehicles. II had the beneficial result orlcading to the immediate replacemellt of the corps commander by General George S. Patton. Mault '943 On 6 March Rommel opened an audaciolls but predictable attack on 8th Army. While 1St Italian Army (Young Fascist, Spezia, Trieste and Pistoia Divisions, plus goth and 164th Light Divisions) occupied the Mareth Line, they were faced only by the advance forces of 8th Army the 51st Highland and 7th Armoured Divisions. Rommel determined to hook his loth, 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions to Medcninc and then north to the sea, supported by 164th Light. ~Iont· gomery reacted instantly to thc threat, bringing up heavy reinforcements and much artillery.

21

buill around the New Zealand Division, to the shorl cast/west line Metameur.Mcdcnine. right across Rommel's path. I n bloody figilling the Axis attack was repulsed, wilh a loss of 52 of Rommel's I~I precious tanks and 640 men. British losses were one Sherman lank and 'go men; the anillery had plared a major pan in Ihe defence. On 9 March Ceneralfddmarschal Erwin Rom· mel left Africa. He Aew to Rome, and then on to Germany 10 beg for an organisro evacuation of German forces in Tunisia. Hider refused. and ordered him to take his long.postponed sick leave. He never returned 10 the desert. Under the command of von Arnim the German forces in Tunisia, strengthened only with various 'scratch' formations of variable quality and starved of equipment, fought all against im· possible odds until 12 May. all that day von Arnim surrendered; on the 13th the last unit to lay dowll its arms, the 164th Light Division, ceased fire. PANZERARMEE AFRIKA ORDER OF BATTLE 15 A C ST '942

Dtll.JscluJ IlJ,i}.a-Ko,ps GcnrrnllcUlnanl Walther :"\eh· ring). 15 Pa1l{"-D,nsioR GCllcrnllculllanl Gu~ta\' \"On Vaer$I' I}anzer-Rcgimcnt 8. Inr."lntcric-RcgimcIII 11101 I , 5. Artillerie.Rcgiment mot 33. Panzerj;iger-Abldlung (mOl) 33. AufklarulIgs.AhleilulIg mot 33. plus divisional unilS. 21 Pan~".Didsion (Gencralmajor Georg von Bismarck) Panzer-Regiment 5, I nfamcric-Regiment (mot) 104. ArtiJlcric-Regimcnt (mot) 155, Panzcrjligcr-Ableilung (mot) 39, Aulldarungs.Abteilung (mal) 3, plus divisional unilS. 90 {t;cllte Afn'ka-Dit-ision (Gcneralmajor Ulrich KI~­ man) Infanlttic-Rcgirnenl (mot) 155, Infantcrie-Regiment (11101) 200, Infanlcric-Rcgimcnl Afrika (mot 361, Panzcrgrenadier-Regimenl (mot) Afrika-, ArliJIcric.Rcgiment Cmol 190, Panzerjager-Ableilung (mOl) 19o, Aufldarungs·Ableilung (mot) .)80. plus divisional units. fnchJt AfriAtl-Diuision (Oberst Carl-Hans Lunger-

,6.,

hau~ll)

Panzugrenadicr.Rcgiment (mol) 125, Panzergren-

22

adicr-Regiment (mol) 382, Pallzergrcnadier-Regimenl (mot) 433, Anillcric-Regiment (mol) 220, flak-Ableilung (mOl) Gog, schwer$tc Infanteri;gcschOu-Kompanien 707 and 708. AuillarungsAbtcilung (mOl 220, plus divisional uniu. Falucll",,,jig"-Brigadt Rome*' (Genernlmajor Bernhard Ramckeo) FaJbchirmja.ger-Bataillon Krah, fall.schirmjigerSataillon von der He)'dte, FaJhchirmjager-Bataillon Hubner, Fallschirmjager-Lc:hrbataillon Burkhardl. Falbchirm-.\rtillerie-Abteilung. Fall.sc:hirm-PanzerjilRer-Kompanie.

X Itoliall Corps Lieutenanl General Eduardo Nchbia JllfallJry Divisio" Bltuio (Major Gent:ral Brunelli I 19th and 20th Infanlry Regimenl!i. lSt MOloriscd Artillery Rl-gimenl. Infantry Dilluion Pavia (Brigadier General Scattaglia) 27th and 28th Inf;mtry Regiments. 261h Artillery Regimcl1t. XX Italian Molo,i.ftd Corps (Lieutenant Gencral Giuseppe de Stefanis) AmlO.m:J DiD;s-ion Aritle (BrigadierGcncml Arena) Annourl-d Croup Anele (52nd Tank Battalion, plus 3rd Nizza Armoured Group comprising annoured Bersaglieri battalion wilh AA and AT batterics·. 13::md Tank Regiment (8Ih, 9th and loth Tank Battalions, 81h Bcrsaglitti Regimenl f2nd Motorcycle Battalion, 51h and 12th MOlorised Battalions '. 1]211d ArnlOurcd ArLiJlery Regimelll I I and 2nd 75/27 Groups, 3rd IOS'28 Group, 55151 anti 5S2nd 75,18 Armoured Groups:. 41h Granalieri di Sardeglla Anti-Tank Ballalion, plus di\'1gonal units. Armorntd DiroioR J~lto,i(J Brigadier General Mayncr; , 3rd L"lIleicri di ;'\o\'ara Annoured Cavalr} Group. 133rd Tank Regiment (41h, 121h and 51 t Tank B:ltlaliOllsl, 121h 8crsaglieri Regimenl (2 lSI MOlOr· cycle Baltalion, 23rd and 36th MOloriscd B.-Itlalions), 133rd Armoured J\rtiltery Regiment (1st alld 2nd 75/27 Groups, 5561h and 5571h 75/18 Armoured Croups), part of 3rd Armoured Artillery Regiment, plus divisional units. (Nil: many of the above unils had suffered heavy casualties and this official CSlablishment docs not refieci the true slrength of lhe di\·ision.) Moloru,d Infantry Dirision TriI.su (Brigadier General La Feria 11th Tank Ballalion, 65th and 66lh Infanlry Regiments, 91h Bersaglieri Regimenl (30th. 32nd and 381h MOlorised Ballalioll!). 21St Artillery Regiment 1St and 2nd 100/17 Croups, 3rd and 4th • F'onnorrt) Sonden'a"band '188. consmi"l of IWO baltalionll ~ C'thnic: Gf'I'1T\&Illi from Africa and thC' .\lrdilnnneon llfO• .and OIJC' baltalion ofloeal Anta.

e Italian braoch cap badges rep ted aD officers' black houlder-boanls: (a) l.n.fantry (b) Ina or• ed iDIi try (c) Bersag.lieri (d) colonial infantry (e) tanb (I) divisional artillery (g) motori eel (armoured) a.rtillery' (b) ppu (i) paratrooper .

Typica1divi iODaJarrn- hields- irt"", 'Tr"'nto' and '23 Marzo. Sre conunrnlari aD colour plat A2 and Bit for deta.Us.

75/27 roup', Ih 75/5 r up) plus divisi n units, PIlTachule DiuisioTl Folgor (Major n ral F'rauini) 1R51h 186th and 187th Para hUl Infanll. Regiments, plu di i i nal unil of un crlain Ir n~th. XXlllnlian Corp (Lieul nant ol'ral· n a tlvarini) H%n'sfd Infanl~)' Dim ion Trrnlo [Brig-adier eneral fasina) 6r land 62nd Infanl Re imcnl , 7lh B ' li'ri R· 'm nL (b. tl. lion un rtain al Ihi ,lage).16Ih nil!' , Regimenl ( quipm nL un enain al thi 'lage). plu clivi ional unil , Irifatll1J' DilJi.lion Bologl/a ( aj r G n'ral loria) Ih , nd 40lh Infanlry R ~~imcnl., 2 51h till ry R gim nl ( quipm 'Ill un erlain al lhi .le g ,plu divi i n (unil .

MA

R 10

Plm;:.u-DivifioTl (

'0

0

H

J.

43

ralmaj r Fritz Fr ill rr v n

Emi h) Panz'r-Re im nl 7 (n ballali n), Panz r r nadi('r-R gim nL !) (n ballaIion) Panz rgr nadier-R 'gim 'nl 8 (n baltali n), pan rtill ri 'R gim nl (moL) go. Panz rjagr- bt iJung (m I) 9 rad hlitz n-Btl 10 pJu divi ional unil" 21 Pall~er-Diuision (

b rst Hans- eorg Hild bl" ndt) Pam r-Regim >l1l5, Panzer rcnadi r-R im nt 104 till 'ric-R gim Ol (mOl) 155, 2./Flak- btcilung 25 ufldarun - blcilung 580 plus divi i nal unils.

33·/ ftifaillen'r-Dillisioll ( -neralm.i r Fri nri h d in-

renadi r-R 'gim nl754,

am-

ren di'r-R gim nl 756 334, hn·1I bt ilung 33

Iud d or pani s but :nclud d:

urtil

Djvi,~io1l

I,

II

17

ri

lJon

On

alit um·!) 'aIls hirmja er-R gim nt B r nlhin. F Id- bt'ilun T3 ar ch- bl ilung 3 I I rtilJ ri R 'm nl (m I) 2 Fall chirmjager-Pioni 'I' Batlali n (m l) r I llali n r th B r agli ri R gim nl (2 th 34lh and 3rd Ballali n) plu min r

clivi. i nal unit.. ank roup, roup

23

<

rn

d and th m

dj i i n \ f th \'ari

· t-

Mo t Italian infantry units wore collar patche of one of th' e three de ign ; a few - e.g. me Liguria Brigade - wore patch hal eel along their length. Rep enta've designs WOni by unit which ervecl in North Africa are as follow: Cirene Division, Liguria Brigade (157 & 158 Rgt. .) - halYed orange oyer blue 8me Di • Ancona Brig., (fig & 70 Rgts.) - bbck, thr yellow strip vOna Div., aVOo.a Brig. (15 & 16 R .)whit one black strip Sabratha Diy. Vero a Brig., (85 & 86 Rgts.) blue, two yellow trip Superga Diy., Ba llicata Brig., (91 & 901 Rgts.) crim on, one white stripe Br scia Diy. Bre cia Brig., (19 & 010 Rgt .) crimson, ODe bl ck tripe Pavia Diy. Pavia Brig., (27 & 28 Rgu.) - green, ouered trip Trento Div.· Sicilia Brig. (61 & 62 Rgts.) cadet, two gr en stripe ,blue patch Trie te DiY.,· Valtellina Brig., (65 & 66 Rgts.)black, three white tripe blue patch Bologna Diy. Bologna. Brig., (39 & 40 Rgt .) white, one red stripe Pi toi.. Div., Pisl:oia Bri. (35" J6 R .)orao e, one black stripe.

•

ommentary n nlour plate

I

~fri tlJZ

qerJJZan 'Divi iOIl and urr nd r finv I 'ment

5 leichtc Division was lhe title h s n for the 'blocking for c nl 10 ITi a in arl I 41. 1 t of i urU' " ere in fact drawn from 3 Panz r- ivi ion. Til unil arri ed in Tripoli from I F bruary 194' om ard , the armour di embarking on 20 ebruar '. rter continuous active service as the. p arhead of the D K I he di ision wa rcdc ignated on I ctob r 1 4' a 21 Panz'I'-Divi ion ( .(' bdow).

for d mils f

mOlon 'd infantry insi nino

1.9tll olld 20th Flak-Dit,j ;ions itb lhr gr up"

Flak-Regim nts

nd LIm:

cSer~ iCl of

d lachecl

w

r

10 Pall rr-Dim iorl w rc vet ran of P land, Franc. and u ia. and afler a p ri d in III ulh fFran w r hipp d t Tuni. ia in lat . ov mb T , 42, being imm dial I rnmitt d t balll in Lh bridgh >ad. th [r h I and best- quipp d divi i n a ailabl it w. u cd on'lantl)' t b th nd r the brid h 'ad, until it Wal' fI I' d t . urr nd r in the hill. Ilorth fBiz rta n 9 fa , /5 POfl.
24

3

1

Sergent Libico, mrd Libyan Battalion

2

Vice Capo quadra, M.V.S.N.• t Division 23 Marzo', '940

3 Bersagliere Motor-cyclist,

1940

1941

2

IICfilJoFL ROFH

A

, Private, Liguria Brigade 63rd 'Ciren.e' Infantry Divi ion '941 2

Caporale, Ancona Brigade, 61St 'Sirte' Infantry ])jvisioD '94'

3 Tenente ColonelJo Motori ed Arri1lery, '94'

3

B

11CHAfl Ror f

, Tenentt< Sicilia Brigade .02:lld 'Trento' otori ed Infantry Divi ion '942 " Sergente Maggiore 'Fol or 'Parachute Division '942 3 Private Giovani Fa ci ti Division t94

HA l RO FE

3

"

c

3

1

GCDer-dle eli Brigata, 194 1 -43

2

General der Panzertruppc Erwin Ronunel 1942

3 Major, Panzer DivisioD Staff 194'-4 2 2

o

to"rCHMl R

, Ob rg.,£rcit r Aulkliirung -Abt iling (MoL) 3, '94' 2

Si

aJ mechanic, Transport Work hop, '94-2

3 F ·ldwebel, Feld - endarmerie '942

...11CHAH ROFI f

E

3

nleroflizier panzergrenadiere 1942 2

3

F

G freiler Infanrerie 1943 chune, lnfanlerie.

1942~"3

, CHII

o

f

• Oberleutnant Artillerie 1941-43 2

Panzer chiitz

1941

3

:l Tenente, Italian tank regim.ent , '941-43

2

HCHAEL ROFFE

G

ot roffizi"r Luftwaffe Flak-artill ri

'94 1-4-2 2

Haupl.rnann, Luftwaffe Flak-artiJJerie, 194-2-43

3

Of roffizi"r, Luftwaffe Ramcke Parachute Bri ade, '94-2-43

3

H

MICHAEL A FFf

Italian collar patche and 'BaIne ': lop Ie/I, tank troop - red Hames on blue patch; top right, motorind artillery - black 8ame outlined yellow on blue patch' centTe kfl, divisional artillery - black Bame outlined yellow on green-aver-yellow patch; centre righI, example of motori ed infantry - balf brigade patch on blue hacking patcb; boltom left, Bersaglieri - crimson Hames; bottom right, MVSN - gold fasci. on black 8ames. All stars white.

Pz-Di ision as th(' vital armourd striking-fore' of Romm J's arm. [t was ommitl d to 'vcr maj I' series of engagcm n fj'om th . ru ad I' ballJ s of o ember '94-1 I th la't 'urr nder in Tunisia n 13 Ma '943.

90 leichle lfrika-Divinon TV d in Ih de n as AJrikoDivision z.b . . ('z.b. . = for p ial duties) fr m ugu I 19 ,until v mb I' wh n it b'cam' 9 i ht Di i ion; it was fanned fT m various inel pend nt uni already in fri a plu rinG rc m 'nlS whi h arrived pi c m a1. It fought al T bruk in mber 194"in th azala and Bir akeim bat Is of spring I 2 (having r eiv d Ih d finiliv v rsion ofitstit.l in March) b fir th lam inlin inJuly, at lam I HaIfa and lam in, a a I' ar-guard in Tuni ia and finally urI' nder d on t May I 43 near Enfida ilJc. J

/64 leic/ue AJrika-Division f fm d in 0 164 hr-Infant rie-Divi'ion, fou ht il summer '94' served a garrison lTOOpS in lime, and arriv d in frica early in Jul '942. It rec ived i final tiLle short! afterwards first se in action in a raid on u tralian positions before Alamein. Jt was heavily en aged at AJam in r fitt d and motoris db Januar t 43 and fought at areth and adi karit b for surr nd ring on '3 a.

33-1 bifolllerie-Division fi rmed in autumn 1942 in erman ; t.h di i i n arriv d in Afri a fr rn lat De emb I' nward and was assign d I Pz. 5 in Tunisia. II fought c ntinuaJly until in' i~abl urrcnd r n 8 a and among the po ilion it clef! nd d

Officers' shouJd~boa.rds,in black cloth for wear on tropical uniform. {aJ In.fa.ntry colone1- red outer piping, gold inner braid, gold branch badge and raDk star . (b) Tank lieutenant - blue outer piping, DO inner braid, gold branch badge and stars. In ign.ia of various ranks are described in the colour plate com.rnentaries. Majors' and second lieutenants' Ring e tar were placed centrally below the branch badge j triple star oC captains and coloneb were arranged in a triangle, with OD.e centralJy inboard of a rOw oC two. Photos how branch badges ometirne witb a grey backing patch.

Paratroopers' 'collar' patch of 1942 - silver star and word blade, gold hilt and wing, on blue patch.

was 'Loll top Hill . It w' Briti h fore in th hill T bourba.

ntually surround d b b twe'n at ur and

Ifi ikfl-Divisioll w f th p('n lat in 1942 ( riginall urtmartiall d erman oldi r oAi I' d and I d at N a I vel b hand-picked p rsonne!. R d si~at d i i. i n in ar h I 43 it snt two regiment to Tunis in ar hI pril - Afrik, - hlitz n-R gim nt (mot) 9 I and 9 2. Ita h d to ri u omb t groups, th $e regim n fought with elisliD in' join d by om eli i i nal unit Jat rin pril, the er alIa h d I AK at tJ,e tim r th final urr nd r. 999 fe-icltle

DiviriOTl VOII Broich/VOrl Monletdlel \ a an ad Iwc formati [l form d from all unil in lh Biz rta bridg -h d n 18 v mb r '942, fi hting in n rth rn Tunisia und r Pz. K 5 and b ming Divi i n on anI uffel on 7 ebruar 194-3 wh D Oberst von Broich wa transfliT d to 10 Pz-Di . In luding Luftwaffi paratroop r Italian Bel' agli i and G rman rm Idi I' , it was IinaU for d to surrcnd I' on ay.

Div£ ion Hermann CiiTing w tll Ii Id divisi n. EJ m nt weI' bridg -h ad rr m ovem b I' I 42 onward aHa hed 1 command~ whi h m st ne dcci th m. By arly Mar h m t of the divi i n had arri d and this a sembI r unjts was I rmed Kampfgrupp chmid Vorkommand Divisi n H and fought witJl d I rmination on Lh south rn perimeterofth bridg -h ad. On 12 a all but a vcr fc surviv r. surrcndl'red,

25

apti n d

f

Ighting- a ain

'T'he 'Plot

tro( p w r

of th

in Tuni ia

AI

till in

n labl

r Lip' Lind r

I

t

in

It lian

In I

f.

unit

r.

I /

Dili, ion

r

in unit nt ivi i n - ona Brigad - truppo R giment - Lrgiol/ atlalion - .uur/(' , rnpany -

mlllnn

PIal n - \lallipolo li n - qundra

mior

Maj r .aplain apo \lonipo{()Lieul nant apo quadra rgcan t f la apo, quadra rp ral ,mll/ll01ll' -

Logolllmlt

amicin ' TO ulta-

tnlral - 1aj rOf/ olt 11'1/(1'01(Brigadier ,Uf/ olr 01 nd

('niar pnval amicU) ,/\'"a (Black hin') Pri at

on ript d fr m D mb nward fr m th Fa i t uth rgani ali n. ft r pa ing [r m til i vani fa i ti 1 lh m mb r hip orth Part prop r t

26

th a frw nry-on a y uth wh did n tJ 1I1 th army that ear mit d into th M. ... rn 1939 th If.. . L gion was mad up of tw battaJi n ; on f y ung Bla khircs ag d bet n twent - nand thirt -six th th r of T rritorial up t fifty-fi r age. a legions and an arLiller r giment form d a Bla kshirt ivi ion. II units tend d to b und I' strength but a era e pea clime tabJisbmenr was 650 rank and file and twen offi er p r battalion. ix divisions w r rai ed for th by inian campai n. and ther for the pani h Ci il ar but b th outbreak of the eond orld ar only three remained in bein : the 1st (23 arzo). the 2nd (28 Ottobr ) and the 4th (3 Gennaio). (Like lh azi Party and lik oup t thi da, th Fa ci t r volutionary commemorated in their unit litl days of gr at i nifican e in lh ir offi ial hi t r - or p rhap . m lh log would be the mar a ural t rm.) All lhr e w I' ba ed in Lib a in lal 19 . th 23 arz er d und I' 11 . ral' I tri hisk r Bel' onzoli XXIII orps in th ltalian 5th I'm . It wa th fir t unil inl idi Barrani n 16 pt mber 194 , but wa nnihilaled al the aplure of Bardia b the 6th u tralian Divi ion on 3-s]anuar J T. niIi rmiry of dr s as n t n tic able in an of th d S rt armi and th I tali n \ ere no x p60n. hi 19ure b dial' lyon a Del judie pIal displa s on major departure from th tandard rmy tropical dress wlli h wa the regulation for Black hin unit. Th tropical tuni ha been rep lac d by a ahariana a popular form ofbu h-jack t wh.ich was us d b all ranks of th Ttalian fore in frica with a urprising degree of fre dam' it wa par 'cularl fav ured b offi r' and b all rank of the a ci r rrulitia. It haratcristic are the iogle [aIlio ollar oft n worn pen at the ne k and th ap d .If, (on the h SL The M. . . . I ion in fri all war thatorgani ation' p ciaJ ollar; adg. : a d ubi hla k flame bearing a go.ld fa i in pIa th> I'm tar. Th fa i in bras, abo a battaJjon or I gion number within a ir I ,wa h l'egulati a ap badg ,and was s m tim ppli d to th ' 'ull-h 1m t. The CO war ch vron of COIlv otionaJ Italian rm de ign on ach upper arm but in red and silv r for junior and s nior ranks

D

Examples oftbe famou: ttopical6eld cap oItbe GerlDaD forces in Africa and the Mediterranean; the colour varied from olive-green through aU hades of bl'own to pale and yellow and 08'white. Many were deliberately blea.ched.. The turn-up was permaneudy ewo in place, being imply a doubled thickness of material; note the two ventilation holes On each ide of the cap. The lining was carlet. (A) i a Panzergrenadier officer's cap, tamped 1941, in tan brown with silver piping; the eagle i silver on brown, the cockade a rai ed. black- iJver-red pattern, and the outacbe gras green. (B) is an Other Ranks' cap without WaH'enfarbe soutache, olive drab in colour' the ea Ie i blue-grey on tan, and the Bat black-white-red cockade is woven On a tan diamond. (C) and (D) are two view of a pale andy drill Other RankjJ' cap with blue-grey on tan eagle and black-white-red cockade On a tan diamond. The outsche i pale green, indicating a Gebirgsjiiger. It is known that GebirgsjagerRegiment 756 fought in Tunisia in JanuaryFebruary J 943, and photo enst which bow thi type of cap being worn complete with the Edelweiss badge ofthi branch On the left ide of the band. (AU Biwandi Collection)

I' Sp tivel, in plac of the black and gold of the rm hi orporal ha two thin r d h vron and ne thi k· r an war one thi k 0 er all thin. iJv r, and enior prj ates on thi k er one thin I' d. Ab til ch r n on th I ft arm appal's th pinn d- n m tal divisional badg in bla k and gal I. The e w r not gen rally w rn in th rant line. he ba i d i n i impl an adaptation or th rm quival nt; th e rormation badg app ar d in ariou v rion in m tal and c1 th alik and·th r s ms to hay b 11 no . firm regulation as t th ir us . Drawing of th b dg a compan the text. Th da ger w rn n the left fron t f th bell was a feature of M. . . and Young Fa ci t unit· it e m t have be 0 r tain d even wh n full ombal ham s was w rn. immediat I b twe n th bayon t abbard and th ammunition pou h . h _ Marzo omprised the I02nd and 23Srd

27

,

Side and Croot views oftropical idec:ap of Anny pattern - oote scooped froot to turn-up. Pale slUldy drilJ, regulation badges, pink Panzer Waffeofarbe outache. (Biwandi CoUection)

Front and ide view of Luftwaft'e tropical ide cap dift'ering from Anny model in having a mooth, UDSCOOped edge to the turn-up. Note Luftwatre eagle in white or very faded bluegrey OD tan triangle, and raised black-while-red cock.ade. The e caps were Dot lined scarlet, unlike Army pattern. {Auth.or's and Biwandi CoUecno }

ions and 1h 20 I st rtill ry' the 28 Quobre th 231 t and 2 2nd L ion and L11 '2 2nd rtill ry' and !.he 4 nnai!.h 270th and 4 111 gion and the 204111 till ry. A3 Bersaglicre falor-cyclist, [94 [ h fam u light troop weI' a parat bran h f Lh infantT and w r attach d nly r arm ured mOlori d and I r . di isioo . in the later ta of th amp ign aut nom u b ttalion r also draft d t i a. Th fir t r 1m n w r th 8Lh and th B agli ri with th ri Land Tri t Oi i ion r pecti ely, Each in luded a bat alion of motorI r onnai an e tro p and thi 19ur i t k n from a I Giudi plate aid nem d. n of the photo raph in thi bo k in Iud a r ar \ 'ew fon f he tr op r. hun-helm t icon nLiolJal but th B rsa!j traditional plum of r dark r n 0 k Gath r ha b en add d t th ri ht id . thi plum wa worn on all h adgear ilJ luding tbe t I h 1m 1. Th branch badg i w rn on th fr ot of th sun-h Ime in bra . un go gl s ha e b n push d to th sid in th u uat fa hion. The drab khaki tuni is of imiJar ut t Lh u uaJ and-coloured tropicaJ ISSU , apart from he

28

pint d fal e uR!' it i orn 0 er an op non k d hin. h ollar flam of th whole B )" agli ri branch in burgund r d with a ilv r tar ar ewn in the u ual plac h very pal lin n tr us rs, 10 in llt and pal a -gr D a to balm t off-\'(hite ar tu k d into high black I a h r .gait rs with two- uckJe fast ning n th ut id I w rn with can otional la ed ankle b ts. he chara t ristic Itauan belt and harne unu ual in that iL has a be - trap loop d around lh n k rath r th n th - trap adopt db, rno oth r armi i in mid-gre leather and uppal' two ammunirion pouche on th front ntrc of the b It. he aluminium canteen i lung from the left h uld r. bayon l abbard i worn; th w ap n is th fi Idin -ba on l arbine v ion of the .9(/ 8 6"SffiJT1. riii. rvi e dre s h ad gear fth Ber agLi ri wa red fi zwiLh a hang.in blue ta 1- e 3 for hap .

B t Private Division

63"d Ci7't!1le Infantry

usual Slar at lhe fool. The grey lealher belt and Ihick ovt'r one thin - arc worn on both arms. harness support two ammunilion pouches and the Corporal.majors wore one thick black chevron bayonet for the Mannlicher·Carcano M.91/38 above IWO thin: sergea.nts, one thick above one riAe, a 6·smm. weapon which had a stormy binh thin gold; scrgcant.majors, one tllick above two in the late 1930$. Until that timc the standard thin gold. The diyisional badge, in yellow em· weapon of the infantry was the long 1891 broidery on red cloth, is worn on the left arm. Mannlichcr·Carcano of similar calibre. This This does not seem to have been a very widespread obsolete weapon was to be replaced by a shorter practice, certainly not in the fighting areas. de\'elopment of Ihe basic - and sound - design, Originally infantry unjts wore blue shields, and rc-chambered to 7'350101. for new and more red was reserved for armoured and motorised efficient ammunition. When the rc·equipment divisions; bUI the classification was widened 10 programme was already under way it was dis- include nine divisions which were theoretically covered that somcone had blundered: industrial 'autotransponable', and the picture thus becomes capacity was quitc unequal to producing enough extremely complicated. Sine is known to have of the new ammunition in time, and the new riAe worn a red shield, and Brescia, for instance, a was completed to the old 6'50101. calibre! It thus blue one. represented little advance over the elderly M.91. The collar patches demand some explanation. J t was loaded with a six·round clip, the entire In 1815 the infantry regimentsoftheold Sardinjan charger being inserted into the fixed magazine; Army were brigaded in twos under the same title, when all six rounds had been fired the clip fell and the two-regiment named brigade remained OUI through the large hole in the oottom of the the basis of infimtfy organisation ever since. In magazine. 1t has been reliably reponed that this 1935 divisions were created by adding a field hole also provided a most convenient path for the artillery regiment to a brigade of infantry, Ur pass."l.ge of sand, gravel, and venturesome desert gether with service units. The infantry of each beasts into the working parlS oflhe rifle. division all wore lhe same collar patch, which The aluminium canteen is standard lIalian identified Ihe brigade. From about 1940 onwards issue; the canvas gas-mask bag is here used as a Ihe artillery and service unit.s of a division sewed convenient musette or havcrs.:'l.ck - a widespread their own collar insignia - in the form of'f1amcs', practice. distinguishing the branch but not the unit - on to the division's infantry brigade POlICh, halfofwhich 82 Caporalt, Ancona Brigade, 61St Sirtr Infantry remained visible at the top or rear of the com· Diuision, /941 bined insignia; thus any divisional troops can be Photographs show that in cold wcalher (not un- exactly identified by their collar insignia. A repknown in Nonh Africa) the standard I lalian Army resentative listing of coll~n pOlIch colours worn by service uniform of grey-green was widely worn by divisions which fought in Nonh Africa will be all ranks. This figure, partly based on a Del found elsewhere II1lhis bookj that arSirte was the Giudice plale, but with certain additions, iIlus- black with three yellow stripes of its Ancona Inlrates a typical infanlryman in regulation dress. fan try Brigade, made up of the 691h and 70th The flapped sidecap is worn square on the head, Regiments. The 43rd Artillery eompleled the and bears the branch badge in black Ihread or division. The star was always worn at lhe bottom wire embroidery on the upper frOnl- here, that of or front of the patch. These patches were worn by the infantry. These service quality badges were in all ranks of the infantry brigade, officers included. silhouette only, Jacking the detail of me full-dress Sirte was wiped out on '21 January 1941 at gold version. The tunic is worn over a shirt and Tobruk; the division 'went into the bag' after the tie; it has an integral cloth belt fastened with successful assault by 6th Australian Division supbuttons rather than a buckle. The wearing of the ported by elements of 7th Armoured Division. • bayonet in the manner shown seems to have been normal with service dress. The shoulder straps are B3 Tmrntr Colonello, Motoristd Artillu.1. /941 plain. The black chevrons ofcorporal's rank - one The mOlorised artillery regiments were pan of the

29

establishment of the Italian armoured divisions; they provided the suPPOrt of fast towed and, eventually, armoured self-propelled guns (Sl77I0vet/ti) for the hard·pressed Italian tanks. These latter were first used to any effect in Rommel's push at the El Agheila 'ine in January 1942; they were to become one of the most uscfultools in his arsenal, far superior in cffectiveness to the obsolesccnt 'baltic tanks'. The Ariete Oivision l the crack armoured fonnatjon, numbered lhe 132nd Motorised Artillery Regimellt among its units, and the 133rd served with the Littorio Division. This impeccable senior officer is dressed in the Italian Army's standard tropical service uniform for commissioned ranks, which differs in small details of tunic cut frOIll that of the olher ranks, and of course in quality. The shape of the collar is noticeably diflcrcnl. The uniform is worn with riding breeches, brown top boots l and a Sam Browne belt supporting thc small holster for the Beretta MI934 automatic. The sand-coloured tropical wcight sidecap bears the motorised artillery branch badge on thc front flap, in gold embroidery on black; this flap can be turned down to make a peak. Bctwecn the flap and the button·over earpiece is an 'open box' ofgold braid containing two gold stars - this is a rank insi nia. Thesequence wasas follows: 2nd licutenanl, single star; lieutenant, two stars; 1St lieutenant, two stan; over a bar; captain, three stars; 1st captain, three stars over a bar; major, onc star in a box; lieutenant·colonel, t\\lO stars in a box; colonel, threcstars in a box. The ranksof 1st lieutenant and 1st captain were granled automatically if an officer reached twenty years' service from his commission \\Ihile still a lieutcnant or captain, or twelve years' service in one of those ranks. The collar insignia of the motorised artillery branch, a single black 'flame' piped all round in yellow with a silver star, is sewn on to a backing of the blue branch colour of the armoured divisions, which shows at the top or rcar of the whole insignia. The shoulder boards, dctails of which arc illustrated elsewhere in this book, were black when worn with the tropical uniform. These we'·e the only indications of rank 011 the tunic - the sleeve badges of the European service dress were (usually) omitted. They arc piped a1l round the edge in branch colour - here, thc yellow of the

30

artillery - and in this case have the inner edging of gold braid worn by majors and upwards. The branch badge appears in the celllre in gold, and the two stars of this rank at the bUll end. Medal ribbons include the blue with a silver star of the Silver Medal of Military Valour, the five black slripes on blue of the Ethiopian campaign medal, the red and white of the France 1940 campaign medal, and the black.white.red.white.green vertical stripes of the Axis Africa medal. CI Tmentt, Sicilia Brigade, I02nd Trmto MotoriStiI hr!anlry Divisio1l, 1942

This junior officer. in commst to the preceding figure, wears a lypical officer's combat uniform. The breeches and tOp boots seem lO ha ve becn discarded in place of trousers and puttees like those of the men in most cases. The sand-paimed steel helmet bears on lhe front a black slencilled silhouetle of the branch badge - a practice observed among officers and rankers alike - and the only other insignia worn arc the collar patches and shoulder boards. Note the pointed fabe cuffs oflhe tunic. The tie has been replaced by a sweat·rag. The Sam Browne belt is worn, with a canvas three·section pouch for the shon twenty·rollnd magazines of the Beretta gmm. M 1938A submachine gun - considered by many to be one of the finest weapons in its class in the world, and the best of all Italian Army small arms. Magazines of 10, 20, 30 and 40 rounds c.tpacity were manuraclurcd. As Trento and Trieste were motorised formations, the shoulder boards arc edged in the blue piping of the armoured and motorised corps. This junior officer docs not have the strip of gold braid around lhe inner edge of the black board, in contrasl to the preceding figure. He wears the gold badge of the motorised infantry in the middle of the board, with the two gold stars of his rank at the outer end. Captains wore tJ,ree stars, two in a row and the third above the gap belween them. immediately below the branch badge. The Sicilia Brigade collar patch was scarlet wilh two light green stripes; it is worn here sewn on to a blue backing, and CUt down in size, to indicate the motorised function, with the usual silvcr star. The Trieste infantry component was the Valteltina Brigade, whose black patch with three white

lDtf!restiBl Luftwaffe IIroup in the desert. Left ...d «Dt~ 5!u,"" wear Itali.aD riaoa j.eke..., popular witlo Germ.aJll persoD..Oel; left we E.. ~ i ....., blu~rey Other RaaktI' ,id., cap, aDd ,ee,al..... bas Hm., kitld of priV1lt.,ly .cqui.....l ...... b.,l.m.,t wilb • p"uar-. H., al... wean . . Oth.,r RaUl' b.....11 "Sl., lliU Oa it. friaDplu' facto..,. bado:in!. (imperial War M.....um)

stripes was displayed in the same way. The Sicilia comprised the 6'st and 62nd, the Valtellina the 65th and 66th Infantry Rcgiments. Both motorised divisions fought throughout '941-42 and at £1 Alamein.

C2 Sergt11ft Maggiort, Fo/gore Pararhute Division, /94 2 Major-General Frattini's Folgore (Lightning) Parachutc Division comprised the /85th, ,86th and 187th Parachute Infantry Regimcnts. It was formed in the wintcr of 1941-42, and served in North Africa - purely as infantry, rather than in its nominal role - from the spring of ,g42 until November of that year. It was virtually annihilated at EI Alamein. This figure is taken from a Del Giudice plate, with the addition of the camouAaged helmet and smock and the automatic rifle.

Thesand-coloured bush·jacket echoes lhcshape of the European uniform of Ihe paratroopers of this and the Nembo Division; the caped chest recalls the sah",iaua, and the shirt collar is worn outside the collarless neck of the jacket. The beret was peculiar to this branch of the army; note the small loop of tape at the top centre. The loose trousers arc gathcred at thc ankle over ankleboots. The paratroopers' branch badge - a silver Roman sword beneath a gold crown between gold wings - is WOI'll ccnlrally; lhe practice of wearing a set of chevrons on the beret is thought to have been peculiar to scnior NCOs of the airborne corps. The blue collar patches, illustrated in detail elsewhere in lhis book, bear a silver star at the bottom, beneath a silver sword with a gold hilt on a gold wing. A gold parachutc-wings badge is worn on the left breast, the wings supporting a parachute in white and blue beneath a gold crown picked out with rcd. The rank chevrons. two thin gold chevrons beneath one thick, are worn on both arms. The Del Giudice platc docs nOt show the arm badge of the branch, sometimes but not in-

31

variably worn on the len upper armj it consistcd ofa gold deployed parachutc, its shrouds uniting in an open gold ring at the bouom, sometimes on a blue background overall. The parachute helmet, with its more extensive leather harness, echoed the shape of the infantry helmet very closely. Itwas oncn worn wi th a cloth camouflage covcr in a serpentine pauern of chestnut and forest green, and a smock in the same pattern was also issued. This thigh-length garment, with a single falling collar and a fly front, bore a cloth star in white on both sides of me collar. The fighting knifc seems to have been a characteristic of the airborne branch. The weapon illustrated is the semi-automatic Berelta M 1935 rille, a 6'50101. calibre weapon of sound design which was issued only in small numbers to specialist troops. (Its illustration in the hands ofa paratrooper is pure speculation on the author's pan, but seems feasible.)

Df Gtntrale di Brigata, f94f-43 This Italian general wears a typical front-line service uniform; considering the laxity of uniform regulations, however, it should not be taken as in' any way definitive. The tropical sidecap/ficldcap is worn with the front nap down. On the front' of thc crown is the cap badge of the general officer corps - an ornate silver eagle on a red backing. with a silver cross on a central red lozenge on the eagle's chest. The rank is indicated b)' the single gold star of Brigadier on a red backing, sewn to a strip of patlerned silver braid with red backing. The sahariana bears silver national star insignia on the collar, and rank insignia on attached shoulder-straps. These comprise the generals' silver-on-red cagle and the single star of rank. Mcdal ribbons include First and Second World War campaign and gallantry decorations, together with Fascist and Spanish awards.

D2 Gnural der Panz~rtruppe Erwin Rommel, f942 C3 Private, G;ovall; Fascist; Diuision, '942-43 Rommel, promoted full general on I July 194' A small division oftwo or three infantry battalions, and holding the rank until his promotion to this unit was held in army reserve at EI Alamein. Generalobersl on I February 1942, wore a It had been intended to build an armoured variety of uniforms in the field, but all were division around them, but this nevcr took place. characterised by an unfussy and practical appearThey werc still present, under the same title, in ance. This figure is taken from a colour photothe fighting for Tunisia the following year, but by graph of the 'desert fox' dating from early 1942. that time tile two remaining battalions were The tunic and breeches are of the usual lightfleshed out with Bcrsaglicri and anillcry units to weight material worn by Cerman officers in the produce an ad hoc formation owing only the most tropics; colours varied from a distinctly green nominal allegiance to the Pany yOUlh organisa- shade of olive, through every shade of brown, to tion from which it took its namc. Thc 'Young almost off-white sand-yellow. Most photographs Fascists' were boys of between scventeen and of Rommel in the summcr and autumn of 1942 lwenty-one years of agc, who in this instance were show him in a uniform of similar cut to this onc, drafted straight into the fighting forces through but much paler - a very washed-out sand-yellow drill. It also appears to have genuine turned-back lack of alternative manpower. The service dress headgear was a small fez worn cuffs, white this tunic has false cuffs. The straight all thc back of the head, in black with a black pocket flaps are llnusual - three-pointed flaps tassel. The sahariana was favoured by these units were more common in the Deutsches Afrika and was very widely worn. This young soldier Korps. The tunic is worn over a soft-collarcd wears the collar insignia of the Rome GGFF shirt; the cavalry-cut breeches arc confined by the battalion - a double scarlet 'flame' outlined in normal black topboots ofa Cerman officer. yellow; the organisation was territorial in basis. When photographcd in this, and in the paler Thc equipment is conventional, and the weapon is uniform worn in later months, Rommel seems the M.gI/38 rifle. The figure is a composite of two always to wear a minimum of insignia. He was plates from Del Giudice and Mollo. Note the entitled to wear the Knight's Cross with Oaklcaves Party dagger worn on the belt between pouches and Swords and his First World War POllr l~ Miriu and bayonet frog. at the throat, and these seem 10 have been in

32

evidence on most occasions; but his Iron Cross 1St Class, his Panzer Assauh Badge and his Wound Badge seem to have been packed away except for vcr)' formal occasions, as were the substantial row of medal ribbons above the left breast pocket. He usually wore only his cpauletlcs and collar patches of rank. and the national cagle breast insignia. The eagle is in gold bullion embroidery on a black backing, the regulation colours for a Panzer general. (Generals of other branches often wore their silver bullion on dark green breast eagles on the tropical uniform.) The collar patches arc in gold on bright red, and are the normal insignia of this rank. The epaulellcs are on a red underlay; for a general lhey .....ere made of interlaced triple lace, a silver double thickness between two gold, with two silver 'pips' equally spaced on the long dimension. The service cap is the normal field grey model of the European uniform - no special &hirmmiit

D3 Major, Panztr DjrJision Siaff, '94'-42 Thi staff officer, perhaps the Divisional Ib or lIa of 15th or ~Ist Panzer Division, wears the standard tropical uniform, and tile tropical sidecap with officer's distinctions. The cap is not very frequently seen in pholographs and seems to have been almost entirely confined to Panzer personnel, who might find the peaked field c.'\p awkward in the confines of the vehicles. It was of thill olive drab material, lined scarlet, with a single metal ventilation hole immediatcly abovc the point of the 'turn-up'. The upper section is slightly dinerent in shapc to the usual European version, being flatter and shallower. For all ranks it bore the eagle and swastika and the national cockade insignia. Officers might or might not wear the prescribed silver-an-tan version of the former and the raised black/silver/red officers' quality l.ockade; other ranks' insignia were sometimes worn, in blue-grey on tan, and in flat black/ while/red weaving on a tan diamond patch reo spectively. The silver piping around the crown and in lhe fronl cutaway of the tum-up were the

33

distinctiOns of commissioned rank. The uniform was similar in cut for officers and men, and although the colour varied from olive drab, through brown, to pale sand, there is no particular significance in this; different manuf.1cturers' batches werc ofslightly differing shades, and weathering took care of the rest. It is worn here over a shirt and tic of similar colour. Some of the man)' variations of upper and lowcr garments and footwear are illustrated in these plates; herc,the major wears Iighlweight breeches and the high-laced canvas and leather desert boots. Breeches were not confmed to officers in North Africa, bcing frequcntly seen in thc ranks in combination with the high boot. The webbing belt is worn here with the prescribed officers' buckle; many officers rctained the standard brown leather service dress belt with double-claw buckle. The map-<:ase was not issued in a special tropical version, but the black leather was often painted over with a tan shade. The epaulcttcs of major's rank. in a doublethickness twisted pattern ofdullsilvercord \\;thoul 'pips', arc worn on the underlay panel of branch colour WoJfttlfarbt: here, the pink of armoured troops. The gold Cothic 'D' identifies a divisional staffofficer. All commissioned nlnks below general rank wore the same collar-patch desi~n with the sole distinction of nnrrow lines of lace in the appropriatc \\'afrenfarbe down the centre of each of the two silver bars, which were mounted on a dark green backing. Panzer personnel of all ranks wore pinned to the lower lapel of thc tropical jacket the small silver skull badges from their Europcan uniform collar-patches. Many officers did nOI bothcr to rcplace the othcl" ranks' cagle brcast badgc with the silVl'r badgcs from theil" European uniform, and continucd to wear - as hcrc- the bluc-grey cagle on its tan backing. This officer wears the I ron Cross 2nd Class ribbon in his buttonhole, the Iron Cross 1st Class pinned to his left breast pocket, and a Panzer Assault badge below it, indicating that he had seen combat in tank actions on i.H least three separate occasions. Above his pocket arc the ribbons of a Long Service medaJ and the Italian·Cerman Africa campaign medal, issued by the I lalians early in 194-2.

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£1 Obergifreiler, Aujkliirullgs.Ahleilung (,'o'/ot.) 3,

'94' The standard tropical uniform of rank and file of the OAK, as it would have been worn immediately on arrival in Africa and before Ihe practicalities ofdesert warfare forced its modification by individuals. This corporal is dressed and equipped as he would have been for one of the parades and inspections in Tripoli in midFebruary '941, and his insignia agree with those of one of the first units of 5 leithte Dicision to arrive - the motorised reconnaissance battalion. The sun-helmet wa an issue item. but did not enjo) much popularity, although it is still seen in photographs of the late stages of the desert war. J t bore two mctal pin-on badges on the side ill the form of shields of similar design to the decals applied to the steel helmel - a silver eagle and swastika on black on the left, and a national tricolour shield on the right. The jacket, exactly as in D3 as regards cut, bc..1rs the usual grey-ontan breast eagle. The collar ban. worn by all non-commissionecl ranks. arc of dull grey with dull khaki-oc:hre details; Ihey were sewn direct to the material ofthc collar without a backing patch. The shoulder straps of ldnks below UnteroJli-!.iu were plain apart from the edges, piped in the branch's Walrenfarbe: for motoriscd reconnaissance units, copper brown. The black Wound IL"ldgc worn on Ihe pocket signifies that the wearer has bcen wounded in action oncc. The double chevrons of Obergifreilers rank, in dull khaki-ochre on olive. arc sewn to the left upper arm only. The webbing belt, with olive-paillled metal buckle af thc standard Cerman Army design, is fittcd with the minimum of equipment far pnradc purposes. Two SCIS af three black leathcr pouches arc fittcd one on cach side of the bucklc; thcse European issue items were sometimes pnintcd over "'ith a tan shade at a later stage. The Mauser 84/g8 bayonet, with wooden grips and a blued melal sheath. is attached to lhe belt on the left hip by a webbing frog with a retaining strap. Breeches and high laced boots arc \\'orn. The rifle is the standard IVLhrma(hJ weapon, the MausergBK of7·92mm. calibre. £2 Signals methanic, Transport Workshop, 1942 The famous tropical field cap, which appeared in

Four views of a panzergrenadier Obergefreiter' tropical tunic in faded olive-greenfkhaki drillmatcriaJ. Gras green piping on houlder traps' dull ochre on olive drab rank chevrons; olive-painted buttons; grey.blue on tan brea t eagle; General Assault badge on left brean. The belt and webbing Y."trap are of dull khaki with steel and brown leather fittiD s and the backle i painted green. The faint PG on the back bows that the wearer was once a prisoner in the hands of Fr ch troop : PrisonDi de Guerre. (Biwandi CoUection)

a' . m

Officer's pattern tropical belt - dull brown metal buckle On khaki webbing. Many om er retained their normal brown leather ervice belt with a double-claw frame buckle. (Biwandi Collection)

Th ja k

l

i w rn h r

rs Ld

lhan

m an.

This figur r pre ot lh able and Gruffy appearan

er

35

widely worn in Africa -as, indeed, were European rank chevrons, etc. Below the trade badge is sewn the famous cuff· title authorised on 28 July '941 for all German Army personnel, of whatever rank or branch, who had served in the theatre of operations for at least tWO months. The single word AFRIKAKORPSin silver block capitaJs was embroidered On a dark green band with 301m. silver edges, with light brown ouler edges.

/:..3

Fddwtbtl, Ftldgmdamltrie, /942 The Feldgendarmeric or military police performed the usual disciplinary and traffic duties in Africa as in other theatres; each division had a troop, and further detachments served under Army Headquarters. The NCO illustrated is dressed for a lQwn patrol in the rear areas. He wears the sun·hc1met with conventional insignia, with shorts and shirtsleeve order. The tropical issue shirt was of light sand·coloured drill, strongly made and finished. It was of pullover type, with four bUllons on the front and twO pleated patch pocket's, and buttons and loops on the shoulder for attachment of straps. The straps shown here are of the usual olive tropical type, piped in the orange of the branch, and with an inner border of gmm.-wide Tresse, or lace, in a dull khaki.ochre. This replaced the silver lace worn by NCOs on European uniform. The rank is identified by the exact design; here, the Trcsse lines all three edges of the strap, and a single white metal pip is worn centrally. The Feldgendarmerie gorget was always worn when on duty; of dull white metal, suspended by a chain with flat masked links, it bears an cagle and swastika in yellowish luminous paint. Below this is a scroll with the word 'Feldgendarmerie' picked out in lhe same colour, on a grey background. The bosses at each upper corner were also painted. Note that it \~as forbidden to apply the breast cagle to the tropical shirt, and that the usual orange military police eagle and swastika arm badge is also omitted. Fr Unttrq/fiv'tf, PaTl~trgrmaditft, 1942 The OAK's tanks and artillery were supported by Motorised Infantry regiments until mid-1942, which saw the arFival of lhe 164 leichte Afrika-

36

Division and its three regiments of Panze.rgrenadiere - Nos. 125, 382 and 433. While these were still motorised units, without many half track armoured personnel carriers for infantry usc, the troops were distinguished by the grassgreen Waffenfarhe of the armoured infantry branch - seen herc around the shoulder strap. The strap also bears the dull ochre Tresse around the long edges and the rounded end (inside the Waffenrarbc piping) which identifies the rank of Unteroffizier, or sergeant. (There are no exact British equivalents of the rather large number of German NCO ranks.) All ranks from Unteroffizier lip wore the Trcsse around lhe upper part of the collar, as illustrated, but the design of the collar patches themselves did nOt alter. This squad leader wears the I nfantry Assault Badge in silver on the left breast, the ribbon of the Iron Cross 2nd Class in his buuonhole, and the usual breast cagle. Belt and double shoulder braces are of olivekhaki webbing. On the belt are worn the triple magazine pouches for the excellent MP. 38/40 series gmm. sllb·machi!1e gun, long adopted as the Wehnnacht's standard light automatic for junior leaders. (The universal but erroneous usc of the popular name 'Schmeisser' for this weapon docs a serious injustice LO the actual designers, the Erma factory.) The outside left pouch has a small pocket at the bOllom for the magazine loading tool. Sets of these pouches in both black leather and webbing were used in Africa. Most of the assault pack equipment is obscured in this view, but is illustrated in the next pain(ing. The standard Wehrmacht steel helmet was camouflaged for desert usc by the individual soldier, using the sand·yellow paint issued for vehicles. Sometimes the finish was matted by mixing in sand with the paint; sometimes the paint covered the decals, sometimes not; and sometimes it was applied in an incomplete 'splotch' pattern over the original field grey surface. Here the right hand decal, the nationaltricolour shield in black, white and red, is exposed. Sun·and·sand goggles, of some half a dozen different designs, were widely used by troops of aU ranks and all branches in North Africa.

"'u~rKtiDlIJrOup

olCe........ pri_e... clisplay QI.lUlIy dec::aih

of aaiform IUId kil; Dote pop.... rily of ...lUte ~ IUId F2 Gifrtiltr, InfOllltrit, '943 An infantry lance-corporal in the standard assault pUe field eaptJ. (Imperial War MII_m) equipment of the Cerman soldier in Africa. His canvas assault frame clips to the O-rings on the helmel is covered in hessian from a sand-bag. He Y·straps behind the shoulder, and is held at the wears Ihe usual jacket, and field trousers bloused bottom corners by clips at the ends of the pack al Ihe ankle over brown leather bools. The belt straps which pass over the shoulder and round supports an enlrenching tool hanging reversed in and back under the arms. Behind the top of the a webbing case on the left hip, with the webbing· frame was strapped the mess-tin, with belo"' it the frogged bayonet scabbard tucked into its straps. camouflaged shelter quarter, and (obscured here) Behind the right hip is the 'bread-bag', containing a canvas bag holding rope and pegs for making a rations, washing kit, eating utensils, field cap. tent out ofsheltcr quarters; a sweater; and iron and small personal kit. Above it is the canteen, rations. here the European model with an oval cup and a Thc ~errycan', thaI excellent and versatile brown fell cover; this shade has 110 significance to container SO eagerly captured and liner copied by Ihe theatre of opcratiomi, as manufacturers sup· the British and Americans, was marked with a plied them with brown, grey, or greenish covers white cross when it contained water. NOle the indiscriminately. Another Iype which saw service silver-on-brown 'AFRIKA wilh palms' curf title had a smaller, round cup of black plastic. and yet on the left forearm, which rcplac<:d - officially a third had a brown, smooth finish owing to a the earlier style worn on the right arm. II was coal of plastic.impregnated wood over the alu· issued to personnel who had served for six months minium. The capacity was a quart. The last· in the theatre; who were wounded in combat in mentioned type had a cruciform web cradle, as the theatre; or who had been evacuated because opposed to the single vertical strap shown here. of disease afler serving at least three months. The gasmask canister is of metal, painted tan, Winners of major gallantry awards received il and slung round the body on a web strap. The irrespective of service duration. Like the carHer

37

pattern, it was also worn on the greatcoat sleeve. It was instituted by order of the Fuhrer on 15 January 1943.

hole, and the medal of the 1st Class pinned to his Icft breast pocket. Beneath the latter are the black Wound Badgc, and the General Assault Badge, to which the artillery were cntitled; it rcatures an eagle and swastika abovc a crossed grenade and F3 Sclu'il<.t, bfanlerie, 194'-43 This infantry private is the squad machine· bayonet. The AFRI KAKORPS cuff Litle is worn gunner, and carries the superb MC.34, the quick· on the right arm. The uniform is entirely conventional. The pale firing 7·92mm. light machine gun which was standard issue to the '<\'ehrmacht until the ap· field cap has officers' silver piping at the crown pearanee in 194-3 of the cheaper and equally and in the rront scoop of the turn-up seam. The efficient MC42. The MC.34 had a cyclic rate of silver-on-tan officers' cagle badge is worn on the between 800 and 900 rounds per minute; it front of the crown, and a red artillery Waffen· measured 48 inches long, weighed just over 251b, farbe soutache encloses the national cockade. Some and was fed either by a 250-round belt or a 50- officers worc this in the rank and rile version, in round drum. A sling \o,'as clipped to the bollom of flat weaving on a brown diamond; others wore the pistol-grip and to an attachment halfway up thc black-silver.rcd raised version or their rank. the barrel, but it is usually seen carried in this without a backing patch. The breast cagle is the manner. A metal case for twO spare barrels is regulation European model for offieers, silver on slung on the gunner's back, and he also carries an dark green. The standard officers' collar patch ammunition box. Machine-gunners were not has "cd distinctions. and the epaulcttes have a rcd issued with riAes, for obvious reasons, and so did underlay. They arc the junior officers' model. of 1I0t wear ammunition pouches. Instead they car- ribbed silver braid, with the single gold 'pip' of an ried a leather case of MG.34 stripping and clean- Ober!eutnanl; Leutnal1le wore no pips, and ing tools, and an anti-aircraft sight, 011 the right Hauptmanne worc two. The long field trousers frOllt of the belt; and a P.oS or P.38 pist.ol in a are bloused at 'the ankle over desert sneakers. A holster on the left side, for personal defence. leather shouldcr strap and cradle suppOrt the Here, the holsler is obscured as the gunner has canteen (for officers and other personnel who did looped the Slrap of his sand-paintcd stecl helmct not normally wear the standard assault equipover it. Note the silvcr-eagle-on·a-black·shield ment) and a map case is slung on the brown decal, the normal decoration of the left sidc of this leather field service belt with a double·daw buckle. helmet. The field cap bears the usual badges, and an invened Vee of white Waffenfarbc piping, indi- G2 Pa"t.erschiilt.f, '94'-43 cating infantry. The same piping edges the shoul- The true appearance or the Afrika Korps old der straps of the tropical issuc khaki-drab great- sweat, up the desert! The tank crewman illucoat, cut exactly as the field grey European strated hcre during a halt is wearing the black Panzcr rankers' sidecap, which was quite often model. retained in North Africa. It has the regulation pale grey·on·black eagle and swastika badge GI Oher/eufnollf, Arfi/lerie, '941-43 This officer is a Ritlerkreuztrager; the Knight's abovc a national cockade cnclosed in a Vee of Cross was a highly honoured decoration for pink f1/tljJe1ifarbe. The shirt is worn with rolled gallantry and would be worn at all times. It was sleeves - note the dog-tag, and the desert goggle1i worn on a ribbon (cemral red stripe with outer allowed to hang at the throat. The shorts afC white stripes and black edges) under the shirt rolled high. Regulations insisted Ihat to protecl collar, and the shirt was thus buttoned 10 the neck the legs from the ever-present desen sores, flies, to allow the medal to be displayed. It was only ctc., only the high-lacing desen boots should be awarded to officers and men who already held worn when shorts were used; photos prove that both classes of the Iron Cross; thus this officer this sensible order was more often honoured in the wears the ribbon of the 2nd Class in his button- breach than the execution. The ankle-length

38

desert sncakers, in esscncc simply cut..cJown vcr· siam of the descrt boot. were vcry widely worn by all personnel. Thissoldier is carrying mess· tins, thcir handles looped togcther, and reading the latest issue of the Afrika Korps newspaper, Dit Oim. The only insignia worn arc the pink-piped olive drab shoulder straps. and even these were very often omitted. All clothing is faded and worn, and shorts and shirt were often bleached deliber· atel)' in the same way as the cap.

Gj Tenentt, Itolion tonk rtgimrnts, 1941-43 The padded leather protective helmet with at· tached neck-flap and the threc·quarter.length Itatia.ot. pri.... ~ puttias their dOC1l.lD.... u: La tIoar earn (or Wpeca_i UOfe seaenoJ 1 _ oul1iae o( u..uoruu, &Del leather coat were issued to all Italian armoured ICOUar ....d .Iee..., iasipia. (Imperia! War MIlft1UQ) crews. The rank was sometimes indicated on thl' ll·a.fft Airbornt ond Fitlti Units.) Later they received left breast, in the same style as on the side cap. a distinct tropical uniform of their own (sec next although junior officers seem sometimes to have illustration.) This sergeant, who is helping out as pinned the stars of their rank dircctl)' to the an ammunition-number in an emergency. wears leather. The collar insignia of the ~I-tank the usual arm) field cap with the insignia from regiments was as illustrated - a double scarlet European headgear a white cagle and swastika 'flame' with the usual silver star. sewn to a backing of the unique Luftwaffe shape on a dark blue p'ltch in blue -the branch colour of the armoured background, lIbove a raised national cockade. His and motorised troops. The epauletlcs would have breast cagle is also from a European uniform, as been piped in blue, when worn with the tropical are his shoulder straps - Luftwaffe blue. with lhe service dress; the)' were not applied to the leather silver Tresse of his rank. and the red piping of the coat. This figure is taken from Mollo. with some Flak·artillerie. His n:d collar patches bear a single additional insignia. stylised 'wing' ofwhitc metal, nnd arc framed by a short L·shapcd section ofsilver NCO Tresse, the II I Untmljji<.irr, LuftwajJt F{ok·l1rtillrrit, 1941 42 Rommel's deadly 88mm. dual-purpose guns, whole being sewn 10 the tropical uniform, which designed as anti·aircraft weapons but used with lacks the usual dull ochre tropical TressI:.'. (We devastating crfect as anti-tank and medium field havc tnken this combination of insignia from a guns. were largely manned by the Flak.anillerie. wartime photogrnph of a Flak NCO in the the Luftwaffe's anti-aircraft branch. l\lany units desert.) The Flak bndgc on thc left breast is the of this branch serv('d in thc desert wnr. from the cCjuivalent ill this branch of all Assault badge, and earlit."St intervention of the German forces up 10 signifies meritorious service at the fronl. It is in the final collapse in Tunisia. By the lime or El dull silvcr, and fcature!> an anti·aircraft gun bc.'\lamein the importance of this branch was neath a Luftwall'e caglc. the whole within, and recognised b)' nssembling two regiments the breaking the edge of, an oval wreath. The rest of J02nd and 135th into the 19th Flak Division. the uniform is conventional. The basket is the Further details will be found in this author's threc·round ammunition container used for previous tiLle in the Men·al •.'\rms series, Luftwaffi 88mm. ammunition; the sergeant carries a round Airhornt' and Fitfd Unils. ofarmour-piercing. Early in the campaign the Luftwaffe officers and men seem to have worn army tropical uni- 112 Hauptman", Luftwa.fft Flak·artillmt, 19P--43 forms with partial addition of Luftwaffe insignia; This figure illustrates the Luftwaffe tropical uni. photos exist showing this uniform worn with Flak form. identical in cut for officers and men, which shoulder straps and collar patches, and retaining \,'as issued in 1942. While officers had wom their the army breast cagle (sec illustration FI, Lufi· collar patches of rank and branch on the army

39

tunic, this practice was not followed with the new tunic, and epauleucs became the only means of identification. This officer wears the usual ribbed silver braid epauleltes of a German junior officer, with his branch's red Waffenfarbe underlay and the two gold pips of his rank. His breast eagle is an other ranks' white-on-blue model officers seem very frequently to have worn this insignia rather than the silver-on-blue style of commissioned rank. The Luftwaffe Ground Combat badge in whjte metal is pinned to his left breast pocket and the rron Cross 2nd Class ribbon is worn through the bUtlonhole. He wears the usual plain leather bell with double-claw buckle of a German officer's field service dress, with a holstered Walther P.38 as a personal weapon. The loose trousers of this uniform, bloused over ordinary soldiers' boots, have a large left thigh pocket. The Luftwaffe officer's whitc-topped summer and tropical peaked cap is worn, with conventional badges, the upper insignia being ofsilver on white backing. With the appcaranceofthis uniform also came a sand-coloured sidccap of similar shape to the Luftwaffe's European side cap, and a bluegrey or white eagle and swastika cap insignia on a tan triangular background patch, which was applied to the peaked field cap and the side cap, above the raised black-white-red cockade used on European headgear. Photographs accompany the texl.

Unterqjizier, Luftwaffi Ramcke Parae/lUte Brigade, 1942-43 (We have illustrated an NCO in order toshow the rank insignia worn on the smock, but in fact this rank would almost certainly have been armed with the MP-4o.) The famous FaUschirm-Brigade Rameke, led by Generalmajor Bernhard Ramcke, arrived in Africa to bolstcr Rommcl's forces before £1 Alamein in July and August 1942; it comprised three rifle battal,ions with small supporting elemellls, but had no vehicles. The brigade fouglll fiercely on the southern sector of the Axis line in the battle of 23 October-3 November, and made Ifj

40

an epic retreat to the Fuka line, capturing British transport, fuel and rations 011 lhe way. After a period in the rear, this unit was again committed to action in Tunisia, where its survivors were captured. The paratroopers were issued the standard Luftwaffe tropical uniform (see H2 above) over which they wore their distinctive, generously-cut jump-smock. All three patterns are known to have been used in Africa: that illustrated, with a splinter pattern; the later 'water pattern' with a softer mingling of colours; and the tan type prepared for the invasion of Malta. The only insignia worn were the stylised rank 'wings' on cloth patches sewn to the arm, by NCOs from Unteroffizierupwardsand by officers ;and the characteristic Luftwaffe breast eagle. Jump-boots, ordinary brown leather service boots, and desert sneakers were all used. The leather equipment - belt, y. straps, pO\lches, etc. - was observed in black and brown, and some olive webbing was also issued. The paratroopers' extra ammunition bandolier, slung round the neck, was used in camouflaged and plain tan patterns, and probably in blue-grey as well. Thc distinctive paratroopers' helmct was paintcd tan. This NCO has the standard Mauser rifle, and canvas grenade-bags - each holding three stick-grenades - slung round his body like water-wings; a web strap passed behind the neck joining the top centre of each bag, and twO others weill across the back under the arms, joining the centre of the inner edges of the bags. The odd-looking c10lh peaked cap, with bUI· lOned-on neck flap, was known as the Hermann Meyer, a joking reference to Goring. I t was used in Africa and other Mediterranean areas, from April '942 onwards, by some parachute units and by clements of tile Hermann Goring Division. The insignia was in white, flat-woven on a sand· coloured backing, and followed the usual LuflwaAe design. \o\lhile photos exist of this cap being worn, the light sand-coloured tropical sidecap was more common. The Meyer was sometimes fitted with cap-cords by officers.

Men-at-Arms Series

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FTH H

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EAR T TRAJ 13 1500

500-323 a.c. HELD

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