Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
John O’Brien sent me photographs captured from the Afrika Korps. (As they are not his, we do not have permission to reproduce them.) At first glance it looks like soldiers, but a closer look reveals Luftwaffe group personnel. The men are obviously part of the unit accompanying Army troops. Such units still existed in the 1970s. I remember small teams of Air Force Strategic Air Command men attached to the 2nd Armored division. Like the Germans in the pictures, they traveled in small vehicles such as Jeeps and light trucks. They were almost indistinguishable from Army troops.
The Luftwaffe men wore short-sleeved shirts with the triangular tropical Luftwaffe chest insignia. They had standard shorts of long, baggy pants with a prominent pockets on the left leg. Headgear included Afrika Korps toppees, field caps and helmets. Belts varied. Footwear were the short tropical legging-boots.
The Afrika Korps abandoned its “adventure man” suit shortly after deployment in North Africa. They adopted short pants or long, baggy trousers, short sleeved shirts and webbed field gear. Examples of the belts and suspenders range from light olive color to a dark mustard/ khaki tank. I have not discerned whether the mustard color was due to fading. However, most troops had a mix of both the green and tan.
The Luftwaffe pocket patch was a triangle of dark tan cloth with the diving Eagle embroidered on it. This differs from the regular Luftwaffe patch, which is cut irregularly to match the shape of the eagle and Swastika.
A close look at Afrika Korps gear and uniforms reveals that many did not start out in Earthy tones. As issued , many were a very light olive that were only a shade greener than khaki tan. The tan color came from fading. The desert sun may have accellerated fading, but not by much. Tropical gear worn in Italy also faded quickly to tan. I have seen one tannish- brownish tunic whose lining remained the light olive color. The original “adventure” suits were a light brownish olive. Obviously, some clothing and gear was issued in tan, but some was the light olive/khaki.
The short tropical gaiter-boot was very popular in North Africa. There are also examples of men wearing the short German lace-up boot, which is ankle high. One rarely sees jackboots in the desert. Likewise, it is obvious that the high gaiter boot from the “adventure” uniforms was also not very popular. In photos taken after 1941, they are only seen ccasionally.
Goggles have varied, also. I have noticed a few different types.
Uniformity was not one of the Afrika Korps’ hallmarks. One finds men in tan, light olive, khaki, field gray, and even uniforms sun-bleached until they are almost white. Everything varies. This is not just a unit-to-unit thing, but variety seen within a single battalion or even company.
Bag for pack frame, DAK DAK officer's belt As originally issued, some had a slight greenish tint which was
lost through fading.. Luftwaffe Tropical Pack "Sahariana" Tunic used by DAK Regular DAK tunic, faded Lining of DAK regular tunic
Of the many units and armies throughout history, the Afrika Korp remains one of the most enigmatic. A motley assortment of men and vehicles were cobbled together as an ad hoc army to support an ally. It forged itself into a military instrument which enjoyed brilliant victories and performed astounding feats. The combination of energetic leadership by Rommel, a daring officer corps and stalwart troops led to a series of almost unimaginable victories. Debate still flies over whether those triumphs were due Rommel’s genius, an initiative-taking officer corps or the blunders of the enemy. Either way you look, you see a combat unit which has earned prominent status in the annals of military history.
The Afrika Korps has been a popular theme for military miniaturist for over 40 years. When World War II established itself as one of the predominant genre of the hobby, the Afrika Korp stood out as a key element.
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