Hi there, does anyone know where Rommel drew the various details that made up his Command group from? Would they have been seconded from the existing units in the theatre? For example, his security detail, would they have come from either of the two panzer divisions or the 90th light etc? I am doing a diorama depicting various vehicles of the Command Group and am wondering what markings to give them. Many thanks in advance.
Read von Mellenthin's Panzer Battles, Heinz W. Schmidt's With Rommel in the Desert and The Rommel Papers.
What are you referring to? When? Do you mean the DAK "command group"? Or the Panzergruppe Afrika/Panzerarmee Afrika "command group"? If you mean Rommel's command and staff forward headquarters group, then in German practice it would consist of the Oberbefehlshaber - the Commanding General - Rommel, with parts of his Führungsabteilung - Command Section, which was comprised normally of the Ia (G-1 Operations Officer), Ic (G-2 Intelligence Officer), and Flivo (Luftwaffe Liaison Officer), or their deputies, along with a Nachrichtenoffizier (signals officer), and a few aides and orderlies. However, there were also various Stab Kampfstaffeln (Staff Combat Sections) organized at various times to provide security for the Führungsabteilung and/or the Korps/Gruppe/Armee Stab, which it was a part of and which formed what we could call a "Rear" Headquarters. The Kampfstaffel was used comprised of combat troops seconded from various formations and could vary over time and was not always exactly identified. A typical Kampfstaffel was formed in April 1942 and consisted of 2./Flak-Abteilung 606, one Zug, Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 39, one Panzer-Zug (with five Pz-II, origin unidentified but probably from Stab/Panzer-Regiment 5 or 8), one Zug, 1./Pioniere-Bataillon 33, and one Panzerspaehwagen Zug, Aufklaerungs-Abteilung 3.
RichTO90, that is exactly what I was requesting sorry for being so vague. It was the Stab Kampfstaffeln information that I was after. I wasn't sure if they were provided on a secondment basis or something more formal. Thank you very much for that, it is much appreciated, I already have a couple of vehicles with Aufklaerungs-Abteilung 3 markings, would there have been motorised infantry seconded at any stage?
Possibly. As I said, the strength and composition varied over time and the only information on the DAK Kampsftaffel is the order creating it, which gave the elements I mentioned. It may or may not have changed. There was also a Kampfstaffel des Oberbefehlshabers der Pz.Armee Afrika organized in February 1942, which was supposed to have: Gruppe Führer 1 le.Pz.Späh-Wagen mit Funk 5 Volkswagen 5 m.gel.Pkw Panzerbefehlsstaffel 3 Pzkpfw III mit Funk 2 Pz.Späh-Wagen mit Funk 5 SPW Panzerkompanie 5 Pzkpfw. III und IV 3 s.Pz.Späh-Wagen mit Funk 8 Beutekampfwagen (apparently Crusader and Stuart) Pak/Flak-Kompanie 3 russ. 7.62cm Kanonen (Sfl.) [i.e. 7.62cm FK 36 (r) auf Zgkw. 5t] 6 2cm Flak (Sfl.) 6 engl. Beute 4cm (Sfl.) oder 6 5cm Pak 10 Volkswagen 12 m.gel.Pkw Tross 1 m.gel.Pkw. 28 m.gel.Pkw. Instandsetzungs-Staffel There is no indication exactly where these were resourced from but likely from units already in Afrika. This was supposedly a permanent organization, so any previous unit markings would likely have been painted over at some time and replaced by Pz-Armee Afrika markings. It was placed under command of Oberleutnant Kiehl of Aufkl.Abt. 3.
Ah, hang on, so I am setting my diorama during Gazala in June 42. I therefore need to be looking to Kiehl's outfit for the vehicles I use and I also need to be looking at Pz-Armee markings. That has been really useful. Many thanks for that one final question, you see vehicles with the Skeleton command pennant frame, which vehicles would have had the actual pennant in the frame? Just that vehicle transporting the relevant officer or all vehicles in his Command Group? Cheers
