Thursday 20 December 2012

DAK – Earliest Panzers in the desert.



These tanks I painted previously but they deserved some better pictures and a proper post here.

DAK – Earliest Panzers in the desert.


The panzers are painted to look as the first panzers to arrive in Afrika after Italian near collapse following the counterattack from the British.
These panzers were originally intended to be given to the 3rd Panzer division in Russia and therefor still retained its divisional symbol and the panzer gray paint. But as the Afrika troops were scrambled to prevent a total collapse of the Italian army and nation as a whole so no time were given for a repaint.



The plan was to bolster the Italian position to make a standstill in the dessert and concentrate on other areas of conflict.
The newly appointed commander of the Afrika force, Rommel had other thoughts and went on an offensive before all of his troops had even arrived instead.



These material, supplies and men very badly needed elsewhere. The more important Eastern front.






The rim on the road wheels were painted white in the intensions of preserving them from the desert sun. In reality the paint were rather quickly wearied of and filled little real usage.

The models are Panzer III G from Battlefront. 


And here are some referens pictures.

 




3 comments:

  1. Didn´t know that or at least didn´t remember. Very nice looking panzers, +++ for the detail of white rubber rims.

    Best regards Michael

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  2. They're great and realy give the feeling of beeing rushed into battle.

    Out of my point of view I have to object the russian front beeing the more important one. The Afrikakorps, properly fitted with supply, could have won the war for Germany conquering the rich oilfields on the arab peninsula and thereby smashing out the british from the mediterranean area.

    But this aside I realy appreciate your effort in recreating a early DAK panzer unit.

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  3. Thanks guys.

    At least in the initial phase I don’t think the German saw the faraway lands of the Arab peninsular as achievable goals and thus they didn´t go all in and just sent scrap formations to act as a blocking force.
    After the initial success the African forces was reinforced and strengthen.
    Later in the desert campaign that goal was easier to contemnplay.
    At later state I knew they even had remotely plan to attack the Russians from the south by Armenia and rendezvous with army group south with the forces from Africa.

    But the priority of these first Germans were to just fight the British to a standstill. But Rommel had other ideas..

    This is mostly speculation and nobody know for sure.
    But its my favorit teater for gaming ww2.

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