Pampered North Afrika Korps

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 22, 27 January 1942, Page 2

Pampered North Afrika Korps

DRESS SHIRTS INCLUDED IN CAPTURED MATERIALS Evidence that General Rommel’s North Afrika Korps had been specially pampered in equipment issues, possibly at the expense of other fronts, is stated by the N.Z.E.F. Times to have been increasingly obvious as the campaign in Gyrenaica and Libya swept forward. Not only were captured tanks, guns and vehicles found to have been built to suit desert conditions, but the smallest articles of personal gear showed careful thought and preparation. One deficiency was warm clothing against the extreme cold of the desert in winter. One large concentration of dug-in German bell tents provided a huge amount of material. There were wellcut khaki shirts and shorts made from a strong-looking cotton material, khaki socks with elastic tops reaching to the knees, fancy handkerchiefs made from cotton and artificial silk, gas capes by the dozen, and steel Jielmets of the well-known ear-covering design. In some of the tents, whicn had apparently been occupied by German officers, there were white dress shirts and white cotton socks. Boots weifc light and canvas-topped, but did not appear likely to stand up to hard desert wear. Practically all the German clothing was strongly scented. Such field gear as wobbing, valises, water bottles and messing equipment was sensibly designed with a view to compactness. A curious fact was that many of the metal parts were made of aluminium, which has been considered

to be in short supply in Axis countries, this being taken to confirm the view that the men of the Afrika Korps have been specially catered for. A large quantity of canned goods, mainly of good quality, was also found. Tinned pork waH excellent, as was also the tinned bread, ready cut in slices ami made from rye. Ersatz cheese, redolenj; of toothpaste, was packed in metal tubes. Other foodstuffs included tinned fruits from Italy, jams, and even sweets. There were many propaganda books and instructional publications. Most of the books contained frontispieces of Hitler. One was about a boy who longed to join the Army, the whole narrative glorifying the German military machine. Two books found in ai captured Italian truck were a collection of pictures and material dealing with damage by the R.A.F. in Cyreh- j aica and an Italian translation of a! novel by Edgar Wallace. Grimmer was a suspicious looking whip found in a captured German vehicle with the owner’s name carved on the handle. It appeared as though' jit. may have been used to some purpose

in a concentration camp. A German officer w&s questioned and said it was a fly whisk. It seemed a formidable weapon with which to kill a few flies. [ In spite of stories from all sides of Germau-Italian mutual dislike, there \verc discovered iu German tents many I propaganda postcards showing Nazis I and Fascists proudly marching together, j The Germans had been paid in Italian 'currency while in Cvrenaica and there was evidence that they were able to get leave from the desert to spend at Benghazi and Tripoli. Photographs of both these places were found.