Hi all,
and a question to the Allied specialists:
Searching for some pics to use it as inspiration for the "Desert fox campaign", I found this one, showing a M3A1 Scout Car in "German use", according the photo text within the 21. Panzerdiv.


source: www.militaryimages.net

As in this vehicle line, all the captured are british ones, like Chevy CMP etc, and no US vehicles can be seen, and as the desert background looks for me like Lybia and not Tunisia (I can be wrong, but then only on the Tunisian/Lybian border), can anyone tell me if the British army hase used the M3A1 even in the Western desert (means in the Lybian campaign) ?

I know that the LRDG has revceived M3A1´s for testing in late 1941.

Thanks in advance,
Erich

Hi,

As a lot of people has read my thread without any comments, I believe to assume that nobody knows an answer.
So I will share some infos I have found in the meantime, maybe someone is interested on them.

I discovered this photo of a (probably captured) M3A1 Scout Car in a bright colour, which would indicates for “Standard” Light Stone No 61, in the very interesting (photo)book : “Unter der glühenden Sonne Afrikas”, from Alois Schlee, Flechsig Verlag.
http://www.amazon.de/Unter-gl%C3%BChenden-Sonne-Afrikas-Afrika-Feldzuges/dp/3881897747



The photo text says: “View from Lower Sollum up to the Halfaya-Pass, 23.06.1942”
So 3 days after the fall of Tobruk and only 10 days after the DAK break through the Gazala line, which means (at least for me) that the M3A1 must have been in use with the 8th Army while Gazala and probably even before.
Now it would be interesting to know some census numbers and unit signs, to make the new Hobby-Boss M3A1 Scout Car ready for the desert.

I even got some more interesting infos from this book:

1. A (photo)evidence that at least the Panzer III of the 2nd +3rd company of Panzeregiment 8/15.PD, was painted in RAL8000 before loaded on ship in Neapel.

2. That the Panzer IV Ausf. G was at least after El Alamein with the DAK on their way back to Tunisia. Something abolute new for me, because I always thought the Pz IV Ausf. G has arrived 1st with the 10.PD in Tunisia.

Erich

The Germans had a very similar vehicle. The only difference was that the German version had a extra rear axle, mounted just in front of the kit one. Saw it in "The Desert Rats", but I can't find any photos to corroborate it.

I have located two pictures of them in use in the western desert. Both were HQ vehicles and one was the RMO's vehicle with prominent Red Crosses on the louvred front. The photo may well be of the same vehicle however and are pictured 88 km to Tripoli indicating post Alamein. They were in service with the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the pictures are in the book "The Staffordshire yeomanry (Queens Own Royal Regt) Compiled by David German & Chris Coogan - ISBN 1-904546-46-3 from Churnet Valley Books

Cheers
Al

Hi Matt,

The original picture reference shows clearly an M3A1 Scout Car, but because of my poor scan its not so clear here to see. I can even identify the front roller on this M3A1.
I have even found two pics more of M3A1´s in British Service, which once more indicates that it was even used in the Western Desert:


Source : IWM pfhoto
DESCRIPTION:
American-built White Scout Car in use as an ambulance by 6th Armoured Division, 2 December 1941


DESCRIPTION:
White Scout Car of the Grenadier Guards, Guards Armoured Division, 3 March 1942.

because I cannot belive that only (non fighting) units in Britain would have been equipped with any sort of vehicles, which on the other hand would be heavily needed in North Africa at this time.
So why nothing more Info´s about the M3A1 in British use in the modellers´s world, especially since we got the new Hobby Boss model in 1/35, which is in fact years ahead of the old Peerless one. I will use it asap for a Desert vignette.

Talking about desert, it looks it was used there in 1942/43 by British troops :

http://www.speedbird747.com/roy/index_files/Page768.html

http://www.speedbird747.com/roy/index_files/Page355.html


HTH

Frenchy

Hi Erich,

Here's a couple for you. If you check out the reference number on IWM site you'll get a bit more info.





Don't know where the vehicle park is but N Africa/Italy by the camo?









Al