Greets.

I hate to pick the most over-done subject in history (Tigers in Africa), but I've been asked specifically to see if any such tanks had the DAK palm tree on it. After a fair bit of looking, I've found the odd model which has it, but no prototype photos. It's not the end of the world if the answer is "No, no Tigers ever had it", for whatever reason, but I'd like to give an accurate response.

Much obliged.

I'm not sure,but I don't think the Tigers were actually in the Afrika Korp.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong

I never recall seeing a Tiger tank with one

I have catalogued literally every known photo of the 501 Tigers in Africa:

http://tiger1.info/unit-page/501-Afrika

and I have studied the 504 photos, which are unfortunately much fewer in number.

Never have I seen a Tunisian Tiger with the DAK palm tree.

Some of the 501 Tigers had one, two or three pictures of the "stalking Tiger" animal logo. Many of the tanks had a name written on them. But palm trees? Not in any known photo.

David

Hello,
It is extremely doubtful that any Tiger Is serving in North Africa would have the Afrika Korp emblem on them as they were a separate and detached unit serving WITH the AK and not really part OF it. Only organic parts of the AK ever carried the emblem. SPz.Ab emblems like 501s stalking Tiger were seen on both the unit's Tigers as well as their accompanying Pz IIIs. And even there I don't believe it was on every vehicle. Correct me if I'm wrong on this one as I'm getting ready to build a scene using CyberHobby's Kit #6286 and an accompanying Pz-IIIN.

The 501st were assigned to the 5th Panzer Army under Generaloberst von Arnim. Therefore Rommel didn't even have authority over them. He asked von Armin to lend them for the battle of the Kasserine Pass, and von Armin didn't.

The period of March-April 1943 is poorly documented, and there is a report of the surviving Tigers being shared between the 5th Panzer Army and the DAK. But I doubt that anybody was painting palm trees at that stage of the campaign.

David

I asked the same question, some time ago. The overwhelming response was that Rommel never received any Tigers(direct or from von Armin).

You are correct.
Hitler was jealous of Rommel and didn't want him to have the best. But Rommel was the first to use the 88s as a anti tank gun.

Yes, in France, 1940...

No, it was first used in Spanish Civil War

As an Anti-Tank Gun..? I thought that the FLAK 18 and FLAK 36/37 were only used as Anti-Aircraft weapons during the Spanish Civil War. Maybe I'm wrong as to where the German 88 was first used as an Anti-Tank weapon, but I can distinctly remember reading several different accounts of Rommel's "novel use" of the 88 during the Invasion of France, May, 1940, in several different books and articles covering the invasions of France, Belgium and the Lowlands. Many military "experts" of the time were very impressed with Rommel's "innovated use of an Anti-Aircraft Gun against Heavy French Armor", I believe, at Arras..? Can anyone offer further clarification..?

Wiki has the Condor Legion in Spain using the Flak 18 in an anti tank and artillery role.....

Tho that is Wikipedia

Rommel supposedly used the 88 against British Matildas counterattacking outside Dunkirk...

Questioning something I read awhile back, but was never able to confirm. Did the FlaK 18 require modification to be used as an anti-tank weapon?

I had read that initially the barrel was unable to be depressed enough to engage ground targets. Does anyone know, is that accurate?

A document about the history of the Flak 18 from Spanish Ministry of Defence mentions the anti-tank role during the Spanish Civil War.

Also "Condor: The Luftwaffe in Spain, 1936-39" , by Patrick Laureau says the same.

Note as well that General von Thoma was in Spain at that time, and later on he served with the Afrika Korps...

And Osprey New Vanguard book on 8.8 says, under the Kondor Legion chapter, The book Deutsche Kampfen in Spanien explained how anti-aircraft guns could be used in an anti-tank role: "From the beginning of 1937 FlaK artillery was used more and more in ground warfare[...]