Thanks again Bill, how about a couple of cars?
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Hi Kerry:
First one is a 1936 Ford.
I am not sure about the second one, it is a bit before my area of research, 1935-1945 but I will do some looking. It looks French to me.
Cheers
BillComment
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I thought I saw something odd about this shot. The Kriegsmarine Peugeot truck has headlights mounted on the wings, not, as usual for this maker, behind the radiator grill. The mounting bar is still visible behind the grill. Is this a field modification or a factory variation? And Bill, thanks for the Ford id. Kerry.Comment
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Hi Kerry:
First, let me thank you for posting that photo. It is the first Peugot I have ever seen with the headlamps moved to the front wings.
I can only offer a theory as follows:
Even though the vehicle is being used by the WM, it does have the Notek light equipment and partially blocked off headlamps that would indicate a front line/possible combat location.
The larger French automobiles and virtually all of the trucks were highly regarded by the Germans for combat support and formed a very large part of the fleets of vehicles sent to Russia in 1941.
As you no doubt have seen in your photo collection, once the Germans encountered their first Russian Winter, they had to make many adaptions to their vehicles to allow them to survive temperatures far lower than that encountered in Western Europe.
One such adaptation/modification was they had to put a covering/blanket over the radiator mask to keep the radiator from freezing. Obviously, this was an issue with this model Peugot as the headlamps were normally mounted inside and behind the radiator mask.
So, I would theorize that they had their mechanics drill a few holes in the wings and route the wiring throught those holes and then bolted or screwed the headlamps where you see them.
Cheers
BillComment
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I'm curious whether the Peugeot assembly lines were kept going during the war years, producing trucks for direct delivery to the German military?Comment
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Hi Randy:
From what I have read, Peugot's factory complex was pretty well totally destroyed very early in the war by the German Luftwaffe and did not produce anything again until late 1945 early 1946.
Other French makers, particularly Renault, continued to manufacture vehicles and/or parts as well as overhauling older vehicles pretty much throughout the 1940-1945 period.
Cheers
BillComment
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Randy and Bill, thanks for the interest. Bart Vanderveen stated that production continued until June 1941, well past the Luftwaffe's interest in bombing France, but, perhaps it may have been 1940 he meant? I know from my small collection that Peugeot products survived well into the war, mostly, I think, thanks to the skill of the mechanics. Kerry.Comment
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Bill, is it not very likely that the Dodge in Pic 3 was captured in Tunisia ? It has the 37mm anti-tank gun mounted on the back and I don't believe that the US used them against the Germans any where else but Tunisia.Originally posted by Bill Murray View PostComment
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Yes Alan, I believe you are correct, I had forgotten that early use of the 37mm.
Cheers
BillComment
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Thanks gents, picture indexed as Tunisia. Here are a couple of shots of a Feldgendarmerie car. I think it may be French? It is a great whale of a thing, but someone is taking care of the headlights!
Kerry.Comment
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And 2.Comment
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Hi Kerry:
Your car is a Panhard Dynamique of about 1937/38.
An outstanding example of the marvelous Art Deco styling of French cars of the period. They certainly put to shame the shapeless lumps that we are forced to buy nowadays.
Cheeers
BillComment
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Hi Bill,
an excellent ID of the Panhard.
Sorry, but I don´t agree with You in another point. You wrote, that "Peugeot's factory complex was pretty well totally destroyed very early in the war by the German Luftwaffe and did not produce anything again until late 1945 early 1946."
That could not be, because Peugeot produced the type DK 5 J from 1939 - 1942 and 12.500 only for the German Wehrmacht, the type DMA from 1941 - 1944, 15.309 only for the Wehrmacht. (source: Holger Erdmann: www.kfzderwehrmacht.de).
Regards
BertramComment
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Hi Bert/Kerry:
I do stand corrected on the Peugot production issue.
Production numbers are not normally part of my research, but that is no excuse.
I had Googled "Peugot during the war years" and there were two articles that indicated the majority of the factory complex was destroyed in 1940 and that production started up again after the war.
That was obviously bad information or maybe it only related to passenger cars and the various light trucks may have been assembled elsewhere.
In any case, I was wrong and I apologize for not looking more thoroughly into the issue.
Cheers
BillComment
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Just to keep up with you two, the last pic of the Feldgendermerie car is marked as belonging to 3 Panzergrenadier Division.Comment
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