DAK Tropical Canteen?

[RodneyO]

Aloha All,
I have in my collection a German DAK Tropical Canteen. The type that has the impregnated wood fiber body and web cross straps with metal drinking cup. In the book “Rommel’s Army in Africa” by Dal McGuirk, he mentions that this type of canteen was more widely used in Europe then in the African Campaign. Looking through the book there are no photos that I can find of any soldier carrying them, but just the standard wool cover canteen being used by the soldiers. Are there any WW2 photos of this type of canteens being used in Africa or in Europe? If there are, could someone post some photos of them being used. I bought this canteen many, many years ago as an Afrika Korps tropical canteen but never saw one being used in books or in document films about the war in North Africa.
Mahalo,
Rodney

[Theodor]

It will be interesting if someone can show such a photo - I have also heard, that such canteens were never used in North Afrika, only in Europe.

[milcollector]

No tropical equipment should be sold as "afrika korps" unless there are afrika unit markings or other strong corroborating evidence of afrika use. Why do you think your canteen is DAK - has it got Libyan sand inside it ?
It is just a term sellers use to make the items seem more attractive and fetch more money.

Tropical equipment is simply that - tropical equipment designed for tropical climate use which included a wide range of other locations apart from North Africa.

[RodneyO]

Aloha,
No sand but well used, and dated 1942. What countries would be considered “tropical” in the European Theater? I’ve always heard that term “tropical use” (in the ETO) and associated them with North Africa and Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
Two books, "German Soldiers of World War Two" by Jean De Lagarde and "German Army Uniforms of World War II" by Wade Krawczyk both have them being displayed with the Afrika Korps uniform and field gear section of the book.
Without any wartime photos of this type of canteen being used by the Germans (in North Africa or Europe), was this produced during WW2 but never issued? Could these have been post-war issued, as most are in issued/used condition?
Mahalo,
Rodney

[jan r]

Hallo,

Here a two photo's of the tropical canteen in use in West Europe in 1944.
Both are well now photo's,

Here you see the canteen in te left lower corner below the TruFa's handle bars. From the serie of Grenadier-Regiment 1052 , 84. Infanterie Division in Normandie.

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And from the famous Poteau/Recht photo serie in the Ardennes, a tropical canteen without the cup hanging on the breadbag.

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Jan

[milcollector]

Aloha,
What countries would be considered “tropical” in the European Theater? I’ve always heard that term “tropical use” (in the ETO) and associated them with North Africa and Rommel’s Afrika Korps.

no, you make the mistake so many people do.
Tropical could = "Italy, Greece, Crete, Sardinia, Aegean Islands, Corsica, Sicily, Yugoslavia etc. - not just Libya and Tunisia.
Tropical equipment was also commonly worn in Southern Russian front and parts of France.

As all the sellers know, simply call something Afrika Korps and you get a lot more money for it.

[RodneyO]

Mahalo,
Jan, that’s the first wartime photo (I have seen) of a German soldier carrying this type of canteen. You can just make out the cross strap on the canteen’s mid-section in the first photo you’ve posted. Also how the canteen’s impregnated wood shines in the second photo. Can’t make out if it’s leather or web strapping that’s being used on the canteen. Mahalo again for sharing the photos of German soldiers wearing tropical type canteen in Normandy and Ardennes.

milcollector, I was thinking tropical as in North Africa but when you said earlier, “tropical climate” that made sense about the countries you’ve mentioned.
Aloha,
Rodney

[ipot]

Dak

Absolutely consent to milcollector.Here in our place Czech teritorry very equipment Afrikakorps shopman marked.Not from Afrikakorps origin.Originate from WH reserve South Russland.

[jan r]

Hallo,

Found another picture of a tropical canteen in use,
Taken at Knowitz,september 1944, during the rebuilding of the Flemish SS Sturmbrigade Langemarck, volunteers of the sIG. Komp.
Canteen is seen in the lower left corner.

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[jan r]

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Jan

[boyouLaGleize.]

Mooie werk Jan.
Nice work.