Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Kübelwagen in Sicily

VW Typ 82 leichter geländegängiger Personenkraftwagen (Kfz. 1) "Kübelwagen" in Sicily, Italy, ready to cross the strait of Messina using Siebel ferry (Siebelfähre), 1943. The first picture from above showing the vehicle with camouflage net clearly visible from the front. A cloth cover is mounted over the headlights, leaving only a narrow opening for the light. The name "Otto" is painted below the headlight - giving names to vehicles was a common practice in many armies! Notice the tropical colors of the vehicle and uniforms of the men, all belonging to the DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps). Some Afrikakorps troops crossed from Tunisia to Sicily and fought the Allies there during Operation Husky (9 July - 17 August 1943). The Volkswagen Kübelwagen (literally, "bucket car"), previously mostly used for rail, industrial or agricultural hopper cars) was a light military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the German military (both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS). Based heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle, it was prototyped as the Type 62, but eventually became known internally as the Type 82.


Source :
Book "Afrikakorps: Rommel’s Tropical Army in Original Color" by Bernd Peitz and Gary Wilkins
http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Volkswagen_K%C3%BCbelwagen

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