[semo75]

Hi guys,
I read it a time ago in an article about a German unit formed by sailors who fought in Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI). The article is from CMPR magazine and maybe you know something more of this interesting theme

Bye,

:D semo75 :D

[vzita]

I don't know any share of German unit in A.O.I.

Sorry

[Lupo Solitario]

the unit had been formed in 1940 with personnel of some german merchant in Massawa harbor. It's usually named "German motorized company" or something similiar and had italian equipment.
The unit fought hard at Keren after that retired on Massawa where ceased to exist.
It had been object of some debate on feldgrau and thirdreich forum as in
http://www.thirdreichforum.com/viewtopi ... t=ethiopia

No more to be told
bye
Lupo

[stefano]

speaking of Germans in A.O.I. I saw on the history channel biography of Mussolini that the Germans suplied Mauser rifles to the Ethiopians durring the Italian invasion in the hope that it would help wear the Italians down so that Mussolini couldn't oppose Hitler's plans for Austria

[semo75]

Hi guys....thanks for your opinions
I by it a book the last weekend named : "With Rommel in the desert", by Heinz Werner Schmidt, a German officer who fought with Rommel as his personnal adjudant (sorry about my english). He says in his book he was the commander of a German unit formed by sailors in Massaua in April 1941. The unit was disbanded by an order from Berlin, and Schmidt have to fly in a Savioa 87 (?) I think he talks about a S.82, to Lybia.

Interesting theme, stefano

Lupo....I have to search but I have a drawing of a uniform of this soldiers

semo75

[AereItaliani]

Another photo of the men "Deutsche Motorisierte Kompanie" taken from "Storia Militare" - May 1995:
Bye Diego

[Michi]

Here is the English translation of my chronic on the German coy in AOI.

Quote

I've done a quick translation from German into English.
So it's not a perfect one.
I would be happy, if one of the participators could verify the names I mentioned in the following article.

Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“
Formed as a mechanized infantry (better to say as a truck based) coy on 02nd July 1940 in the GRAZIANI-barracks in ASMARA, due a daily order by the govener of Italian Eritrea. This was also broadcasted by the radio-station in ADDIS ABEBA.

The Germans were drafted from the German cargo-ships in Italian-Eritrea and Italian-Somalia and also local Germans which were till 10th June 1940 in internment camps.



COs:
Commander: Tenente Gustav HAMEL
2nd Commander: Sottotnente Arturo RAGGI
Company First Sergeant: Maresciallo Maggiore Adolf BREMER

OOB:
138 men
3 platoons:

TO&E:
1. & 2. platoon: each with 2 groups each with 1 ltMG;
3. platoon: 3 groups each with 1 hyMG



Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ was part of an independent mechanized infantry battalion.
COmmander: Maggiore Clemente FERRERO

with the following units:

Squadrone „Asmara“ (armoured car squadron w/ Fiat 611)
COmmander: Capitano CARDUCCI, later Tenente MOLINARI
uniform:
leather helmet
black tunic
olivegreen trousers with puttees/gaiters
ankle high climbing boots

Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“
COmmander: Tenente Gustav HAMEL
2nd COmmander: Sottotnente Arturo RAGGI
Company First Sergeant: Maresciallo Maggiore Adolf BREMER
uniform:
olivegreen tropical helmet & dust protection glasses
olivegreen tunic made of light cloth
shirt & tie
olivegreen trousers with puttee/gaiters
ankle high climbing boots
+ swastika on the left arm
+ swastika on the front-side of the tropical helmet

+ 2 italian coys (maybe Dubat coys??)


later (in platoon-size) as a part of the
Compagnia Carabinieri „Amba Alagia“
COmmander: Tenente GALLICO



all dates given are in DD/MM/YYYY



Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“
02/07/1940 – 30/09/1940: Training in the GRAZIANI-barracks in ASMARA.
11/07/1940 The German coy defiled/marched past –in passo romano- in
front of the supreme commander and governer of Italian-Eritrea, Luigi FRUSCI.
30/09/1940 – 15/10/1940: Forming of an independent mechanized infantry battalion in KEREN.
01/10/1941: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ receives as the only
coy in Italian East-Africa a pennant.
06/10/1941: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ was sworn in by
General FESSITORE.
15/10/1940 – 02/11/1940: Battalion moves to KASSALA.
03/11/1940: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ moves to the strongpoint CAPOSALDO VERONA.
Eventful actions followed.
Together with the Squadron „Asmara“ all Allied attacks were repulsed.
19/01/1941: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ and the Squadrone
„Asmara“ retreat back to KASSALA ab.
The German coy has a strength of 127 men.
22/01/1941: KASSALA was evacuated.
New position of the Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ at SABDERAT.
24/01/1941: After fierce fightings with ANZAC-troops the German coy
retreats.
The German coy has a strength of 114 men.
25/01/1941: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ is part of the rearguard,
which covers the retreat from the Sudan-front.
??/??/1941: The coy has very heavy losses in the actions at AGORDAT.
The German coy has a strength of 91 men.
??/??/1941 - 25/03/1941: Battle for KEREN.
Coy is westwards of KEREN;
together with the Infantry-battalion „Toselli“ and the Black-shirt battalion „Gabriele D’Annunzio“.
The German coy has a strength of 52 men.
26/03/1941: Later on the Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ together
with the Squadrone „Asmara“ is stationed at the railway-station in KEREN.
The German coy has a strength of 44 men.
Squadrone „Asmara“ has 5 Fiat 611 armoured cars on strength.
Squadrone „Asmara“ covered the retreat and perished.
27/03/1941: The German coy was used to form a battle-group commanded by Colonello Geraldo CISBIO.
Battle-group had the order, to keep the bridgehead on the west bank of the river ANSEBA.
28/03/1941: Retreat to ASMARA.
03/04/1941: Evacuation of ASMARA.
03/04/1941 – 01/05/1941: Retreat- and rearguard actions.
The Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ arrived in AMBA ALAGI.
The German coy has a strength of 21 men.
02/05/1941: Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ is disbanded as a coy,
but keeps is name as honour, and is formed as a platoon of the Compagnia Carabinieri „Amba Alagia“ (Kdt: Tenente
GALLICO).
14/05/1941: The German „coy“ has a strength of 19 men.
16/05/1941: Last attack of an Italian unit in the area of AMBA ALAGIA.
Compagnia Carabinieri „Amba Alagia“ attacks towards FONTANA VENEZIA.
The attack get stuck just 50 Meter before.
The German „coy“ has a strength of 8 men.
18/05/1941: The Italian forces surrender in AMBA ALAGIA.
None of the Compagnia AutoCarrata „Tedesca“ survives.



MfG Michi

This was posted about 13 or 14 months ago in Jason Pipes' Forum.


MfG Michi

[Vincere!]

German intelligence in AOI is sure.