► Photothread: Bus/Omnibuss

[SIS 5]

Hi Sturm 78,

again a very good question. Unfortunately we don´t have the possibility to look at an unconcealed wheel. If there would be wheels with ten bolts, then it is clear, that it is the type D 1, but wheels with eight bolts would be the type Z 1.
On Your pic we can see only two bolts. For me the distance between the two bolts is too great for a ten bolt rim. This speaks for the type Z 1.
The handle on the left side of the bonnet is a little bit lower than the upper line of the vents. This speaks also for the type Z 1.
The headlights are not so exposed like they used to be for the type D 1.
After all I would say, that the type on Your pic is rather a Z 1 than a D 1.

Best regards

Bert

[Sturm78]

Thank you very much for your information, Bert...

Regards
Sturm78

[carius]

Ebay

George

[carius]

Ebay

George

[carius]

Ebay

George

[carius]

Ebay

George

[Corjan]

bus 1.png
George

This is the Fiat 635RN bus donated by the Italian to Rommel to house his OB/HQ. A little part of the OB sign can be seen between the last and the second last person on the right.
See the entry in www.o5m6.de, Rommel's cars

[SIS 5]

Hi George, hi Corjan,

thanks to You for posting this excellent pic and the identification of the bus.

Best regards

Bert

[carius]

rom 1.jpg (62.83 KiB) Viewed 1881 times

o5m6.de

George

[RandJS]

Hello,

Great supporting find, George. Thank you for all your work posting these pictures.

Regards,
RandJS

[Corjan]

bus 1.png
George

More photos of the Fiat 635 RN

[carius]

Hello,

Great supporting find, George. Thank you for all your work posting these pictures.

Regards,
RandJS

Thank you very much Rand!

Best regards
George

[SIS 5]

Hi Corjan,

thank You for posting more pics of the FIAT 635 bus. Here a better pic of the last photo You posted. I think, that it is not a FIAT, but a Mercedes-Benz bus.

Best regards

Bert

[Corjan]

Hi Corjan,

thank You for posting more pics of the FIAT 635 bus. Here a better pic of the last photo You posted. I think, that it is not a FIAT, but a Mercedes-Benz bus.

Best regards

Bert

Hi Bert,

You are certainly right. It is another mark bus also of the hq of Rommel. The wheels are different and also the windows and it seems slightly smaller.
Do you know the type of Mercedes?
But thanks to your remarks I also studied the photo of George and discovered, that this bus is not the same bus as seen on the photos of the interview with Rommel!
This one has a spare wheel attached to the left front door and has other, rectangular back view mirrors and is missing the white strips behind the
windscreen.
So Rommel received at least two former city busses for his hq! As far as I know a new discovery!
And now we know of at least 4 busses of his hq!
Marvellous and prove of the saying a difficulty is a possibility!
Hope that we find out more about this subject!

Corjan

[SIS 5]

Hi Corjan,

thank You very much for Your reply. A great discovery, that there were two FIAT busses in Rommel´s hq. You have very sharp eyes.
Of course, there were also Opel Blitz busses. Here pics of the busses out of the book "Unter der glühenden Sonne Afrikas" by Alois Schlee. The pics were made by Wachtmeister Rolf Munninger, a soldier in Rommel´s hq from June 1941 until April 1943.

The subtitles to the pics:
pic 0: Colonel Wolz, commander of AA regiment 135, makes a report to Rommel and general Gause. Behind them the "caravan" of Rommel, an Opel Blitz bus in Mai 1942.
pic 1: the bus of Rommel near to Marsa el Brega January 1942. Behind it a a captured Dodge, which drove Ralf Munninger.
pic 2: January 1942: break in march near to Sceleidima. Ralf Munninger (left) is standing near to Rommel´s command bus.
pic 3: a well-known pic: Rommel with lieutenant colonel Bayerlein and von Mellenthin in his command bus, the second bus of the "Führungsstaffel" (leadership squadron).
pic 4: the "caravan" of Rommel beginning of June 1942 at a stop.

I forgot to tell You the source of the better pic with the bus and the Volkswagen: "Der VW Kübelwagen Typ 82 im Zweiten Weltkrieg" by Janusz Piekalkiewicz.

Best regards

Bert