The German Motorized Company (Italian: ''Compagnia Autocarrata Tedesca'', German: ''Deutsche Motorisierte Kompanie'') was a small military unit formed during the East African Campaign during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Service history

The German Motorized Company was formed from about 138 Germans who had fled from British-held

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and Tanganyika. A large number of the Germans arrived in Italian East Africa on the Italian ship ''Piave'' before

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

entered World War II. After 10 June 1940, once Italian dictator

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

declared war on Britain and France, the Germans from the ''Piave'' volunteered to fight for the Italians in East Africa. Other Germans stranded in Italian East Africa were drafted for the unit as well. On 2 July 1940, the "German Motorized Company" was formed. The unit trained in

Asmara Asmara ( ), or Asmera (), is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region (Eritrea), Central Region. It sits at an elevation of , making it the List of capital cities by altitude, sixth highest capital in the wo ...

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

. Most of the volunteers had little to no military background. In addition to being "motorized" (or truck transportable), the unit included some improvised armored cars. The Italian radio station in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

, capital of

Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...

, broadcast news about the German Motorized Company. The existence of this unit was of great propaganda value to the Italians. In November 1940, the German Motorized Company first saw action in the border area between Eritrea and the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

. The Germans were active at the Battle of Agordat and the Battle of Keren (''Cheren'') in 1941. The German Motorized Company provided cover during the retreat from

Keren, Eritrea Keren (Tigrinya language, Tigrinya and Tigre language, Tigre: , Arabic language, Arabic: كرن, Italian language, Italian: ''Cheren''), historically known as Sanhit,Shinn, David & al. "Hewitt Treaty" in the ''Historical Dictionary of Ethi ...

, to Asmara. About twenty men of the unit survived the loss of Eritrea suffered by Italy. This small group of men was with Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, at Amba Alagi during one of the final stages of the East African Campaign. The company was presented with a special triangular flag by Lieutenant-General Luigi Frusci, the Italian Governor of Eritrea. The flag displayed the

flag of Italy The flag of Italy (, ), often referred to as The Tricolour (, ), is a flag featuring three equally sized vertical Pale (heraldry), pales of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side, as defined by Article 12 of the Constitution of t ...

on one side and the German

Swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

flag on the other side.

Commanders

* First Lieutenant (''

Oberleutnant (English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...

'') Gustav Hamel

Order of battle

* 3 x Platoon ** 2-3 x Squads (each)

References

{{reflist East African campaign (World War II) Military units and formations of Italy in World War II German units in Africa Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1941 1940 establishments in Italy 1941 disestablishments in Italy

Service history

Commanders

Order of battle

See also

References