Panzerjager Bren

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Art Johnson
Mark do we have any idea where these carriers came from. I know the 48th dumped thier carrier in the harbour with the engines running in 1940.

Hi Art;

This is from the source of the two pictures I posted of Panzerjager Bren:

under Great Britain, it says:

"In North Africa, a small number of British vehicles were captured from time to time. These were used by DAK (Deutsches Afrika Korps) until they were lost. Matilda tanks could only be lost through lack of maintenance because no British gun was capable of destroying them.

On the Atlantic Wall in France and The Low Countries during 1942 and 1943, a small number of British armoured vehicles were converted to self-propelled guns. These vehicles came from the stockpiles remaining since Dunkirk in 1940. They were used only by local garrison units in the areas of these stockpile dumps. Again, after the Invasion in July 1944, a small number of British vehicles were used by the German units which captured them."

it also goes on to say that:

"The Germans utilized captured carriers for many purposes, as tractors and ammunition carriers. A small number were made into Panzerjagers"

Notes regarding BEF vehicle losses in France 1940, from History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series, The War in France and Flanders 1939-1940:

"By the time fighting ended, most of the armoured fighting vehicles - tanks, armoured cars and carriers - and considerable quantities of transport, arms and equipment had been destroyed in action or damaged in conditions which made their repair impossible. But all artillery, vehicles, equipment and stores that reached the coast with the main British Expeditionary Force had to be destroyed or left behind and .....In subsequent evacuations from ports south of the Somme some stores and equipment were brought away, but much was left behind."

it goes on to give the following figures:

under 'Shipped to France (September 1939-May 1940)', it says:

Vehicles 68,618

under 'Consumed and expended in action or destroyed or left behind', it says:

Vehicles 63,879

It does not state however, how many of the 'Vehicles' were carriers, just the totals '68,618' and '63,879'.

If I find anymore information regarding carriers 'salvaged' by the Germans from France 1940, I'll post it here.

Cheers