"Post '40 German Lafflys" Topic

Can anyone shed light on possible German use of the Laffly series (S15T and S20 for example) developed for the French army post the 1940 debacle?

I know the Germans used all the regular French transport they could get their hands on, like Chevrolets, Matfords, Peugeots and Renaults.

So far though, I've been unable to document any German use of the excellent Laffly series and this seems a bit odd.

Thanks for help.

my understanding is that the small ones were classed as Kubelwagens and the larger ones given the Kfz69 designation along with Horch and Steyr Field Cars. At that point they become 'invisible' on a unit's TOE.

Spare part needs would necessarily mean clumping similar vehicles together. I attribute the lack of visual information for their use in Normandy 44 to be for 3 reasons:
- huge amounts of camo and foliage on most daytime vehicles
- preference by German military photographers for showing german kit. (in fact they may have been ordered not to show 'inferior' materiele.)
- most of it was blown to smithereens by Typhoons and artillery

We know that 21st PD had a large amount of French stuff but only really have photos of the AFVs. We know HJ PD had Italian trucks, but I know of only a single photo.

Finally, I suppose they might have taken most stuff to Russia in 41 and lost the lot. It would have made better sense to leave the trucks where the spares were with second line occupation forces – so that's why my 21 PD army in 20mm has lots of Latils, Renaults, Citroens and Lafflys!

To be clear – I don't mean 21 PD was a second line unit, just that it inherited most of its kit from such

Here you go link link From the latter:

The 21.PzD in 1944 had over 50 different softskin types (mainly French) including Citroën, Laffly and Renault trucks. Unic P107 and Somua MCL and MCG halftracks as well as Somua SPWs were very common.

I've got some photos but not on this computer.

Look for
Panzerspähwagen Wh 201(f) (AMD Laffly 50AM)
Panzerspähwagen Laf 202(f) (AMD Laffly 80AM)

• Laffly :
Many Laffly V15R, S15R, S20TL, W15T etc. were captured and used by the Germans.
A small number of armored SPW based on the W15T were produced for the Schnelle Brigade West.
In 1942, 60 Renault R-40 tanks were transformed for snow milling. 119 Renault R-40 were modified for the Luftwaffe (towing vehicles ?) and 200 various German tracked vehicles were also modified for the Luftwaffe by the Laffly factory. Laffly transformed also 22 wheeled and 33 tracked vehicles in snow ploughs.

Thanks for the help gentlemen. I have also found reference to the bulk of the transport for the German 257. Infanterie Division being Laffly transports (no mix given though).

I do appreciate the help.

anleiher:
The Germans used quite a few of the French army's trucks in the invasion of the USSR where pictures abound of French kit in German use. Aside from the Panhard 178 and some Renault Char B1 converted to flame throwers, most of the French kit used by Germans in Russia were trucks.
Rod Robertson

The French kit used by the Germans during Operation Barbarossa included the following, some in the several hundreds apparently in thecae of soft skins:

*Char B1bis gun tanks mixed with Flammpanzer B2(f).

*Panhard P178 armored cars.

*Laffly S20TL used by various units as all wheel drive off road transport. Example:

*Lots of French trucks especially Renaults used as troop carriers and cargo movers by Heer and Waffen SS units alike:

*Renault Tracteur Legere UE as weapon carriers and prime movers for the Pak 36:

French halftracks especially the Unic P107 were also in demand as prime movers:

Further, Germany's ally Rumania employed the Renault R35, the Renault UE, and the Laffly S15 during Operation Barbarossa:

link

If memory serves correct, the 3rd SS Division Totenkopfverbande went into action for Operation Barbarossa riding mostly in captured French trucks, as their CO was quite shameless in his efforts to procure full motor transport for his regiment to expand into a division between the Fall of France and the launch of the invasion of the Soviet Union the following summer.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

I haven't been able to successfully post a link here but there are pics on Axis History Forum of Laffly trucks with german armoured bodies very like SdKfz 251's.

good photo's, thanks for that