Last modified: 2006-08-19 by jarig bakker
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Palm & swastika was the emblem of the Afrika Korps, under Rommel.
Knut A. Berg, 10 Jul 2002
The emblem is real. It was the emblem of the Afrika Corps commanded
by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
I believe that there were Afrika Corps flags which used the emblem
as well.
Its use in the movie was a bit out of place, as the movie was supposedly
set at a time before the beginning of World War II, and therefore before
the existence of the Afrika Corps.
Devereaux Cannon, 10 Jul 2002
I am not aware of any Afrika Korps flag that incorporated a palm and
swastika device.
This seemed limited to tracked and soft-skinned vehicles and not all
German vehicles were stenciled as such. Use of German flags in war-time
photographs were primarily Nazi swastika flags.
During the high-point of the Afrika Korps campaign, tank crews would
sometimes wire or tie a Nazi flag to the deck for aerial recognition. The
Italians, it seems did not follow suit. They limited their aerial recognition
devices to a large white circle on the top of turrets.
John Evosevic, 10 Jul 2002
It appears that you are correct. The flags I remember seeing were apparently
spurious designs marketed in the 1970.
Devereaux Cannon, 10 Jul 2002
The Palm and Swastika insignia was originally a vehicle insignia for
the 15th and 21st Panzerdivisions, which made up most of "Aufklärungsstab
Rommel", and later was used by all units attached to the Deutsches
Afrika Korps (DAK), except for the Italian divisions.
It was also used to decorate other equipment. It was also used as a
newspaper masthead for field newspapers, and was used on DAK souvenir jewelry.
Photographs of Rommel's Corp Command Flag (a metal plate on a staff
affixed to a fender) show the word AFRIKA stenciled in black on the lower
red triangle.
The Palm and Swastika does not appear on any of the flags for either
the command or staff positions of the unit. This is according to the research
I did while I was at Paramount.
Afrika Korps Flags, bearing the palm and swastika, have been offered
for sale. They were part of a series of flags marketed by the Collectors
Armory of Alexandria, Virginia in the starting in the 1970's.
They come in at least three versions, all cotton bunting.
They all took the form of a German Panzer Army HQ flag with the palm
and swastika insignia in one corner, and a unit designation in the other
corner.
The first ones were printed in Japan, and are all appox 24" square
and can be identified by small leather triangles sewn on to both hoist
corners to reinforce small white ties.
The next two versions of which I am personally aware were screen printed
exclusively for Collectors Armory by the Paramount Flag Company of San
Francisco.
The second type was identical to the Japanese made flags except in
that the flags were finished with a loop and toggle or heading and grommets.
The third was identical to the second except in that it was screened
on to tan cotton instead of white. One of these spurious flags recently
sold on e-bay as original.
The DAK was created 26 Feb. 1941 so the insignia cannot date from prior
to that date.
Jim Ferrigan, 10 Jul 2002
I've never seen a photo of a Nazi palm flag. I should mention that I
am almost certain that 10th Panzer Division vehicles did not use the Afrika
Korps stencil. The 10th Panzer Div. was sent to shore up the AK in Tunisia
near the end of the NA campaign.
John Evosevic, 11 Jul 2002
Image based on a photo sent to the files-section of the Yahoo-FOTW depository.
Jarig Bakker, 16 Aug 2006