Motorcycles of the Wehrmacht

The inventor of the motorcycle the German Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach could never have imagined that their invention would also be put to lethal use by the Army of his own country. However the rise of Hitler and his policy of rearmament of Germany led to the induction of the motorbike as an integral part of equipment of the wehrmacht.This was the beginning and the seeds were sowed for the greatest war in history- World War II (1939-45).

Even before this war the motorcycle had carved a niche for itself as a versatile machine. Its performance on road as well as off road was incomparable. In fact it replaced the horse with telling effect. The German Army quickly appreciated the potential of the motorcycle and adapted it for use with their army. The motorcycle became part of the arsenal of the German war machine in their tactics of blitzkrieg or lightening war which shocked the opposing powers. France and later Russia suffered at the hands of the Germans in this type of war. The Motorcycle made a significant impact in these campaigns at least in the early stages of the German offensives.

Motorcycles have been used by the various armies for war ever since they came into being. Thus American Harley-Davidson and Indian; British Triumph, BSA Matchless and Norton; Italian Moto Guzzi and Gilera; French Terot and Gnome Rhone; Belgian FN and Gillet all were adapted for use by the armies. The German military must be credited with perfecting the use of the motorcycle for their use. In fact they employed the largest number of bikes for their operations. The German armies under Von Kluge, Rommel and other generals swept across Western Europe. The motorcycle was one of the ingredients of this armed surge. The Germans during this phase of the war also captured hundreds of British, French and Belgian machines. They were painted in the colors of the Wehrmacht and put to military use. German military motorcyclists were used as solo courier or scouting capacity, as teams of tank hunters or in divisions of rifle troops. They were also used by the Military police and the Gestapo the dreaded secret police.

The German war machine put the bikes to significant use for patrolling, intelligence gathering and police duties in occupied Europe. They also were incorporated as part of German infantry. They were also attached to armored regiments. A variety of bikes were used for this purpose. German war industry soon produced an array of bikes for use by the German army. By 1938 some 200,000 motorcycles were produced in Germany and occupied territories. The principal bikes included BMW, DKW, NSU, Triumph, Victoria and Zundapp.

BMW was one of the significant producers of bikes for the German army. Their main stay was the R-12. They mass produced this bike and nearly 25000 bikes were handed over to the German Army. The German army also formed special motorcycle troop sections which used this R-12. They made some innovations and equipped the bike with a side car.This side car was mounted with a machine gun with lethal effect. The roar of the bike with a soldier handling the machine gun terrorized the villages of occupied Europe.

The R-12 was also put to other uses like evacuation of sick and injured soldiers, for DR duties as well as reconnaissance. BMW also made the R-75 and KS-750. On June 22, 1941 Germany launched its invasion of Russia. The summer months of the campaign were the heyday of use of the bikes that were very effective for delivering dispatches, even hot meals, as scouting patrols and also as tank destroyers. The Russian winter however and the massive mud and drift had a salutary effect and the efficacy of the bike was greatly reduced.

The motorcycle which proved its worth in the flat plains of Europe was found wanting in the harsh sand dunes of the North African deserts in Libya and Tunisia. Germans however set to work and replaced the vertical V -twin engines with the flat protruding twin engine.BMW must take the credit for this. They manufactured the R 71 with a side valve and this bike was a runaway success in the North African deserts. This success had a profound effect and the US Army specially requested Harley Davidson for a similar machine. Harley reverse engineered the R71 and produced the 750cc Harley Davidson XA.

Uncap also supplied an array of bikes to the German Army. This firm with a record of manufacture from 1917 made the KS 750. Zundapp supplied nearly 18000 of these versatile machines to the German army. This bike could touch a top speed of 70mph and when equipped with a side car with a machine gun became a lethal weapon in the arsenal of the German Army. Other models manufactured by this company were the 800 and K500W. Their production was however on a lower key.

NSU and DKW were two other companies in the fray to supply bikes to the German armed forces.NSU had the distinction of making nearly 9 models for use by the German army. They made the V twin bike which was a resounding success. The Danish company was also in the field with two models for the German army the RT 125 and NZ 350. Another company was Victoria that marketed the K6 and KR 35 Whitish company folded up at the end of the war in late fifties.

German armed forces must be credited for a much greater use of the motorcycle for their war effort than the allies. The use of the motorcycle as a weapon for war was perfected by the weharmatch. The exploits of the Motorcycle in the campaigns of the German army will forever remain a legend for all times to come.