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| Born: November 10, 1914 in Makohlen, Heilsberg District Ultimate rank: Hauptmann Last service position: Leader of the Rommel Combat Echelon / Kampfgruppe Kiehl. Awards: Iron Cross 1st class during Campaign in France |  |
Rudolf Kiehl joined the Wehrmacht as an officer candidate on April 1, 1934 after passing his final examinations. He was assigned to the armored troops and won the Iron Cross, First Class as a Leutnant and patrol leader during the campaign against France in 1940. The 3rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion / Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3 was one of the first units of the Africa Corps to reach North Africa, arriving in February 1941. Kiehl was present when the advance on Agedabia was begun and by April 2, 1941... Nofilia, El Agheila and Agedabia had fallen to the DAK.
In the course of the subsequent advance, Rommel formed "the Commander-in-Chief's combat echelon" or Begleitkommando Rommel / Kampfstaffel du DAK and placed it under Hauptmann Kiehl. Soon the unit was known simply as "Combat Echelon Kiehl" or Kampfgruppe Kiehl. Kiehl's unit followed Rommel like his shadow and intermixed direct command reconnaissance duties, inter-army communication dispatches, along with protection of their commander. It was lightly equipped with 50mm anti-tank and both mounted and towed 20mm light anti-aircraft guns, as well as an armored reconnaissance platoon. The unit acquired or rebuilt a number of Sd.Kfz. III's and picked or salvaged a group of some 20 British Honeys and three Crusaders (one without turret). These were reconditioned, repainted with Balkenkreuz and put in into service with the DAK. Other vehicles were added over time and this Kiehl force became an effective 'tool' in Rommel's arsenal.
The advance which began on January 21, 1942 saw Rommel and his combat echelon constantly at the front. Benghazi fell on January 29. Hauptmann Kiehl was the first to storm into the city. This feat won him the German Cross in Gold. Bir Hacheim fell on June 11, 1942. Tobruk was seized from the enemy in twenty-four hours on June 20-21 and the advance continued. Rudolf Kiehl was first into Marsa Matruk and this feat won him the Knight's Cross. In his personal recommendation for Kiehl to be awarded the Knights Cross, Rommel wrote:
"As leader of the commander-in-chief's combat echelon, Hauptmann Kiehl has played a significant role in the success of the army through outstanding bravery' and decisive leadership. Skill, courage and the highest level of bravery distinguish him..."
On September 4, 1942, during the heavy fighting near El Alamein, Rudolf Kiehl was killed by a direct hit on his reconnaissance vehicle at Alam Halfa.
Begleitkommando Rommel / Kampstaffel du DAK
Begleitkommando Rommel / Kampfstaffel du DAK
Some researchers are coming under the belief that many of the 'Beute' or captured vehicles seen in service were attached to his Begleitkommando Rommel / Kampfstaffel du DAK so as to confuse the enemy as to the whereabouts of Rommel and to add 'firepower to Kiehl's protection force. The limited ability to intermix vehicle types and to keep them in service in the harsh climatic conditions of the desert brings commonsense to this thought. Using Begleitkommando Rommel / Kampfstaffel du DAK as a collecting point for these vehicles (from each of the Panzer Divisions in the AFRIKAKORPS or later the Panzer Armee AFRIKA ) would be an easy system for assimilating them into a usable force. So you see in many AFRIKAKORPS photos the collection and examination of vehicles for serviceable types, the collecting of intelligence information from the vehicles, and the obtaining or both fuel and spare parts or even the vehicles themselves. It is quite noticeable in photographs to find Rommel in his GREIF marked Sd.Kfz.250/3 or his Kfz.15 being flanked by sd.Kfz.251's and the 'Beute' in a British FAT loaded with his own personal gear, a Balkenkreuz marked Universal Carrier and even a Crusader. |
Bibliography
Knights Cross Holders of the AFRIKAKORPS by Franz Kurowski, Schiffer
François de Lannoy also has a list of the NA Knights Cross winners in his book AFRIKAKORPS from Heimdal
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