email (option): grcajol@bigpond.com

Very nice indeed.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Reading about WW1 DR exploits, you can see why they struggled heroically with these motorcycles, with, not least, the big closely valanced mudguards clogging with mud. Mind you, I guess things had not moved on a great deal by WW2........lets face it, Allied military motorcycles were by and large badly designed for the job they had to do (as most ex-DRs will tell you in no uncertain terms!)....much the same as most other Allied ,military mechanised transport until the Jeep, DUKW, etc came along. The only outstanding thing about these motorcycles was the blokes who rode them! Hats off, etc..

It is unfortunate that the only military leader who under stood the stratigic advantages of motorcycles, particularly when backed up by tanks was her Hitler.
And even after the spetacular success of the blitzcreig, none of the allied forces cottoned on till well into the war and way too late to have been of much significant advantage.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Not sure where you are going with this, Trevor? The Axis forces had the superb 2WD combinations but they cost more to build than a Kubelwagen, so am not sure they could be deemed a strategic advantage......and most of Axis tranport was horse-drawn. I am not sure the Axis had any advantage overall in terms of actual motive power at any stage?

The Wehrmacht had rather severe losses with their sidecar outfits in the France and Flanders campaign of 1940. They were vulnerable to any well hidden Bren gun. It was partly witnessesing this which led the British to discontinue the idea of motorcycle reconnaissance units.

German sidecar losses increased in Russia and by 1943 they had pretty well given up on them altogether. Most German rear echelon motorcycles were small two strokes. I've seen no evidence that any army used motorcycles more efficiently for communications and convoy control than the British.

The Red Army didn't do too badly but they had many more outfits and blokes so could afford to lose some to gain the tactical advantage of a few blokes with rifles and a machine gun holding a cross road or bridge until the main force arrived. But I'm sure it wasn't fun.
Richard

Once you are bogged down into combat it is a different matter but when your objective is a lightening quick advance those foreward patrols on motorcycles can and did capture & secure bridges rail heads , fuel depot and the like.
A motorcycle light infantry was very effective.

The British commanders knew quite well how effective a motorcycle division can be as they played a major stragetic role in the Boer war and I might add BSA mounted to boot.
However rather than use them as a foreward attack unit the Generals decided that they would be used in support & signals.
A machine gun emplacement on a road will stop a single bike very quickly but a whole squad dispersed across the country side is very hard to defend against .
Twenty soldiers in the back of a truck is an easy target for machine gunners, artillary , aircraft or even a single sniper but 20 soldiers in a column on motorcycles are a lot more difficult to hit.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

And on a slightly different tack is that your model K Greg ?

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Yes it is Trevor, in the Queensland sunshine.

email (option): grcajol@bigpond.com

['they played a major stragetic role in the Boer war and I might add BSA mounted to boot.']...

I know they played a part in WW1 in Africa, as an entirely BSA mounted unit was formed to take part in actions against German interests in German East Africa and turned out to be a success in that role..

I think that was either 200 or 400 machines, which were Model Ks...

The Boer war took place from 1899-1902 and BSA didn't make a motorcycle with their own engine until 1911...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Motorcycles with proprietary engines were produced from 1903...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

My error,
Right bikes
wrong war
I shall stand in the dunces corner

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

For an interesting read, go to the New Zealand BSA Motorcycle Owners Club site & look under "BSA's in German East Africa"

email (option): grcajol@bigpond.com