Wehrmacht License Plates

[Richard T Eger]

Okay, the following doesn't pertain to aircraft, but still should be of research interest.

Regards,
Richard

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Wybe Buising
vehicles in Luftwaffe and Heer
Fri Mar 19 11:25:36 2004
195.193.241.162

Dear all,

l came across a picture of a English vehicle with the following numberplate WL330481. The WL indicates to my opinion Luftwaffe property (as WH means Heer, Navy l do not know, I do not where that W stand for). Does anyone have an idea who and from what point they started issueing these numbers in the occupied countries. Was there a system involved in it like serial blocks for trucks, cars or tractors?

Can from the above code more info be extracted?

Any help is much appreciated.

Regards,

Wybe

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Hawk-Eye
WL = Wehrmacht Luftwaffe - WH = Wehrmacht Heer. (nm)
Fri Mar 19 12:50:29 2004
195.93.74.19

[Richard T Eger]

Jaap Woortman
Here is your system!
Fri Mar 19 13:05:36 2004
212.142.15.102

The following information about Wehrmacht License Plates I have found at: Feldgrau.net Research Forum] posted by Ron Klages. At the end he gives his source for the information.

The alpha characters on a plate were used as follows:
WH is Heer [army]
WM is Kriegsmarine [navy]
WL is Luftwaffe [air force]
SS is Waffen-SS
POL is Polizei
OT or WT is Organization Todt
RAD is Reichsarbeitsdienst
MB is military command in Belgium and northern France
MD is military command in Denmark
MF is military command in France
MG is military command in General Government
MH is military command in Holland
MN is military command in Norway
MO is military command in the east
MR is German mission in Rumania
MS is military command in the southeast
MU s military command in the Ukraine
ZB is civil authority in Belgium and northern France
ZF is civil authority in France
ZO is the civil authority operating in the east
The allocat1on of the numbers originally were assigned based on the armed forces territorial arrangement or Wehrkreis. The assignment , as of 1939, was as follows:
Heer[army]
Wehrkreis I [Königsberg]
10000-19999
Wehrkreis II [Stettin]
20000-29999
Wehrkreis IIII [Berlin]
30000-39999
Wehrkreis IV [Dresden]
40000-49999
Wehrkreis V [Stuttgart]
50000-59999
Wehrkreis VI [Münster]
60000-69999
Wehrkreis VII [München]
70000-79999
Wehrkreis VIII [Breslau]
80000-89999
Wehrkreis IX [Kassel]
90000-99999
Wehrkreis X [Hamburg]
100000-109999
Wehrkreis XI [Hannover]
110000-119999
Wehrkreis XII [Wiesbaden]
120000-129999
Wehrkreis XIII [Nürnberg]
130000-139999
Wehrkreis XIV [Magdeburg
140000-149999
240000-249999
Wehrkreis XV [Jena]
150000-159999
250000-259999
Wehrkreis XVI [Berlin]
160000-169999
260000-269999
Wehrkreis XVII [Linz]
170000-179999
Wehrkreis XVIII [Salzburg]
180000-189999
Kriegsmarine[navy]
Marinestationen der Ostsee
1000-5999
Marinestationen der Nordsee
6000-9999
On 19 Aug 1940 it was revised as follows:
Marinestationen der Nordsee
12000-13999
Marinestationen der Nordsee West
10000-11999
On 20 Match 1941 the following were added:
OK der Kriegsmarine Berlin
1-999
Kommando der Marinestation Ostsee Kiel
1000-29999
Kommando der Marinestation Nordsee
Wilhelmshaven
30000-59999
Commanding Admiral
France, Paris
60000-79999
Norway, Oslo
80000-99999
Marinegruppenkommando Süd
100000-109999

Luftwaffe [airforce]
Luftgaukommando I [Königsburg]
10000-19999
Luftgaukommando See [Kiel und Magdeburg]
20000-29999
Luftgaukommando III [Berlin]
300000-319999
Luftgaukommando IV [Dresden]
400000-409999
Luftgaukommando VI [Münster]
600000-609999
Luftgaukommando VII [München]
700000-709999
Luftgaukommando VIII [Breslau]
800000-809999
Luftgaukommando XI [Hannover]
110000-119999
Luftgaukommando XIII [Nürnberg]
130000-139999
Luftgaukommando XVII [Wien]
170000-179999
Of course as the war continued the system had to be expanded and tthe quantity of vehicles consumed increased resulting in the use of 7 digit numbers.
The source for the above information comes from page 131 and 132 of DIE GEPANZERTEN RADFAHRZEUGE-DES DEUTSCHEN HEERES 1905-1945 by Walter J. Spielberger

Jaap.

(The Altavista translation of the book title is:

THE ARMORED WHEELED VEHICLES - THE GERMAN ARMY 1905-1945

Regards,
Richard)