Germany's highly effective blitzkrieg tactics during the early years of WWI in Europe, Africa, and the Eastern Front required fast, manoeuvrable vehicles. German blitzkrieg was made infamous at the start of the war and continued to prove effective in the deserts of North Africa. Spearheading these rapid and highly mobile attacks were the Wehrmacht’s Aufklärungsabteilungen (reconnaissance battalions). They ranged ahead of the main Panzer divisions, seeking safe routes and pinpointing enemy positions for elimination.