I found out more about this Hanomag trip and bought the book. I dont think their goal was trying to be a lateral west-east and their route:
Gibraltar
Morocco
Figiug (Oujda-Figuig)
Bechar
Tindouf
Bir Mogrein
Atar - (Nouakchott-Atar)
Chinguetti
Ouadane
Taoudenni
Tombouctou
Bourem (Niamey-Bourem)
Kidal
Tin Zaouaten
Tamanrasset
Djanet
Djado
Seguedine (Bilma-Seguedine)
Tummo
Sebha- (Tripolis-Sebha)
Tmessa
Tazerbo
Kufra
Gilf
Kharga
Asyut
Cairo
dipped down to the Niger river before going up to Algeria and there were excursions to Bamako and Tripoli (maybe not the whole group).
The nine month trip was plagued by ill health - many came and went - and by the time they left Kufra near the end there was only one guy per 'mag - and soon only 1 Hanomag left by the time they got to the Gilf!
So it seems a true lateral vehicle desert crossing (one that stays in the desert) still stands, staying, let's say, a couple of degrees either side of Cancer. It's only a stunt of course, and only politics and its consequences makes it impossible.
CS
For more on west east see this:
https://sahara-overland.com/2017/02/...ast-crossings/
Last edited by Chris Scott; 16 Jul 2020 at 16:12.
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