Saturday, November 29, 2014

Photographers Standing in front of Pappy's Pram

 US Army Air Force Aerial Photographers standing in front of "Pappy's Pram", a B-26B-25-MA Marauder bomber (s/n 41-31802) of 450th Bombardment Squadron / 322nd Bombardment Group / 9th Airforce at the base. They have been on total of 50 missions since operations began during World War II. From left to right: St. James Hinkle (VA), Sgt. Robert Hammerberg (IL), Sgt. Frank Udovich (WI), Sgt. CharlesA. Smith (TX), and St. Wilbur DeGroff (WI). Photo by Frank Scherschel

Source:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/27e9e8a6fd53f768.html

German Leaders during Prince Paul of Yugoslavia Visit

German leaders gathered in Ehrentribüne during Luftwaffe demonstration in Tiergartenstraße (Berlin) on the occasion of the visit of Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia, 2 June 1939. Standing in the front row from left to right: Adolf Hitler (Führer und Reichskanzler), Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia (blocked by Göring), Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Großadmiral Erich Raeder (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), and two diplomats: Konstantin von Neurath (Reichsprotektor in Böhmen und Mähren) and Ernst von Weizsäcker (Staatssekretär des Auswärtigen Amtes), father of the later German Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker. We can see perfectly Göring with the sash and the Grand Cross of the yugoslavian Order of the White Eagle. Raeder and Von Neurath wear the same sash, while Von Brauchitsch wear the blue sash and Grand Cross of the Order of Yugoslavian Crown. Von Weizsäcker wears the Order of Saint Sava. What about Hitler? as was usual, didn't receive any foreign award from his visitor...


Source:
http://elektra.bsb-muenchen.de/jsp/frames/documentframe.jsp;jsessionid=C36D8544B82486086CD013D25FB85958?database=BILDARC@BSBBild$0&position=48&timeout=10
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=153613&start=195
http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/14448-what-awards-did-herman-goering-receive/page-2
http://www.ww2incolor.com/german_leadership/despie35-09_73_3%23.html

Friday, November 28, 2014

Großadmiral Baton Presentation for Erich Raeder

This picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger above Battleship Tirpitz anchored in Wilhelshaven in 1 April 1939, and the occasion was Adolf Hitler's presentation of the Großadmiral (Grand Admiral) baton to Erich Raeder, Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine. It is possible that the man front row on the left is Konteradmiral Günther Lütjens (Führer der Torpedoboote), although the nose does not seem quite right. The one giving the naval salute is Vizeadmiral Wilhelm Marschall (Befehlshaber der Panzerschiffe), while the one two to the right of him, with the goatee, is Admiral Rolf Carls (Kommandierender Admiral Marinestation der Ostsee).


Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=150217
http://life.time.com/?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=LIFE&s=hugo+jaeger

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Luftwaffe Ace Hauptmann Joachim "Jochen" Müncheberg

 This picture showing Hauptmann Joachim "Jochen" Müncheberg when his fame was at its height. This one was first published in "Die Wehrmacht" magazine of 8 July 1942, which suggests that they could show the return of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) "Schlageter" pilots from the famous action of 2 June 1942, when they almost exterminated a Canadian fighter squadron. Müncheberg (31 December 1918 – 23 March 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 135 enemy aircraft shot down in over 500 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western Front, with 33 claims over the Eastern Front. Of his 102 aerial victories achieved over the Western Allies, 46 were against Supermarine Spitfire fighters. Born in Friedrichsdorf, Müncheberg, who had strong ambitions as a track and field athlete, volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich in 1936. Initially serving in the Heer (Army), he transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in 1938. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 234 (JG 234—234th Fighter Wing) in October 1938. He was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) a year later and was appointed adjutant of the III. Gruppe (3rd Group). He fought in the Battle of France and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) following his 20th aerial victory and during the Battle of Britain. Serving as a Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) he fought in the aerial battles during the siege of Malta and Balkans Campaign. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) and Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor (Italian: Medaglia d'oro al Valore Militare) after 43 aerial victories. Müncheberg then briefly served in North Africa in support of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps before transferring to France. He was given command of JG 26's II. Gruppe (2nd Group) in September 1941 and was then posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), operating on the Eastern Front, in July 1942. Serving as a Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) in training under JG 51 wing commander Karl-Gottfried Nordmann, he claimed his 100th aerial victory on 5 September 1942 for which he was awarded the Swords (Schwerter) to his Knight's Cross on 9 September, his score then at 103 aerial victories. On 1 October 1942 Müncheberg was given command of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing), operating in the Mediterranean Theatre. He died of wounds following a mid-air collision during combat near Meknassy, Tunisia on 23 March 1943.

Source:
 Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_M%C3%BCncheberg

Joachim Müncheberg Describing his Recent Dogfight

This picture showing Hauptmann Joachim "Jochen" Müncheberg (Luftwaffe ace with 135 aerial victories) when his fame was at its height. This one was first published in "Die Wehrmacht" magazine of 8 July 1942, which suggests that they could show the return of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) "Schlageter" pilots from the famous action of 2 June 1942, when they almost exterminated a Canadian fighter squadron. Müncheberg is describing the recent action


Source:
 Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec

Pilots of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) "Schlageter"

This picture showing Hauptmann Joachim "Jochen" Müncheberg (Luftwaffe ace with 135 aerial victories) when his fame was at its height. This one was first published in "Die Wehrmacht" magazine of 8 July 1942, which suggests that they could show the return of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) "Schlageter" pilots from the famous action of 2 June 1942, when they almost exterminated a Canadian fighter squadron. Müncheberg is the one at left, while at right is Hauptmann Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, the younger brother of famous Luftwaffe ace Adolf "Dolfo" Galland


Source:
Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Edouard Daladier and Hermann Göring during Münich Agreement

French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier and German Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) in an open-top sedan in Münich, Germany, 29 September 1938, during the conference for a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation "Sudetenland" was coined. SS officer standing behind Göring is SS-Hauptsturmführer Peter Hogl (Stellvertreter des Kommandoführer Johann Rattenhuber in der RSD, Reichssicherheitsdienst)


Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=211509&p=1910621#p1910621
http://life.time.com/?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=LIFE&s=hugo+jaeger

SdKfz 7/1 in Fischhausen, March 1945

Abandoned SdKfz 7/1 in Fischhausen (now Primorsk in the Kaliningrad Oblast), March 1945, during the East Prussian Offensive, 13 January – 25 April 1945. The halftrack mounted a a 2 cm Flakvierling 38 quadruple anti-aircraft gun system (German official name: 2cm Flakvierling 38 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz.7/1). Interesting to note that both the added armour plate in front of the engine grill as well as the armour plate of the Flakvierling appears to be in Panzergrau.

Source:
http://www.vintag.es/2013/04/color-photos-of-east-prussian-from-1944.html

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Franz von Werra, The One that Got Away

Leutnant Franz von Werra was one of several Luftwaffe personalities who rose from obscurity to fame in a space of merely a few months. Although many fighter pilots of both sides enjoyed widespread media attention, Franz von Werra was alone to achieve an unique record: gaining press publicity independently in three different countries. This is his story.

To many of his peers, von Werra appeared as an eccentric playboy with marked predilection for self-promotion. These  features of his character might have a lot to do with his upbringing, which combined aristocratic aspiration with modest financial and social conditions. Von Werra joined the Luftwaffe in 1936.  His career progressed swiftly, and in 1940 he had a position of an adjutant of II./JG 3 “Udet”.

Ambitious and self-assured, he seemingly sought his way into the limelight. When war correspondents visited his unit for a photo shoot and interviews, von Werra appeared with his pet lion Simba, which he kept at the aerodrome as the unit mascot. The resulting series of photographs showed him posing in the cockpit of his Bf 109, wearing his officer’s cap and holding up Simba to the camera. These images became a media hit, and appeared on many contemporary magazine covers throughout Germany.

Von Werra was also a skilled fighter pilot, although his results weren’t anywhere near those of the Luftwaffe’s top guns. He most frequently flew as a wingman of Hauptmann Erich von Selle, the commanding officer of his unit. In this role, he scored four victories during the Battle of France – a Hurrricane, two Breguet 693s and a Morane MS.406.

Despite this initial success, von Werra’s tally did not advance any further during June, July and larger part of August, despite the fact that operations against the RAF were being flown almost daily.

Then suddenly, on 28 August, von Werra returned from a mission claiming 9 aircraft destroyed. According to his report, he first shot down a Spitfire during a general melée, then became detached from his unit, spotted three Hurricanes on a landing circuit and destroyed them one after another. Lastly, he zoomed low over the airfield, setting additional five Hurricanes on fire.

The extravagant size of this claim should have ringed a warning bell in a head of any intelligence officer receiving such report. There were no witnesses to confirm the shootings, and Von Werra’s story followed a scenario used by many pilots making up their victories.  For comparison, Polish W/Cdr Rolski later wrote that he experienced several such cases during the 1941-42 campaigns. All followed the same pattern: a pilot got detached from his unit, then, once all friendly aircraft were out of sight, had a more or less dramatic fight with the enemy, either over the Channel or the enemy territory, after which he returned back to his airfield. There was always a twist to the story to explain why his own aircraft remained unscathed and, of course, no witnesses could confirm or deny the story.

Whatever the suspicions might have been against von Werra’s account, he was also the adjutant of the Staffel. In the end, a compromise was met: JG 3 headquarters credited him with four aerial victories, cancelling the five aircraft strafed on the ground (according to Luftwaffe standards, aircraft destroyed on the ground also counted as ‘kills’).

Typically for Franz von Werra, this official ruling did not prevent him to order his mechanics to paint all nine victory bars on the tail of his aircraft, to the sum of 13.  The events of 28 August finally made him an ace, and much propaganda was made of his feat.

Then came the day of 5 September, when von Werra was shot down. On that occasion, II./JG 3 was flying as an escort to a bombing raid on Croydon. On the return leg of the raid the bombers were attacked by a swarm of RAF fighters. Hauptmann Von Selle, leading the thirty escorting Messerschmitts, gave the order to attack. At the exact moment when Selle rolled his aircraft to starboard to initiate a dive, another gaggle of Spitfires jumped them from behind, their guns blazing. Von Selle’s aircraft avoided the bullets. His wingman, Franz von Werra, did not have such luck; a well-placed burst damaged the engine of his Bf 109 and knocked off his radio.

Without engine power, the German pilot was unable to shake off the attacker, which followed him in a dive, squirting the Messerschmitt with a series of short bursts. Ultimately, von Werra had no choice but to make a crash-landing. This he did, putting down his aircraft wheels-up but otherwise intact on a field at Loves Farm, Marden, Kent.

The identity of the victorious British pilot remains the subject of debate until this day. Some researchers claim that the pilot who was responsible for the shooting was F/Lt John Terence Webster of No. 31 Squadron. Others believe it to be a shared victory by P/O George Bennions of No. 41 Squadron and P/O Basil Gerald Stapleton of No. 603 Squadron. Yet others have attributed the same achievement to F/Lt Paterson Clarence Hughes, an ace of No. 234 Squadron with a victory tally of 14. Officially, the credit originally went to ‘Stapme’ Stapleton, but Hughes final DFC citation in the London Gazette of 22 October 1940 awarded him a half credit for the same.

As the damaged Messerschmitt came to a stop surrounded by a cloud of dust, its pilot, unhurt, lifted off the hood and stepped out of the cockpit. He saw farm workers about a quarter of a mile away, heading in his direction. He briefly considered his options, and decided that there was no point in trying to run. They found him calmly burning his flight documents, holding up the sheets between the tips of his fingers so that the paper would burn faster.

When arrested and searched, von Werra reportedly remained silent. As the guards led him out of the field and through an orchard, he stretched out a hand and picked an apple. He munched it ostensibly and spat out the core. He did not seem to pay much regard to his escort, usually responding to their interrogations with shrugging of his shoulders. Finally, stuck in a back with a rifle, he was persuaded into a car, which took him to the County Police Constabulary at Maidstone. He spent several hours in a police arrest before being handed over to the Army, who escorted him to Maidstone Barracks, managed by Royal West Kent Regiment.

There, von Werra demonstrated that he would not be easily intimidated by his new predicament. Having been put to work digging, he tried to overwhelm his guard using a pick axe and run away. The attempt proved unsuccessful; von Werra was interrogated for eighteen days, to be eventually sent to the London District Prisoner of War “cage” and then on to POW Camp No.1 at Grizedale Hall in Lancashire.

It was during these interrogations that von Werra shared his version of the events on 28 August. The facts were promptly checked, whereupon the British revealed his fraud. Von Werra’s claims, only recently publicised by the German propaganda, were  now ridiculed in a BBC broadcast.

Beside providing a proof that Leutnant von Werra was alive and unhurt, the BBC broadcast had a curious effect on the other side of the Channel.  Apparently II./JG3 considered it as an indirect admission that Werra’s victories indeed had taken place – the pilot was nominated for the Knight’s Cross. This was awarded in absentia on 14 December 1940.

Franz von Werra tried to escape for the second time on 7 October, during a daytime walk outside the camp. At a regular stop, while a fruit cart provided a diversion and other German prisoners covered for him, von Werra slipped over a dry-stone wall into a field. The guards alerted the local farmers and the Home Guard. Three days later, two Home Guard soldiers found him sheltering from the rain in a hoggarth – a small stone hut used for storing sheep fodder – but he quickly escaped and disappeared into the night.

On 12 October, the fugitive was spotted again climbing a fell. This time the area was surrounded. Von Werra was found, hidden in a muddy depression in the ground. He was sentenced to 21 days of solitary confinement and subsequently transferred on 3 November to Camp No. 10 in Swanwick, Derbyshire.

In Camp No. 13, also known as the Hayes camp, von Werra joined a group of German prisoners who were digging an escape tunnel. On 17 December 1940, after a month’s digging, the escape route was clear. The camp forgers equipped the group with money and fake identity papers. On 20 December, von Werra and four others slipped out of the tunnel under the cover of anti-aircraft fire and the singing of the camp choir.

The others were recaptured only a few days later, leaving von Werra to go it alone. He had taken along his flying suit and decided to masquerade as Captain Van Lott, a Dutch pilot. He claimed to a friendly locomotive driver that he was a downed bomber pilot trying to get to his unit, and asked to be taken to the nearest RAF station. At the railway station of Codnor Park, a local clerk became suspicious, but eventually agreed to arrange his transportation to the RAF aerodrome at Hucknall, near Nottingham. A policeman also questioned him, but von Werra managed to convince him that he was harmless.

In this way, the German ace arrived at RAF Hucknall. There, he was brought to Sqn/Ldr Boniface who asked for his credentials. Von Werra claimed to be based at Dyce near Aberdeen. While Boniface went to check this, von Werra excused himself and ran to the nearest hangar, trying to tell a mechanic that he was cleared for a test flight. This time, the bluff did not work; Boniface arrived in time to arrest him at gunpoint. Von Werra was sent back to Hayes under armed guard.

In January 1941, he was sent with many other German prisoners to Canada. They left Britain on the ship, Duchess of York, on the evening of 19 January, landing in Halifax, Canada four days later. Von Werra’s group was to be taken to a camp on the north shore of Lake Superior, Ontario.

It was from the train that took the prisoners from Halifax to Lake Superior that Baron Von Werra made his final, successful escape. He jumped out of a window, again with the help of other prisoners, and ended up near Smiths Falls, 30 miles from the St. Lawrence River. Seven other prisoners tried to escape from the same train, but were soon recaptured. Fortunately for him, Von Werra’s absence was not noticed until the following afternoon.

After an agonizing crossing of the frozen St. Lawrence River, von Werra made his way over the border to Ogdensburg, New York, USA. There he turned himself over to the police.

The immigration authorities charged him with entering the country illegally, but von Werra was able to contact the local German consul for help.

While the US and Canadian authorities were negotiating his extradition, the story of his escape came to the attention of the press, which he exploited with evident satisfaction. The ‘von’ in his name ensured that the American papers would devote column inches to his story, and typically, he did not hesitate to tell the journalists a highly embellished account of his adventures!

Finally, the German consulate helped him over the border to Mexico. From there, von Werra proceeded in stages to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Barcelona, Spain, and Rome, Italy. He finally arrived back in Germany on 18 April 1941. He was received like a national hero.

Franz Von Werra is remembered as the only German Battle of Britain combatant who became a prisoner of war and made a successful return to his country – "The One That Got Away".


Source:
http://spitfiresite.com/2010/09/battle-of-britain-1940-franz-von-werra.html

A Sea of Swastikas

 Nazi flags fill a festival at Innsbruck. It was Hitler who came up with the idea of using the swastika as the symbol of the Nazi Party. After many attempts, he wrote in Mein Kampf, "I found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika."


Source:
http://www.ww2incolor.com/german/344229de455216ea_landing.html

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Military Demonstration at Hitler's 50th Birthday Celebration in Berlin

Military demonstration at Hitler's 50th birthday celebration in Berlin. April 20, 1939. The color pics do give us a better perspective of how the Nazis used the decorations to capture one's attention. Looking at military parades with the different colored uniforms gives one a sense of awe. The Nazis knew what they were doing. They were excellent decorators and designers who knew how to grab the utmost attention of people. Notice the pillars with the gold eagle and swastikas on top and the German troops at parade rest. Along with the decor, the uniforms also look very sharp as well!


Source:
http://www.ww2f.com/topic/47226-sunshine-and-swastikas/

German and Finnish Officers at Lake Ladoga

This interesting, original color photo by Carl Gustav Rosenqvist was taken on August 10, 1942 and shows German and Finnish high-ranking officers crossing the Ladoga lake in Finland using Siebelfähre (Siebel's Freight / Ferry Boat) owned by Einsatzstab Fähre Ost (EFO), a Luftwaffe unit in Finland. This ferry operates around the Lake Ladoga region along with Italian MTB (12. Squadriglia MAS) and German mine ships from C-Gruppe / 31.Minensuch-Flottilla. From left to right: Oberstleutnant der Reserve Friedrich-Wilhelm Siebel (Kommandeur Einsatzstab Fähre Ost); Finnish Colonel Eino Iisakki Järvinen (Commander of the Lake Ladoga Beach Brigade), and two unknown Luftwaffe officers (the one on the far right is from the Flak unit based from his waffenfarbe). Original description from SA-Kuva - Finland: "During an inspection of the German Navy (Einsatzstab Fähre Ost) in Lahti, the invited guests set out on an infantry boat from where Colonel Keller received the parade. Bay bottom, Ladoga." Please note that if it's referred to Generaloberst Alfred Keller, so the ID is wrong because it is NOT him.


Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=41944&p=374911&hilit=Colonel+E.+J%C3%A4rvinen#p374911
https://wehrmachtss.blogspot.com/2018/11/perwira-jerman-dan-finlandia-di-danau.html

German Soldiers in Königsberg with a MG 151/20 Gun

Volkssturm men in Königsberg (East Prussia) with Panzerfaust and a MG 151/20 gun (Aircraft MG modified for ground use), winter of 1945. The Volkssturm used anything they could beg or borrow. Their supply situation was hopeless. Their only more or less standard weapon was the Panzerfaust. The MG 151 (MG 151/15) itself was a 15 mm autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. It was in 1941 developed into the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon which was widely used on many types of German Luftwaffe fighters, fighter bombers, night fighters, ground attack and even bombers as part of or as their main armament during World War II. The 20 mm MG 151/20 was also fitted on the Italian World War II fighter aircraft of the "Serie 5", the most effective Italian fighters of World War II. The one in the picture is a field adaptation of a Mauser MG 151/15 or 151/20, basically a 15 or 20 mm aircraft cannon fitted with a tripod and a makeshift shield


Source:
http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2011/10/1945-russians-were-coming-east-prussia.html
http://www.vintag.es/2013/04/color-photos-of-east-prussian-from-1944.html

Friday, November 21, 2014

German POWs Arrived in Germany for Repatriation

German prisoners (mainly ex-Afrikakorps personnel) arrived in Germany for repatriation after POW exchange agreement with the British, 1943. The Geneva Convention makes provision for the repatriation of all Prisoners of War, even during hostilities. During 1939-1945 it was only possible for the British and Germans to reach agreement over the seriously ill and disabled. For the majority of the 40,000 British servicemen who were taken prisoner in 1939 and 1940, the war was to be a very long and dispiriting experience. Negotiations, conducted through the Red Cross, over the repatriation of seriously wounded men, had begun in late 1940. They did not progress very far because there were far fewer German men in this category than British. It was only after substantial numbers of Germans were taken prisoner in the Desert campaign of 1942 that the talks resumed. The actual exchange of prisoners did not take place until October 1943


Source:
www.life.time.com

German POWs Arrived in Germany for Repatriation

German prisoners (mainly ex-Afrikakorps personnel) arrived in Germany for repatriation after POW exchange agreement with the British, 1943. The Geneva Convention makes provision for the repatriation of all Prisoners of War, even during hostilities. During 1939-1945 it was only possible for the British and Germans to reach agreement over the seriously ill and disabled. For the majority of the 40,000 British servicemen who were taken prisoner in 1939 and 1940, the war was to be a very long and dispiriting experience. Negotiations, conducted through the Red Cross, over the repatriation of seriously wounded men, had begun in late 1940. They did not progress very far because there were far fewer German men in this category than British. It was only after substantial numbers of Germans were taken prisoner in the Desert campaign of 1942 that the talks resumed. The actual exchange of prisoners did not take place until October 1943


Source:
www.life.time.com

German POWs Arrived in Germany for Repatriation

German prisoners (mainly ex-Afrikakorps personnel) arrived in Germany for repatriation after POW exchange agreement with the British, 1943. The Geneva Convention makes provision for the repatriation of all Prisoners of War, even during hostilities. During 1939-1945 it was only possible for the British and Germans to reach agreement over the seriously ill and disabled. For the majority of the 40,000 British servicemen who were taken prisoner in 1939 and 1940, the war was to be a very long and dispiriting experience. Negotiations, conducted through the Red Cross, over the repatriation of seriously wounded men, had begun in late 1940. They did not progress very far because there were far fewer German men in this category than British. It was only after substantial numbers of Germans were taken prisoner in the Desert campaign of 1942 that the talks resumed. The actual exchange of prisoners did not take place until October 1943


Source:
www.life.time.com

Afrikakorps POWs at El Guettar Valley

 German POWs receive water ration in an Allied-controlled prison camp at El Guettar Valley, Tunisia, 1943. in mid-February 1943 the Axis forces launched a strong counter-attack against the US II Corps in south-western Tunisia. The 1st Armored Division's counter-moves ended in a complete disaster, the division losing two of its tank battalions in two days, with over 2,500 American soldiers being taken prisoner on February 16 and 17. After 22 days of tough fighting at El Guettar the US Army were regenerated after its unfortunate setback. Now under George S Patton's energetic command, the self-confidence and offensive spirit of the 1st Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions returned and the 9th Infantry Division had gone from being a green, inexperienced outfit to a combat-experienced and able fighting unit. The Battle of El Guettar was fought between elements of the Heeresgruppe Afrika under Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim - along with Italian forces under General Giovanni Messe - and U.S. II Corps under Lieutenant General George S. Patton in south-central Tunisia. It was the first battle in which U.S. forces were able to defeat the experienced German tank units, but the followup to the battle was inconclusive. The picture was made by LIFE photographer Eliot Elisofon 


Source:
http://www.afterthebattle.com/store/index.php?id_product=149&controller=product
http://life.time.com/?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=LIFE&s=eliot+elisofon

German POWs at El Guettar Valley

German POWs receive water ration in an Allied-controlled prison camp at El Guettar Valley, Tunisia, 1943. in mid-February 1943 the Axis forces launched a strong counter-attack against the US II Corps in south-western Tunisia. The 1st Armored Division's counter-moves ended in a complete disaster, the division losing two of its tank battalions in two days, with over 2,500 American soldiers being taken prisoner on February 16 and 17. After 22 days of tough fighting at El Guettar the US Army were regenerated after its unfortunate setback. Now under George S Patton's energetic command, the self-confidence and offensive spirit of the 1st Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions returned and the 9th Infantry Division had gone from being a green, inexperienced outfit to a combat-experienced and able fighting unit. The Battle of El Guettar was fought between elements of the Heeresgruppe Afrika under Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim - along with Italian forces under General Giovanni Messe - and U.S. II Corps under Lieutenant General George S. Patton in south-central Tunisia. It was the first battle in which U.S. forces were able to defeat the experienced German tank units, but the followup to the battle was inconclusive. The picture was made by LIFE photographer Eliot Elisofon


Source:
http://www.afterthebattle.com/store/index.php?id_product=149&controller=product
http://life.time.com/?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=LIFE&s=eliot+elisofon

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Afrikakorps Soldiers with their Kübelwagen

Somewhere in the North African desert: DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps) soldier get ready to wear his shoes in a feldbett (field cot) near his Kübelwagen (number plate WH, Wehrmacht Heer, 936769) while his friend still wrapped in blanket. These feldbett could be a "liberated" cots - either British or American because it had a different style of cot than the one seen being used in Russia - more akin to US cots


Source:
http://thirdreichcolorpictures.blogspot.com/2010/11/cars-of-wehrmacht-in-color.html

Hitler and Mussolini During Hitler's 1938 State Visit to Italy

 His face expressionless, Benito Mussolini rides in an open-air car with Adolf Hitler in Florence, 9 May 1938, during Hitler's state visit to Italy. Hitler beamed and strutted like a peacock across his host’s stage, having pulled off his bloodless coup in Austria (Anschluss) earlier in March after Mussolini had abandoned his northern neighbor to the Nazi predator. Although Germany and Italy were allies Hitler didn’t go to Italy that often. He was in Venice for a few days in May 1934. There he met Mussolini. In 1938 Hitler was in Italy for a week. He saw Napoli, Florence and Rome. In Rome he met Mussolini and the king of Italy. He visited the Palazzo del Quirinale, the Palazzo Venezia and the Pantheon. Hitler and Mussolini also met on the Brennerpass, near the border between Italy and Austria, in 1940. In 1943 Hitler was in Italy again for a meeting with Mussolini in Feltre


Source:
http://hitlerpages.com/pagina44.html
http://life.time.com/history/adolf-hitler-benito-mussolini-color-photos-of-chummy-warmongers/#1

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Photo of Finnish Journalist and Poet Olavi Paavolainen

Photo of Finnish journalist and poet Olavi Paavolainen at Mikkeli, Eastern Finland... in its most appropriate uniform! Paavolainen (1903 - 1964) was a Finnish essayist, journalist, travel book writer, and poet. During World War II Paavolainen served at the Information Department of the Headquarters. He was posted after the outbreak of the Winter War to Mikkeli in eastern Finland, as adjutant to an infantry general and visited Vienola in 1944. His childhood home with its famous palm tree room was destroyed. It was the last time he saw his place of birth. Paavolainen's critical World War II diary "Synkkä Yksinpuhelu" which was published in 1946, was attacked domestically because of its opposition and surmounted opinions of the war between Finland and the Soviet Union, and hidden anticipation of the defeat in the early war years. When Paavolainen's travel book from Germany were more or less enthusiastic, now he had his own reservations about the Finland's alliance with Nazi Germany. After the major criticism in Finland, Paavolainen made the decision to publish no more books and retreated. In 1945 Paavolainen married journalist Sirkka-Liisa Virtamo; but the marriage ended officially eight years later in 1953.


Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olavi_Paavolainen
http://sa-kuva.fi/neo?tem=webneoeng

Hitler Inspecting Railway Gun Gustav

This picture was taken by Walter Frentz in 4 April 1943 at Reichswerke Hermann Göring, Linz (Germany), when Hitler visited the Eisenbahngeschütz 80 cm Kanone Schwerer Gustav. FLTR: Generalleutnant Walter Buhle (Chef vom Heeresstab im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Ingenieur Erich Müller (Wehrwirtschaftsführer), Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Reichsleiter Martin Bormann (Stabsleiter im Amt des Stellvertreters des Führers), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Reichskanzler), Prof.Dr.-Ing.Albert Speer (Reichsminister für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion), and SS-Gruppenführer Julius Schaub (not visible in this picture, Chefadjutant des Führers Adolf Hitler)...


Source:
http://elektra.bsb-muenchen.de/servlet/Top/frames/hitsframe#bildarc

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Luftwaffe Soldiers with Radio

This picture from SIGNAL magazine (French edition) showing German Luftwaffe soldiers using Torn. Fu. d 2 field radio in the front. This portable transceiver Torn.Fu.d2 is a VHF 2 way communications device with modes A1 "Telegrafie tonlos" and A3 "Telefonie" operated in the frequency range 33.8 to 38 MHz. Communication range in A3 mode is approximately 3 km and 10 in A1 mode. The Torn.Fu.d2 can be operated from a field telephone via a 1 to 2 km long field line. Transmitter has 3 tubes and a output power of 1 watt. Receiver has 6 tubes with a IF on 2.1 MHz.


Source:
http://fykse.dnsalias.com/bilder/tornfud2/

German Banner Holder at Hitler's Birthday

The picture was taken in Berlin at the military demonstration for Hitler’s 50th birthday (Führergeburtstag), 20 April 1939. These Fahnenträger are from Infanterie-Regiment 102 led by Oberst Stephan Rittau, latter Generalleutnant. The picture itself was taken by Hugo Jaeger, Hitler's personal photographer


Source:
https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=743&q=source%3Alife+jaeger&oq=source%3Alife+jaeger&gs_l=img.3...1109.7214.0.7559.18.8.0.10.0.0.240.841.0j4j1.5.0....0...1ac.1.58.img..14.4.683.uQThMVWSJEo

American Troops on their Way to the British Dock before D-Day

American troops of the 2nd Ranger Battalion march through Weymouth, a southern English coastal town, on their way to the docks where they will be loaded into landing craft for the big assault on D-Day, June 1944. The massive concrete cliff-top gun emplacement at Pointe du Hoc was the target of the 2nd Ranger battalion, commanded by James Earl Rudder. The task was to scale the 30 meter (100 ft) cliffs under enemy fire with ropes and ladders, and then attack and destroy the guns, which were thought to command the Omaha and Utah landing areas. The Ranger commanders did not know that the guns had been moved prior to the attack, and they had to press farther inland to find them but eventually destroyed them. However, the beach fortifications themselves were still vital targets since a single artillery forward observer based there could have called down accurate fire on the U.S. beaches. The Rangers were eventually successful, and captured the fortifications. They then had to fight for 2 days to hold the location, losing more than 60% of their men


Source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Operation_Overlord

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Panzer 38(t) and Panzer II on the Move in France 1940

Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) (SdKfz 140), extreme left, and Panzerkampfwagen II (SdKfz 121) climbing a grade, right, on the move. This is a rare color shot, which may be staged for the German war photographer. Please note that these two tanks have a clean rear deck and the helmets hanging over the side and rear of the Panzer II! It was taken in 1-10 June 1940 during the breakout of 7. Panzer-Division (Generalmajor Erwin Rommel) out of a valley near the Somme river. Originally the picture was published in the book "Entscheidende Stunden", a German propaganda book printed in 1941


Sources:
http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery/wwii0116
http://www.ww2incolor.com/german-armor/ajr.jpg.html

Friday, November 14, 2014

Soldiers of the Red Kuban Cossacks during Victory Parade

 Soldiers of the Red Kuban Cossacks at attention during the victory parade in 24th June 1945. The Moscow Victory Parade was held by the Soviet army (with a small squad from the Polish army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It took place in the Soviet capital of Moscow, mostly centering around a military parade through Red Square. The parade took place on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month after May 9, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commanders. The parade itself was ordered by Marshal of the Soviet Union Joseph (Iosif) Stalin on June 22, 1945, by virtue of Order 370 of the Office of the Supreme Commander in Chief, Armed Forces of the USSR



Source:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1398829/posts

Victory Parade of Red Army in June 1945

Soldiers of the Red Army at attention during the victory parade in 24th June 1945. The Moscow Victory Parade was held by the Soviet army (with a small squad from the Polish army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It took place in the Soviet capital of Moscow, mostly centering around a military parade through Red Square. The parade took place on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month after May 9, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commanders. The parade itself was ordered by Marshal of the Soviet Union Joseph (Iosif) Stalin on June 22, 1945, by virtue of Order 370 of the Office of the Supreme Commander in Chief, Armed Forces of the USSR


Source:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1398829/posts

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Adolf Hitler Visiting Rügenwalde

On 18-19 March 1943 Hitler visited the town of Rügenwalde/Pomerania (Germany) to see the 80 cm. Eisenbahngeschütz "Dora", the largest gun in the world. While Hitler was there the gun fired two granates. This picture was taken in 19 March 1943 by Walter Frentz and shows, from left to right: General der Artillerie Alfred Jodl (Chef Wehrmacht-Führungsamt), SS-Oberführer Prof. Dr.-Ing. e.h. mult. Ferdinand Porsche (Vorsitzender der Panzerkommission), Generaloberst Heinz Guderian (Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen), Generalleutnant Walter Buhle (Chef vom Heeresstab im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Reichskanzler), Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Hauptdienstleiter Dipl.-Ing. Karl-Otto Saur (Staatssekretär im Reichsministerium für Bewaffnung und Munition), and SS-Gruppenführer Julius Schaub (Chefadjutant des Führers Adolf Hitler)


On 18-19 March 1943 Hitler visited the town of Rügenwalde/Pomerania (Germany) to see the demonstration of 80 cm. Eisenbahngeschütz "Dora", the largest gun in the world, and newly built panzers. This picture was taken in 19 March 1943 by Walter Frentz and shows, from left to right: General der Artillerie Alfred Jodl (Chef des Wehrmachtsführungsstabes im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW), Dr.-Ing. Albert Speer (Reichsminister für Bewaffnung und Munition), Adolf Hitler (Führer und oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Hauptdienstleiter Dipl.-Ing. Karl-Otto Saur (Staatssekretär im Reichsministerium für Bewaffnung und Munition), SS-Gruppenführer Julius Schaub (Chefadjutant des Führers Adolf Hitler), Generalleutnant Walter Buhle (Chef vom Heeresstab im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), and Oberstleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm "Fritz" Holzhäuer (Abteilungsleiter im Waffenamt Prüfwesen 6, Abteilung Panzer- und Motorisierung, beim Oberkommando des Heeres).


Source:
http://fuehrer3345.tumblr.com/post/76948612504/wartime-super-color-photo-hitler-confers-with
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html

Thursday, November 6, 2014

German Soldiers Enjoying Ice Cream

German Heer soldiers enjoying ice cream in the middle of summer heat near the Charleroi–Brussels–Willebroeck Canal (Belgium), 17 May 1940. On this day Brussels - the capital of Belgium - was occupied by German forces after British Expeditionary Force commander General Lord Gort, fearful of being surrounded, ordered his troops to fall back to the Scheldt River; this move allowed German General Walther von Reichenau to capture Brussels. Meanwhile, Dutch resistance to the German invasion comes to an end with the evacuation, by French destroyers, of the survivors of the Franco-Dutch forces in Zeeland and on the islands of Walcheren and Beverland


Source:
http://joanerges.livejournal.com/1792809.html

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Wilhelm Keitel Saluting on Reichs Veteran Day

Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Wehrmacht) saluting in the Reichs Veteran Day (Heldengedenktag) that held in Kassel, 4 June 1939. Please note that he is wearing Goldenes Parteiabzeichen that he received in April 1939. On 3 April 1946, Keitel commented on his alleged membership in the NSDAP before the International Military Tribunal at Nürnberg: “Hitler presented this Golden Badge of the Party to me in April 1939, at the same time that the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General von Brauchitsch, received it. The Führer said it was to be in commemoration of the march into Czechoslovakia. The Golden Badge had ‘16 and 17 March’ engraved on it.” The picture itself was made by Hitler personal photographer, Hugo Jaeger


Source:
http://thirdreichcolorpictures.blogspot.com/2010/02/full-decorations.html

Walther von Brauchitsch in Reichs Veteran Day

Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres) saluting in the Reichs Veteran Day (Heldengedenktag) that held in Kassel, 4 June 1939. Please note that he is wearing Goldenes Parteiabzeichen that he received in 20 March 1939. The picture itself was made by Hitler personal photographer, Hugo Jaeger


Source:
http://thirdreichcolorpictures.blogspot.com/2010/02/generalfeldmarschall-walther-von.html