Photographs of Wilhelm Burgdorf by Walter Frentz

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf (Chefadjutant der Wehrmacht beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) in a picture taken in 1945 by Walter Frentz. Burgdorf, serving as Chef des Heerespersonalamtes as well as Chief adjutant to Adolf Hitler since October 1944, remained at the Führer’s side throughout the final weeks of the Battle of Berlin in 1945. As Soviet forces encircled the capital in mid-April he moved permanently into the Führerbunker beneath the Reichskanzlei, attending the daily briefings where fragmented reports of collapsing fronts and failed relief attempts were presented. On 28 April, after news arrived that Heinrich Himmler had opened unauthorized surrender talks with the Western Allies, Burgdorf was appointed to the improvised military tribunal that examined Hermann Fegelein, Himmler’s SS-Verbindungsoffizier and Eva Braun’s brother-in-law; the proceedings under General Wilhelm Mohnke ended without formal sentence when Fegelein proved too intoxicated to stand trial. The following day, 29 April 1945, Burgdorf, together with Joseph Goebbels, General Hans Krebs and Martin Bormann, witnessed and signed Hitler’s politisches Testament and private will. He steadfastly rejected any notion of capitulation, on one occasion drawing his pistol against the radio commentator Hans Fritzsche who proposed contacting the Soviets. After Hitler’s suicide on 30 April and the subsequent deaths of the Goebbels family, Burgdorf and Krebs remained in the bunker. In the early hours of 2 May 1945 the two generals committed suicide by simultaneous gunshots to the head; their bodies were discovered by advancing Red Army troops inside the Führerbunker complex shortly thereafter, marking the end of Burgdorf’s unwavering service to the Führer in the last days of the Third Reich.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/search.php?keywords=burgdorf&t=46430&sf=msgonly
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/

Photographs of Ferdinand Schörner by Walter Frentz

Generaloberst Ferdinand Schörner (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord) in a picture taken on 16 January 1945 by Walter Frentz, during Brillanten award ceremony with Hitler at the Neue Reichskanzlei in Berlin, Germany. Schörner formally received the Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern on 1 January 1945 as the 23rd recipient for his determined leadership as Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe Nord during the defensive battles in the Baltic region in late 1944. After taking command of Heeresgruppe Nord in July 1944, he faced the massive Soviet Baltic Offensive that began on 14 September 1944 against German forces still holding positions in Estonia and northeastern Latvia. Under Schörner’s direction the troops of Heeresgruppe Nord conducted an orderly withdrawal from these territories without suffering significant losses, despite being heavily outnumbered and repeatedly cut off. Once the remaining formations of the 16. Armee and 18. Armee were compressed into the Kurland-Kessel, Schörner organized the defence of the Courland Peninsula and directed the first three of the four major Kurland battles that followed. In these prolonged and bitter engagements the Soviet forces, employing overwhelming numerical and material superiority in infantry, armour and artillery, launched repeated large-scale assaults but were able to achieve only limited territorial gains at the cost of severe personnel and equipment losses. Schörner’s personal presence at the front, his energetic reorganization of the defensive lines, and the resolute resistance he inspired among the isolated units of Heeresgruppe Nord prevented a complete collapse of the pocket and tied down substantial Soviet strength that might otherwise have been transferred to other sectors of the Eastern Front. For these sustained defensive successes, which were among the last German operational triumphs of the war, he was awarded the Brillanten while still serving as Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe Nord, shortly before his transfer to command Heeresgruppe Mitte.

Source :
"Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921-1945" by Peter Hoffmann
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1020564&hilit=sch%C3%B6rner#p1020564
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-s/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1054/Sch%C3%B6rner-Johann-Ferdinand.htm

Erhard Milch in the Nuremberg Trials (1945)

The Nuremberg trial of German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch in 1945. Milch (30 March 1892 – 25 January 1972) served as State Secretary in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium from 1933 to 1944 and Inspector General of the Luftwaffe from 1939 to 1945, playing a central role in the rearmament and wartime expansion of German air power through mass production of aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and oversight of the Jägerstab (Fighter Staff) initiative launched in March 1944 alongside Albert Speer to dramatically increase fighter output amid mounting Allied bombing. Captured by British forces on 4 May 1945 near the Baltic coast, Milch was indicted on 14 November 1946 and tried before United States Military Tribunal II in the Milch Trial (officially United States of America v. Erhard Milch), the second of the twelve Subsequent Nuremberg Trials held at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg from 2 January to 17 April 1947. The three-count indictment charged him with war crimes for participating in the planning and execution of the ill-treatment, enslavement, and use of forced labor involving prisoners of war and deported foreign civilians to support Luftwaffe production (often sourced from concentration camps via SS cooperation under inhumane conditions); with crimes against humanity encompassing similar acts against civilians and German nationals; and specifically with involvement in fatal high-altitude and freezing medical experiments on unwilling subjects (Count II). Defended by his brother Werner Milch and other counsel, with the prosecution presenting 34 witnesses and 212 exhibits over 39 trial days, Milch was acquitted on the medical experiments charge but found guilty on the war crimes and crimes against humanity counts related to slave labor exploitation; he was sentenced to life imprisonment on 17 April 1947 and initially held at Rebdorf Prison near Munich (later transferred to Landsberg). In 1951 U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy commuted the sentence to fifteen years, leading to Milch’s parole in June 1954; he lived out his remaining years quietly in Düsseldorf as the last surviving Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe, having been central to the Nazi regime’s aircraft production efforts that relied heavily on the systematic exploitation of forced labor.

Source :
https://pixpast.wordpress.com/?query-10-page=3&cst&str=428&id_parent=7898&items=12&vd=downloaded&category=7902&flow=1

Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim (1892-1945)

Robert Ritter von Greim was born as Robert Greim on 22 June 1892 in Bayreuth in the Kingdom of Bavaria, a state of the German Empire, the son of a police captain. Greim was an army cadet from 1906 to 1911. He joined the Bavarian Army on 14 July 1911. After completion of officer training, he was posted to Bavaria's 8th Field Artillery Regiment on 29 October 1912 and commissioned as a Lieutenant (Leutnant) a year later, on 25 October 1913.

When World War One started in August 1914, he commanded a battery in fighting at the Battle of Lorraine and around Nancy, Epinal, Saint-Mihiel, and Camp des Romains in France. He became a battalion adjutant on 19 March 1915. On 10 August 1915, Greim transferred to the German Air Service (Fliegertruppe). On 10 October 1915, while flying two-seaters in FFA 3b as an artillery spotting observer, Greim claimed his first aerial victory: a Farman. He also served with FAA 204 over the Somme. After undergoing pilot training, Greim joined FA 46b on 22 February 1917. He transferred to Jagdstaffel 34 in April 1917. He scored a kill on 25 May 1917, and on the same day he received the Iron Cross First Class. On 19 June, he rose to command Jasta 34. Greim became an ace on 16 August 1917, when he shot down a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. By 16 October, his victory tally totaled 7. There was a lull in his successes until February 1918. On the 11th, he had an unconfirmed victory and on the 18th he claimed aerial victory number 8.

On 21 March 1918, the day of his ninth credited victory, Greim became Commanding Officer of Jagdgruppe 10. He flew with them until at least 18 June, when he notched up his 15th success. On 27 June 1918, while Greim was engaging a Bristol Fighter, his aircraft lost its cowling. The departing cowling damaged his top wing, along with the lower left interplane strut, but Greim managed to land the machine successfully. By 7 August 1918 he was commanding Jagdgruppe 9, and scored his 16th victory. On 23 August, he cooperated with Vizefeldwebel Johan Putz in what was arguably the first successful assault by aircraft on armored tanks. On 27 September, he scored kill number 25 while flying with Jagdgruppe 9.

He returned to Jasta 34 in October 1918. The Jasta had been re-equipped with 'cast-offs' from Richthofen's Flying Circus, Jagdgeschwader 1. The new equipment was warmly welcomed as being superior to the older Albatros and Pfalz fighters that they had been previously equipped with. Greim's final three victories came during this time, while he was flying Albatros D.Vs, Fokker Triplanes, and Fokker D.VIIs. By the war's end he had scored 28 victories and had been awarded the Pour le Mérite on 8 October, as well as the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph (Militär-Max Joseph-Orden). This latter award made him a Knight (Ritter), and allowed him to add both this honorific title and the style 'von' to his name. Thus Robert Greim became Robert Ritter von Greim.

By 1919, Greim had returned to Bavaria and rejoined his regiment (8th Bavarian Artillery) and for 10 months ran the air postal station in Munich. This was the key turning point in his career, as in 1920 he flew the up-and-coming German army propaganda instructor Adolf Hitler to Berlin as an observer of the failed Kapp Putsch. Many other people from Hitler's years in Bavaria immediately after World War I also rose to prominence in the National Socialist era. Greim then focused on a new career in law and succeeded in passing Germany's rigorous law exams. However, Chiang Kai-shek's government offered him a job in Canton, to help to build a Chinese air force. Greim accepted the offer and took his family with him to China, where he founded a flying school and initiated measures for the development of an air force.

Upon his return to Germany, Greim joined the Nazi Party and took part in the 1923 putsch; as a convinced Nazi he "remained utterly committed to Hitler to the very end of the war".

In 1933, Hermann Göring invited Greim to help him to rebuild the German Air Force, and in 1934 he was appointed to command the first fighter pilot school, following the closure of the secret flying school established near the city of Lipetsk in the Soviet Union during the closing days of the Weimar Republic (Germany had been forbidden to have an air force under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, so it had to train its pilots in secret.). In 1938, Greim assumed command of the Luftwaffe research department. Later, he was given command of Jagdgeschwader 132 (later JG 2), based in Döberitz, a fighter group named after Manfred von Richthofen.

After the end of the Polish Campaign, von Greim became commander of the 5th Fliegerkorps which participated in the Battle of Britain. In the early stages of this battle, von Greim was promoted to General der Flieger. In 1941, on the Eastern Front, his korps split up and renamed Sonderstab Krim. In April 1942 he became commander of Luftwaffenkommando Ost in Smolensk, as his korps replaced the 8th Fliegerkorps in the front area there. In February 1943, von Greim was given command of Luftflotte 6, which continued to support Army Group Centre in its operations. As part of Operation Citadel, von Greims Luftflotte provided 730 aircraft in July 1943. Due to high losses, by June 1944 only around 50 aircraft were operational!

In late 1942, his only son, Hubert Greim, a fighter pilot with 11./JG 2 was listed as missing in Tunisia. He was shot down, but bailed out and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp in the United States.

As late as January 1945, von Greim made a commitment to Hitler: "I who believed in the Führer - and damn it, still believe in him. I can not become a traitor. Not me!"

On 26 April 1945, with Berlin encircled by Soviet forces during the Battle of Berlin, von Greim flew into Berlin from Rechlin with his mistress Hanna Reitsch, in response to an order from Hitler. Initially they flew from the central Luftwaffe test facility airfield, the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin to Gatow (a district of south-western Berlin) in a Focke Wulf 190. As the cockpit had room for only the pilot, Reitsch flew in the tail of the plane, getting into it by climbing through a small emergency opening. Having landed in Gatow, they changed planes to fly to the Chancellery; however, their Fieseler Storch was hit by anti-aircraft fire over the Grunewald. Greim was incapacitated by a bullet in the right foot, but Reitsch was able to reach the throttle and joystick to land on an improvised air strip in the Tiergarten, near the Brandenburg Gate.

Hitler promoted Greim from General to Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal), making him the last German officer ever to achieve that rank and appointed him as commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, to replace Hermann Göring, whom he had recently dismissed in absentia for treason. Greim thus became the second man to command the German Air Force during the Third Reich. However, with the end of the war in Europe fast approaching, his tenure as Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe lasted only a few days.

On 28 April, Hitler ordered Ritter von Greim to leave Berlin and had Reitsch fly him to Plön, so that he could arrest Heinrich Himmler on the charge of treason. That night, the two left Berlin, taking off from the Tiergarten air strip in a small Arado Ar 96 aircraft. Soldiers of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army feared they had just seen Hitler escape. In a post-war interview, Reitsch said, "It was the blackest day when we could not die at our Führer's side. We should all kneel down in reverence and prayer before the altar of the Fatherland." When asked what the "Altar of the Fatherland" was, she responded: "Why, the Fuhrer's bunker in Berlin...."

On 8 May, the same day as the surrender of Germany, Greim was captured by American troops in Austria. His initial statement to his captors was reportedly "I am the head of the Luftwaffe, but I have no Luftwaffe". Greim committed suicide in prison in Salzburg on 24 May.

Source :
https://www.deviantart.com/ssa88art/art/Robert-von-Greim-Sticker-by-SSA-ART-821397023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ritter_von_Greim
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewforum.php?f=5
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/  
https://grokipedia.com/  
https://www.unithistories.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/  
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/  
https://www.geni.com/  
https://books.google.com/  
https://ww2gravestone.com/  
https://theaerodrome.com/  

Visit of Hitler to Heeresgruppe Weichsel (Army Group Vistula)

 

This photo was taken on 11 March 1945 when Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) inspected the Heeresgruppe Weichsel, and it is recorded as the Hitler's last visit to the front! He departed for Bad Freienwalde on the Oder. In a meeting with the commander of the 9th Army, Theodor Busse, the Führer emphasized to his officers to hold back the Russian troops across the Oder River for as long as possible until his latest ultimate weapon was ready (although Hitler himself did not specify what that weapon was!). For identification in this photo, standing around Hitler from left to right: General der Artillerie Wilhelm Berlin (General der Artillerie im Oberkommando des Heeres und Kommandierender General CI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim (Chef Luftflotte 6), Generalmajor Franz Reuß (Kommandeur 4. Flieger-Division), General der Flakartillerie Job Odebrecht (Kommandierender General II. Flakkorps), General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee), and SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Heinz Lammerding (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Weichsel)

On March 11, 1945, as the noose of the Soviet Red Army tightened around the remnants of Nazi Germany’s Eastern Front defenses, Adolf Hitler undertook what would become his final journey away from the Reich Chancellery in Berlin to visit the forward command elements of Heeresgruppe Weichsel, the army group hastily formed to shield the approaches to the German capital. The destination was Schloss Freienwalde, a stately palace in the town of Bad Freienwalde along the Oder River, roughly sixty kilometers northeast of Berlin and serving as a discreet headquarters for units of the Ninth Army. This excursion, conducted under conditions of strict secrecy and by motorcade rather than aircraft to minimize exposure to Soviet air reconnaissance, represented a last personal effort by the Führer to rally his commanders, assess the collapsing Oder line, and project unyielding resolve in the face of imminent catastrophe. The meeting, preserved in a now-restored historical photograph depicting Hitler seated at a table strewn with operational maps while surrounded by his senior officers, captured a moment of desperate strategic deliberation amid the final weeks of the Third Reich.

The broader military context for this visit was one of unrelenting disaster for German forces. Following the devastating Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive launched in January 1945, which had swept through Poland and driven the Wehrmacht back across the Oder River in a matter of weeks, Hitler had ordered the creation of Heeresgruppe Weichsel on January 24 as a new formation to consolidate the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Command was entrusted not to a seasoned professional soldier but to Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer-SS, reflecting Hitler’s growing preference for ideological loyalists over traditional generals and his belief that fanaticism could compensate for material shortages. By early March, however, the army group—comprising the Third Panzer Army, Ninth Army, and Eleventh Army along with various ad-hoc formations—was stretched to the breaking point. Manpower was critically depleted, with divisions often reduced to regimental strength; ammunition, fuel, and heavy weapons were in short supply; and Soviet bridgeheads across the Oder, particularly around Küstrin, threatened to erupt into a full-scale breakthrough toward Berlin at any moment. Just one day after Hitler’s visit, on March 12, Soviet forces of the 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Georgy Zhukov would capture Küstrin, further exposing the fragility of the German positions. The Ninth Army, commanded by General der Infanterie Theodor Busse, bore the brunt of the central sector’s defense, facing overwhelming Soviet artillery barrages and armored superiority while attempting to fortify makeshift lines with whatever reserves could be scraped together from retreating units and Volkssturm militias.

Hitler’s motorcade departed Berlin in the morning of March 11, traveling along roads that had been cleared of unnecessary traffic and placed under heightened security to prevent any disruption or intelligence leaks. Upon arrival at Schloss Freienwalde, he was greeted by a small but select group of commanders who had been summoned for the situation conference. Prominent among them were General Theodor Busse, whose Ninth Army headquarters elements hosted the meeting; Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim, the highly decorated Luftwaffe officer who would soon be appointed the last Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe; Generalmajor Franz Reuss, commanding the 4th Flieger Division responsible for air support operations; and General Job Odebrecht, another Luftwaffe general involved in coordinating flak and fighter assets for the Oder front. The officers stood clustered around large-scale maps spread across a table in one of the palace’s rooms, their uniforms bearing the Iron Crosses, Knight’s Crosses, and other decorations earned through years of brutal combat, while Hitler, dressed in his plain field-gray tunic with black trousers and polished boots, leaned forward in his chair to examine the dispositions. The photograph of this scene, originally grainy and faded from wartime processing, now appears in crystal-clear 4K detail after restoration, revealing every facial expression, the texture of the wool uniforms, the gleam of medals, and the intricate lines on the maps with the sharpness of a modern professional DSLR capture.

According to accounts of the conference, Busse opened with a candid briefing on the tactical realities confronting Heeresgruppe Weichsel. He detailed the Soviet concentrations opposite the Ninth Army, the exhaustion of German troops after months of continuous withdrawal and counterattacks, the critical lack of armored reserves following transfers to other sectors, and the devastating impact of Red Army artillery that could deliver thousands of shells per kilometer of front. Von Greim and the other Luftwaffe officers contributed assessments of available air assets, noting that fuel shortages and Allied bombing had reduced the once-mighty Luftwaffe to sporadic sorties by jet prototypes and night fighters, with little prospect of sustained close air support. Hitler listened intently, his left hand trembling noticeably from the effects of Parkinson’s disease and the cumulative strain of the war, yet he maintained a composed demeanor. In response, he delivered a characteristically fervent monologue, insisting that the Oder line must be held at all costs. He spoke of imminent “wonder weapons” that would soon enter mass production and deployment—vague references to advanced jet aircraft like the Me 262, improved V-2 rockets, or even rumored experimental technologies—claiming they would inflict catastrophic losses on the Soviets and allow Germany to regain the initiative. He deliberately withheld specifics, perhaps to preserve morale or because the projects themselves were still mired in delays and resource shortages. The generals, aware of the growing disconnect between Hitler’s optimism and the battlefield facts, nonetheless responded with formal assurances of loyalty and determination, a reflection of the atmosphere of obedience that still prevailed even as defeat loomed.

The conference extended for several hours, blending operational discussion with Hitler’s broader strategic exhortations about the need to tie down Soviet forces and buy time for reinforcements or political developments on the Western Front. No major new directives emerged from the meeting; instead, it served primarily as a morale-boosting exercise and a means for Hitler to demonstrate his personal engagement with the troops. By afternoon, the entourage returned to Berlin via the same cautious route, with Hitler retreating once more into the protective confines of the Führerbunker. This journey marked the absolute end of his frontline visits; never again would he leave the capital or directly inspect his armies in the field. Within days, the pressure on Heeresgruppe Weichsel escalated dramatically. Himmler, whose command had proven ineffective amid his own health problems and lack of military expertise, was relieved on March 20 and replaced by Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici, a more pragmatic defender who would orchestrate the final, futile stand along the Oder and Seelow Heights. The Soviet Berlin Offensive, launched in mid-April, would shatter these defenses, leading to the encirclement of Berlin and the regime’s collapse.

The restored photograph from the Schloss Freienwalde conference stands today as one of the most evocative images of the war’s closing phase. It shows Hitler in profile, his mustache and slicked hair sharply defined, gazing toward the maps while Busse and the Luftwaffe generals lean in attentively, their faces etched with the fatigue and gravity of men who understood the odds. The lighting and contrast have been balanced to modern standards, eliminating every trace of dust, scratches, and chemical degradation from the original print, yet the historical authenticity remains untouched—no expressions altered, no proportions changed. It is as though the moment was photographed yesterday with contemporary equipment, yet it still depicts the exact individuals, poses, and tense atmosphere of that March day in 1945.

This photo was taken on 11 March 1945 when Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) inspected the Heeresgruppe Weichsel, and it is recorded as the Hitler's last visit to the front! He departed for Bad Freienwalde on the Oder. In a meeting with the commander of the 9th Army, Theodor Busse, the Führer emphasized to his officers to hold back the Russian troops across the Oder River for as long as possible until his latest ultimate weapon was ready (although Hitler himself did not specify what that weapon was!). For identification in this photo, standing around Hitler from left to right: General der Artillerie Wilhelm Berlin (General der Artillerie im Oberkommando des Heeres und Kommandierender General CI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim (Chef Luftflotte 6), Generalmajor Franz Reuß (Kommandeur 4. Flieger-Division), General der Flakartillerie Job Odebrecht (Kommandierender General II. Flakkorps), and General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee).

This photo was taken on 11 March 1945 when Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) inspected the Heeresgruppe Weichsel, and it is recorded as the Hitler's last visit to the front! He departed for Bad Freienwalde on the Oder. In a meeting with the commander of the 9th Army, Theodor Busse, the Führer emphasized to his officers to hold back the Russian troops across the Oder River for as long as possible until his latest ultimate weapon was ready (although Hitler himself did not specify what that weapon was!). For identification in this photo, standing around Hitler from left to right: Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim (Chef Luftflotte 6), Generalmajor Franz Reuß (Kommandeur 4. Flieger-Division), General der Flakartillerie Job Odebrecht (Kommandierender General II. Flakkorps), and General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee).

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/08/foto-adolf-hitler-di-tahun-1945.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Group_Vistula

Mopping-Up Operation by the U.S. 6th Marine Division in Okinawa (1945)

In the final phase of the Battle of Okinawa in June 1945, the U.S. 6th Marine Division undertook a series of intensive mopping-up operations to eliminate the last pockets of Japanese resistance scattered across the island’s southern terrain. Following the collapse of the main Japanese defensive line around Shuri and the death of General Mitsuru Ushijima, the remaining defenders—many entrenched in caves and ravines—continued to resist with desperate ferocity. Color film footage shot by U.S. combat cameramen vividly captured these final operations: Marines advancing cautiously through the devastated hills, using flamethrowers, demolition charges, and grenades to clear fortified cave positions, while medical teams tended to the wounded amid the smoke and debris. The scenes reveal the grim reality of the battle’s aftermath—burned-out vehicles, shattered villages, and the somber burial of fallen comrades. By late June, the 6th Marine Division had secured the island’s northern and southern sectors, marking the end of organized resistance and the completion of one of the Pacific War’s bloodiest campaigns.

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDT16kJgH1M

Battle of Naha, Okinawa (May 1945)

The color footage of the Battle of Okinawa filmed in May 1945 by Marine Corps combat cameraman Norman T. Spangler captures the brutal final stages of the Pacific War with striking realism, particularly around the ruined city of Naha. His vivid Kodachrome reels reveal the devastated urban landscape, shattered by relentless bombardment, as U.S. Marines and Army troops push through mud, rubble, and smoke under torrential rain and fierce Japanese resistance. The rare color imagery provides a haunting visual record of the campaign’s ferocity — from tanks advancing past smoldering wreckage to exhausted soldiers sheltering in foxholes — transforming what might otherwise seem like distant history into a vivid and deeply human document of war’s cost at the doorstep of Japan.

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgl-sfzgff8

Russian Victory Parade in Moscow (1945)

On 24 June 1945, a scant six weeks following the Fall of Berlin and the end of the Great Patriotic War, residents of the USSR’s capital city were treated to the spoils of victory – a massive military parade.

Organized and undertaken on the direct orders of Stalin himself, the 1945 Victory Parade was (and remains) the largest ever held on Moscow’s Red Square. 40,000 soldiers, sailors, and other service personnel accompanied by 1,850 tanks, artillery pieces, and assorted equipment were mobilized for the occasion. (Alas, overcast skies and steady rain prevented a planned flyover by Red Air Force pilots).

The most memorable moment of the two-hour long procession came as Soviet troops bearing the regimental standards of former Nazi units cast them to the ground in front of Lenin’s Mausoleum – while The Leader and his closest Party comrades gazed down from atop the edifice.

The 1945 Victory Parade was, of course, preserved for posterity. The official version, compressed into less than twenty-minutes, but recorded in color (on film stock seized from German studios) was subsequently distributed throughout the country and, in time, the wider world. A version containing English subtitles accompanied by a terrible voice-over has been available for years on YouTube and across the Interwebs.

Source :
www.youtube.com

Prisoners of War: Wehrmacht Soldiers in U.S.Captivity

During the war, over 400.000 German Prisoners of War were sent to prisoner camps in the United States, mostly in rural areas. Here they were given adequate food, medical care, and humane treatment, often far better than what German soldiers experienced on the Eastern Front or what Allied POWs faced in German captivity. Many were put to work on farms and in factories, receiving small wages and some even developed friendly relationships with American guards and locals. After the war, tens of thousands were held longer to assist with reconstruction efforts in Europe. Some were sent to Britain and France for forced labor before being fully released. The "Rheinwiesenlager" (Rhine Meadow Camps) in Germany, run by U.S. and French forces, had harsh conditions, with some prisoners suffering from malnutrition and disease due to overcrowding and food shortages. By 1948, most German POWs had been released and sent back home.

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlpi8K6WsEA

Funeral of Gauleiter Alfred Meyer

Nazi party member holds a wreath of SA-Obergruppenführer Alfred Meyer, who was the Gauleiter of the North Westphalian District and the General of the Sturmabteilung (Stormtroopers). Meyer was found dead on 11 April 1945, by the River Weser. The cause of death was suicide, most likely prompted by Germany's impending defeat in the war. By the time of his death, he was a State Secretary and Deputy Reichsminister in the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (Reichsministerium für die Besetzten Ostgebiete or Ostministerium).

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Meyer
https://twitter.com/atakiguchi/status/1711226010023411989/photo/1

Eisenhower Speaks in Front of the 101st Airborne Division

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, addresses troops of the 101st Airborne Division during ceremonies in which the entire division received the Presidential Citation, the first division so honored. The picture was taken at Mourmelon, France, March 15, 1945.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9254131128006951&set=gm.2372742259577850&idorvanity=237076659811098
https://www.reddit.com/r/wwiipics/comments/o48pzw/general_dwight_d_eisenhower_awarded_the/

Luftwaffe Generals after Captured (Video)

Original color World War II footage about high ranking Germans in captivity, including: Generalleutnant Adolf Galland (00:05), General der Flieger Hans-Georg von Seidel and Generalingenieur Dipl.-Ing. Rudolf Spies (02:53), General der Flieger Karl-Heinrich Bodenschatz (04:30), Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (06:10), and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (07:00).

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmaH77bGS4I

Wounded Japanese POWs in Guam

Japanese prisoners of war (POWs) resting in a quonset hut infirmary in a stockade, Guam, 1945. Except for one, they all appear to be turning away from camera or hiding their face. A Navy corpsman is tending to one POW in the right background.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9124816540938411&set=gm.2359832834202126&idorvanity=237076659811098

Erwin Niebling receives a Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star

Lieutenant Erwin W. Niebling receives a Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star from Rear Admiral Osborne B. Hardison ( Chief of Naval Air Primary Training) on May 17, 1945, at Naval Air Station New Orleans for his actions as a pilot in the Philippines.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-K-5302
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/80-G-K-05000/80-G-K-5302.html

The crew of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner flying boat

The crew of a U.S. Martin PBM-5 Mariner flying boat used for patrol missions and anti-submarine warfare pose on top of their aircraft in April 1945 at Tanapag Harbor in Saipan.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-K-16192
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936

P-51D Mustangs of the 52nd Fighter Group

P-51D Mustangs of the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, 15th U.S. Air Force. These planes flew escorts for Italian-based bombers attacking targets in southeastern Europe late in the war. The USAAF 52nd Fighter Group enjoyed an outstanding record in World War II, but to date its story has never been told. Activated in January 1941, it moved to England in July 1942 for an assignment with the Eighth Air Force. It flew combat missions in Spitfires to France during the summer of 1942 before being reassigned to the invasion force attacking North Africa in November 1942. After moving to North Africa, it was assigned to the Twelfth Air Force and was again equipped with Spitfires. As part of the Twelfth Air Force, it flew combat missions in the Tunisian campaign, and during the invasion of Sicily. In mid-1944, the 52nd was reassigned to the Fifteenth Air Force and converted to P-51 Mustangs. During the remainder of the war, it flew bomber escort and strafing missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, and Yugoslavia. For its outstanding service the Group was twice awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. During its long campaign, the Group destroyed more than 425 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and damaged 135 plus many more on the ground. The 52nd Fighter Group produced 21 Aces.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 342-C-K-2741
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://www.specialtypress.com/spitfires-and-yellow-tail-mustangs-testing-british-and-us-carrier-aircraft.html

Two Marines on USS Randolph

USS Randolph -CV-15 Two of the ship's Marines standing lookout watch beneath 40mm gun barrels. They are PFC H.J. Zukowski -left- and PFC Sam Paladins. On February 10, 1945 USS Randolph departed Ulithi Lagoon with Task Force 58 (TF-58). On February 16, 1945 and February 17, 1945 her aircraft participated in attacks against Tokyo area airfields and the Tachikawa factory. On February 18, 1945 her aircraft attacked Chi Chi Jima. On February 20, 1945 launched three sorties to provide ground support for the U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima plus two strikes against Haha Jima. Over the next four days attacked targets on Iwo Jima and Combat Air Patrols (CAP) were flown over the invasion force. On February 25, 1945 launched aircraft for strikes against Tokyo area airfields and Hachijo Jima then returned to Ulithi Lagoon.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=7632619293491484&set=gm.2175342095984535&idorvanity=237076659811098
https://pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/CV-15.html

Japanese Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka (Baka) Piloted Flying Bomb

Japanese Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka (Baka) piloted flying bomb which had been captured intact by Marines on Okinawa. Photographed 26 June 1945. During the Okinawa Campaign, the Japanese utilized the Yokosuka MXY-7 Okha "Baka Bomb" against U.S. Navy warships. USS West Virginia (BB-48) is believed to be the first ship damaged by a Baka Bomb on April 1. USS Mannert L. Able (DD-733) was the first ship to be sunk by the weapon on April 12. Other ships damaged by these weapons during Operation Ten-Go were: USS Gayety (AM-239), USS Hugy W. Hadley (DD-744), and USS Shea (DD-750).Usually carried and transported by a Japanese Mitsubishi G4M2 "Betty" aircraft, the "glider weapon" would be released when close enough to its target, then aimed to subsequently destroy it.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=7632613603492053&set=gm.2175341095984635&idorvanity=237076659811098
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwii/wwii-pacific/okinawa/yokosuka-mxy-7-ohka.html

The carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) Prepares to Dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

The carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) approaches Manhattan as it prepares to dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on April 28, 1945. The Franklin’s deck shows the melted and burned decking and aircraft parts resulting from a March 19, 1945, dive bomber attack while the carrier was involved in attacks on the Japanese home islands. Over 800 crewmembers lost their lives in the explosion and fires that resulted. When Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, USS Franklin was still undergoing repairs. A few months later on Navy Day, 13 October 1945, she was opened up to the public and inspected by thousands of visitors. Her extensive repairs were finally completed on 15 June 1946, and two days later, she reported to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for inactivation. On 17 February 1947, the carrier was placed out of commission at Bayonne, New Jersey.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-K-4761
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/alphabetical-listing/f/uss-franklin--cv-13-0.html

African American paratroopers Preparing to Jump from a C-47

During Operation Fire Fly in 1945, the African American paratroopers of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion made over 8,000 individual jumps as smokejumpers on wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. Here they are preparing to jump from a Douglas C-47 on a wildfire in Wallowa Forest, Oregon. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, more commonly known as the "Triple Nickles," was the first all-Black paratrooper unit in U.S. history.  First organized in 1943 during World War II, the Triple Nickles trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, but were eventually transferred to Camp Mackall, North Carolina, to prepare for duty in Europe. At the time, the U.S. military was segregated and most Black soldiers were relegated to support roles, rarely trained as combat units let alone elite paratroopers.  For some in the unit, the prospect of fighting Hitler's army presented an exciting opportunity — a chance to prove that Black men were as brave and capable as their white counterparts. But they were never sent to fight the Germans. By 1945, the Axis armies were in retreat and a new threat was developing in the American West — Japanese balloon bombs.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 342-C-K-3751
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/history/triple-nickles-first-black-paratroopers-oregon-secret-mission/283-dad8cff6-840c-478d-8af4-16c6353fef92