Wehrmacht Soldier and His Son in Christmas

Berlin, family at home, celebrating Christmas, father and son playing with toy train at the table.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9766168046803254&set=gm.2421573974694678&idorvanity=237076659811098

Bio of U-Boat Ace Joachim Schepke

Joachim Schepke (8 March 1912 – 17 March 1941) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Schepke is credited with having sunk 36 Allied ships. During his career, he gained notoriety among fellow U-boat commanders for exaggerating the tonnage of ships sunk.

Schepke joined the Reichsmarine in 1930. In 1934, he was assigned to the newly created U-boat arm, and in 1938 he commanded U-3. After a short stint commanding U-19 and serving in a staff position, Schepke received the command of U-100, a Type VIIB boat. After 5 patrols in U-100 she was heavily damaged on 17 March 1941 by depth charges from HMS Walker and Vanoc while attacking Convoy HX-112. U-100 was forced to surface and was detected on radar and rammed by Vanoc. Schepke and most of the crew died.

Schepke claimed to have sunk 37 ships, for a total of 213,310 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged 4 more. If true, this would have made him the third skipper to have sunk over 200,000 tons. While he definitely sank 36 ships, he was known throughout the fleet to exaggerate his tonnage claims; other U-boat men came to use the expression "Schepke tonnage" in reference to this. Nonetheless, at one point Schepke ranked first in number of ships sunk, and was recommended by Admiral Dönitz for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Schepke

U-boat Ace Joachim Schepke with U-Boat Miniature

 

U-boat ace Joachim Schepke (Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-100) shows a German submarine toy to his son, 1941. U-29 was a celebrated vessel, responsible for sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous on 17 September 1939. This little boy smiles pensively - his father, a German officer, has just given him this miniature submarine. It is true that the Nazi regime did not attach great importance to toys, which the German youth only "softened over". Nevertheless, the propaganda potential of war toys was recognised: "Playing with soldiers and military equipment awakens enthusiasm for military achievements and plants the germ of military detention in the hearts of young people at an early stage," wrote art teacher Lorenz Postner in 1939. Source: Signal magazine cover.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=660998631835631&set=gm.1942078655977548

Beautiful Panoramic View of Pskov

Mother Russia - an art by itself! A beautiful frame from a film (Nr. 55) taken by Dr. Grögl from Wien. Presumably taken during winter 1942/43 around Pskov.

 

 

Source :
Akira Takiguchi collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222643081499194&set=gm.1631006587084758