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

6th German Shooting Competition in Tyrol (September 1943)

Video and caption from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZPiUjVhj0Q

During the Third Reich, shooting as a sport, and shooting competitions, were promoted by the Regime, with huge state-wide shooting competitions being held in various regions.
The goal was to get people, especially young boys and men, interested into shooting, to prepare them for their future life as soldiers.

These festivals and competitions, because they were considered important for the war effort, continued well into 1945.

This is a short film about the 6th State Shooting Competition in Tyrol, which was held from 4th to 18th July 1943. The film itself was released in September 1943.

Remarks:
00:25 Innsbruck is a large city in Austria and capital of Tyrol.
00:33 Sadly, I wasn’t able to find many details about Uli Ritzer, except that he apparently continued producing films after the war, there are three movies listed for him in the IMDB database, all from the 1950s.
00:45 AGFACOLOR is the name of a series of color films produced by the Afga company in Germany, first introduced in 1932. Especially the 1936 variant of it, Afgacolor Neu (New) is considered one of the best color movie technology of its time.
00:53 The State Shooting Competition in Tyrol was held between 4th and 18th July 1943.
00:59 Tyrol-Vorarlberg was the official name of the region. The gau was in western Austria, bordering Switzerland and Italy. It consisted of (Northern) Tyrol and Voralberg, with the capital city being Innsbruck. In 1939, it had a population of 331,000 people.
01:13 The Standschützen were originally a kind of volunteer militia in Tyrol, formed in the 15th century out of members of shooting clubs and was used in various conflicts, such as the War of the First Coalition (1796-1797), the Franco-Austrian War (1859) or the Austro-Prussian War(1866). By the time of this movie, and nowadays, they are only used as representational formation and are no longer an active wartime unit.
01:46 Franz Hofer was Gauleiter (Regional Governor) of the Gau Tyrol-Vorarlberg during the Nazi era. He joined the (Austrian) Nazi Party in September 1931, and became Gauleiter of Tyrol-Vorarlberg in November 1932. Because the Nazi party was banned in Austria, he was sentenced to two years jail time in June 1933, however he escaped to Germany, where he spent the next few years. After the German annexation of Austria, he was again made Gauleiter of Tyrol-Vorarlberg in May 1938. In November 1944, he proposed the idea of the so-called “Alpine Fortress”, e.g. the creation of large fortifications in the Austrian alps. This was however largely just a fantasy, and when the American army closed in, he declared Innsbruck an open city; he was captured by the Americans on May 6th, 1945. After the war, he was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months imprisonment. He stayed in Germany where he died in February 1975, remaining a convinced National Socialist for the rest of his life.
02:00 Franz Defregger (1835-1921) was a famous Austrian artist, known for depicting everyday and historical scenes from his Tyrol native country. Because basically his entire art is focused on themes and persons from Tyrol, he is especially well known there.
04:00 These men are from the RAD, the Reich Labor Service. On parades, RAD men would usually carry their spades as a “parade weapon”
05:12 These are wounded soldiers, who were allowed to attend the parade.
05:37 Meran is a city in South Tyrol.
05:45 Despite South Tyrol being a part of Italy since after WWI, it was and is still part of the (Austrian) culture of Tyrol, and therefore delegations from South Tyrol are featured in this parade.
09:23 The “war of liberation” refers to the failed Tyrol rebellion against the French and Bavarian occupation of Tyrol from April-November 1809. This rebellion was later often glorified.
09:44 A Marketenderin is a female sutler.
11:04 Landesoberschützenmeister is the highest rank of the Standschützen, which was granted to Hofer as he was the Gauleiter of Tyrol.
11:45 The white-red flag with the eagle that flies in the wind on the right side here is the flag of Tyrol.
11:57 I have no idea what these people are doing, and honestly I don’t want to know

Heldengedenktag in Offenburg (12 March 1944)

In 1919, the German War Graves Commision proposed a national day of mourning to remember the fallen of WWI. This day was called Volkstrauertag ("peoples day of mourning") and was first celebrated in 1922 with a remembrance ceremony in the German Parliament. It was held two Sundays before the first day of Advent, so usually in November.

When the Nazis came to power, they completely changed the meaning of the day, shifting towards hero worshipping instead of a sober remembrance ceremony. The day was made a national holiday, nig parades and rallies were held, and the day was instrumentalized for Nazi Propaganda. Its name was changed to Heldengedenktag ("Day of Commemoration of Heroes"), and it important dates were often held closely to it, for example, in 1936, German troops entered the Rhineland one day after this day.
In 1939, Hitler ordered the day to be celebrated on March 16th or the Sunday before March 16th, the day of re-introduction of conscription in 1936, removing any religious connection.

The day was held throughout the war, the last time on March 11th, 1945, were it was used one last time to urge people to continue fighting, despite the war situation already being hopelessly turned against Germany.

This video shows some raw color Propaganda footage from the Heldengedenktag 1944 held in Offenburg, a city in southwest Germany, close to the French border.

It shows as Wehrmacht parade, as well as the marching by of various NSDAP party organization, Hitler Youth etc.
It also shows what appears to be the swearing in of new recruits.

As this is raw, unprocessed footage, there is no sound or narration, and therefore no subtitles.

Remarks: As written above, this is raw camera footage, so there is no sound or narration. Back then, many cameras had no microphones, and sound would only be added later in the studio. This is also true for many Wochenschau issues.

00:19 I don’t know where exactly this is, but it looks like some kind of military barracks ground.
00:23 This officer is wearing his full parade uniform, which includes a white belt and all of his decorations. This was common on this day, as you will see later on this footage.
00:35 This is a delegation of WWI veterans. The officers in the brown uniform with the tricorne hat are WWI Africa veterans.
00:39 This is a delegation of various party officials, an RAD-officer and some civilian politicians.
00:50 This appears to be the swearing-in of new recruits.
01:01 This is a troop flag, the white color symbolizing infantry. Here is a link to a Wikimedia image showing how it looks: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Heeresfahne_Infanterie.svg/323px-Heeresfahne_Infanterie.svg.png
01:29 The guns next to the podium are 3,7cm PaK 36, a light AT-gun.
01:53 While I’m not 100% sure, I believe the two flags on the left are old Imperial German army flags, possibly from WWI or even before, which were often flown/shown on Heldengedenktag.
03:02 The wreath-laying process for the fallen war deaths.
03:32 This is a unit of Hitler Youth boys.
03:48 This is a unit of Deutsches Jungvolk, recognizable by the single “S” rune. The Deutsches Jungvolk was the organization before the Hitler Youth, for boys aged 10-14 (Hitler Youth was for boys aged (14-18).
04:25 These are again various SS, Wehrmacht and Party Officials in their full-dress uniforms. The person on the far right is the Mayor of Offenburg, Wolfram Rombach (1897-1987), wearing the mayoral insignias.
04:34 I’m not sure what these flags are, but probably some kind of WWI veterans organization.

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pewg9saKOMk

German Victory Parade in Warsaw (1939)

Hitler's Motorcade Crosses Warsaw

On the threshold of Hitler’s visit to Warsaw on 5 October 1939, the center of the city, a maiden part of the upcoming motorcade route, had been practically sealed from the locals, abandoning the presence of any polish citizens in proximity to the event. A number of buildings along the planned route were now covered with the Nazi banners and a good few special security squads, armed with machine guns, were disposed within the windows and roofs across the city center. The local population of the occupied Warsaw was now forbidden (at least on October 5), under penalty of death, to leave their accommodation across the route or to open windows facing the chosen streets. the day before, Hitler personally alleviate the concerns of some SS soldiers and officers, who had already participated in mass killings in Poland. On October 4 he issued a secret order on amnesty, an act of oblivion for the Germans soldiers, who were now beyond the law in committing crimes within occupied territories.

For this once on October 5, 1939, Adolf Hitler made it to Poland from Berlin by means of a plane. As early as 11:30 a.m. the air cortege under the masterful lead of Hans Baur came down to the airfield of Okecie (The modern Warsaw Chopin Airport. Some sources state that they landed at the Kielce airport). As befits the supreme commander and the conqueror, Hitler was awaited and welcomed by his generals. Gerd von Rundstedt, the triumphal commander of ‘Heeresgruppe Süd’ (Army Group South); Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German army; Erhard Milch, the future Field Marshal of aviation and Goering’s deputy; Johannes Blaskowitz, the commander of the triumphal 8th army; Walter von Reichenau, the commander of the 10th army at that time; Friedrich von Cochenhausen, the future general of artillery. The planned VIP-like motorcade was to enter Warsaw from the East and proceed towards the initial point, which was the set of the military parade.

Hitler’s automobile cortege cross the Vistula river across the Most Poniatowskiego (Poniatowski Bridge), named after the Polish military leader of the 17-18 centuries. The bridge was rebuilt after the demolition during the ‘Great War (WWI) and would be totally devastated by Germans five years later in the midst of the Warsaw Uprising. Hereafter, the motorcade proceeded to an avenue, historically praised as ‘Aleje Jerozolimskie’ (The Jerusalem alley), now hastily renamed into Bahnhofstrasse (later one, in the course of the occupation, into ‘Reichsstraße’ and finally ‘Ostlandstrasse’). Subsequently, the cars turned into Nowy Swiat, the famous fashionable arteria of Warsaw, and finally to Ujazdów Avenue. All arrangements were made to orchestrate a parade of victory, thus paying tribute both to the German army and Hitler himself as a supreme commander and a Fuhrer.

The Two-Hour Military Parade

The long-drawn automobile column, which had been proceeding its way from the airfield, now eased down and entered the wide avenue. Hitler was the key figure of the cortege, all while standing and greeting the German soldiers (who had been carefully ranked by the side of the road hours before) from his Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 of improved cross-country performance. The route was not accidental as for a while now his cortege had been moving forward across the so-called ‘King’s route’ the king’s road with a two-century history behind. The German dictator was known for his disdain toward the monarchy. Hitler was even much less concerned with the history of the independent Polish state and its kings, who had used this route to reach their royal residences in the South of Warsaw. ‘Ujazdów Avenue’ would later (May 1940) be renamed Lindenallee (Linde Avenue) with a barefaced parallel to the berlin Unter-den-Linden. A year from the day of Hitler’s visit it would be once again renamed (in the course of the orchestrated parade viewed by Hans Frank) to ‘Siegenallee’ (The avenue of Victory).

As far back in Warsaw’s history as the end of the XIX century, a broad street with an elite status of the former king’s road was settled on by rich aristocrats of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the acquisition of independence and the fall of the Habsburgs at the back of the Great War, the spacious villas and adjoining green gardens were mainly turned into embassies. That very afternoon minutes of October 5 1939 Hitler’s cortege made a stop next to Ujazdowski Park and Pałacyk ‘Rembielińskiego’, a luxurious palace of 1840, hit by a German air bomb in the course of the recent raids. A large grandstand, ornamented with Nazi symbolics was erected prior to the event to accommodate Hitler and his close military entourage during the so-called ‘Siegesparade’ (Parade of victory).

Apart from Hitler himself, the made tribune was now to welcome and place forgoing Walther von Brauchitsch, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Friedrich von Cochenhausen. The attentive attendees of the parade had a glimpse to identify the future Feldmarschall of aviation Albert Kesselring, who had been recently (September 30) awarded with Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) by Hitler personally. General Colonel Wilhelm Keitel, the chief of the OKW, had been disdainfully called ‘Lakeitel’ by some of the high-ranking officers of the army. He caught the sight of the battlefields in Poland only from the perspective of Hitler’s personal train, a fact, which had not get in the way of being awarded the ‘Knight’s Cross’ for the Polish campaign. It would take him seven years to get from the parade in Warsaw to the gallow in Nuremberg. Erwin Rommel, the chief of the ‘Führerbegleitbataillon’ was another prominent figure, summoned to Warsaw after a short stay at home and now present within the grandstand.

Among the others present, Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz, the commander of the 8th army was now filled with a mix of pride and doubts watching his soldiers (the 8th army was the privileged regime of the parade) marching the conquered city. Following the Polish campaign, Blaskowitz was promoted to colonel-general, awarder with ‘Knight’s Cross’ and assigned as the Commander in Chief in the East. In under two subsequent months, the general would fall out of favor of Hitler after his deprecation towards the mass killings, performed by the SS in Poland with the extermination of the city citizens, the prelude to mass killing actions in the USSR such as Babi yar massacre in 1941. On that October afternoon, Blaskowitz could see Heinrich Himmler nearby, an architecture of the ‘Sonderauftrag’ (special tasks) against Polish and Jews, who had come purposively from Berlin to join the parade after a ten-day ‘vacation’.

As for Adolf Hitler, he was now making the most of the moment, while playing the role of the warlord, a colonizer who reviewed his self-made triumphant army for more than two hours in the heart of Warsaw downtown. October 5, 1939, was a warm and sunny day, yet the German Fuhrer favored a leather coat to appear in front of his army. The bloody war would demand another day until the shatters of the devastated Polish army would capitulate on October 6 (on that day Hitler would voice a triumphant speech in Berlin). In the meantime, waiting for such ‘formality’, Hitler addressed the foreign journalists next to the grandstand, who had been craving his commentaries for a few hours. He made emotional stress on the ruins of Warsaw and proclaimed a verbose statement, that Warsaw suffered so much because of the ‘criminal’ perseverance of its leaders and defenders. Hitler voiced the idea, that the Western powers should pay extreme attention to the possible aftermath of war. Subsequent to a two-hour orchestrated parade, Hitler was now to proceed with a short ride across Warsaw.

Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Hitler specifically flew to Warsaw on a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 A-0 (S-8) AC+VH "Grenzmark" aircraft to watch the parade. He landed at Okecie airport in Aleja Krakowska, and armed convoy went to the central part of the city where the main event was taking place. After that, he made brief visits to various parts of Warsaw. In addition with Hitler, the main podium was filled by the commanders of the Wehrmacht, while at the bottom left were other generals of lower rank. Also, the bottom right is filled by aides. For identification of the people standing on the podium is, from left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des Führers und Reichskanzler). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.

Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Standing in the podium, from left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl Cranz (Kommandeur 18. Infanterie-Division), General der Artillerie Emil Leeb (Kommandierender General XI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (with glasses, Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (blocked by Blaskowitz, Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), and General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1). Standing directly below Hitler is Generalmajor Erwin Rommel (Kommandeur Führer-Begleit-Bataillon). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.

Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Standing in the podium, from left to right: Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl Cranz (Kommandeur 18. Infanterie-Division), General der Artillerie Emil Leeb (Kommandierender General XI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), and Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee). In the invasion of Poland, 18. Infanterie-Division (Cranz) was under the command of XI. Armekorps (Leeb), which itself is a part of the 10. Armee (Reichenau). Standing directly below Hitler is Generalmajor Erwin Rommel (Kommandeur Führer-Begleit-Bataillon). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.



Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. From left to right: Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), Generalleutnant Conrad von Cochenhausen (with stahlhelm, Kommandeur 10. Infanterie-Division), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), Generalmajor Karl-Heinrich Bodenschatz (Verbindungsoffizier zwischen dem Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe und dem Führerhauptquartier), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des "Führers und Reichskanzlers“). In this photo, Brückner is wearing a rare wartime SA schirmmütze (visor hat) reserved only for Adolf Hitler's personal staff. This type of hat can be identified from the dark brown center with the Reichsadler SA emblem on the top center which resembles the Reichsadler Heer / Kriegsmarine. Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.

Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. This picture shows Panzerkampfwagen IIs passing Adolf Hitler and other Wehrmacht officials who were standing on the podium. Since the only armored formation belonging to the 8. Armee under the siege of Warsaw was I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 23, it is likely that the tanks is from that unit. Standing on the podium is, from left to right: General der Kavallerie Erich Hoepner (Kommandierender General XVI. Armeekorps [motorisiert]), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Korvettenkapitän Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer (Adjutant der Kriegsmarine beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), and General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1).

PaK (Panzerabwehrkanone) 35/36 37mm caliber belonging to a Wehrmacht anti-tank unit passing through the podium during the victory parade of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939 in the presence of Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) and other high-ranking Wehrmacht officials. The PaK 35/36 itself was the standard German anti-tank weapon early in the war, before being replaced by the larger caliber as Allies and Soviet armored vehicles increased in thickness. Note that these anti-tank guns are painted with field gray color so they will "blend" with the color of the tires! The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger, one of Adolf Hitler's personal photographer.

This photo was taken by Hugo Jaeger and shows the Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. The Einheits-PKW (standard passenger car) marching past Adolf Hitler and other dignitaries of the Wehrmacht, standing on the podium . The vehicle on the left is the Stoewer Typ M 12 RW, while the one in the center and right is the Horch 830 R Kübelwagen. Those standing in the podium is, from left to right: General der Kavallerie Erich Hoepner (Kommandierender General XVI. Armeekorps [motorisiert]), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des Führers und Reichskanzler). The aides are watching below the podium and - in this photo - they can be seen at far right.

This photo was taken by Hugo Jaeger and shows the Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. A line of military trucks passes Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking Wehrmacht officials, followed by the Einheits-PKW (standard passenger cars). It seems that these vehicles have been added with a two-tone gray-brown camouflage paint, and they also have a glossy shine as if they were fresh from the factory (the order to use all-grey camouflage only came into effect after the end of French campaign in 1940). Here, too, we can see that the generals around Hitler changing according to their unit's turn to parade. From left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), and General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps)

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/koleksi-ratusan-foto-berwarna-dari-life.html
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m064km4b?hl=en
https://www.life.com/history/world-war-ii-erupts-color-photos-from-the-invasion-of-poland-1939/
https://war-documentary.info/hitler-goes-warsaw/

French Foreign Volunteers on the Advance to Moscow

Soldiers of the 'Legion des volontaires francais' (LVF) passing through a destroyed town on their advance towards Moscow, autumn 1941. The LVF was deployed to Smolensk and sent as reinforcements to the fighting near Moscow in November and December 1941 where it became the only foreign unit to fight alongside the Germans. By the time of its arrival at the front, the unit "was on its last legs". Many collaborators had feared that the unit might arrive too late at the front to see action, and its training had been cut short for this reason. The LVF was first deployed in combat near the village of Vygliadovka and participated in a successful frontal assault against Soviet positions on 1 December, but was hit by a large Soviet counterattack several days later, suffering extremely high casualties. Within months, the LVF had lost around half its manpower in action or through frostbite; there was also a serious outbreak of dysentery. Some individual soldiers deserted to the Red Army or committed suicide. After two weeks, they were withdrawn from the front line in Djukovo (40 kilometres (25 mi) from Moscow) and returned to Smolensk. Afterwards, the LVF was used only behind the front-line. Photographer: Artur Grimm.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_French_Volunteers_Against_Bolshevism
https://humus.livejournal.com/6575779.html

French Colonial Soldiers in 1940

French colonial soldiers as a prisoners of war on the march through a city guarded by Wehrmacht soldiers on bicycles. The picture was taken somewhere in France, June-July 1940.

In 1940, the French army included more than 100,000 black French soldiers from France’s African colonies, mainly Senegal, Mauritania,and Niger. More than 75,000 of them served in France before and during the German invasion; the rest of them served guard duty in the various colonies. As the Wehrmacht panzer divisions swept across France in May-June 1940, some of those black French soldiers (about 40,000 of them), mainly organized in black regiments or mixed units, were engaged in fierce combat against German soldiers. About 10,000 black soldiers were killed, some wounded, and others taken prisoner during the French debacle. Between 1,500 to 3,000 black French prisoners of war were massacred throughout the campaign, either during or after combat. Generally speaking, Tirailleurs Sénégalais were treated differently from other war prisoners by the victorious army. The existence of a well-implanted anti-black racism and stereotypes among the German soldiers frequently resulted in the black French troops being separated from other prisoners of war. Fear of coupes-coupes (a hand-to-hand weapon used by the Tirailleurs Sénégalais that German soldiers considered a treacherous weapon), latent desire for revenge because of German losses, or simple racism, resulted in random massacres of black French war prisoners by members of the Wehrmacht.

Source :
https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=24173

German Infantry March in Soviet Union

German infantry troops march along a dirt road in Ukraine, shortly after the invasion of Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), June 1941. Most carry a 98k carbine, the one in the center carries a MG 34 machine gun. Pre-war German infantry training stressed the importance of a methodical approach to small unit tactics. The infantry section used only two simple formations to maneuver in battle, but it had a repertoire of choreographed tactical responses which produced predictable results in a given situation. Company and platoon commanders, section and squad leaders, even lead machine gunners were trained to recognize opportunity, and act on it. In theory, the tactical and operational concepts worked well, and they are valid today, but this kind of expertise is only one aspect of warfare. The Wehrmacht was a well-oiled machine involved in the wrong purpose, it had to fail. The image was originally published as 'Das Heer im Grossdeutschen Freiheitskampf' (translated as 'The Army in the Greater German Freedom Struggle'), a collection of 50 plus images taken by the German Army's combat photography unit (Propagandakompanie) during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Source :
Das Heer im Grossdeutschen Freiheitskampf
https://20thcenturywargaming.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/german-infantry-tactics-1932-1945/
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-wehrmacht-infantry-march-off-duty-german-army-soldiers-on-the-eastern-19823453.html?imageid=A60F52C6-9692-4619-B99F-28F580BBCF6F&p=28623&pn=1&searchId=4f3f1a6c71448f68833bbfc26f701185&searchtype=0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:German_soldiers_marching_in_Russian_summer.jpg
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/german-infantry-troops-march-along-a-dirt-road-soviet-union-news-photo/103137520
https://www.granger.com/results.asp?image=0025659

Spanish Tank Troops during Parade

A Russian T-26 with a machine gun installed in the turret.

Tank troops of the Spanish army during a parade in the ruins of Madrid, 1939-1940. Soviet-made T-26, German Panzer.I and Italian L-3/33 tanks were demonstrated at the parade, passing the Carretera de La Coruña, Moncloa. The Pz.I and L-3/33 tanks were handed over to the Spanish nationalists (Francos) during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), while Soviet-made tanks were captured in battles with the Republicans. The picture was made by German photographer Otto Wunderlich.

The same previous tank with another on its side. In the background the Clinic.

Photograph similar to the previous ones.

A T-26 passes in front of the ruins of the Pérez Galdos school, in the background the buildings of the Plaza de la Mopncloa can be distinguished.

Source :
https://477768.livejournal.com/6484593.html?utm_source=3userpost
http://florentinoareneros.blogspot.com/2017/03/wunderlich-acorazados.html

German Soldiers on the March

German soldiers on the march. No further details known, although as there appear to be some flowers by the side of the road, and by the general look of the countryside, this could be somewhere on the Western Front in late spring or early summer 1940. Interestingly, the NCO on the left and the officer on horseback have distinctive light-colored tunics. There appear to be two civilians on bicycles on the right-hand side of the image. This slide was in reasonable condition, but with some of the usual cyan/blue colour shift, damage and staining. With this kind of restoration, I never know what to expect, but I am pleasantly surprised at how it has turned out. The look of the ‘Agfacolor’ edge marking is not correct, and this is a consequence of the manipulation that was required. Drum scan of an original Agfacolor slide. Not previously published.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/AnalogueCalendarium/photos/a.160150789449622/314561730675193/

Artillerie-Regiment 213 on the March in Poland

Artillerie-Regiment 213 on the march with drawn units on a country road in Poland, September-October 1939. The regiment is a part of 213. Infanterie-Division. During the Invasion of Poland, the 213th Infantry Division served in the reserves of Heeresgruppe Süd (Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt). It did not play a significant role in the Poland campaign. After the campaign, the division served under XXXV. Armeekorps.

Source :
Bundesarchiv B 206 Bild-GD-06
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/213th_Security_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Heroes Remembrance Day 1940

 

Heldengedenktag (Heroes Remembrance Day) 1940 on Unter den Linden boulevard in Berlin. Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, accompanied by Reich Marshal Hermann Göring, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder and Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, greets the honor battalion of the Wehrmacht marching past. March 10, 1940. In 1919, the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge) proposed a Volkstrauertag (people's day of mourning) for German soldiers killed in the First World War. It was first held in 1922 in the Reichstag. In 1926, Volkstrauertag became a feature on what Catholics considered Reminiscere (the second Sunday of Lent.). On 27 February 1934, the National Socialists introduced national holiday legislation to create Heldengedenktag ("Day of Commemoration of Heroes"), cementing the observance. In the process, they completely changed the character of the holiday: the emphasis shifted to hero worship rather than remembering the dead. Furthermore, five years later the Nazis abolished Buß- und Bettag as a non-working day and moved its commemoration to the following Sunday, to further the war effort. Joseph Goebbels as Propaganda Minister, issued guidelines on content and implementation, instructing that flags no longer be flown at half-mast. The last Heldengedenktag was celebrated in 1945. Photo by Popperfoto.

 

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkstrauertag
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=412210326714464&set=gm.1641608349357915

The Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organization

 

Members of the Swedish Lotta Corps in Stockholm, 1940. Photo by Carl Erik Suneson.

The Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organization (Swedish: Riksförbundet Sveriges lottakårer, commonly known as Lottorna) is an auxiliary defence organization of the Swedish Home Guard, a part of the Swedish Armed Forces.

The organization currently consists of approximately 5,000 women of all ages throughout Sweden. Svenska Lottakåren's purpose is to recruit and educate women for tasks in the Swedish total defense, and to conduct comprehensive defense training. Lottorna works in both the Armed Forces and in Civilian Emergency Preparedness. The organization is politically neutral, and is one of the country's largest female networks.

It was created in 1924 inspired by the Finnish women's auxiliary organization, Lotta Svärd founded in 1920. The name comes from a poem by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, about a fictional woman named Lotta Svärd who took care of wounded soldiers during the Finnish War. The founder and the organization's first chairman was Tyra Wadner. The organization began as part of the then Landstorms movement (then named Sveriges Landstormskvinnor) but became an independent organization in 1942. In 1936 rules were laid down that regulated Lottorna's activities in peacetime and wartime. In peacetime, the activities would be concentrated in four areas: Collection of funds for the Landstorms movement, Provide service at Landstorm's mens exercises, Training of their own members, and Teaching work to "raise fatherland and homeland patriotic feeling and strengthen the nation's defense".

During the war, the Lottorna instead had to undertake various forms of assistance for defense in the homeland, especially during mobilization. The lots were divided into army, navy and airfields. During World War II, the organization received many new duties and the number of members increased. By the end of the war, the organization had more than 110,000 members, which meant that about five percent of women in the country over 15 years were part of Lottorna.

Source :

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=392103048725192&set=gm.1616593125192771

Luftwaffe Musikkorps

From a color slide group of Flak-Regiment 3: A Weimar regiment, Luftgau III. The big regimental standard follows the Musikkorps to the far right out of the image.

In 1935 the Luftwaffe's Musikkorps were keen to announce their arrival and introduced a distinctive style of brass music to emphasise this new air-arm within Nazi Germany's newly-created Wehrmacht. The freshly appointed Luftwaffen musikinspizient Prof. Hans Felix Husadel, un-bound by the strict tradition of the army, set about 'freeing' Luftwaffe music and brought the full range of clarinets, bass trumpet and alto-slide trombone into the musical line-up, plus the saxophone, so breaking a previously long-held boycott of this, supposedly, 'Negro instrument'.

With the enthusiastic support of Herman Göring, a change to the construction of existing instruments was also made and the much-beloved traditional rotary valves were replaced on the bass trumpet by pump valves! In a further move, Husadel engaged composers who would write specifically for the new arm to develop a modern style of military band music more similar to the American 'Sousa' style than the old traditional Prusso-German marches.

With Prof. Husadel's modern and exciting compositions allied to his introduction of silver-plated instruments over the army's more traditional and standard 'plain' brass finishes, a much more distinctive look and sound for the Luftwaffe's military bands was guaranteed and this successful transformation was fundamental in now promoting a feeling of elitism and real pride in this, the new airm arm within the Nazi Third Reich.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221814799072651&set=gm.1532973903554694
http://www.tomahawkfilms.com/german-airforce-music.html

Red Army Victory Parade in 1945

The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 (Russian: Парад Победы, tr. Parad Pobedy) was a victory parade held by the Soviet Armed Forces (with the Color Guard Company representing the First Polish Army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany. This, the longest and largest military parade ever held on Red Square in the Soviet capital Moscow, involved 40,000 Red Army soldiers and 1,850 military vehicles and other military hardware. The parade lasted just over two hours on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month after May 9, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commanders. Despite 800 000 women serving in the Soviet armed forces, no woman was allowed to march during the parade.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Victory_Parade_of_1945
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCWVM5bUZmE

US Troops Marching in Saint-Lô

United States Army trucks and jeeps drive through the ruins of Saint-Lô, Normandy (France), in July of 1944. A group of American soldiers is walking along the street. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German troops stationed there during Operation Overlord. The Battle of Saint-Lô is one of the three conflicts in the Battle of the Hedgerows (fr), which took place between July 9–24, 1944, just before Operation Cobra. Saint-Lô had fallen to Germany in 1940, and, after the Invasion of Normandy, the Americans targeted the city, as it served as a strategic crossroads. American bombardments caused heavy damage (up to 95% of the city was destroyed) and a high number of casualties, which resulted in the martyr city being called "The Capital of Ruins", popularized in a report by Samuel Beckett. The picture was taken by Reinhard Schultz from PRISMA magazine

Source :
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-world-war-ii-normandy-saint-lo-july-1944-second-world-war-ww2-war-30511322.html
https://www.gettyimages.com/articles/news/see-rare-color-pictures-of-d-day
http://historyinphotos.blogspot.co.id/2016/01/world-war-ii-in-color.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/06/scenes-from-d-day-then-and-now/100752/
https://www.turkishnews.com/en/content/2015/12/20/d-day-in-color-photographs-from-the-normandy-invasion/

Hitler Watching the Parade of Hetzer

Arys (Orzysz) in East Prussia, 20 April 1944: Adolf Hitler and his entourage watching the parade of the first twenty Jagdpanzer 38 (Sd.Kfz.138/2) "Hetzer" (Baiter or Troublemaker) on an autobahn as a part of a somber 55th birthday celebration for the Führer. After the demonstration they were sent directly back to the factory since they were not yet completely serviceable. From left to right: Generaloberst Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), Reichsleiter Martin Bormann (Stabsleiter im Amt des Stellvertreters des Führers), Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Hauptdienstleiter Dipl.-Ing. Karl-Otto Saur (Staatssekretär im Reichsministerium für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion), unidentified panzer officer, and Adolf Hitler (Führer und oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht). The man holding the film camera is Walter Frentz (21 August 1907 - 6 July 2004), one of Hitler's personal cameraman. from 1939 to 1945, he was closely associated with photographing and filming activities of higher echelons of leaders of Nazi Germany, including Hitler.

Source :
Book "Jagdpanzer 38 'Hetzer' 1944-45" by Hilary L. Doyle and Tom Jentz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Frentz
https://www.ullsteinbild.de/ullstein-webshop/workbench.html?queryWord=walter+frentz&newTitle=ullstein+bild+|+Search%3A+walter+frentz&qwAction=searchQueryWord&viewMode=tile

Top Third Reich Officials at Heldengedenktag 1943

German top military officials standing at the podium in Unter den Linden, Berlin, for Heldengedenktag (Day of Commemoration of Heroes) parade, 21 March 1943. From left to right: Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (Chef des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine), Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Reichsführer SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei), and Adolf Hitler (Führer und oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht). The picture was taken by one of the photographer from Presse-Illustrationen Heinrich Hoffmann and first published in 22 March 1943

Source :
http://der-fuehrer.org/Galleries/Farbe_Fotos/index3.html
http://www.gettyimages.com/pictures/german-empire-berlin-heldengedenktag-1943-soldiers-of-the-news-photo-545722943#german-empire-berlin-heldengedenktag-1943-soldiers-of-the-wehrmacht-picture-id545722943
https://www.ullsteinbild.de/ullstein-webshop/workbench.html?queryWord=g%C3%B6ring+keitel+d%C3%B6nitz+himmler+hitler&newTitle=ullstein+bild+|+Search%3A+g%C3%B6ring+keitel+d%C3%B6nitz+himmler+hitler&qwAction=searchQueryWord&viewMode=tile

Finnish Victory Parade at Viipuri

Finnish victory parade in front of the Round Tower of Viipuri (Vyborg) after the recapture of the town from the Red Army, 31 August 1941. Shortly after this, all the Finnish radio stations began playing a hectic 'Säkkijärven'- polka non-stop for nearly two weeks. The people at the rear learned afterwards that the withdrawing Soviet troops had placed explosive charges all over the town, which could be detonated by radio signal. The fast-paced music playing on all frequencies was enough to disrupt these signals as the Finnish pioneers raced to defuse each bomb! Previously, Viipuri (including all of the Karelian Isthmus) had been ceded to the Soviet Union on March 13, 1940, in the Moscow Peace Treaty, which marked the end of the Winter War. Later, in the summer of 1944, the Soviet Union reconquered the southern part of the isthmus from the Finns in the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk Offensive.

Source :
Book "Finland at War: The Continuation and Lapland Wars 1941-45 by Vesa Nenye
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_reconquest_of_the_Karelian_Isthmus_%281941%29

10th Mountain Division Soldiers on a Winter Training March

A group of approximately nine Tenth Mountain Division soldiers on a winter training march at Camp Hale, Colorado, 1943 or 1944. All are carrying rifles and wearing caps and parkas. Snow is on the ground. During training, small patrols from Camp Carson and Camp Hale went out into the mountain wilderness to practice movement and bivouacking in severe conditions. Since they had to carry with them everything needed for several days, supplementing their rations with game was desirable. They wear fur-trimmed reversible ski parkas - olive drab side out - and carry M1 carbines. They also learned rock climbing, endurance through long distance marches and cross country ski trips, down hill skiing, winter/mountain survival techniques, and combat throughout the winter of 1943-1944.

Source :
Book "US 10th Mountain Division in World War II" by Gordon L. Rottman and Peter Dennis
http://amyatishkin.livejournal.com/287245.html
https://www.msudenver.edu/camphale/10thmountaindivision/

10th Mountain Division Soldiers March in Formation

U.S. Tenth Mountain Division soldiers march in formation down a street at Camp Hale, Colorado, 1943 or 1944. They are carrying black regimental flags. Three barracks are in the background. Recruitment of the 10th was unique in Army history, in that a civilian organization selected and validated volunteer recruits, who came from ski clubs and schools, college skiing teams, and local search-and-rescue ski patrols. The National Ski Patrol vetted potential volunteers closely, and the National Ski Association aided in selection and screening. This was an era when such diversions as skiing and mountaineering were largely limited to the affluent, and an impressive number of the applicants held winter sports event and climbing records. Many volunteers were athletically inclined college students or graduates, resulting in the recruiting slogan “college boys to cowboys.” It was reasoned that it would be easier to turn experienced skiers into soldiers rather than train soldiers to ski. This gave the division a higher than normal number of college graduates, often from “Ivy League” universities, making them the most highly educated ground units in the service! This provoked complaints about creaming off potential officers and NCOs for other units, at a time when junior leaders were much needed. (By the time the division went to war the educational level had been watered down to some degree, but it was still higher than average.)

Source :
Book "US 10th Mountain Division in World War II" by Gordon L. Rottman and Peter Dennis
http://amyatishkin.livejournal.com/287245.html