German Pioneers Cutting Barbed Wire

Operation Barbarossa - German pioneers cutting through barbed wire on the German-Soviet demarcation line behind the Granitza River at the beginning of the Russian campaign. On June 22, 1941, more than 3 million German and Axis troops invaded the Soviet Union along an 1,800-mile-long front, launching Operation Barbarossa. It was Germany’s largest invasion force of the war, representing some 80 percent of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, and one of the most powerful invasion forces in history.

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/index.php?sid=78b247827f7aa5bebb247cf9956130ce
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa

German Infantryman Taking Cover

German infantryman taking cover on the Eastern Front. No place given, probably Russia 1942. Photographer: Artur Grimm. The troops had been pushed to the extreme limit of endurance since the beginning of the Russian campaign, particularly during the intensive fighting in the areas of Sevastopol and Feodosia. The infantry companies as well as units of pioniers, panzerjaegers, reconnaissance battalions, the forward observers of the artillery, and the supply units had repeatedly demonstrated how good soldiers conform and react to a given situation, regardless of the strength of the opposition, when provided the proper training and leadership.

Source :
"In Deadly Combat: A German Soldier's Memoir of the Eastern Front" by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann
http://losgrandesfotografos.blogspot.com/2018/02/arthur-grimm-1908-1990.html

German Infantryman with MG 13

German infantryman with MG 13 on the Eastern Front. No place given, but probably Russia 1942. Photographer: Artur Grimm. The MG 13 (shortened from German Maschinengewehr 13) is a German light machine gun developed by converting the Dreyse Model 1918 heavy water-cooled machine gun into an air-cooled version. The MG 13 was introduced into service in 1930, where it served as the standard light machine gun until 1935. It was superseded by the MG 34 and then later the MG 42.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/ww2soldiers/photos/a.1756598311265149/2471299086461731/?type=3

German Infantry Using Luger and Flamethrower

German infantry on the attack with cover by flamethrower in Ukraine, late summer 1941. The soldier in the back is holding a Luger pistol. The adoption of the Luger by the German Army—as the P08, or Pistole Parabellum 1908—played a major part in establishing the automatic pistol for military use. The German Army was so well regarded that their decision to adopt an autoloader influenced numerous other countries to do the same. Photographer: Artur Grimm.

 
Source :
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/soviet-union-ukrainian-ssr-world-war-ii-german-infantry-on-news-photo/548130245?phrase=artur%20grimm
https://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/the-iconic-p08-luger-autopistol/
https://waralbum.ru/371547/

Horst Grund with a Ford Eifel

Kriegsberichter Horst Grund, Member of a naval propaganda company, with a Ford Eifel car on the land route to Konstanza (Constanta), Romania, after taking a break on a country road, 1941.

Source :
https://e-artis-contemporary.com/en/Rumaenien-N-1603-Bild-017-Horst-Grund-1941/29778

A Swiss Army Sergeant Firing with MG

Heavy infantry weapons of the Swiss army in 1940, photo by Theodor Strübin. A sergeant (Wachtmeister) firing with the M25 light machine gun. In addition to the target made of grass bricks, there is also a replacement barrel with a leather case and replacement magazines. Picture before 1943 (smooth green steel helmet).

Source :
Tobi Moll photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=235325211069644&set=gm.1424037791114973&type=3&theater&ifg=1
https://www.kimweb.ch/sammlungen/objekt/f6f93ac8-40de-3398-aaa3-da8d41a6635f

US Mountain Soldiers Set Up Small Tents

A large group of Tenth Mountain Division soldiers set up small tents in the middle of a grassy field in the mountains in Colorado during training, 1943 or 1944. These two-man mountain tent with integral floor sheet was provided with two three-section tent poles, but it was quicker to erect it by stringing a ridge cord between two trees. The tent had to be roomier than the standard “pup tent” made up from shelter halves, owing to the troopers’ bulky sleeping bags and other extra gear. It was reversible from olive drab to white, and had a floor. The tubular entrances and vents at each end helped prevent blowing snow from entering. Two types of snowshoes were issued to the mountain troopers: The “bivouac” or “bearpaw” type, for moving around between the tents in snowbound overnight camps, measured 28in long and 13in wide, while the “trail snowshoe” was 58in long by 10in wide. Fitted with leather bindings, both types could be attached to any kind of boot or shoepac (waterproof winter boots).

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

German Motorcycle Messenger in the Eastern Front

The ubiquitous German motorcycle messenger (Kradmelder) from Stab Artillerie-Regiment 110 in the Eastern Front with his DKW NZ 350, wearing his rubberized coat (Kradmantel) that has been wrapped and buttoned around his legs to keep dirt and dust off his uniform. The German military was the largest employers of motorcycles during World War II, 1939-45. On 22 June 1941 Germany launched its Operation Barbarossa, the 3-million-man invasion of the Soviet Union. During the campaigns that followed, the military motorcyclist served a variety of functions including chauffeur service for officers, delivering dispatches, even hot meals, as scouting patrols, as point vehicles taking the brunt of battle, sometimes as specially equipped tank destroyers. As with all motorcyclists, there was a kinship among these soldiers who called themselves “kradmelder” (military messenger). They rode exposed without the armor plating of the Panzers, without the safety of hundreds of foot soldiers beside them. Moving targets as it were, sniper magnets, and then there were mine fields, artillery fire, and strafing aircraft to contend with. The other enemy was the Russian weather. By autumn the roads had turned into nearly impassable bogs, the fields over which the motorcycles traveled turning in to “seas of jelly three feet more deep”. By winter, temperatures fell to -40 degrees Celsius, engine oil and exposed soldiers froze solid. Some German motorcycle riders benefited from special heating systems grafted onto their bikes, including foot and hand warmers. However, by war’s end, many if not most of the motorcycles, along with their riders, never returned home.

Source :
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1258822102/Figure+info+needed
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/293719206921548684/
http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/german-motorcycle-courier-in-eastern-front-1942/

Pilot of JG 54 with His Girl inside an Umbrella

Although it looks as if it might have come from a propaganda magazine, this photograph is in fact from the private collection of a pilot of III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) "Grünherz". Interestingly, this photo of 9./JG 54's "Staffelschirms" (Staffel Umbrella) with hand-painted "Teufelskopf" (Devil's Head) emblem was not taken early in the war when there was still time for such fun, but during the Reichsverteidigung (Reich's Defense) period. The photograph was shot in September 1943 at 9.Staffel's airfield at Schwerin-Görries. The umbrella, created by members of the Staffel, appears to be made of parachute silk.

Source :
Magazine "Luftwaffe im Focus", Spezial No.1 - 2003

US Stuart Light Tank in Soviet service with a Towed Gun

A Soviet M3 Stuart tank (supplied through Lend-Lease) with a towed 152mm field howitzer, destroyed at the Second Battle of Kharkov (Ukraine) in May 1942. By December 1941 it did look as if Russia just might collapse. It was around this time that Russia started to receive substantial numbers of M3s. As it turns out, they're not too happy with the tank, considering it under-gunned, under-armored, likely to catch fire, and too sensitive to fuel quality. The M3's radial aircraft engine required high-octane fuel, which complicated Soviet logistics as most of their tanks used diesel or low-octane fuel. High fuel consumption led to a poor range characteristic, especially sensitive for reconnaissance vehicle. Also, compared to Soviet tanks, the M3's narrower tracks resulted in a higher ground pressure, getting them more easily stuck in the spring and autumn mud and winter snow conditions on the Eastern Front. In 1943, the Red Army tried out the M5 and decided that the upgraded design was not much better than the M3. Being less desperate than in 1941, the Soviets turned down an American offer to supply the M5. M3s continued in Red Army service at least until 1944. The Soviets appreciated the high reliability of American tanks.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3_Stuart

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch Liaison Aircraft

Liaison aircraft was indispensable for maintaining direct contact between the headquarters of armies and front-line units. Without them, it would have been impossible for senior commanders to meet with subordinates at short notice to discuss the situation or make snap visits to the front. Since command posts and headquarters were often well-camouflaged in wooded areas, small villages or other inaccessible locations, there was normally no regular runway for aircraft to land on. For this reason, the Fieseler Storch, with its short takeoff and landing capabilities, was favored by senior staff officers. The Storch could even land on rough ground, as might be found in a cow pasture, for example.

A commander departs with two staff officers. The situation maps and papers suggest that they have just attended a situation conference. The Fieseler Fi 156 C "Storch", manufacturer's code GK+M?, wears the yellow fuselage band for aircraft operating on the Eastern Front. The photograph was taken in Russia in the summer of 1941 or 1942.

An officer boards a Fieseler Fi 156 C "Storch", code ?F+YF. The aircraft's engine is already running in preparation for takeoff across the horse pasture. The configuration of the cockpit glazing (with MG 15 in an armored lens-type mount) identifies the aircraft as a C-series Storch.

Source :
Magazine "Luftwaffe im Focus", Spezial No.1 - 2003

Wehrmacht Kriegsberichter with Ukrainian Farmers

A Russian-speaking German Kriegsberichter (war correspondent) of Berichterstaffel z.b.V. OBH in a BMW R12 motorcycle with sidecar strikes a conversation with Ukrainian female farmers out in the fields. Note on the front of the sidecar the emblem of the "Berichterstaffel zur besonderen Verfügung Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres" (Special War Reporters Command for the Army Headquarters), comprising a pen and a sword. June-August 1942. In the Steppes East of the Ukraine, there were no road signs and few landmarks by which the Germans could take their bearings. Good maps were few and far between. As a result german patrols and motorcycle riders (such as this one) had to ask their way of women and old men working in the fields. The poor planning and the consequent foundering of the German troops in the vastnesses of the uncharted territory, are reflected in photos such as this one. One must also remember the tough terrain that the Germans faced in their drive. RRs and roads built well enough to accommodate tanks were in limited supply in the Soviet Union. The ability to hold on to these roads was just as important on the long retreat as it was on the drive forward. The difference in gauges of RR track width between those in Russia and those in Germany also called for track conversion or trains able to travel on any given line of tracks - Russian on Russian tracks and German on German tracks. It was, indeed, a mess.

Source :
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/110971578290433196/
http://www.ww2incolor.com/german/German+Dispatch+rider.html

German Soldiers Taking a Break during the Russian Summer Campaign in 1942

Wehrmacht combat infantrymen taking a "Feuerpause" (firebreak) - the formal term for "cease-fire", a cigarette break or a short rest break - in their advance in Russia, summer of 1942. Soviet Union was in mortal peril, and with her the whole Allied cause. It was not so much the German advances, although they were great enough; nor the Russian retreats, although they were foreboding enough. It was the total fashion of retreat and defeat in the valley of the Don that chilled the hearts of Russia's allies and sharpened Moscow's cry for a second front. The warning from the Don was this: It was the Red Army, not the German Army, which had suffered the most in the previous winter campaign

Source :
SIGNAL magazine, 1942 edition
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,802337,00.html

US Gunners Prepare their Howitzers for Shipment

At the end of the war in Europe, gunners of the U.S. 87th Infantry Division prepare their M2A1 105mm howitzers for shipment back to the United States. The 105mm was the standard field piece of American infantry divisions during World War II. Each infantry division would have been equipped with 36 of these guns. In armored divisions, the 105mm was mounted on a Sherman tank chassis and operated as self-propelled artillery. At the left of the picture are the two-and-a-half-ton trucks that towed the 105mms.

Source :
Book "Patton's Third Army" by Christopher J. Anderson

The Brandenburgers wearing Russian Uniform

Brandenburgers in Russian uniform in the summer of 1941. The Brandenburgers (German: Brandenburger) were members of the Brandenburg German Special Forces unit during World War II. The so-called “Brandenburger” (after the garrison) were the own troops of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris’ office (so-called “Haustruppe”) to perform commando-style combat operations, which were developed since the fall of 1939. In early August 1942, a Brandenburg detachment of 62 Baltic and Sudeten Germans led by Baron Adrian von Fölkersam penetrated farther into enemy territory than any other Brandenburg unit. Nicknamed "the wild bunch," they undertook to secure the oil fields at Maikop. Using Red Army trucks and the uniforms of the NKVD, the Russian secret police, Fölkersam infiltrated the Soviet lines. The Brandenburgers immediately ran into a large group of Red Army deserters, and Fölkersam saw an opportunity to use them. By persuading them to return to the Soviet cause, he was able to join with them and move almost at will through the Russian lines. Pretending to be a Major Truchin from Stalingrad, Fölkersam explained his role in recovering the deserters to the general in charge of Maikop’s defenses. The Russian general believed Fölkersam and gave him a personal tour of the city’s defenses the next day. By August 8, the German army was only 12 miles away, so the Brandenburgers made their move. Using grenades to simulate an artillery attack, the Brandenburgers knocked out the communications center of the city. Fölkersam then went to the Russian defenders and told them that a withdrawal was taking place. Having seen Fölkersam with their commander and lacking any communications to rebut or confirm his statement, the Soviets began to evacuate Maikop. The German army entered the city without a fight on August 9, 1942.

Source :
http://www.axishistory.com/axis-nations/154-germany-heer/heer-regimenter/4476-lehr-regiment-brandenburg-zbv-800
http://deutscher-freiheitskampf.com/2015/06/13/die-brandenburger-spezialeinheit/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburgers
http://www.historynet.com/the-brandenburg-commandos-july-96-world-war-ii-feature.htm

German Prisoners in U.S. Custody

German POWs recently captured, and in the custody of American military police (MP). At least one soldier (second from right) is wearing an M44 uniform. In the United States, at the end of World War II, there were 175 Branch Camps serving 511 Area Camps containing over 425,000 prisoners of war (mostly German). The camps were located all over the US but were mostly in the South because of the higher expense of heating the barracks in other areas. Eventually, every state (with the exceptions of Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, North Dakota, and Vermont) had POW camps. Some of the camps had to be designated "segregation camps" and used to separate the Nazi "true believers" from the rest of the prisoners, whom they terrorized and even killed for being friendly with their American captors.

Source :
http://ayay.co.uk/background/historical/german_world_war_2_colour/German-war-prisoners-in-US-custody/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_the_United_States
http://stukasoverstalingrad.blogspot.co.id/2013/07/recently-captured.html

SS-Untersturmführer Willi Klein, Adjutant of SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Waldmüller

SS-Untersturmführer Willi Klein, Adjutant of SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Waldmüller (Kommandeur I.Bataillon [motorisiert] / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") in his foxhole near Cambes/Normandy, summer of 1944. Klein (SS number 456 070) was born in 4 August 1921 in Grenzhausen. He started his career in 1.Kompanie / Bataillon der Waffen-SS z.b.V. as SS-Unterscharführer (July 1941), followed by a tour of duty in 2. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (March 1943) and SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 (June 1944). He was killed in action in 1945 as an SS-Obersturmführer and Chef 10.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25. Photo by Propaganda-Kompanie photographer (SS-PK) Wilfried Woscidlo

Source :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=196458&p=1766053&hilit=willi+klein#p1766053
http://www.ww2incolor.com/german/D12SSPDHJ_41_2%23.html

German Mortar Training

A German mortar crew prepares to fire the 8cm schwere Granatwerfer 34 during training. After 1942 German Mortars and range chart were attached to the middle of the tube below the collar. This enabled them to correctly - not only tell the number of charge Increments on the round to use - but also the elevation for the tube (the US Troops in Iraq used the white line down the centre of the tube as did the Germans). This was for accurate laying of the mortar . Most German mortar Crews carried shovels to dig in the baseplate . They were trained bed in the baseplate quickly . Mortars caused more casualties in Normandy than any other weapon . The main reason why was that their is no incoming sound, so no warning to take cover

Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=28557
http://thirdreichcolorpictures.blogspot.com/2010/07/german-mortars-in-color.html

German Officers on the Drive to Stalingrad

Small briefing in the Kalmuck/Kalmyk Steppe of a German Army company commander (Kompaniechef) with the rank of Oberleutnant (left) and his platoon commander (Zugführer) with the rank of Leutnant on their drive to Stalingrad, Russia, 21 June 1942. The 6. Armee began its involvement in the Russian Campaign as the spearhead of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South). Shortly after being promoted to Field Marshal, Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 6. Armee) died in an aircraft accident while being transported to a hospital after a heart attack in January 1942. He was succeeded by his former chief of staff, General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Paulus. Paulus led the 6. Armee to a major victory at the Second Battle of Kharkov during the spring of 1942. This victory also sealed the 6. Armee's destiny because it was selected by the OKH for the attack on Stalingrad. On 28 June 1942, Heeresgruppe Süd began Operation Blau; the German Army's summer offensive into southern Russia. The goals of the operation were to secure both the oil fields at Baku, Azerbaijan, and the city of Stalingrad on the river Volga to protect the forces advancing into the Caucasus. After two months, the 6. Armee reached the outskirts of Stalingrad on 23 August 1942. On the same day, over 1,000 aircraft of the Luftwaffe's Luftflotte 4 bombed the city, turning it into a massive inferno. Destroyed in a matter of hours, Stalingrad was now a charnel house; defended by the weak Soviet 62nd Army under the command of General Vasily Chuikov. Despite having the initiative, the 6. Armee failed to obtain a quick victory. The Red Army put up determined resistance, taking the fight to the rubble-clogged city streets. Though having almost complete air superiority over Stalingrad, and with more artillery pieces than the Soviets, progress was reduced to no more than several meters a day. Soviet casualties in the ghastly urban fighting were horrendous, while German casualties were just as appalling. Eventually, by mid November, the 62nd Army had been pushed to the banks of the Volga; holding only three small bridgeheads along the riverfront. However, despite continued fighting, the 6. Armee was unable to eliminate the remaining Soviet troops holding out in Stalingrad.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Army_%28Wehrmacht%29

German Reconnaisance Force in North Africa

A small German reconnaisance force scanned the horizon looking for the sign of the enemy in North Africa. They are using Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250 (Sd.Kfz.250) and Horch Kfz.15 (Kraftfahrzeug 15) staff car. Photo taken by General Erwin Rommel during his Campaign in North Africa, 1941

Source:
http://www.cybermodeler.com/history/germany/rommel.shtml