Tauchpanzer IV of 18. Panzer-Division

 

 

Two Tauchpanzer IVs from 18. Panzer-Division enjoy some rest. A Storch came in, then flies away (Photo: Heinz Eckert). Immediately after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, when tanks of 18.Panzer-Division crossed the river with the submersible equipment. The tanks are painted in dark gray, but sand from the river completely covers the surface. Dark gray is showing clearly above the tail exhaust pipes as if painted in bands. Interesting is that a red large circle is painted on the back of the stowage behind their turrets.

Source :

Akira Takiguchi photo collection

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222104137025919&set=gm.1567089906809760

Training of Panzer Attack in the East

Training of Panzer attack in the east. Photo taken in early 1943 in Ukraine. Panzer III was probably painted gray over Tropen. Color slide group from Dr. Grögl, Film 62, Frame 12.

Source :

Akira Takiguchi photo collection

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222023880259550&set=gm.1557944247724326

Tanks of 24. Panzer-Division: 24/1 (center), 24/2 (left) and 24/3 (right). These three panzers were used by Schutzen-Brigade 24 and were actually outside the structure of Panzer-Regiment 24. This picture is a part of Repro Dias of Dr. Alois Beck. Beck, Divisionspfarrer of 297.Infanterie-Division, took a lot of photographs, color and B/W, during his service in World War II, and his photos were widely distributed. He made several sets (approximately 300 slides each) of optical duplicates (so called "repro") from his original color slides, one of which is in Akira Takiguchi collection. Being a repro, they lack the sharpness of the originall and somewhat contrasty. This image is a crop from slide #234 to show better details within the limitation of Blogger / Blogspot image hosting.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221603340306314&set=gm.1512667405585344

MP 40 Talks with a Gebirgsjäger

This picture came from the series of color slides taken by Heinz Eckert (Propaganda-Kompanie 670). Immediately after the invasion into Soviet Union, Eckert advanced with 18. Panzer-Division to take images of tanks and high ranking officials including Heinz Guderian. Here is another PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) photograph showing MP 40 talks with a Gebirgsjäger.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10220736061704891&set=gm.1440002952851790&type=3&theater&ifg=1

German Artillery on the Way to Stalingrad

Advancing to Stalingrad: 10cm guns of 16.Panzer-Division, August 1942. These are sK18 10cm guns firing at flat trajectory. Note the sighting poles in two colors (white/red and white/black).

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221356362772030&set=ms.c.eJxNzckNQkEQA9GMkN12b~%3BknhuDPIK7vUEVEUFmq6A4ILx6JtmKH~_wi3FVtdQhxppeVh1RUtRRc1utIb4SZz~%3B8SZDPIRNIkuY~_4ddO0oUTodIDDNTd3XRzbI9ORXsPSoas30T8ppr~%3BrpoAdtJbiYIyoUG57lGzSgNYY~-.bps.&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Oberst Von Drebber and Hauptmann Bender on Field Telephone

Two German officers using Feldtelefon (field telephone) at a position near Stalingrad, autumn 1942. From left to right: Oberst Moritz von Drebber (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 523 / 297.Infanterie-Division) and Hauptmann Bender. In October 1942, the regiment was renamed as Grenadier-Regiment 523. Von Drebber received the rank of Generalmajor on 1 January 1943, and on 22 January 1943 he was appointed as commander of the 297. Infanterie-Division. Three days later he surrendered to the Red Army. The picture was taken by Alois Beck.

Source :
https://www.akg-images.de/CS.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=2UMESQDIHRM1H&SMLS=1&RW=1280&RH=871&POPUPPN=58&POPUPIID=2UMDHUSBDVJ

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