Germany

Lance corporal Adolf Hitler after World War I

adolf hitler ww1

Adolf Hitler in uniform after World War I, likely in 1921, when he was 32 years old. This image was used on his government issued card which allowed him to carry weapons. Hitler was a decorated lance corporal in the First World War. He learned about Germany’s defeat while hospitalized …

Panzer III tank wrecked in North Africa, August 1942

panzer iii tank

Panzer III tank from the 15th Panzer Division pictured after being destroyed in August 1942, North Africa. An anti tank projectile or a shaped-charge blast penetrated the hull and caused an ammunition explosion, which blew up the turret. This is known as the “Jack in the box” effect. In the …

Red Army POWs inspected by a Waffen SS Soldier, 1941

soviet pow

German Waffen SS soldier looking at a nervous Red Army POW, somewhere on the Eastern Front during September 1941. At that time, Operation Barbarossa was in full swing, as Germany was quickly gaining ground in the East. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 Eastern Inferno: Journals of a German Panzerjäger on the …

Member of the Kriegsmarine inspecting a cannon in Jersey, Channel Islands

channel islands german ww2

A member of the German Kriegsmarine inspecting a historical 18th century cannon in Jersey, Channel Islands, July 1940. The picture was likely taken for propaganda purposes. The inscription “GR” stands for “Georgius Rex”. The Channel Islands were the only British territory to be occupied by Germany during World War two. …

Wehrmacht General Anton Dostler is tied to a stake before his execution

anton dostler

A couple of US Corporals are pictured while tying Wehrmacht General Anton Dostler to a stake before his execution by firing squad. December 1st, 1945, Aversa, Italy. Anton Dostler was Commander of the 75th Army Corps and was sentenced to death by an United States Military Commission in Rome, after …

Goliath tracked mine inspected by US Marines

goliath tracked mine

Goliath tracked mine inspected by a few US Marines, while another one lies overturned beside them. Normandy beach, June 1944. The Goliath light charge carrier was a remote controlled mine (allies called it ‘beetle tank’) developed by Germany during WW2. The Goliath carried between 60 and 100 kilogrammes of explosives, …

Hanns Scharff, master interrogator of the Luftwaffe in WWII

hanns scharff

Hanns Scharff was an interrogator for the Luftwaffe in World War II, known to be arguably the best at his job in the entire National Socialist Germany. His methods were innovative, incredibly effective and he never used torture or other physical means to extract information. Instead, he used methods like …

RAF Spitfire hitting a Heinkel He-111 in Battle of Britain dogfight

spitfire heinkel dogfight

The image, captured by a camera gun film, shows tracer ammunition from a Supermarine Spitfire Royal Air Force aircraft hitting a Heinkel He-111 of the German Luftwaffe. The Supermarine Spitfire Mark I which scored the hit served in the 609 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, and was flown by …

German troops enter Kiev in 1941

wehrmacht kiev

Wehrmacht troops enter Kiev on September 21st, 1941, after a fierce two week battle for the city. The First Battle of Kiev was part of the initial successful Blietzkrieg advance during Germany’s Operation Barbarossa, and is considered the largest encirclement in military history in terms of number of troops. More …

Wehrmacht soldiers with hand grenades on the Eastern Front

wehrmacht soldiers

Wehrmacht soldiers with hand grenades in a foxhole on the Eastern Front, date unknown. The soldiers might be mapping terrain / fields of fire, although no observation instruments can be seen in the image. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knights Cross …