Germany

German paratroopers landing during the Battle of Crete, 1941

battle of crete

Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) landing on the Island of Crete, Greece, from Junkers Ju 52 transporter aircrafts. May 20th 1941. A burning Ju 52 is seen crashing from the air, while British ships are being sunk in Suda Bay in the background. The Battle of Crete was won by Axis forces …

Then and Now: Church in Foy, Bastogne, Battle of the Bulge

then and now foy bastogne battle of the bulge

Church in Foy, Belgium, near Bastogne, pictured in January 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge, and in 2019. In the historical photograph we see a wrecked Panzer IV tank. The village of Foy was made famous by the exceptional TV Mini Series “Band of Brothers”. The Battle of the …

Then and Now: Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen

remagen bridge then and now

The Ludendorff Bridge pictured in 1945, compared to modern times. The Bridge was built in World War One at Remagen, Germany, to help German movements over the Rhine river. In early March 1945, it was a critical bridge still left standing, as the Allies achieved a surprisingly quick advance towards …

Panzer IV tanks traversing a bridge on the Eastern Front, 1943

panzer iv eastern front

Panzer IV tanks traversing an improvised bridge on the Eastern Front. Russia, September or August 1943. The Panzer IV was the most popular German tank in WW2, with around 8500 units built, and the only German tank to be produced during the entirety of the war. It was produced between …

German Wehrmacht soldier sharing his meal with a kitten

wehrmacht soldiers animals ww2

A German Wehrmacht soldier is photographed while sharing his meal with a kitten sometime during World War Two. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 Animals In War: Valiant Horses, Courageous Dogs, and Other Unsung Animal Heroes (Jilly Cooper, 1983)

U-Boat U-550 crew abandon ship and await rescue, April 16th, 1944

u-boat u-550 world war two

Crew of German U-550 U-Boat abandon ship and await rescue on the deck. April 16th, 1944. The German submarine torpedoed and sunk the massive Pan Pennsylvania tanker, which was trailing behind its convoy south of Nantucket Island. Expecting a counterattack from the US convoy CU 21, captain Klaus Hanert decided, …

Wehrmacht soldiers surrender to Soviet Troops, Tula, 1941

wehrmacht soldiers surrender

Wehrmacht soldiers surrender to Soviet troops in the district of Tula, late 1941. The Soviet soldier is carrying a SVT-40 semi automatic rifle. The SVT-40 was used intensively at the start of the war and was supposed to be the new standard rifle of the Red Army, but the German …

British sentry guarding injured German officer, Egypt, 1942

british sentry german officer ww2

A British sentry guarding an injured German officer, while waiting for backup, during the first two days of a British offensive in the Egyptian desert. North African campaign, November 13th, 1942. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 Desert War: The North African Campaign 1940-43 (Alan Moorehead, 1965)

Periscope view from a German U-Boat, 1942

periscope view u-boat

Periscope view from a German U-Boat as it hit and sunk an enemy vessel with a torpedo, 1942. Other details are unknown. Book suggestions ⤵️ 📖 Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-boat Battles of World War II (Herbert A. Werner, 1968) . 📖 U-Boat War (Lothar Gunther …