The 24th German Panzer Division advancing towards Stalingrad sometime during August 1942. After initially serving in Northern France, the division moved to the Eastern Front in June 1942, where it was part of the Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group South. The 24th division was encircled and destroyed outside Stalingrad …
Photographs
German tanks in Kasserine, Tunisia, 1943
German tanks advance in Kasserine, Tunisia, February 1943. This was the first major battle between US and Axis forces in World War II in Africa. The Germans initially ran over the inexperienced American battalions, but, eventually, with reinforcements and British help, the Americans were able to recapture their positions and …
Czech resistance members and civilians during the Prague Uprising
Czech resistance members and civilians fighting during the Prague Uprising, which took place between 5-9 May 1945. After six years of German occupation, but with the end of WWII in Europe looming closer, German forces in Bohemia and Moravia were attacked by civilians on May 5th 1945, with help from …
Germans set up pontoon bridge near Kiev, 1941
German forces photographed while building a bridge over the Dnieper river near Kiev in September 1941. The crossing was set up in just 24 hours and acted as a replacement for the main bridge, which had been destroyed by retreating Soviet troops and can be seen in the top left …
How Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting survived the Milan bombings during WWII
Throughout the night of August 15th 1943, the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, home of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous “Last Supper” mural painting, was struck by British bombings. The painting was located in the Repository, which suffered the most damage and was left with only a few …
Wehrmacht soldier with grenade launcher mounted on a Karabiner 98K
Wehrmacht soldier looking through the scope of his Karabiner 98K bolt-action rifle, with a Schiessbecher grenade launcher mounted on top of it, sometime during November 1943. The Karabiner 98K Mauser was introduced in 1935 as the standard service rifle of the Wehrmacht, and remained so until the end of World …
Then and Now: US tanks in Schevenhutte, 1945
US tanks pictured in Schevenhütte, Germany, sometime during 1945, vs. modern days. We can see that, quite remarkably, the buildings and architecture captured in the photograph have not changed at all in the 80 years since the end of the war (although the cafe on the left seems to have …
US Marine crying during the Battle of Peleliu
An overwhelmed US Marine is pictured while weeping among ruins during the Battle of Peleliu, more specifically after the battle for Hill 200 (one of the many strategic hills on the island). The photograph was taken on September 26th, 1944, a time at which the Americans were making good progress …
US Army hero Al Blozis during his football days
Al Blozis (left, pictured in 1941 at New York’s Polo Grounds with Georgetown coach Jack Hagerty) was an American Football player for the New York Giants between 1942-1944 and a decorated track and field athlete in college. Blozis was inducted in the US Army on December 9th 1943, after his …
Aircraft spotter in London, 1940
A British aircraft spotter of the Royal Observer Corps pictured on the roof of a building in London sometime during 1940. In the background we can see St. Paul’s Cathedral. I was unable to identify the exact date of the photograph, but as an informed guess, I would say it …