Moroccan Goumier soldier photographed while sharpening his bayonet sometime during 1944 in the Italian hills. Goumiers were indigenous Moroccan soldiers recruited from various tribes in the Atlas Mountains, and serving as an extension to the French Army of Africa between 1908 and 1956 (although officially they were under the rule …
Photographs
US and Soviet troops meet for the first time, 1945
US and Soviet troops meet for the first time during World War II at the Elbe river near Torgau, a town in Saxony, Eastern Germany. The historic meeting took place on April 25th 1945, a date which came to be known as “Elbe Day”. Book suggestions: ⤵️ 📖 The Last …
Finnish soldier with his dog, undated
Finnish soldier from the Dog Corps photographed in the snow together with a beautiful and vigilant German Sheperd. The image, while reportedly taken during World War Two, is not specifically dated. We can see that it’s not just the soldier who is wearing protection from the Finnish blizzard, but the …
Douglas SBD Dauntless bomber on the Pacific seabed
A sunken Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber of the US Air Force is lying on the Pacific Ocean seabed with another Allied aircraft behind it, which appears to be a Douglas SBD Dauntless as well. The pictured bombers are just two of many US aircrafts which were intentionally dumped in …
Italian troops pictured in Addis Ababa, 1936
Italian troops pictured in Addis Ababa during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, image taken in May 1936. The Second Italo-Ethiopian war was a conflict predating World War II, lasting from October 1935 until February 1937. The war started on the 3rd of October 1935, when Italian troops attacked Ethiopia from Eritrea …
24th Panzer division advancing towards Stalingrad
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 …
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 …