Photographs

Panzer E-100 prototype captured by British forces

Panzer e-100

Panzer E-100 incomplete prototype, the only one ever built, captured by British forces in April 1945 and pictured here on a mobile platform. The Panzerkampfwagen E-100 was a super heavy German tank developed in the closing stages of World War 2. It was supposed to be used as a heavy …

Soviet operated Matilda II tanks on the Western Front, 1942

soviet operated matilda tanks ww2

British Matilda II tanks operated by Soviet crewmen (see the recognizable Russian tank hats) advancing through a birch Forest on the Soviet Western Front, sometime in 1942. Exact location is unknown. The Red Army Western Front was created on 22 June 1941. It spread for 470 kilometers, from the Southern …

Chinese soldiers at a riverbank near Changde, 1943

chinese soldiers

Chinese soldiers photographed at a riverbank in (or near) Changde, Hunan Province, December 1943. The Battle of Changde (2 November 1943 – 20 December 1943) was a major conflict in the Second Sino-Japanese War, most recognized for the use of chemical weapons by the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese were …

Messerschmitt Me-262 photographed in-flight by US B-17 gunner

Messerschmitt Me-262

A Messerschmitt Me-262 aircraft photographed in-flight by an American B-17 gunner. Further details about this rare image are unknown, except from the fact that it was taken between 1944 and 1945. The Messerschmitt Me 262, aka Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) in the fighter version, or Sturmvogel (Stormbird) in the fighter-bomber …

De Havilland Mosquito firing during a night test

de havilland mosquito firing

De Havilland Mosquito firing its machine gun and cannon during night testing, sometime between 1941 and 1945. In the photograph we see the FB.VI version of the famous British Royal Air Force aircraft, which was usually equipped with four Browning .303 machine guns and four 20mm Hispano cannons. The light, …

Reinhard Heydrich’s Mercedes after assassination attempt

reinhard heydrich car assassination

The Mercedes-Benz W142 in which Reinhard Heydrich was attacked by members of the Czech resistance on May 27th, 1942. Reinhard Heydrich was director of Gestapo and Reich Main Security office. As Heinrich Himmler’s assistant, he was arguably the most ruthless and effective high ranking SS officer. Most historians agree that …

German soldiers pretend to throw grenades in latrine

german soldiers grenade latrine

German soldiers jokingly pretending to throw hand grenades at their comrade in an outhouse / latrine sometime during WWII. Date, location and other details of the image are unknown, and better quality of the photograph was not available. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 Wehrmacht: The Illustrated History of the German Army …

Then and Now: A stroll through Bucharest

bucharest then and now world war ii

From the architectural diversity of so many wonderful buildings, to grey communist standardization, the Romanian capital is a city which wears both its rich history and deep wounds on its sleeve. Having suffered heavy bombings at the hands of both Allied and Axis forces during the war years, Bucharest is …

Love during World War Two #3

1) An American soldier walking with his sweetheart in the Kensington Gardens, London, 1945, likely after the end of the war. 2) A British soldier whispers into his girlfriend’s ear as he prepares to leave for the front. Unknown location, 1939. 3) Cadets from the Local Army Flying School and …

Celebrations on Strøget street after the liberation of Denmark

stroget street ww2

A group of women with Danish flags are celebrating the liberation from German occupation on May 5th, 1945, on Strøget street (Copenhagen). Strøget is a famous and popular pedestrian area located in Copenhagen’s Old City. It is actually one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe (1.1 kilometers), and …