Feldartillerie, Sturmartillerie & Nebelwerfer in Normandy (1944)

In the 1944 Battle of Normandy, German artillery was a significant factor in the defense, particularly in coastal fortifications and on the field. German artillery was divided into terrestrial (Heeresartillerie) and naval (Marineartillerie) branches, with the latter often responsible for coastal batteries. German field artillery was a mix of various calibers, including the 88mm gun, Nebelwerfers (multi-barrel rocket launchers), and mortars. German artillery was also used in counter-attacks against Allied advances, particularly in the Falaise pocket. German forces also used captured artillery, including French and Soviet guns, in their defenses.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8

Küstenartillerie (Coastal Artillery) in Normandy

In 1944, German coastal artillery played a crucial role in the defense of Normandy, particularly along the Atlantic Wall, a system of fortifications built to deter an Allied invasion. Several key artillery batteries were strategically located, like those at Longues-sur-Mer, Pointe du Hoc, and Maisy, to target Allied landing beaches and naval forces. These batteries, armed with heavy guns, were designed to fire at long ranges, posing a significant threat to the advancing Allied troops

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8

German forces hold up Allied advance north of Rome (1944)

In June 1944, German forces held up the Allied advance north of Rome due to a series of strong defensive lines and strategic terrain. The Allies faced the Gustav Line, a heavily fortified position stretching from the coast to the Apennines, including Monte Cassino. This line, and other German defenses like the Volturno and Barbara lines, forced the Allies into a prolonged and costly campaign.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8

Rest Village Behind the Front Line

German soldiers take recreation leave on Eastern Front. Animated map of Eastern Front from Narva to Jassy. Present lull allows two soldiers to leave trench for few days at Relaxation Camp behind lines. Facilities at log-cabin camp include sauna (sign), showers (End of Reel 1), barber, meals served by girls (Russian?) to Divisionskommandeur Generalmajor Alexander Conrady (36. Infanterie-Division) sitting eating with his men, extra rations and an open-air Variété performance with trapeze artiste, dancers (scanned by one soldier through his artillery periscope) and trick cyclists.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8

1944 German Football Championship Final

 

The 1944 German football championship, the 37th edition of the competition, was won by Dresdner SC, the club defending its 1943 title by defeating Luftwaffe team LSV Hamburg in the final, which were held on 18 June 1944.

The final years of the German Championship during the war saw many military teams compete in the championship, Luftwaffe teams, Luftwaffensportvereine, short LSV, and, Wehrmacht teams, Wehrmachtssportvereine, short WSV, became very competitive.

Dresden's Helmut Schön, who would later coach Germany to the 1974 FIFA World Cup, became the top scorer of the 1944 championship with 14 goals, the second-highest individual amount of any player in the history of the competition from 1903 to 1963.

It was the last edition of the tournament during the Second World War, with the competition not being held again until 1948. The thirty-one 1943–44 Gauliga champions, two more than in the previous season, competed in a single-leg knock out competition to determine the national champion.

Dresdner SC became the last club to be awarded the Viktoria, the annual trophy for the German champions from 1903 to 1944. The trophy disappeared during the final stages of the war, did not resurface until after the German reunification and was put on display at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt until 2015, when it was moved to the new Deutsches Fußballmuseum in Dortmund.


Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 720 - 21 June 1944
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-DzDJmt5F8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_German_football_championship