Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 511 - 20 June 1940

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:
00:32 - The Battle of France.
00:34 - Luftwaffe bombing operations in France.
04:16 - German soldiers milking cows.
05:08 - The Battle of the Somme.
07:31 - French prisoners of war.
09:37 - The Battle of Fécamp.
10:31 - General Erwin Rommel accepts the surrender of French and British generals at Saint-Valéry.
12:53 - General Günther von Kluge in the Battle of Rouen.
17:10 - German troops provide food to the French people.
18:58 - Adolf Hitler with members of the Organisation Todt.
22:10 - General Georg Stumme captures French soldiers in Noyon.
23:00 - The occupation of Compiegne, the site of Germany's surrender in World War I.
28:04 - General Walther von Brauchitsch inspects the crossing of German troops across the Aisne River.
30:34 - The Battle of Reims.
38:11 - The capture of the Palace of Versailles.
38:46 - German troops enter the city of Paris and climb the Eiffel Tower.
40:40 - The German victory parade at the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées.

Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-511-20-juni-1940-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/16367
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT53EPQSUfU&t=15s

Luftwaffe Ground Crew Waiting for the Return Bombers

Battle of Britain: Ground staff on the Luftwaffe air base waiting for the return of the bomber squadrons from mission against england, end of August 1940. No further information. Photographer: Artur Grimm.

Source :
https://www.keymilitary.com/article/duel-aces

Heer Soldiers Before Langres 1940

Only 62 km to Langres, France, summer of 1940.

Source :
https://clio-historia.livejournal.com/380042.html

Painting Luftwaffe Helmets

 

From shiney helmets into a Matt finish: nice photo showing a Luftwaffe flak unit (circa 1940/41) painting their helmets to come in line with the 1940 order on helmet paint and decals. The sprayers is wearing HBT reed green Luftwaffe worksuits. It is also a very good photo depicting depot repaints of helmets.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/LuftwaffeFD/photos/a.114470297207428/314601447194311/

River Crossing Training

Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137, April 1940: A river crossing with dinghies is practiced on the Moselle near Treis. They were scheduled to fight against France, but then had to go to Norway. The picture was taken by the member of 6.Kompanie, Rudi Margreiter.

Source :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arkivinordland/albums/72157627291840604

Bio of Oberst (Luftwaffe) Joachim Elle

 

Oberstleutnant Joachim Elle, as the Commander of Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Abteilung 7 (mot.), at Atlantikwall, France, 1940.

Joachim Elle was promoted to Major (E) in Stab / Luftflotte 2 on 1 August 1939. On 6 July 1940 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and appointed as provisional Kommandeur Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Abteilung (H) (motorisiert) 7. in December 1941 he became Nafü (Nachrichtenführer) of Jagdfliegerführer 3. On 1 April 1942 he was promoted to Oberst and appointed as Kommandeur Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Regiment 53. On 14 January 1943 - as the Kommandeur of Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Regiment 53 and Nafü of Jagdfliegerführer 3 - he became the member of Luftwaffe mission in Romania. In August 1944 he was appointed as Nafü and Kommandeur of German Luftwaffe in Romania. In September 1944 Elle became the Kommandeur of Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Regiment 211. His last appointment in the war were as the Nafü of 1. Jagddivision on 1 February 1945.

Source :
"Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries: Section A-F" by Henry L. deZeng IV and Douglas G. Stankey

Oberst Albin Nake as Commander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 136

 

Oberst Abin Nake (right, Kommandeur Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 136 / 2.Gebirgs-Division) in Norway 1940. He would receive the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 29 November 1942 as Generalmajor and Führer 97.Jäger-Division. His last rank is Generalleutnant.

Source :
https://www.ebay.de/itm/313573082943?hash=item490269873f:g:H1oAAOSwofxgzzuB

Bio of Oberst (Luftwaffe) Dr. Otto Sommer

 

Oberst Dr. Otto Sommer (Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur Delmenhorst) in Delmenhorst 1940

A German politician (NSDAP - Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), lawyer and SA Standartenführer, Dr. Otto Sommer (born 22 October 1891) was promoted to Oberst der Luftwaffe on 1 September 1937. He was appointed as Kommandeur of III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 157 to 30 April 1939, then Kommandeur III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 27 to 30 June 1939. After that he was appointed as Kommandant Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur Delmenhorst.

On 18 August 1940 Oberst Sommer was killed when flying as an "observer" with a crew from 9.Staffel / Kampfgeschwader 76 attacking RAF Kenley, when his aircraft (Do17Z-2; F1+HT) was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at the edge of the airfield, killing all aboard including: Beobachter [observer] Oberleutnant Hans-Siegfried Ahrens, Bordfunker [wireless operator] Feldwebel Karl Greulich, Flugzeugführer [pilot] Feldwebel Johannes Petersen and Bordschütze [air gunner] Unteroffizier Ewald Johannes Dietz.

Source :
"Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries" by Henry L. deZeng IV and Douglas G. Stankey
https://www.ebay.de/itm/294244638237?hash=item448258de1d:g:NLkAAOSwAbtgHVAz&autorefresh=true
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146498026/otto-sommer

Luftwaffe Ace Kurt Sauer and His Aircraft

 

 

Unteroffizier Kurt Sauer of 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) is sat on the wing leading edge of a Bf 109E from his Staffel that has just been adorned with the ‘Pik-As’ badge. Sauer shot down three aircraft in 1940, and his tally stood at nine by the time he was made a PoW on 16 July 1941. The ‘Pik-As’ emblem was applied to all of JG 53’s aircraft following its adoption by the unit’s new Kommodore, Generalmajor Hans Klein (himself a 22-victory Word War 1 ace), upon him taking over from Oberstleutnant Werner Junck in late October 1939.

Source :
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik'As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss & Chris Davey

554. Infanterie-Division at Donaueschingen

This picture was taken on 3 August 1940 at Donaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Generale with the red arrows, from left to right: Generalleutnant z.V. Anton Freiherr von Hirschberg (Kommandeur 554. Infanterie-Division) and Generalleutnant Erwin Oßwald (Kommandierender General Stellvertretendes Generalkommando V. Armeekorps). 2nd from left is Oberstleutnant i.G. Karl Schall (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 554. Infanterie-Division), while at far right is Oberst (E) Erich von Kirchbach (Chef des Generalstabes Stellvertretendes Generalkommando V. Armeekorps). The 554. Infanterie-Division was formed on 15 February 1940 from Divisionstab z.b.V. 441 as part of the 9. Welle (wave). Organized as a static division, it manned the West Wall on the Upper Rhine conducting border security, training and air raid protection duties. After the invasion of France, during which it advanced with the 7. Armee into Alsace, the division was disbanded on 13 August 1940.

Source :
https://www.axishistory.com/other-aspects/150-germany-heer/heer-divisionen/3437-554-infanterie-division
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2282990#p2282990

Bf 109s of JG 53 vs RAF Hurricanes

On 12 August 1940, Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) was tasked with carrying out a ‘Freie Jagd’ off Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in support of Ju 88s of KG 51 that were attacking Portsmouth harbour and Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight. Leading 1./JG 53 was Hauptmann Hans-Karl Mayer, who was flying a Bf 109E-4 coded ‘White 8’. His Rottenflieger was Unteroffizier Heinrich Rühl in a Bf 109E-1 coded ‘White 10’. Flying at 8500 m, Mayer spotted three Hurricanes below attacking a lone Bf 110 at 1220 hrs, and although he quickly engaged the enemy fighters the Bf 110 pilot bailed out. Mayer selected the right Hurricane and Rühl the left, the former firing a total of 20 20 mm shells and 80 7.92 mm machine gun rounds into the RAF fighter, which immediately burst into flames and dived into the sea for what would be Mayer’s tenth victory of the war. Having already exhausted his supply of cannon shells, Rühl fired 200 machine gun rounds at his Hurricane, which then hit the sea in a gentle curve. Mayer now turned his attention to the remaining Hurricane, which had been engaged by the rest of his Staffel. This combat was not as one-sided, however, for his Bf 109E was hit six times. Mayer’s combat report noted; ‘After my first kill I flew back to the dogfight with the last remaining Hurricane against several aircraft of my Staffel. I immediately attacked and was able to open fire twice, and also received some hits myself. The damaged aircraft tried to escape in the direction of the coast but I stayed close to it, while my Staffel lost me in the haze. At first it made only slight evasive actions, and so I was able to get in several well-aimed bursts. The aircraft started emitting black smoke, went down in a shallow dive and disintegrated on impact.’ Mayer had achieved his second victory of the mission, firing ten cannon and 250 machine gun rounds at the Hurricane, which, after hitting the sea, sank immediately. Although it cannot be said for certain, it is believed that Mayer and Rühl accounted for Plt Off John Harrison, Acting Flt Lt Wilhelm Pankratz and Sgt Josef Kwiecinski of No 145 Sqn, all of whom were reported missing in action off the Isle of Wight at times that matched the three German claims.

Source :
Artwork by Mark Postlethwaite

"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss

In the Skies Above Paris

In the skies above Paris… Not really. An army Unteroffizier and his navy buddy have their photo taken in a studio in Paris, 1940. I have seen this very set used in at least one more photo, so I guess it was a rather popular souvenir back then. Those were the happy days being a German soldier. Sure, at least 27,000 of them had been killed in the Battle of France, but the campaign was short and triumphant, and the humiliation of the defeat in 1918 paid back. The war against the Soviet Union was a year off in the future, and instead the German soldiers could enjoy occupation duty in France. There were plans and preparations for the invasion of Britain, Operation Seelöwe, but while the Luftwaffe fought in the skies over England, soldiers on leave had a fun time in Paris. A year and a half later, many of them would be freezing to death on the Eastern Front…

Source :
Photo collection Björn Hellqvist
https://ww2inphotos.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/those-magnificent-men-in-their-flying-machines/

SS Soldiers in France

German soldier from SS-Standarte "Der Führer" / SS-Division-Verfügungstruppe (motorisiert) in France in 1940. He wore a stahlhelm cover and a camouflage jacket of the Platanenmuster type. Shortly after the German military campaign in France, collar numbers were withdrawn from circulation for safety reasons, leaving only SS runes. This photo is taken from the book "Waffen-SS Im Westen: Ein Bericht In Bildern" by SS-Kriegsberichter Friedrich Zschäckel, published in 1941. The original caption reads: "Das Geschicht der Waffen-SS" (Face of the Waffen-SS).

Source :
"Waffen-SS Im Westen: Ein Bericht In Bildern" by Friedrich Zschäckel

“Hallo, wie geht’s?” Emblem of U-93

This photo of U-93 was taken in December 1940 shortly before the “Hallo, wie geht’s?” (Hello, how’s it going?) emblem was replaced by the new “Devil” emblem. Both the submarine’s paint and the emblem are heavily weathered, and the emblem has even been partly overpainted. Parts of the black and white hand and the word “Hallo” have disappeared. If one speaks of the “Red Devil” emblem to submarine enthusiasts, most automatically think of U-552, the boat in which Kapitänleutnant Erich Topp made a name for himself from 1941 to 1943. But there were many other boats whose commanders selected a “Teufel” (Devil) emblem for their vessels. One of these was the U-93, but prior to this the boat wore another, no less striking emblem. Commissioned by Kapitänleutnant Claus Korth at Krupp’s Germania Shipyard in Kiel on 30 July 1940, after acceptance trials the type VII C joined the 7. U-Flotille (7th Submarine Flotilla) in St. Nazaire. Korth had previously commanded the U-57, a type II C, from December 1938 until May 1940 with the 5th and later the 1st Submarine Flotillas. During that time he completed 11 patrols and his submarine wore an eye-catching “Fackelschwingenden Teufel” (Torch-Swinging Devil) emblem. His new boat would also carry an unusual emblem. And it wasn’t long before a suitable design was on the table. It consisted of a large smiling sun rising behind a black and white wavy band, and beneath this were the words “Hallo, wie geht’s?”. The design was inspired by the Number 1 of the tender Lech, once the mother ship of Korth’s first boat, the U-57. Whenever the U-57 docked, this senior boatswain would greet the crew with “Hello, how’s it going?”. As Kapitänleutnant Korth brought most of U-57’s crew with him to the U-93, the majority of his new boat’s crew was familiar with this hail which now formed part of the boat’s emblem. As well, to the submariners the rising sun of course meant return and survival, following the motto: “Uns geht die Sonne nicht unter” (The sun doesn’t set on us). The “Hallo, wie geht’s?” emblem was worn by U-93 on its first three patrols in autumn 1940. In the weeks following the end of the third patrol on 29 November 1940, however, Kapitänleutnant Korth began to miss his “Roten Teufel” (Red Devil) emblem from the early days. He therefore gave Oberleutnant zur See Götz von Hartmann, assigned to the crew as 1st Watch Officer (1. Wachtsoffizier) in December 1940 and a skilled artist, the task of designing a new devil emblem for U-93. Hartmann’s design depicted a devil with a dip net catching a steamer in which Churchill, the British First Sea Lord, sits smoking a cigarette. Accepted by the captain, in January 1941 this equally striking design replaced the “Hallo, wie geht’s?” emblem on the front of U-93’s conning tower. The boat completed three patrols while wearing this emblem in the spring and summer of 1941. After his sixth patrol Kapitänleutnant Korth stood down and in autumn 1941 transferred command to Oberleutnant zur See Horst Elfe. It is not known if this captain, who had previously commanded U-139, allowed the “Devil” emblem to remain on U-93. It is, however, to be assumed that the new captain was conscious of crews’ sensibilities with regard to the “glücksbringer” (good luck) emblems on their boats. If Oberleutnant zur See Elfe did retain the emblem, it certainly did not have the desired effect for commander or crew. After departing on its second patrol under its new captain the day before Christmas 1941, on 15 January 1942 it was depth-charged and sunk by the British destroyer HMS Hesperus in the North Atlantic north of Madeira at position 36º40’N/15º52’W. Part of the “Gruppe Seydlitz” with U-71 and U-571, it attempted to attack convoy HG 78 between Gibraltar and the Azores but was located and destroyed by the escort. Most of the crew was saved, just six men losing their lives. Concerning the famous “Roten Teufel” emblem of Erich Topp’s U-552, it should be stated here that the devil was no new idea by Topp or a member of his crew. Instead Topp first encountered this devil when he succeeded Kapitänleutnant Claus Korth as captain of U-57, which was wearing the above-described “Torch-Swinging Devil” as boat emblem. In December 1940 Topp adopted the devil for his new boat, the U-552.

 This photo provides a very detailed view of U-93’s second emblem. If one believes the existing literature, a version of the emblem with two men in the boat was also used. Only Churchill is represented in our photo. The above photo shows U-93 leaving Lorient on its 4th patrol, the first with the new emblem, on 11 January 1941.

Source :
"U-Boot im Focus" magazine, edition no.2 - 2007

German Soldier with His Dog at an Airfield in Norway

A German soldier cradles his pet dog as other troops carry supplies from aircraft at an airfield in Norway during Operation Weserübung, the German assault and invasion on Denmark and Norway and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. In the early morning of 9 April 1940 (Wesertag; “Weser Day”), Germany invaded both Denmark and Norway, ostensibly as a preventive maneuver against a planned, and openly discussed, Franco-British occupation of Norway with Norwegian consent. In April, the U.K. and France came to Norway’s aid with an expeditionary force. Despite moderate success in the northern parts of Norway, Germany’s invasion of France in May eventually compelled the Allies to withdraw and the Norwegian government to seek exile in London. The campaign ended with the occupation of Norway by Germany and the continued fighting of exiled Norwegian forces from abroad and Norwegian partisans on the home front. Norway. 10 April 1940.

Source :
http://bag-of-dirt.tumblr.com/post/130838024915/a-german-soldier-cradles-his-pet-dog-as-other

German Soldiers Gather on the Place de la Concorde

German soldiers gather on the Place de la Concorde in Paris for the victory parade following the successful invasion of France and subsequent surrender of French forces in the Battle of France. On 22 June 1940, an armistice was signed between France and Germany, which resulted in a division of France, whereby Germany would occupy the north and west, Italy would control a small Italian occupation zone in the south-east and an unoccupied zone, the zone libre, would be governed by the collaborationist Vichy government led by Marshal Pétain. France remained under Axis occupation until the occupation of the country by the Allies after the Allied landings in June 1944. Paris, Île-de-France, France. June 1940.

Source :
http://bag-of-dirt.tumblr.com/post/131721909245/german-soldiers-gather-on-the-place-de-la-concorde

SS Division Deutschland in Netherlands 1940

German SS soldiers of the SS-Division "Deutschland" (from 1943 onward, 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"; previously, SS-Verfügungstruppe, or SS-VT) on motorcycles and in a Wanderer W-11 car drive down Amsterdam vaart street in Haarlem during the German invasion of the Netherlands and the beginning of the Battle of the Netherlands. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until the main Dutch forces surrendered on 15 May 1940, after the German Luftwaffe devastated the city of Rotterdam in a bombing campaign known as the Rotterdam Blitz and the subsequent threat by the Germans to begin bombing other large cities if the Dutch refused to surrender. Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch government succeeded in escaping from the Netherlands before the surrender and formed a government-in-exile in London. Haarlem, North Holland, the Netherlands. May 1940.

Source :
http://bag-of-dirt.tumblr.com/post/142034757750/german-ss-soldiers-of-the-motorized-ss-panzer

Fallschirmjäger at the Fornebu Aerodrome

German Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 (FJG 1) rest and regroup at the Fornebu aerodrome after capturing the surrounding area during Operation Weserübung; the German invasion of Norway. On 9 April 1940, both Denmark and Norway were simultaneously invaded by German troops. Controlling Norway was important to Germany for three primary reasons: securing the western coast as part of the defensive Atlantic Wall, as a base for naval units, including U-boats to target Allied shipping in the North Atlantic, and to secure shipments of iron-ore from Sweden through the port of Narvik. Fornebu, Bærum, Norway. April 1940. Image taken by Willi Ruge.

Source :
http://bag-of-dirt.tumblr.com/post/143396722415/german-luftwaffe-fallschirmj%C3%A4ger-paratroopers

A Heavy Artillery Unit from the SS-Verfügungstruppe on Manoeuvres

These photographs show a heavy artillery unit from the SS-Verfügungstruppe carrying out manoeuvres somewhere on the French coast in October 1940. After running home the round, SS-VT gunners anticipating the moment of firing. Members of the gun crew stand ready to react against the explosion of the gun being fired with fingers pressed into ears and mouths half open, a practice which helped to reduce the force of the shock on their ear drums of the gun crew.

SS-VT Gunners Chalks up an Anti-British Drawing on the Side of a Shell

This photograph show a heavy artillery unit from the SS-Verfügungstruppe carrying out manoeuvres somewhere on the French coast in October 1940. "Good German joke - ja!" More for the cameraman than for the benefit of anyone else, one of the SS-VT gunners chalks up an anti-British drawing on the side of a shell. The umbrella and top hat is a dig at Sir Neville Chamberlain, the former British Prime Minister.