German Soldiers Put Chains on Truck Tires

Two German soldiers put skid chains on Army truck, after heavy snow in Russian battle area, winter of 1941. This photo was published by American press on 22 December 1941.

Source :
https://www.ebay.com/itm/402818039849?hash=item5dc9d38029:g:TucAAOSw6Utgi-1g&_trksid=p5731.m3795

Regimentskommandeur Emmanuel von Kiliani in the Winter

Oberst Emmanuel von Kiliani (Kommandeur Artillerie-Regiment 193 / 93.Infanterie-Division) in Gostilizzy, winter of 1941/42. Starting from 8 September 1941, the regiment set up its command post in a manor in Gostilizzy, Leningrad Oblast, Russian Front. Kiliani would receive the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 2 January 1942 as a Regimentskommandeur in the same position.

Source :
https://www.ebay.de/itm/384289550473?hash=item5979713089:g:qn8AAOSwV6Bg5aUt

Waffen-SS StuG Unit

There is no information about the unit of this Waffen-SS soldiers. It's either the 1. SS-Infanterie Brigade or the SS-Kavallerie Division, but in the winter of 1943/44 regardless. The photographer was named Ahrens, and there were several Waffen-SS war reporters with that name (both units had one of them). Both units also had a single battery of around 10 Sturmgeschützs.

 

 

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219232699879847&set=gm.751279962465553

Skijäger Brigade at Pripet region

Skijäger aiming his brand new MP.43/1 (Stg.44) assault rifle, with his LW gravity knife dangling from his belt. Note the protective rubber cap on the muzzle. The Fallschirmjäger gravity knife is not a standard issue for Skijäger, but  it was issued in significant numbers to them. The picture itself was taken in January 1944 at Pripet (Bug) region.

1. Skijäger Brigade at Pripet region, January/ February 1944. The unit had top priority in the distribution of MP 43 (later Stg.44). In January 1,553 assault rifles out of 5,400 were issued to the brigade. Each company fielded a shock-platoon armed with 30 of these revolutionary weapons.
LW gravity knives (Jäger in the middle) were standard issue just like Fallschirmjäger gas masks canvas containers were.

Carrying a wounded comrade. Skijäger Brigade in the Pripet region, January/ February 1944. Note the white-washed MP.43 magazine pouch and the man carrying the wounded which probably wears a StuG-Jacke.. Given the casual face of the 'wounded' man it is possible that this is just all for posing to the PK-Man. Note the right most man seems to be carrying a camera box himself. He's also armed with a G43. None of them seem to be wearing Bergschuhe these troops often were issued with.

Taking casualties even when the reporters are there. Skijäger Brigade in the Pripet area,March 1944. This is not the same chap that was carried in a previous photo, even though it's from the same film roll and Kriegsberichter. Looks like here is something real going on. Two on them are wearing Windblusen. It is a very good piece of over clothing. Nowadays we would retrieve the hand grenades and remove the web gear before giving assistance!

1 Skijäger Birgade in the Pripet marshes, February 1944.

1. Skijäger-Brigade in the Bug area (Pripet), February-March 1944. The MP 43 assault rifle is really white and it does show how well it blends in with the snowy background. All is in white-washed camo, with only the rifle sling and the shoes have not been painted.

1. Skijäger-Brigade patrol armed with MP 43/1, led by an officer. Bug area (Pripet) February-March 1944. The leading Skijäger has his LW gravity knife dangling at its belt. These men were clever enough to adapt their camouflage to their surroundings (wearing a white top would have outlined them against the forest of dark tree trunks behind!). The men were well supplied with MP 43s. Which is an excellent weapon for that terrain. The sub machine gun look identical to the MP44 but there are a few slight differences, mainly the muzzle nut is longer then the one used on the MP44.

Source :
ECPAD Archives, courtesy of Blanluet Christophe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2360048380929060/

1. Skijäger-Brigade Patrol

 

1. Skijäger-Brigade patrol armed with MP 43/1, led by an officer. Bug area (Pripet) February-March 1944. The leading Skijäger has his LW gravity knife dangling at its belt. These men were clever enough to adapt their camouflage to their surroundings (wearing a white top would have outlined them against the forest of dark tree trunks behind!). The men were well supplied with MP 43s. Which is an excellent weapon for that terrain. The sub machine gun look identical to the MP44 but there are a few slight differences, mainly the muzzle nut is longer then the one used on the MP44.

Source :
ECPAD Archives, courtesy of Blanluet Christophe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2360048380929060/permalink/2740822902851604/?__cft__[0]=AZWuNFyXPGqbnTji8wcpcT7RyNUsAwMnU8qEFBc0ptTZpYietWzLFlxotJ_jGZ8kwaaYwYHv9c1_vRXv_G1MdNMxZtKq3bsS8-OoIw93gltw2QDdIWfCPm0x7b2m5iGy9JsFtGeF1COK79SuXN2qCq6I&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Gebirgsjäger with Sami Women

A Gebirgsjäger (mountain ranger) posing together with a couple of young Sami women (in traditional clothing), Finnish Lapland, probably the winter of 1941-42. The truck to the left and the trailer carry the Edelweiss flower emblem of the 6. Gebirgs-Division. The other truck has the tactical sign of a mountain ranger motorized signals company vehicle. The firewood on the trailer and in the sack will be welcome in the sub-Arctic cold. It might appear strange that at least four mountain ranger divisions were sent to the Finnish Lapland front, as the tallest mountain in that part of Finland is Korvatunturi (486 meters/1594 feet over the sea), which to people raised in the Alps is nothing more than a speed bump. The reason was that they were considered experts in winter warfare, but as their Finnish brothers-in-arms were under diplomatic pressure to not launch any major offensive on the port city of Murmansk or the railroad carrying supplies to the south, the front was relatively quiet for long periods of time. A little-known fact is that Sweden allowed the Germans to use a couple of large warehouses outside the port of Luleå for storing supplies (mostly foodstuff) for the troops in Norway and Finland. They were destroyed in a fire in 2016.

Source :
Photo collection Björn Hellqvist
https://ww2inphotos.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/north-by-northeast/

Germans in White Camo in Positions

A squad from III. Abteilung, Armee-Nachrichten-Regiment 501 in positions in a Russian village during the winter of 1942-43. Part of the 16th Army, Army Group North, it spent most of the war on the northern part of the Eastern Front. The Soldiers are armed with an MP 38 submachinegun, an MG 34 machinegun, and Kar 98k carbines. Wearing reversible snow suits, they are better equipped for the winter than a year ago. The Germans used black and red armbands buttoned to the upper half of the sleeves for recognition purposes. The combination of colors and which sleeve they were worn on changed from day to day, just like code words, as a way of minimizing the risk of Red Army infiltrators.

Source :
Björn Hellqvist photo collection
https://ww2inphotos.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/its-grim-up-north/

Gebirgsjäger Ski Patrol

This picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Finke, with the original caption: "Auf dem wege zur Front" (On the way to the front). It shows a Gebirgsjäger ski troopers in a patrol through the forest and snow. The NCO at front wearing Narvik Shield in his arm.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_skiing

German Sniper at Kandalaksha Front

German scharfschütze (sniper) at Kandalaksha Front. He is wearing his ski as a bipod for his Kar 98k Mauser rifle. He is also wearing a white smock for winter camouflage. This picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Strassl. In July 1941, during World War II, the town was the primary target of an unsuccessful German-Finnish offensive which attempted to cut the strategic Murman Railway.

Source :
'Mauser Military Rifles' by Neil Grant

SS-Verfügungstruppe on Winter Exercise

A group of motorised troops from the SS-VT (SS-Verfügungstruppe) on winter exercises. Most wear the standard Greatcoat - or "Mantel" - though some, such as the two at extreme right, wear the motorcyclist rubberised waterproof coat. Note the use of the SS-VT pattern field cap with metal deathshead button at front and small machine embroidered eagle on the side.

Source :
https://www.thirdreichmedals.com/article/WSS.html

German Prisoners Captured Near Leningrad

A column of German POWs captured near Leningrad are marched through the ruins of a small village as Russian civilians look on. Approximately three million German prisoners of war were captured by the Soviet Union during the war, most of them during the great advances of the Soviet forces in the last year of the war. The POWs were employed as forced labor in the Soviet wartime economy and post war reconstruction. According to Soviet records 381,067 German Wehrmacht soldiers died in Soviet labor camps (356,700 German nationals and 24,367 from other nations). Other sources put this number at close to one million. By 1950, five years after the war, most of the surviving German POWs were released. The last remaining German POWs in Soviet custody were released in 1956, eleven years after the end of the war. Near Leningrad (now, Saint Petersburg), Leningrad Oblast, Russia, Soviet Union. December 1942. Image taken by Simon Friedland.

Source :
http://bag-of-dirt.tumblr.com/post/130655411180/a-column-of-german-pows-captured-near-leningrad

German Prisoner and US Soldier at the Battle of the Bulge

A U.S. Army soldier takes a German soldier as a POW during the Battle of the Bulge; a major German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The surprise attack by the Germans caught the Allied forces completely off guard. The U.S. forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred their highest casualties for any operation during the war. The battle also severely depleted Germany’s armored forces on the western front, rendering Germany largely unable to replace them as the Soviets launched an offensive days earlier in the East. Near Bastogne, Luxembourg Province, Belgium. 23-26 December 1944. Image taken by Robert Capa.

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Mathias Arians from 260. Infanterie-Division

German soldier Mathias Arians (red arrow) from IV.Abteilung / Artillerie-Regiment 260 / 260.Infanterie-Division. He was born in 1915 in Straelen. The insignia in his left sleeve looks like an artillery gun layer's specialty patch (Richtkanonier der Artillerie)

Source :
http://wordpress.260id.de/?page_id=2692