'Soldaten von Morgen' (Soldiers of Tomorrow) - German Propaganda Film about Youth Education (1941)

“Soldiers of Tomorrow“ (Soldaten von Morgen) is a 1941 German propaganda film about youth education.

Directed by Alfred Weidenmann, a famous German youth book author, who wrote propaganda books and directed propagand films for the Hitler Youth during the Nazi era,the first part of the movie shows, in the form of a theater play, a mocking presentation of the youth of England. It starts with a quote from Socrates, that good and bad habits form during the youth.

The theater play then mockingly presents British youth, showing them as being more occupied with wearing expensive clothes, drinking and smoking, but ultimately being bad soldiers who are only good at surrendering.

The second part contrasts this with German youth, which are shown to be educated in sports and shooting, fencing, horse riding etc. and thus eventually turn into good soldiers.

Source :
https://archive.org/details/soldiers-of-tomorrow-german-propaganda-film-about-youth-education-ca.-1941
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/657336
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADB54X6_ZgQ

Bosnian Mountain Troops Trains in the Mountain

Bosnian volunteer soldiers from the Kroatische SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division (later renamed 13. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Handschar) conduct military training in the snowy mountains of Germany, before being deployed to their home, Balkan region. This photo was taken in the summer of 1943, with the original caption: "Leben sehen die Männer aus dem Süden Schneeberge im Sommer." (for the first time in their lives, these people from the South see snow-covered mountains in the summer!)

Source :
https://hindi.fansshare.com/community/uploads32/7110/ferid_d__ani__/?d=german.fansshare.com
https://oper-1974.livejournal.com/1453438.html

Fallschirmjäger Training in Norway

At Banak airfield in Norway, a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) non-commissioned officer shortly before a joint demonstration with 8./LLG 1 (Lulftlandegeschwader 1). The picture was taken autumn 1943 by Wolfgang Stocker from Kriegsberichterzug XII. Fliegerkorps

Generalmajor Joseph "Beppo" Schmid (facing the camera in the middle, Kommandierender General XII. Fliegerkorps)

Source :
https://imagesdefense.gouv.fr/fr/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?auteur=1509513

German Anti-Aircraft Halftrack in Training

Sd.Kfz. 10/4 anti-aircraft half-track with 2 cm Flak 30 gun during training of Heeres Flak-Kompanie, April 1941. The "SdKfz 10 leichter Zugkraftwagen 1 t." (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 10) was a German semi-tracked product produced at 17,000 between 1934/1937 and 1944, capable of carrying eight men, and towing the 3.7-cm Pak 35/36 anti-tank guns; Pak 38 5-cm and Pak 40 7.5-cm; or the 7.5-cm LeIG 18 infantry howitzers; sIG 33 of 15-cm; 12-cm Heavy Granatwerfer 42 mortars; as well as any artillery or Flak pieces with the weight included in the cathegorie of these weapons. The chassis of the "SdKfz 10" was used for the production of the SdKfz 250.

 
Source :
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/tanks--482588916295606544/
https://www.net-maquettes.com/waffen-arsenal/halbketten-fahrzeuge-waffen-arsenal-008/

Reichswehr Cavalry Maneuvers

Maneuvers of the Reichswehr cavalry at Frankfurt/Oder, 1933. The mounted soldiers are wearing the stahlhelm M18 kavallerie-helm version.

Source ;
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00993A
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=1933&yearto=1945&query=wehrmacht#

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

Reichswehr Sport Festival

 

Sports festival of the German Reichswehr at Berlin-Moabit Kaserne (barrack), 1934. Soldier with baggage during an exercise on the horizontal bar. The picture was taken by Georg Pahl.

Source :
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-04255

Fallschirmjäger Training with Motorcycles

"Alarm an die Maschinen!!!!" 11.Kompanie /  III.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1  at the Truppenübungsplatz Bergen-Hohne (Bergen-Hohne military training area), Germany. The picture was probably taken in the summer of 1941, after Crete operation and before the next assignment to the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Funny that they had those motorbikes for free and tuday it costs close to 60,000 euros/dollars!

"Wilhelm, always keep your hands on the handlebars when you are driving blindfolded!" - "Yes, sergeant major!"

Source :
Maddin Maddin photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=510697089944138&set=gm.4728044367222687

SS Artillery in Finland

German Waffen-SS artillery (Nord Infanterie Geschutz platoon.) at Kokkosalmi, Kiestinki, 4 August 1941. Looks like they're on the training session.

Source :
http://sa-kuva.fi/neo?tem=webneoeng

Fallschirmjäger Pioneer

 

 

Amiens (France), May-June 1943. Erprobung.Kommando from XI. Fliegerkorps. Judging by what is visible, this container is destined to engineers: smoke grenades, smoke canisters, explosive loads, fuzes, etc. Details in these photos are fantastic! All of the content seem to be smoke generating munitions (the fact that this packing is prior to a field exercise following a jump, lots of smoke ammo sounds logical). The bending lad is holding a 3 kg demolition slab with three types of fuzes.

Source :
ECPAD Archives, courtesy of Blanluet Christophe
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10158975562398308&set=gm.2742198149380746

Pioniere Trained with Landmines

 

Soldiers of a military engineering unit leaving their vehicles and run to their preordered area to cover it with landmines, Germany 1940s. Photographer: Heinz Pollmann.

Original-Bildunterschrift: Pioniere einer Minen-Kompanie beim Legen einer Minensperre im Gelände, die Männer verlassen im Sprung die Kraftfahrzeuge und laufen in die befohlene Stellung zum Minenlegen, Deutschland 1940er Jahre

 

 

 

Source :

https://classic.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2024909/photography_ProvidedCHO_United_Archives_01850072_jpg.html?q=who%3A(Heinz%20Pollmann)&fbclid=IwAR2FRr9q53RqsePpAVTnTo8UBtWd8TgSZJYOVf58ydxCq5TFnr9opLxkXhU#dcId=1605443079286&p=2 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2360048380929060/permalink/2714882852112276/?__cft__[0]=AZXIhiTsKKXr_UauFmuC6ltNOVDjwJ2UaFrZTx-gUbZN86y6b-SB33rpOIqwC6N5aqGezMRY5diJp3ffCBS5_oBgP0qsJ-6p4rcLFsQ0TBxoI3xzOMTgjZTNde6ist8lchq7cHtZGRrqbIZqYaQ5uLJkaCnxQ6yzN7fxgLDdsVjS27d4Hqp4Qw7OL3NEAR5ZSqo&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

German Motorcycles in Action

German Heer motorcycles in action (possibly a Gebirgsjäger unit), both in training and at the front

Source :
http://www.military-antiques-stockholm.com/index.php?cPath=26_60

Short Bio of Albert Stückler

 Albert Stückler when he was still in the Wehrmacht. He received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 14 October 1944 as SS-Sturmbannführer in 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich".

Albert Stückler
SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS

Born:    09.05.1913 in München / Bayern.
Died:    24.11.1996 in Freising.
NSDAP-Nr.:    [Not a member]
SS-Nr.:    [Not a member - Heer staff officer temporarily transferred for general staff duty to the Waffen-SS]

Promotions:
01.04.1935 Polizeileutnant (Landespolizei)
01.08.1935 Leutnant (Reichsheer; mit RDA vom 01.10.1934)
01.10.1937 Oberleutnant
01.10.1940 Hauptmann
01.11.1942 Major
01.08.1943 Major i. G. (per Christian Zweng, Dientstlaufbahn der Offiziere des Generalstabes des deutschen Heeres 1939-1945; Albert Stückler’s account gives 15.08.1943)
01.01.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer der Waffen-SS
01.11.1944 Oberstleutnant i. G.
01.12.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS

Decorations & Awards:
14.10.1944 Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold as SS-Sturmbannführer and Ia 2.SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”, Eastern and Western Fronts (Based on a recommendation dated 27.09.1944 and signed by Div. Fhr. Otto Baum; An earlier [00.03.1942] recommendation for the award, for his service as a Hauptmann and Chef of a Sturmgeschütz-Kompanie of Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Großdeutschland” in Russia, was denied by higher authority)
03.08.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
20.04.1940 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
14.03.1942 Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
20.03.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz
13.08.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”

Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1715261#p1715261
https://www.valka.cz/Stueckler-Albert-t162654

Heer Recruits Marching

Recruits of the 1. Zug (1st platoon) of some unknown company marching, commanded by Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) Förster. This is probably in 1940 or 1941, as Förster wears a Wound Badge on his uniform, indicating that he has participated in the campaigns in Poland and/or France. The soldiers wear Drillich linen fatigue uniforms in a mix of off-white and olive green items. Learning to march was one of the first things that new recruits were taught. To function as a unit, follow orders, and build up stamina were some of the goals. Later the soldiers were able to march up to 40 km (25 miles) in a day, as the bulk of the divisions weren’t motorized. Those marching boots would see many kilometers…

Source :
Björn Hellqvist photo collection
https://ww2inphotos.wordpress.com/2017/07/page/1/