Sunday, March 1, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 593 - 14 January 1942


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:

It shows wounded soldiers being re-trained for civilian jobs, footage and explanation about German tobacco production, the state funeral of Walter Borbet, the production of MG-34 machine guns and donation of textiles and winter clothing from the German population. It further shows combat footage from the Eastern Front, of Finnish, Italian and German troops, aswell as building of field positions and supply convoys. The last part shows combat footage from North Africa from German and Italian troops, aswell as air combat footage against British planes.

Remarks:

00:43 Augsburg is a German city in Bavaria. Its called “Fugger City” because it was the main seat of the Fugger family, a family of medieval merchants who were extremely wealthy and powerful. 

01:40 The sign in the back reads: “Your success is our pride- German profession school”

01:48 The German profession schools were a sub-organization of the German Labor Front, intended for work training.

02:42 The blackboard says “Single family detachable home, scale 1:100” 

03:50 The headline reads: “Total consumption of tobacco”, below, from left to right: “Cigarette tobacco, Cigar tobacco, Pipe tobacco, other tobacco”

04:00 Milld. = billion 

04:15 Actually, the main production area for tobacco before the war was America, both the US and South America/Caribbean. Due to trade blockage and war with the US, Germany during the war received almost all of its tobacco from the Balkans and Turkey. 

04:21 Referring to the War with Yugoslavia and Greece. 

05:00 In 1913, people generally smoked less cigarettes, as cigarettes were still seen as something for lower class people. Instead, the amount of people who smoked cigars and pipes were considerably higher.

05:22 Wehrwirtschaftsführer (literally: „Defense Industry Leader“) was an honorary title given to the executive of a company or a factory that was considered essential for armament industry. Around 400 people were awarded the title, including famous people such as Alfred Krupp, Willy Messerschmitt and Friedrich Flick.

05:24 Walter Borbet (1881-1942) was a German manager in the Steel industry. He became a mining engineer and joined the Bochumer Verein, a huge mining and steel company, in 1911. Rising through the ranks, he became Director of the company in 1924. He also became CEO of the Ruhrstahl AG in 1930 and, after the Bochumer Verein took over Hanomag, of Hanomag in 1934. Politically he was right wing and supported Hitler, calling for his election in his companys newspaper in 1932. He became  Wehrwirtschaftsführer in 1937. However, due to interference of the state and the NSDAP with his business, he grew distant to the Nazis. He suddenly died on January 4th, 1942, with rumors that he killed himself. 

05:28 As said above, the Bochumer Verein was a German mining and steel company, founded in 1854, and employed 20.000 people during its prime time.

05:34 Walther Funk (1890-1960) was a German economist and from February 1938 to May 1945 German economic minister.
 
05:50 Fritz Todt  (1891-1942) was a German construction engineer and served as the Minister for Armament and Munitions from March 1940 to his death in February 1942. 

05:52 Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (1876-1956) was a German field marshall during WWII.

06:24 These MGs are MG34. The MG 34 was a German MG introduced in 1934. Chambered in 7.92x 57mm Mauser, it had a rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute. While intended to be replaced by the MG42, due to shortages of MGs, production continued until March 1945. 577,000 were built. 

08:57 To my knowledge, an MG34 actually only has around 130 parts. 

09:41 On December 20th, 1941, Hitler called for a wool and fur for the Wehrmacht, which were collected from December 27th onwards.

10:10 The banner reads: “Main col. point – Wool for the front”

10:13 I wasn’t able to find out whether Radio London actually broadcasted that. The campaign was voluntarily, although there was a certain social pressure to donate, and it was advertised basically everywhere. But people weren’t forced to donate anything and there also weren’t any demonstrations against it. By that time, Hitler and the nazis still enjoyed a high level of support in the German population, so a lot of people genuinely donated to this col.

13:42 These are mountaineer troops, recognizable by their Edelweiß-flower badge on the side of their field cap. 

14:59 The White Sea-Baltic Canal, called Stalin White Sea-Baltic Canal until 1962, is a Russian ship canal, connecting the White Sea to Lake Onega, which is further connected to the Baltic Sea. 
15:23 I’m not 100% sure, but these look like LaGG-3 fighter planes to me.

15:33 This AA-gun is most likely a Bofors 40mm L/60 Gun, an autocannon produced by Swedish company Bofors from 1934 onwards. It was a commercial success, with many countries buying guns and/or licenses to build it on their own. It was widely used by all sides during WWII, including Great Britain, the US, Finland, Poland, Italy, Hungary etc. and was probably the only gun that was produced by both Axis and Allied countries. 

15:48 When Finnish troops captured the southern entrance to the Canal on December 6th, the Soviets started to blow up the Locks of the canal. The canal became the frontlines in this area, with Finnish troops holding the western side of the canal, and Soviet troops the eastern side, and the frontlines remained like this until the Finnish withdrawal in June 1944. 

16:23 This soldier is armed with a KP/31 Finnish submachine gun, designed in 1931 and widely regarded as one of the best SMGs of WWII. It was in production until 1953, with 80,000 produced. Its 71 round drum magazine was later copied by the Soviets for their PPD-40 and PPSh-41 SMGs.

17:00 These tanks are British Vickers Mark E tanks, a British tank built by the Vickers company. 33 of these tanks were bought by Finnland in 1938, which were equipped with 37mm Bofors AT-guns. 

18:53 The NSKK, or “National Socialist Motor Corps” (Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps), was an organization of the NSDAP, responsible for training its members in driving and maintaining cars and trucks. During the war, it was also used to deliver supplies and ammunition to the frontlines.

21:31 Spanish riders are a type of barbed wire obstacle, intended to slow down enemy infantry movement. 

23:06 Leo Tolstoy (1828- 1910) was a Russian writer, regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time.
 
23:09 Vyacheslav Molotov (1890-1986) was a Soviet diplomat and politician, most famously known for being the Soviet Foreign Minister from May 1939 until March 1949. 

24:49 This gun is a 3.7cm AT-Gun PaK 36.

25:18 This gun is 2cm AA-Gun Flak 30 or 38.

25:36 This is most likely a BT-series tank, probably either a BT-5 or a BT-7, both Soviet light tanks with up to 13mm of armor, and a 45mm Gun. It was known for being able to drive even without tracks, just on its wheels. A total of 1884 BT-5 and 5753 BT-7 were built from 1933-1940, making it the most produced Soviet tank of the 1930s.

26:33 These tanks are T-60 Soviet Light tanks.

27:11 These guns are Cannone da 75/27, an Italian 75mm field gun, build between 1906 and 1945. Around 2000 were built, of which around 1700 were still in Italian use at the start of WWII.

27:36 The guns in this scene are Cannone da 75/27 modello 11, an upgraded version of the Cannone da 75/27 from 1912. Around 1341 were built and used by Italy during WWI and WWII.

28:20 The tanks in this scene are Italian L/33 tankettes. 

29:28 Johann Mickl (1893-1945) was an Austrian/ German army officer. He joined the Austrian Army as an officer in August 1914, fighting in Galicia and Italy. After the Annexation of Austria, he became a Wehrmacht officer. During WWII, he fought as a Battalion and Regimental, later Divisional commander. By the time of this film, he was commander of the 155th Infantry Regiment, and fought hard against Allied troops during Operation Crusader, for which Rommel recommended him for the Knights Cross which he got awarded on December 13th, 1941. He would later command troops on the Eastern Front and in fight against partisans in Yugoslavia. He died in fighting with partisans on April 8th, 1945. 

30:25 The Hawker Hurricane was one of the main British fighter planes during WWII, together with the Spitfire.


Source :
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5453/685432
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ir7XCXhE9E

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 668 - 23 June 1943


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:

It features footage from the evacuation of children away from areas threatened by air raids, footage of a Goebbels speech in Dortmund, and of the return of Finnish SS-volunteers to Finland.
Other scenes include footage from the Italian Navy Day in Rome, including the awarding of Italian medals to German Navy officers, footage from a German U-Boat School, and some combat footage from the area around Leningrad, as well as from the Kuban bridgehead.

Remarks:

00:58 The sign on this boat reads “KLV Ship transports Berlin-Pommerania-Berlin”.
The ships name is “Wintermärchen II” which translates to “Winter Fairytale II”. The Wintermärchen II was a 32m long river steam cruise ship. It was built in 1882 (or 1890, sources vary) in Amsterdam. In 1895, the ship was sold to a shipping line in Düsseldorf, which sold it again in 1906 to a Berlin shipping line. It was used for river cruises on the Spree and Oder river. The ship initially had a capacity of 350; from 1937 onwards, 309 passengers. It was known as a luxurious ship; equipped with a saloon, a concert room and it was heated, something rare for river ships back then. It survived WWII, was completely rebuilt in the early 1960s, doubling the lengths to 67m and equipped with Diesel engines, and was the only domestic cruise ship of East Germany. It was wrecked in 1994. 

01:10 During WWII, Germany evacuated young children from big cities to the countryside, to save them from air bombings of cities. These programs were known as Kinderlandverschickung (Relocating of children to the countryside). This program was created after the first heavy air raid on Berlin in September 1940, and until the end of WWII, over 2 million children were sent away to camps in the countryside. There was a great deal of resistance from parents who were afraid their children would be mistreated or didn’t want to be separated from their kids for year. The program was in theory voluntarily, but pressure was applied to parents who didn’t want to send away their kids. Great Britain had similar programs, evacuating big cities of children and women during WWII.

02:34 This is the flag of the Hitler Youth, the youth organization of the Nazi party. 

03:19 The tank on the left is a StuH 42 assault gun. When the regular StuG III was used more and more as a tank destroyer, a dedicated assault gun was built, armed with 10,5cm howitzer gun. From 1942 to the end of the war, 1,317 tanks were built. Since the StuH 42 was only built by the Alkett company in Berlin, this footage is probably from the Alkett factory.

03:32 Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (1900-1973) was a German conductor and composer. He studied Music in Berlin, Heidelberg and Münster, and received his PhD in Music in 1923. He became a conductor in Rostock from 1928 to 1931, and from 1931 to 1933 General Director at the Hessian State Theater in Darmstadt. In 1934, he became conductor at the Hamburg State Theater. In order to further advance his career in Nazi Germany, he divorced his Jewish wife in 1935. He became part of the leadership of the German Opera in Berlin in 1943, and Music Director in 1944. After WWII, he continued his career without problems, as he was one of the few high-ranking conductors in Germany who never joined the Nazi Party, creating and leading the NDR Orchestra from 1945 to 1971. He died in 1973. 

05:00 To replace male personnel, over half a million women were employed by the Wehrmacht during WWII. They served as auxiliary forces, usually as signal troops, operating telegraphs or telephones, but from 1943 onwards also with searchlight batteries or even on AA-guns.

07:08 The Westphalia Hall in Dortmund is a large conference and exhibition center in Dortmund. It was originally built in 1925, and before and during WWII, used for Nazi events, such as an election campaihgn speech by Hitler in March and October 1932. During WWII, a POW camp was also created on the grounds, housing up to 10,000 POWs, mostly Polish, Russian and French. It was destroyed during an air raid in May 1944, killing around 1,000 POWs. A new hall was built in the early 1950s, which still stands today. 

07:12 This sign reads “Terror is broken by counterterror”, a phrase often used by the Nazis to describe their use of violence as a political weapon.

07:14 This sign reads “Führer give order, we follow!”

07:16 As Dortmund was in the center of the Ruhr region, Germanys primary coal and steel industrial region, as well as the center of large armament factories, such as Krupp, the city and the Ruhr region were bombed heavily during WWII. From early March to late July 1943, the so-called Battle of the Ruhr, a strategic bombing campaign by the RAF, was underway, where hundreds of bombers attacked dozens of targets in the area, one of the first time bombing raids had an lasting impact on German war industry, although the Allies overestimated the importance of for example the city of Essen for the German war industry. Dortmund, the city mentioned here, was heavily bombed twice during this campaign, the first time on the night of 4th to 5th May with 596 bombers, and the second time on the night of 23/24 May, with 826 bombers, causing thousands of buildings being destroyed and industrial targets heavily damaged.

07:23 This sign reads “Local group [of the Nazi party] Center listens to Dr. Goebbels in the Westphalia Hall”

07:35 Goebbels was born in Rheydt, a city in the Rhineland, and he often emphasized that while visiting these regions. 

09:14  Referring to the German capitulation in November 1918 at the end of WWI.

10:52 This is a Soviet T-34/76 medium tanks. Many of these tanks that were destroyed or no longer operational were used to train German troops. 

10:57 This is an Sd. Kfz. 221, a light German four-wheeled scout car during WWII. Built between 1935 and August 1940, 339 were made. It was initially armed only with an MG-34, but the vehicles that were still in service were fitted with a 2,8cm SPzB 41 heavy anti-tank rifle, turning the Sd. Kfz. 221 into a light AT-vehicle.

11:03 The Tellermine (TM) was a German anti-tank mine, introduced in 1935 with the Tellermine 35, and in late 1942, an improvised version, the TM 42, was introduced, followed by the TM 43 in March 1943. Several million of these AT-mines were made. These mines were sometimes used as improvised AT-weapons, were a TM was fitted with a delay fuse and was either placed or thrown onto an enemy tank.
 
11:21 The so called Haftholladung (“adhesive hollow charge”) was a magnetic shaped charge anti-tank grenade used by the Germans. Since it was magnetic, it could simply be sticked anywhere on an enemy tank, making the angle of enemy armor irrelevant. But since this required an infantryman to approach an enemy tank, it was also highly dangerous. It could penetrate up to 140mm of armor. 554,000 were produced from November 1942 to May 1944, which were almost all used, in March 1945, only around 59,000 still remained stockpiled. 

11:54 Arturo Ricardi (1878-1966) was an Italian Admiral during WWII. He was a career officer, fighting in the Boxer Rebellion, the Far East Campaign of 1905 and WWI. He briefly served as chief of staff of the Navy Ministry in 1925, before being the commander of various naval units. In December 1940, he was made State Secretary of the Navy Ministry. Because Mussolini formally headed the War Ministry, the Italian branches were commanded by state secretaries, and Ricardi also became chief of staff of the Italian navy. He held that position until Mussolini was ousted and was forced to resign on 25th July 1943. 

12:11 Friedrich Kemnade (1911-2008) was a German Naval Officer during and after WWII. He joined the German Navy in April 1931, and served as an officer on the light cruisers Königsberg and Nürnberg in 1935, before becoming commander of a Schnellboot fast attack craft in 1936. From May 1940 to early July 1943, Kemnade was the commander of the 3rd Schnellboot Flotilla, which operated in the Mediterranean Sea. He then served as an officer in the Navy Ministry until the end of WWII. After the war, he joined the new West German Navy in 1956, again serving in Schnellboot units. He retired in 1970.

12:13 The Italian Medal of Military Valor is an award which originated in the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1793, and was taken over when Italy was unified in 1861. There are three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold; the medal is still being awarded today. It could also be awarded to cities, regions and military units, and several Bersaglieri and Alpini Regiments received the medal for fighting on the Eastern Front. During WWII, when Italy was allied with Germany, it was also given to various German officers. Two received it in Gold, the fighter aces Joachim Müncheberg and Hans-Joachim Marseille in August 1941, and a number of other officers in Silver, such as Erwin Rommel, Johannes Streich, Joachim Helbig and others.

12:19 Italy celebrates its Navy Day on June 10th, the anniversary of the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship SMS Szent Istvan in WWI by torpedoes launched from the Italian torpedo boat MAS-15 on June 10th, 1918.  

12:45 Enzo Grossi (1908-1960) was an Italian submarine commander during WWII. He initially commanded the submarine Medusa from December 1938 to August 1941, and then the Barbarigo from August 1941 onwards. As a commander of the Barbarigo, Grossi claimed that he attacked and sunk two American battleships; this story was widely publisied in Italy and he was highly decorated for that, including two promotions. He was also awarded the German Iron Cross and Knights Cross for this sinking. After the armistice, he joined the Italian Social Republics Navy in September 1943 and commanded the 1st Atlantic Marine Infantry Division. After the war, he fled to Argentina. There were two inquiries into his actions, one in 1949, which concluded that he faked his story about sinking the two American battleships and stripped him of all ranks and medals. A second inquiry in 1962 found out that while he may believe he had sunk two American ships, he actually hadn’t, and the ships he attacked were the cruiser USS Milwaukee and the corvette HMS Petunia; both attacks missed. He died of cancer in 1960.

12:53 Curt Rechel (1902-1973) was a German Navy officer during WWII. Joining the German Navy as a cadet in 1922, he served as commander of a torpedo boat from 1936 to November 1938, when he became commander of the new destroyer Z11 Bernd von Arnim. With his destroyer, he took part in campaigns in the Danzig Bay, mining and convoy duty in the North Sea. During the invasion of Norway, his destroyer was in the Narvik harbor during the British counterattack.  It got damaged and after shooting all his ammunition, Rechel gave the order to scuffle the ship. Afterwards, he commanded a Battalion of the Regiment made up of sailors and officers of the 10 German destroyers sunk in Narvik, and fought during the Battle of Narvik until the Allied retreat. In June 1941, he became commander of the new destroyer Z29, and in March 1943 of the destroyer ZG3 Hermes, the biggest German warship in the Mediterranean. On 21st April 1943, his ship sunk the British submarine HMS Splendid with depth charges; for this, he was awarded the Italian Medal of Military Valor in Silver and the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. From June 1943 to August 1944 he was a staff officer of the German Navy Command Aegean Sea, and from October 1944 to the end of the war he served in the German Torpedo Research Center in Eckernförde. He was released from British captivity in November 1945. 

18:03 This plane is a Ju-52 transport plane. Its marked as a Lufthansa plane, e.g. a civilian plane, not a Wehrmacht variant. 

18:08 Felix Steiner (1896-1966) was a German Waffen-SS General. He joined the German Army as a volunteer in 1914, ending the war as a First Lieutenant, being decorated with both classes of the Iron Cross and the Wounded Badge. He left the Army in 1933 as a Major, joining the NSDAP and SA, where he tried to build up a new Army. He switched to the SS in 1935 and became commander of the SS-Standard “Germany” of the SS-VT, with which he took part in the attack on Poland and France. In August 1940, he was the first soldier of the Waffen-SS to receive the Knights Cross. In December 1940, he became commander of the SS-Division Wiking, a command which he held until March 1943, and where he was awarded with the German Cross in Gold in April 1942 and the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross in December. From March 1943 to October 1944, he was commander of the III. SS- Tank Corps, and from January to March 1945, commander of the 11th Army. In late March 1945, he was made commander of the “Army Group Steiner”, a combination of a few weak and scattered units, and got the order by Hitler to relieve the besieged Berlin. Realizing this was impossible, he retreated with his troops. He became an American POW, and was released in April 1948. He wrote books and engaged in Waffen-SS veteran organizations after the war.

18:10 Steiner  ist greeted at the airport by SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, commander of 6.SS-Gebirgs-Division"Nord", which was fighting in northern Finnland. From 1937 to 1940, he commanded 3rd Bn of  SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot) "Deutschland", while Steiner was his regimental commander. So they knew each other well. He died on May 2nd  1945 (either KIA or by suicide, there are different versions) as SS-Obergruppenführer and commander of XI.SS-Panzerkorps during the murderous breakout-fighting  from  the pocket of Halbe, south of Berlin. 

18:26 The announcer of the Wochenschau explains that the Bn was going on a home leave. In reality,  the Finnish authorities had asked to return the soldiers to Finnland for future service in the Finnish forces.

18:20 The Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen SS was formed in May 1941 out of Finnish volunteers. Initially 116 Finns volunteered, this number eventually rose to 1,100 by the end of 1941. It was attached to the Waffen-SS Division Wiking and fought in Ukraine and Southern Russia. By the end of May 1943, it was dissolved, and the volunteers were called back, because they were needed by the Finnish Army to hold the front against the Soviets. 

18:38 Lauri Malmberg (1888-1948) was a Finnish General who served as the Commander of the Finnish Civil Guards, a Finnish paramilitary volunteer organization. 

19:06 This gun is a 17cm Kanone 18, a heavy artillery gun used by the Wehrmacht. 338 pieces were made between 1941 and 1945.

19:49 Interestingly, the rifle with the scope on the left here is a Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle.

20:01 This gun is a 8,8cm Flak 36 AA/AT-gun. Like seen here, it was sometimes used as an artillery gun, when regular artillery was not available. 

20:21 This is a  5cm PaK 38 AT-gun. Designed from 1937 to 1939 as a successor to the 3,7cm PaK 36, 9,568 pieces were built between 1939 and 1944. Despite the gun being somewhat outdated, especially in the latter phase of the war, due to a general lack of AT-guns it remained in service until the end.

20:40 This is a 2cm FlaK 38 light AA-gun.

22:47 These soldiers are wearing Waffen-SS camouflage jackets. At 22:48 you can the  see the collar patch of a SS-Unterscharführer (NCO)  on the soldier to the right. There were at no  time any Waffen-SS units at the Kuban bridgehead. A typical example how the Wochenschau editors mixed  up their available footage if only it served the story they wanted to convey.

23:41 The Edelweiß flower  painted on the hull of this Ju 88 shows that it belonged to Kampf-Geschwader 51 (therefore also nicknamed Edelweiß Geschwader), which fought in the central sector of the Eastern front.

23:01 This is a 21cm Mörser 18, a heavy artillery piece of the Wehrmacht, developed in 1933. 738 pieces were built between 1939 and 1945.

23:26 This is a 10,5cm leFH 18, the standard German artillery piece of WWII. 11,848 built between 1935 and 1943, and a further 10,265 of the successor, the 10,5cm leFH 18/40.

23:56 These planes are Ju-88 ground attack planes.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-668-23-juni-1943-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5102/639693
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSYnDwQLLE

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 732 - 14 September 1944


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:

00:44 - Rapeseed oil production, German Reich, 1944.
In cooperation with the rural population, the "Reich Food Society" has significantly increased the cultivation areas for oilseeds. Extraction of rapeseed oil and rapeseed cake. After a kneading process, the rapeseed fat is ready for packaging.

01:51 - Light heavyweight boxing match, Dietrich Eckart Theater in Berlin, German Reich, 1944.
On the Dietrich Eckart Stage Hamburg's Richard Vogt defends his light-heavyweight title against Heinz Seidler. The Hamburger, Vogt, is forced to the canvas twice. Heinz Seidler becomes the new German champion.

03:00 - Professor Arthur Kampf celebrates his 80th birthday, German Reich, 1944.
Arthur von Kampf at work in his studio. Scenes show some of his art works with themes from German history.

03:53 - The mobilization of Hitler Youth for a Total War effort, German Reich, 1944.
Male youths at work in steel industry. Fortification works on the East Prussian border. On the anniversary of the German struggle for freedom the Chief of the Army General Staff, Colonel General Guderian addresses a soldierly appeal to the entire German youth. Colonel General Guderian, accompanied by Reich Youth Leader Axmann reviews the front of the assembled Hitler Youth units. Colonel General Guderian gives a speech. Battle-hardened Hitler Youth leaders solemnly hand out the War Volunteer Certificates, and the red cords for the shoulder straps—the badge of honor for war volunteerism.

06:47 - Southern sector of the Eastern Front, Romania, 1944.
A critical situations have arisen on the Southern Front due to the betrayal of the Romanian King Michael and his court camarilla. Anti-tank guns (PaK 40) are brought into position. Fire is opened against advancing Soviet infantry spearheads. The rearguard units dig in to cover the German troops retreat. Ground-attack aircraft are deployed against the rolling Soviet tanks. German combat groups break through to the Carpathian Mountains in heavy fighting. Armored reconnaissance vehicles take over flank protection. Self-propelled artillery (Hummel and Wespe) shells attacking Soviet tanks and infantry concentrations.

10:09 - The Gold Close Combat Clasp decoration ceremony, Führer Headquarters, 1944.
German soldiers that have stood in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy 50 times are decorated by the Fuhrer with a Gold Close Combat Clasp. Some wear the Knight's Cross and are named in the Honor Roll of the German Army. All are decorated with the Iron Cross First Class and have been wounded nearly half a dozen times. Ritterkreuzträger Erich Friedrich and Franz Richter.

11:07 - One-man torpedoes are being made ready for action, France, 1944.
The volunteers gather around their mission leader to receive their final instructions. The torpedoes head out to sea in the twilight. Individually they navigate toward their targets. Surveillance from the observation ship. Explosions far on the horizon suddenly illuminate the dusky night. In the early hour of the morning, comrades on the beach await their return. Pilots congratulate each other on a successful mission.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no-732-14-september-1944-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/4000/711198
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3gL7IqXU88

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 624 - 19 August 1942


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:

00:51 - North Africa Front/Afrika Korps, Egypt, 1942.
Scenes show the soldier's morning routine on the Mediterranean coast. Soldiers examine a pumping station blown up by the English. New cesspools pits are being built. The new watering point is put into operation. German column on the supply road to El Alamein. The British use strong tank forces for attacks on the El Alamein front. Marshal Rommel presents the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to Panzergrenadier Günter Halm.

05:50 - Inspection on the Atlantic coast, France, 1942.
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder inspects units of the Navy. Inside the bunkers, U-boats returning from missions are immediately made ready for action again.

07:17 - Northern sector of the Eastern Front, Soviet Union, 1942.
Colonel General Dietl with his mountain troops. German dive bombers Ju-87 Stuka attacking strong Soviet field fortifications. The mountain troops push forward, through dense virgin forest, and after a skillful outflanking maneuver, crack open several Soviet wooden bunkers. The bunker crews are being led away as prisoners.

09:11 - Svir Front, Soviet Union, 1942.
The pontoons are being used for the construction of ferries which are intended to transport heavy weapons across the river. Members of the Finnish women’s auxiliary provide warm soup for a soldiers. The artillery smashes Soviet staging areas along the Svir River.

11:44 - On the central sector of the Eastern Front, Soviet Union, 1942.
At the front, a bitter defensive battle has been raging for weeks. Enemy artillery covers the paths to the front with harassing fire. German infantry guns lay down a barrage against the Soviet attack. An air force unit (He-111) taking off to attack the Soviet troop concentrations, supply columns, and transport routes. 

15:52 - Operation "Case Blue"/Attack on Armavir, Soviet Union, 1942.
German armored units push forward toward the upper Kuban. Soviet bombers attack the advancing columns. The spearhead unit advances further through Soviet steppes. Quarters are taken up in a village. Romanian infantry in action. German and Romanian troops advance towards Armavir. Artillery opens the attack on the city. German soldiers in the streets of Armavir. A combat engineer assault troop works its way across to the far bank. 

21:58 - Operation "Case Blue"/Battle of the Caucasus, Soviet Union, 1942.
German fast troops cross one of the few railway lines to the Caucasus. East of Armavir, a thrust toward Voroshilovsk. Attack on an airfield. German troops capture Voroshilovsk. The first foothills of the Caucasus have been reached. The captured camels are immediately put to use as pack animals. German troops on the road to Krasnodar, the capital of the Kuban region. German troops penetrate Krasnodar. Street fighting. Dense clouds of smoke hang over Krasnodar. Tanks and motorized units on dusty tracks. The advance continues into the Caucasus, via the line of Krasnodar, Maykop, and Pyatigorsk. Ritterkreuzträger Theodor Hopf. 


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-624-19-agustus-1942-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/6230/723269
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvwudWS3uE

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 588 - 10 December 1941


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:

00:21-01:14- Pictures from the homeland, Nuremberg, German Reich, 1941.
Scenes show pictures from famous places in the city of Nuremberg, including: Imperial Castle of Nuremberg, market square and Frauenkirchen cathedral. 

01:15-02:02 - Inauguration ceremony, Salzburg, German Reich, 1941.
In the solemn state ceremony, Dr. Ley introduced Dr. Scheel as the new Geuleiter of the city. Dr. Ley thanked the previous Gauleiter Dr. Rainer for his commitment, and presented Dr. Scheel with certificate of appointment and a district flag.

02:03-03:30 - Forced labor of Soviet prisoners of war, German Reich, 1941.
In the all parts of the Reich, Soviet prisoners of war, and those who volunteered for a work, fooled by the German propaganda, were used as a manpower in a forced labor. 

03:31-06:19 - Boxing match, Berlin, German Reich, 1941.
Two last rounds of a boxing match between Walter Neusel and Heinz Seidler. 

06:20-06:49 - The Fuhrer recives the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, German Reich, 1941.
On December 8th, 1941 Adolf Hitler recived Amin al-Husseini - Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in his headquaters. 

06:50-07:22 - The Fuhrer receives General Eduard Dietl, Fuhrer headquaters, 1941.
General Dietl, the hero of the Narvik arrives at the Fuhrer headquaters. Hitler, Keitel, Jodl and Dietl at the briefing at the map.

07:23-10:24 - Finnish Front, Nothern sector of the Eastern Front, 1941.
Soviet prisoners of war are used to help in the construction of winter quaters. German soldiers take batch in Finnish sauna. Troops are crossing the lake by the boats. Sappers searching for a mines. Soviet soldiers taken prisoner.

10:25-12:30 - Leningrad area, Soviet Union, 1941.
German soldiers intercept the Soviet supply barges with a food for the Leningrad city. Signallers unit is conducting a search operation, to repair the telephone cable. German artillery shelling the Soviet positions in the Leningrad. 

12:31-13:18 - Fighting in the Moscow area, central Eastern Front, Soviet Union, 1941.
Columns of the supplies are rolling towards the front. German soldiers, vehicles and tanks advance through a difficult terrain. 

13:19-14:59 - Großdeutschland recon unit, Moscow area, Soviet Union, 1941.
Soldiers of Infantry Regiment "Großdeutschland" conduct a reconnaissance mission far ahead of regiment to check whether a village on the advance route is still occupied by the Soviets.

15:00-15:43 - Meeting of Göring and Pétain, Saint-Florentin Vergigny, France, 1941.
Discussion between Göring and Pétain about mutual interests of Germany and France.

15:44-16:45 - SS Sturmman Fritz Christen arrive to homeland, German Reich, 1941.
The youngest Knight's Cross recipient of German Wehrmacht arrived to his homeland. He was gunner of the AT-gun in SS-Totenkopf-Division.

16:46-18:51 - Commissioning of a new U-Boots/Arrival of U-Boats, German Reich, 1941.
In one of German naval ports, a new submarines are launched. U-Boots return to their base after successful combat operations. U-81 submarine, commanded by Friedrich Guggenberger, return to port, after sinking British "Ark Royal" aircraft carrier. 

18:52-23:06 - Air combat, Channel coast, France, 1941.
Bf-109 fighters are being prepared for a mission. Air combat scenes between German and British fighters. 

23:07-27:52 - Operation Typhoon, Moscow area, Soviet Union, 1941.
Field Marshal Fedor von Bock in conversation with Heinz Guderian. Scenes show attack of Guderian's Group tanks, southwest of Moscow. Reaport of the Propaganda Company men, who filmed these scenes. German tanks and troops advance on a town. Combat footage shows advance of German troops with support of artillery. Scenes show Soviets taken prisoner. 

27:53-33:15 - North Africa Front, Libya/Egypt, 1941.
Report about British losses in the first heavy battle. German and Italian troops are resisting an enemy far superior in numbers and war material. AA/AT-guns taking up the positions. German soldiers are digging trenches and foxholes. Defence fight with advancing British tanks. Italian fighter squadrons supports fighting troops. British POW. Italian artillery engaged in counter-battery fight.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-588-10-desember-1941-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5370/11868
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkwDsy6K2k0

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 705 - 8 March 1944


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:

00:42 - From the world of German science, German Reich, 1944.
Professor Löhlein, Director of the Berlin University Eye Clinic, in the lecture hall. 

01:21 - Wrestling match, Berlin, German Reich, 1944.
Wrestlers from Germany, Slovakia, and Norway met for an international tournament in the capital of the Reich.

02:12 - German returnees from the Soviet Union, Katowice, German Reich, 1944.
Gauleiter Fritz Bracht speaks to ethnic German returnees from the Soviet Union, and presents them with their naturalization certificates. 

03:10 - Waffen-SS rally in Brussels, Belgium, 1944.
Léon Degrelle, the Walloon leader, speaks to his comrades about the struggle against Bolshevism. Using the map, Degrelle explained the liberation of the German combat group at Cherkassy. 

04:14 - Cherkassy fighters on the meeting with Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels, German Reich, 1944.  
A delegation of shock troops from the Cherkassy pocket with Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels. Captain Zimmermann of the Grenadier Regiment "List" reports his men.

05:03 - Defence preparations on the Atlantic Wall, France, 1944.
An infantry company returns from training. Field Marshal Rommel continues his inspection of the fortification systems.

07:43 - Narva Front, Soviet Union, 1944.
German troops in the planned withdrawal movements. In perfect order, the columns drive through Narva. A trench plow in operation. German rearguard in the fight against the advancing Soviets. An advanced outpost on the bank of the Narva River. The grenadiers advance under the protection of tank artillery (Wespe). A village is cleared of the enemy. 

12:42 - Southern Italy combat front, Italy, 1944.
Wounded American prisoners of war are being bandaged. Heavy anti-aircraft artillery in combat. Knight's Cross recipient Major Gericke, commander of a paratrooper combat group. A machine-gun team takes over the fire support of the advancing group. Heaviest railway guns during the shelling of Anzio. The German artillery fire on the beachhead of Nettuno. 

16:10 - A German convoy on the march off the coast of Norway, 1944.
Barrage balloons against low-level attacks. German aircraft provide security against submarines. The battle-hardened soldiers of the Dietl Army return from leave to the front. The Allied bomber formation on their flight to carry out an attack against the Reich. 

17:14 - Air combat footage/Defense against Allied air raids, 1944.
German fighter and heavy fighter units stand ready day and night at the German airfields. The first units are alerted and taking off. Scenes show the air combat footage. Attack from the front and rear against the four-engine bombers (B-17). Takeoff of a large number of Bf-110 heavy fighters from a snow-covered airfield. 


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-705-8-maret-1944-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/3977
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZvvAQd5j2Y

Monday, February 16, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 585 - 20 November 1941


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:

It starts with the pre-film "Pictures from the Homeland", showing a variety of footage from within Germany, such as an award ceremony for German composer Paul Lincke, fruit harvest in Swabia, cigarette production, or evacuation of childrens from cities endangered by air raids. It then shows scenes of Hermann Göring awarding Knights Cross to pilots, combat footage from Finnland, including awarding of Iron Cross to Finnish soldiers, winter preparations in the front area around Leningrad, and combat footage in front of Moscow. It then shows footage about German supply under difficult weather conditions, footage from Kharkov and the fight on Crimea. The next scene show a Romanian victory parade in Bucharest to celebrate the capture of Odessa. The last two scenes show footage from the German Africa Corps, including awarding of soldiers by General Rommel, advance of German tanks and combat footage, and footage from German bombers attacking British ships.

00:28 „Pictures from the Homeland“ was a series of short segments, shown before the actual Newsweek. They usually featured footage from a specific city or region. As the German Newsweek was also shown to soldiers stationed throughout occupied Europe, these images were meant to remind them of their home. The series was cancelled somewhere in 1942, although I do not know exactly why.

00:57 This is the Collegiate Church (Stiftskirche), a protestant church in the inner city of Stuttgart. With its two different towers, it’s one of the most famous buildings in Stuttgart. The church was originally built in 1240, but expanded and new elements were added from time to time until 1609, and it was renovated in the 1820s. The church was heavily damaged during bombing raids in July and September 1944; it was rebuilt after WWII, but the interior was re-built in a modern way. 

Remarks :

01:15 Swabia is a region in southwestern Germany. 

01:22 The State Food Society (Reichsnährstand) was an organization set up by the Nazis in September 1933. While it was not a state organization, it had legal authority, and its main task was to control agrarian production and set prices, and also to organize and made sure farmers would be in line with the Nazis.

02:04 It is tradition in Germany to have a few apples on the table at Christmas. 

02:13 Paul Lincke (1866-1946) was a German composer and theater conducter. He was one of the most important conducters in Berlin, and is regarded as the “father of Berlin Opera”. One of his most successful operas was “Miss Luna” from 1899. While he was not a direct supporter of the Nazis, he arranged himself with them, and because he was immense popular, the Nazis also made sure he could continue to perform. 

02:22 The Goethe Medal for Art and Science was a German decoration established on the 100th anniversary of Goethe’s death in March 1932 by German president Hindenburg. Originally only meant to honor persons in connection with the 1932 Goethe Centennial celebrations in Weimar, it was given to people who studied Goethe or made contributions to the study of his life. The award was presented 195 times in Hindenburg’s name, including 11 times to Jewish Germans. In November 1934, Hitler took over presentations of the award, and it was awarded to artists, scientist etc. who not necessarily had a connection to Goethe anymore. Of course, it was no longer awarded to people deemed to be anti-nazi or to Jews. It was awarded 406 times under Hitler, the last time in December 1944. The medal should not be confused with the present-day Goethe Medal, which was established in 1955 and is given to foreigners who made contributions to the German language.

02:26 Ludwig Steeg (1894-1945) was a German Nazi politican. He initially worked in the city administration of Berlin; then serving in WWI, which he finished as First Lieutenant, receiving the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class. In 1919, he rejoined the Berlin Administration, working for the city sanitation services. He joined the Nazi party in 1933 and became deputy of Julius Lippert, the mayor and city president from January 1937 onwards. In July 1940, Goebbels, the Nazi Gauleiter of Berlin, persuaded Hitler to remove Lippert, and Steeg became acting mayor and city president in July 1940. In April 1944, he lost the office of city president to Goebbels, who wanted more power over Berlins administration. In February 1945, he was formally made mayor of Berlin; when Berlin surrendered, he was arrested by the Soviets. He died in Soviet captivity for unknown reasons in September 1945.

04:14 During WWII, Germany evacuated young children from big cities to the countryside, to save them from air bombings of cities. These programs were known as Kinderlandverschickung (Relocating of children to the countryside). This program was created after the first heavy air raid on Berlin in September 1940, and until the end of WWII, over 2 million children were sent away to camps in the countryside. There was a great deal of resistance from parents who were afraid their children would be mistreated or didn’t want to be separated from their kids for year. The program was in theory voluntarily, but pressure was applied to parents who didn’t want to send away their kids. Great Britain had similar programs, evacuating big cities of children and women during WWII.

04:26 Semmering is a municipality in eastern Austria, famous for its ski resorts.

06:12 Since Germany could no longer import tobacco from the Americas or the Caribbean, most of the tobacco used for German cigarette production came from the Balkans, Greece, and also Turkey. 

07:39 Kurmark was a brand of the Garbaty Cigarette factory in Berlin, introduced in the late 1920s. Garbaty was one of the biggest cigarette companies in Berlin, however, its owner, Josef Garbaty (1851-1939), a Russian emigrant, was a Jew, and his factory was dispossessed by the Nazis in 1938, and sold to the Reemtsma company from Hamburg. The Garbaty cigarette company continued operating in East Germany as a state owned factory until 1990. 

07:50 As you can see, the intro of the German Newsweek is missing from this episode. I am not sure exactly why, but I assume there was some mistake during the digitalization process, of the footage was damaged and it was cut out. Whatever the reason, I am sure most of you know what the intro looks like, so I have left it like that. 

09:46 Hans Feige (1880-1953) was a German general during WWII. The son of an officer, Feige joined the German Army as a Lieutenant in 1900. After studying at the war academy, Feige became a staff officer in 1912, and served in the staff of various divisions, including the 1st Guard Reserve and the 1st Navy Infantry, during WWI. After the war, he continued serving in the German Army, serving again in various staff positions, before becoming commander of the 1st Cavalry Division from October 1933 to April 1935. He retired in April 1935, but was re-activated in August 1939. He became commander of the Mountain Army Corps XXXVI., with which he fought in Norway. From June to November 1941, he led his Corps in Finland against Soviet troops, but failed to cut off the railway link between Murmansk and Saint Petersburg, allowing the Soviets to continue receive Lend-Lease deliveries. This failure wasn’t his fault, rather the forces at his disposal were too weak to achieve that goal. However, he was blamed for it, and removed from his command in December 1941, and finally retired for good in June 1942.

09:54 This Finnish soldier is a Captain.

09:57 This destroyed tank is a Soviet T-28 multi-turreted medium tank. Armed with a 76,2mm KT-28 howitzer gun, it was designed to provide infantry support, and had two additional MG-turrets in the front. Initially it had up to 40mm of armor, but the Soviets later added armor plates, bringing the armor up to 80mm in front. The tank was designed in 1931 and built between 1932 and 1941; 503 were made. Many of these were lost in the first month of the German invasions, most were abandoned or broke down. Since production was not resumed, the tank was almost never seen on the battlefields after 1941. 

10:09 The tank in this scene is a Panzer III Ausf. F. A successor of the Panzer III E, there were only a few upgrades, with the same armor thickness of around 30mm, and the same 3,7cm KwK 36 main gun. 435 of these Ausf. F were made in 1939-40, making it one of the most numerous German tanks built in the early war. 

10:30 These guns are 152mm howitzer M1909, a Soviet heavy field howitzer designed in 1931. Around 2,550 were made between 1931 and 1941, and Finland captured 14 of these guns in the Winter War and 85 more during the Continuation War, and used them actively in combat; they remained in Finnish service until the 1960s; as a training weapon until the early 1980s.

10:33 This gun is most likely a 107mm cannon model 1877, a siege gun built by the Russian Empire in 1877. It was a standard artillery piece for its time, but had no recoil mechanism, meaning it was outdated when WWI broke out. The Finns captured a number of these guns in 1918, and had around 40 in inventory in the 1930s. During the Continuation War, 38 guns were used, but by March 1942, these old guns were too worn out and put out of service. 

12:14 While some of the cattle was indeed just picked up by the Germans, much of it was forcefully seized from Soviet farmers. The Germans caused many famines in the occupied areas by seizing most of the food items, including the harvest, from Soviet farmers.

13:03 This sign reads: “Bavaria-Hut”

13:05 This sign reads: “Munich House, October 1941” 

15:37 This tank is actually a Soviet heavy KV-1 tank. I assume it was captured by the Germans and used by them, which is why it appears here.

16:00 Maximilian von Weichs (1881-1954) was a German field marshall during WWII. Born into an aristocrat family, he joined the Bavarian Army as an officer cadet in 1900, becoming a staff officer. He served as a staff officer in various cavalry units in WWI, finishing the war as staff officer of the 2nd Army Corps.  He continued his army career after the war, commanding various cavalry units, becoming commander of the 18th Cavalry Regiment in February 1928, chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division in March 1930, and commander of the 3rd Cavalry Division in October 1933. In October 1937, he became commander of the XIII. Army Corps, with which he took part in the Invasion of Poland and the capture of Warsaw.  In the Western Campaign, he commanded the 2nd Army, part of Army Group A, and was promoted to General in July 1940. He then lead his army during the invasion of Yugoslavia, and as part of Army Group Center during Operation Barbarossa. In July 1942, he took over the command of the newly formed Army Group B, with which his task was to advance to the Volga. Despite the failure of that operation, he was promoted to Field Marhsall in February 1943, and made commander of Army Group F, and thus of all German forces in the Balkans and Greece, in August 1943. He completed the successful German retreat from the Balkans in late 1944. He was put into reserve in late March 1945, and captured by American forces in May 1945. He was tried as a war criminal in May 1947 for giving orders to murder hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Balkans, but the trial was stopped due to his bad health, and he was released. He died in 1954, aged 72. 

16:27 The German Cross was a military award, introduced in September 1941 by Hitler. It was intended as an in-between medal between the Iron Cross and Knights Cross. It was awarded in silver and gold, with the silver one usually awarded for leadership, e.g. for staff officers, while the one in Gold awarded for bravery. 24,404 Gold and 1,114 Silver German Crosses were awarded during the war. The example shown here is made of iron; there was also a cloth version that could be sewn onto the uniform.

16:43 The gun on the left is a 7,5cm leiG 18, the standard German infantry gun of WWII. Roughly 12,000 made between 1932 and 1945. The gun shown here has wooden wheels, indicating that it was produced pre-war. The wartime guns all had rubber tires on steel wheels. 

17:35 This gun is not a German, but a Soviet 45mm AT-gun M1932. Adopted by the Red Army in March 1932, over 21,500 guns were made between 1934 and 1937, before it was replaced by the more advanced 45mm AT- gun M1937. The gun was a decent gun against the many lighter armored German tanks, but quickly became too weak when the Germans introduced stronger-armored tanks in 1942. Many of these guns were captured and used by the Germans, as shown here.  

18:30 This gun is a Soviet 152mm howitzer M1937, recognizable by their characteristic muzzle break. They were designed in 1937 as a replacement for the old 152mm M1910 guns. 6,884 guns were made between 1937 and 1947. It had a maximum firing range of 17,2 kilometers, and it was very reliable and easy to maintain. Many of these guns fell into German hands during the initial advance of Operation Barbarossa, and the Germans used them on their own and even produced their own ammunition for it from 1943 onwards. 

19:18 These are early production StuG III assault guns, armed with the short-barreled 7,5cm StuK 37 howitzer. They are probably Ausf. E, which were built since September 1941. 

19:27 These tanks are Panzer IV Ausf F. The Panzer IV was the most commonly built German tank during WWII, with 8,553 built between 1937 and 1945. The vehicles shown here are the F variant; 471 of these were made in 1941. It had 50mm of frontal armor and was armed with a short-barrel 7,5cm KwK 37. This was the last variant of the Panzer IV to be armed with that gun, already during production of the F variant, it was decided the Panzer IV should receive the longer 7,5cm KwK 40, this was realized with the F2 in December 1941. 

20:18 This tank is a Panzer 35 (t). Originally designed by Skoda between 1934 and 1936, it was introduced by the Czechoslovak Army in 1936.  When the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, they seized 244 of these tanks and gave 52 to the newly created Slovakian Army. Production continued under German occupation until 1940, 434 were made. They were armed with a 3,7cm gun and had up to 25mm of armor. The 35(t) was a good light tank for the mid 1930s, but it was outdated when WWII broke out, and had no chance fighting against heavier Soviet T-34 or even KV-1 tanks. It was phased out in German frontline units in 1942, but used by other Axis nation, such as Romania or Bulgaria, for the rest of the war.

 20:51 These planes are Ju-52 transporters.  The Ju-52 was introduced in March 1932 as a civilian passenger and transport plane, where it proved to be comfortable and reliable. During WWII, the Ju-52 was used by the German Air Force as their main transport plane, both for men and supplies, and was also used by paratroopers. However, its slow top speed of only 290kmh and its weak structure meant that many were shot down by enemy planes and AA-guns; it was generally extremely outdated. During WWII, around 3,300 Ju-52 were built and delivered to the German Air Force until mid-1944.

21:48 Kharkiv in Ukraine was captured by German forces in October 1941, after a short battle lasting between 20th and 24th October. The city was defended by a single Soviet Rifle Division (216th) and the 57th NKWD Brigade; due to the terrible losses of the Soviets, they did not manage to put up more troops to defend the city. The Germans captured it using only two infantry divisions (101st Light Infantry and 57th Infantry), supported by one assault gun battalion. 

21:55 Like in most other cities, the Soviets managed to successfully evacuate large parts of the important machinery and tools of their industry before the Germans occupied it. 

22:09 This plane is a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, a German liaison aircraft, introduced in 1937 and built until the end of WWII. Around 2,900 were made. It had excellent STOL capacity, a low stalling speed of only 50km/h. These characteristics meant that it could land even on short runways or even bigger streets in a city, as shown here.

22:13 The building in the background is called Derzphrom (in Ukrainian) or Gosprom (in Russian) and is a huge office building in the center of Kharkiv. Dubbed “the first Soviet skyscraper” it was built between 1925 and 1928 as a prestige building, when Kharkiv was the capital of the Ukrainian SSR. The building still stands today.

22:55 This newspaper, the “Eastern Front” (Ostfront), was the newspaper of the 6th Army during Operation Barbarossa, printed from July 1941 onwards. There is little information available about it online; I was not able to find out when it was stopped.

23:13 This newspaper is called “Voice of Poltavshina”, so I assume it was issued in Poltava, an Ukrainian city around 140km southwest of Kharkiv.

23:15 The “Ostland-Bridge” was the German name for the Kryukov-Bridge, a street and railway bridge over the Dniepr river in Ukraine, near the city of Kremenchuk. The bridge was built by Russian engineer Amand Struve (1835-1898) between 1870 and 1872. It was destroyed by a German bombing raid in 1941, and when the Germans reached the Dniepr at that point, they had to built an improvised bridge, and later repaired the Kryukov-Bridge. When the Germans retreated from that area in September 1943, they blew it up again; and the bridge was rebuilt between 1947 and 1949. The bridge still stands today. 

23:21 This is a propaganda lie, the bridge was destroyed by a German bombing raid, not blown up by the Soviets.

27:14 The Soviets extensively used armored trains, especially in the early stages of Operaiton Barbarossa. The Red Army had around 60 armored trains when the Germans attacked, many of these armed with dozens of AT, AA and infantry support guns. Many of them were destroyed in the first months of the war, but also captured by the Germans, who also used them extensively on the Eastern Front.

27:36 These vehicles are Sd. Kfz. 10, a 1-ton light artillery tractor, which was primarily used for towing smaller guns such as the 2cm FlaK 38 or the 7.5cm leIG 18. The vehicles shown here are mounted with a 2cm FlaK 30 AA-gun, making them the Sd. Kfz. 10/4 variant, a light mobile AA-gun. Around 14,000 Sd. Kfz. 10 were made in total, out of these, around 2,000 were delivered as 10/4 or 10/5, so it was a common vehicle in the Wehrmacht. 

28:05 Odessa, back then part of the Ukrainian SSR, was besieged by Romanian and German troops from August 8th to October 16th. Due to the strong resistance of the 86,000-man strong Soviet garrison, the Axis took longer than expected to capture the city, delaying their advance on the southern part of the Eastern Front. Odessa was completely surrounded by land on August 13th, but strategical and tactical mistakes of the Romanian troops caused them huge losses, and the Soviets managed to hold out. After the Germans broke through on Crimea, the Soviets decided to evacuate the city from October 1st to October 16th, successfully evacuating several hundred thousand Soviet soldiers and civilians from the city. The Romanians suffered around 17,700 death and 63,300 wounded, while Soviet casualties were around 16,600 death and 24,700 wounded. The capture of Odessa was the single most significant accomplishment by a minor Axis nation without German support on the Eastern Front, although it did cost the Romanians very high losses.

28:10 Michael I. (1921-2017) was King of Romania from 1927 to 1930 and from 1940 to 1947. As his father, King Carol II. (1893-1953) was exiled in 1927, Michael I became King, but Carol II. returned on the throne in 1930. After Romania lost many territory to Hungary and the Soviet Union, Carol II. was again forced to step down, and Michael was crowned again in 1940. He had little power over Romania, which was de-facto a dictatorship under Ion Antonescu (1882-1946). After the Soviet attack on Romania in Summer 1944, Michael ousted Antonescu and made peace with the Soviets, but Romania came under Soviet influence, nevertheless. Michael was forced to abdicated and leave Romania in December 1947, spending the next 43 years in exile in Switzerland. He returned to Romania in 1990 and 1992, gaining back his Romanian citizenship in 1997. Three castles and twenty other houses were given back to him in the early 2000s, but he continued to live in Switzerland. He died in December 2017, aged 96, and was buried in the cathedral of Curtea de Arges, where most Romanian royals are buried. 

28:26 The Order of Michael the Brave is the highest military order of Romania, introduced by King Ferdinand I. in 1916, named after Michael the Brave (1558-1601), Prince of Wallachia, Moldovia and ruler of Transylvania, considered as one of Romanians national heroes and unifier of Romania. It was awarded in three classes and was awarded 364 times in WWI and 1719 times in WWII, the majority of these were third class (1628 out of 1719). The award could be awarded to individuals, but also to whole units. It was also awarded 17 times to German officers. The order was abolished in 1947, but re-introduced in 2000. 

28:34 Ion Antonescu (1882-1946) was a Romanian military officer and from September 1940 to August 1944 dictator of Romania. A close ally of Germany, he contributed the most troops of all Axis countries after Germany to the invasion of the Soviet Union. He was tried as a war criminal and executed in June 1946 by the Communist Romanian government. 

29:00 These guns are French Canon de 75 modele 1897. Designed by the French Schneider company in 1898, it became a huge commercial success, and many countries imported these guns. Romania did so too and bought around 80 French guns in the 1920s. They were used for field artillery battalions in infantry division and were horse drawn. Some guns were modernized in the 1930s. 

29:03 These guns are 10cm howitzer model 30, a gun made by Skoda in Czechoslovakia. Designed between 1928 and 1930, they were produced between 1932 and 1939. Romania ordered a number of these guns from Skoda, and when the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia, they gave a few more of them to Romania, although the exact numbers are unknown. They served as the standard heavy field howitzer for Romanian infantry units during WWII.

29:08 These tanks are Czech 35 LT tanks, see entry at 20:18. The Romanian Army ordered 126 of them in August 1936, which were delivered from late 1938 onwards, and the Romanians used them under the name “Skoda R-2”. In mid-1939, Romania wanted to further order 382 more tanks, but the Germans, who had occupied Czechoslovakia in the meantime, turned that request down, as they needed the 35 LT for their own tank units. The Romanians equipped the 1. Regiment of the 1st Royal Tank Division with these tanks, but lost a high number of them during the Siege of Odessa, 47 tanks were lost from August 11th to August 14th alone. In Summer 1942, Romania received 26 35(t) from the Germans, and continued to use them during defensive fighting at the Don and Stalingrad, loosing over 60% of them. Left with only 19 tanks, they were placed in reserve after 1943.

29:11 These tanks are French Renault R-35 light infantry tanks. Designed in 1934, around 1,600 were made between 1936 and 1940. As with most French tanks of that time, they had strong armor for a light tank, up to 43mm, and were armed with a 37mm gun, but they were quite heavy at 10,6 ton and only had a 82hp engine, giving them a top speed of only 20kmh. Romania ordered 200 tanks from France, but only 45 were delivered in August and September 1939. Another 34 tanks were acquired when a Polish Light Tank Battalion, fleeing the Germans, interned themselves in Romania. They were used in Romanian tank battalions, but many were destroyed, and after the Battle of Stalingrad, 30 of them were upgraded with captured Soviet 45mm 20K guns. 

29:13 This is a  Renault UE, a light tracked prime mover, developed by Renault in the early 30s and 5,168 were built between 1932 and March 1941. Between 1,200 and 3,000 of these were captured by the Germans and used for various roles; many of these were rebuilt. From December 1940, around 700 Renault UE were fitted with a 3,7cm PaK 36 and used as light TDs, attached to infantry units. Romania bought ten of these in 1937, and acquired a license to built 300 more locally, intended as primer for the 47mm Schneider AT-gun. However, only 126 were actually built from 1939 to March 1941. After the fall of France, Romania received fifty more from Germany, bringing the total number of UE used by Romania to 178. 

30:25 On days were awards were handed out, especially when they were handed out by high-ranking officers or generals, a good meal or some alcohol was usually provided to celebrate the occasion.

32:05 This newspaper, “Die Oase” (The Oasis) was the soldiers newpapers of the German Africa Corps, published once a week from March 1941 untill the end of 1942. 

32:27  These tanks are again Panzer IV Ausf. F.

32:48 While it is a bit hard to identify, this is a Sd. Kfz. 6, a half-track artillery tractor. 3,500 vehicles were built between 1939 and 1944. It is shown here towing a 10.5 cm leFH 18, the standard German light field gun of WWII. 11,848 were produced between 1935 and 1943, with a further 10,265 produced of its successor, the 10.5cm leFH 18/40, from 1943-1945. The fact that this gun here has no muzzle break indicates that it is an early war model. 

32:59 Using artillery for direct fire was often done, especially when proper direct fire guns were not available.

33:34 The tank on the right here is a light Panzer II, next to it is a medium Panzer III.

34:02 This tank is a Vickers MK VI., a light tank used by Great Britain during WWII. Designed in 1936, 1682 tanks were made until 1940. It had only up to 14mm of armor and was only armed with a 12,7mm Vickers .50 machine gun, making it only suitable to fight against infantry. It suffered heavy losses in the Battle of France and in North Africa, particularly when it encountered other tanks.

34:04 This is a British Matilda II infantry tank. Designed in 1937, 2,987 were built between 1937 and 1943. It had strong frontal armor, up to 78mm, and was equipped with a 40mm gun, but only had a maximum speed of 24kmh on road and 14kmh off-road. The Matilda was used extenly in North Africa, were it provided highly effective against German and Italian tanks until mid-1942. It was gradually phased out in North Africa after the arrival of the Valentine in Autumn 1941, and by mid-1942, only few remained in active service.

35:44 These planes are Fw-200 Condor.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-585-20-november-1941-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5367/97980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEdJ2hFQfAs

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 583 - 5 November 1941


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:

00:59 - Luftwaffe operations on the Channel Coast/Air combat footage, France, 1941.
Formation of the BF-109 fighters fly above an operational airfield on the Channel Coast. Fighter Ace Major Walter Oesau returns from a combat mission. Major Oesau achieved his hundredth aerial victory. The machines are being made ready for a new combat mission. German fighters in air combat with the British Spitfires. 

03:04 - Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano during a state visit to Germany, Wolf's Lair in Rastenburg/Berlin, East Prussia/German Reich, 1941.
The Führer received the Royal Italian Foreign Minister Ciano in his headquarters in Rastenburg. Dino Alfieri, the Italian ambassador in Berlin, with the Italian delegation. Count Ciano is greeted by Reich Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop at the Foreign Office in Berlin.

04:09 - Turkish delegation arrive at the Führer's Headquarters, East Prussia, German Reich, 1941.
The Turkish generals Ali Fuad Erden and Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir Erkilet arrive at the Führer's Headquarters after an inspection tour of the Eastern Front. 

04:31 - Adolf Hitler inspect the winter equipment for the soldiers on Eastern Front, German Reich, 1941.
Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch greets Adolf Hitler and Martin Bormann. The Führer during the inspection of clothing, equipment items and accommodations with which the troops in the East will be provided. 

05:56 - Continuation War, Petroskoi, Soviet Union/Finland, 1941.
The brave Finnish divisions continue to advance further south between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. Field Marshal Mannerheim in the combat area. Finnish tanks (T-28, T-26) drive through a forest. Finnish troops march past the saluting General Erik Heinrichs. 

07:56 - Siege of Leningrad, Soviet Union, 1941.
Horse-drawn supply column advance on muddy country roads. German tank crew warming themselves outside their tank by the campfire. Trench positions outside Leningrad. Portuguese officers inspect the front line outside Leningrad. Knight's Cross recipient, General of Cavalry Georg Lindemann.

10:00 - Advance on Kaluga, Soviet Union, 1941.
German tanks and assault guns on the road to Kaluga. The German spearhead has met resistance. Soviet soldiers run across a field and surrender. The infantry attacks Kaluga and penetrates the city. The houses are being searched for hidden Soviets. German units are advancing unstoppable through the streets of Kaluga. Soviet prisoners of war on their way to a camp.

15:20 - Operation "Typhoon"/Breaching the Mozhaisk Defense Line, Soviet Union, 1941.
German tanks have reached the outer defense ring of Moscow. German troops are gathering for an attack on a 14 km deep defensive position on the Smolensk-Moscow highway. This sector was part of the Mozhaisk Defense Line, a major fortification system guarding the western approaches to the capital. The German forces involved included the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" and the 10th Panzer Division, operating under Panzer Group 4 (commanded by Erich Hoepner). They faced the 32nd Rifle Division and elements of the 5th Army, which included elite Siberian troops brought in to halt the German advance. Report and images from the war correspondent. 

20:05 - The layout of the breached Mozhaisk defensive position, Soviet Union, 1941.
Animated depiction of the outer defensive positions at Borodino.

23:10 - Medical services for the wounded, Soviet Union, 1941.
Propaganda scenes showing an excellent medical services for the wounded German soldiers from the attack on Mozhaisk Defense Line. Hospital trains bring the wounded soldiers from the combat zone to homeland. 

24:14 - First Battle of Kharkov, Soviet Union/Ukraine, 1941.
German troops have fought for the approaches to the Donets Basin and advance toward Kharkov. A short-range reconnaissance aircraft (Fieseler Fi 156 Storch) monitors the combat zone. Kharkov lies under the concentric fire of artillery. On October 24, the infantry launches the assault on Kharkov. Street fighting in Kharkov. Captured weapons depot: anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft artillery, tanks, heavy artillery.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-583-5-november-1941-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5365/696961
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTJ8JN80PyI&t=1466s

Friday, February 13, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 578 - 1 October 1941


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:

01:02-04:17 - Northern sector of the Eastern Front, Finland/Soviet Union, 1941.
Cargo from the German transport ship is being unloaded in the northernmost port city of Petsamo. Supplies are being transported to the front lines with a horse-drawn carts. Food carriers carry supplies for their fighting comrades across the swampy and trackless tundra. General Dietl during the situation briefing at a regimental command post. Soviet field bunkers are taken under fire by a heavy artillery (21 cm Mörser 18). The wounded soldiers are airlifted to the military hospital.

04:18-11:34 - Battle for the islands of Ösel and Moon, Estonia/Soviet Union, 1941.
Formation of Luftwaffe bombers (Junkers Ju-88) begins the attack on the islands. Units of the German Navy are sailing out to attack. German destroyer (Messerschmitt Bf-110) attack the lighthouse, where an enemy observation post is located. The Soviet resistance pockets are crushed with a help of AT-gun (3.7 cm PaK 36). German troops capture the city of Arensburg.

11:35-13:59 - Leningrad area, Soviet Union, 1941.
Fuel and war materials are stored in the army supply depot. German columns advance against Leningrad. German bombers drop the bombs on the Leningrad city.

14:00-14:25 - General Field Marshal von Brauchitsch is celebrating his 60th birthday, 1941.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army is celebrating his 60th birthday. General Field Marshal von Brauchitsch in conversation with General Colonel von Weichs.

14:26-16:07 - Logistics operations behind the front, Soviet Union, 1941.
Railway engineers are deployed to get the railway lines operational again, for supplies deep into the operational area. In the Soviet Union the rail gauge was different than in the Germany and most of Western Europe. This difference in gauge created a significant logistical challenge for the German invaders. Assault guns (Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.A), horses, and other vehicles are unloaded.

16:08-19:38 -Southern sector of the Eastern Front, Ukraine, 1941.
Italian units attack a village stubbornly defended by the Soviets. Romanian infantry in battle outside Odessa. German soldier observe the city of Odessa through a long-range camera. Odessa under German artillery fire. 

19:39-21:29 - Occupation of Kiev, Ukraine/Soviet Union, 1941.
German troops entered Kiev on September 19, 1941. Report about the Soviets that installed massive mine charges in city's buildings, blew them up by remote detonation. The residents of Kiev receives swastika flags and Hitler pictures at stalls.

21:30-29:25 - Battle of Kiev, Combat footage, Ukraine/Soviet Union, 1941.
The battle itself, referred to as the "First Battle of Kiev" by the Germans, took place between July 7 and September 26, 1941. The German forces successfully encircled a large number of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev, resulting in the destruction of the Soviet Southwestern Front. General Guderian's tanks advance south with the aim is to establish contact with General von Kleist Panzer Army advancing north, and to close the ring around five Soviet armies. Waffen-SS anti-aircraft batteries take the Soviet bombers under fire. The ring around the Soviets is closed 200 km east of Kiev, with both armies von Kleist and Guderian combined. A total of 665,000 Soviet prisoners were taken by the German troops.

29:26-31:05 - Ending scene: German troops advance eastwards, Soviet Union, 1941.
Scenes show German troops on the march towards the East after great victories. "Von Finnland bis zum Schwarzen Meer" in the background.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-578-1-oktober-1941-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5360/696929
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyeiVtfWhj0

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 577 - 24 September 1941


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:

It only shows footage from the Eastern Front, starting with a short segment about Field Marshal von Brauchitsch visiting troops in the east, a segment about the deceased General Ritter von Schobert, and a visit of Göring to the supreme commander of the army.

It then shows footage of Ju-87 bombers attacking Soviet positions near Murmansk, Finnish troops attacking and occupying Vyborg, and German troops closing in on Leningrad. 

The next section shows German Ju-88 bombers attacking Soviet positions on the Black Sea, and a lenghty section about the encirclement of Soviet troops around Kiev, and the occupation of the city itself.

Remarks:

01:07 Walther von Brauchitsch (1881-1948) was a German field marshal and chief of the German Army High Command from February 1938 to December 1941. He replaced Werner von Fritsch after the Blomberg–Fritsch crisis, and led, together with his chief of staff, Franz Halder, the German army during the invasion of Poland and France and the beginning of Operation Barbarossa but was blamed by Hitler for the failure to capture Moscow and was removed by Hitler, who took command of the Army High Command himself. After that, Brauchitsch held no more command until the end of the war. He was a witness during the Nuremburg trials and died in October 1948, before a trial was opened against him. 

01:13 Eugen Ritter von Schobert (1883-1941) was a German general during WWII. He was known to be a pro-Nazi officer, which greatly helped advancing his career after 1933. He led the VII. Army Corps during the Invasion in Poland and France, and led the Army Command 11 during the invasion of the Soviet Union, which encompassed all the German and Romanian troops, although he couldn’t give orders to Romanian troops directly. He died on September 12th, 1941, when his Fiesler Storch airplane was forced to land, probably due to Soviet infantry fire, and landed in a minefield, where it hit a mine and exploded. He was the first German Army leader to die in WWII.

02:54 The Junkers Ju-87 was one of the most used dive bombers of the German Air Force during WWII, and also one of the most famous. Introduced in 1936, and built until November 1944, around 5,700 were made.

03:45 Vyborg became part of Finland after the country’s independence in 1917, but was ceded to Russia after the winter war in 1940. During the continuation war, it was captured by Finnish troops on August 29th, but re-captured by the Soviets on June 20th, 1944. 

03:54 This is most likely a Russian M1877 106mm siege gun, which was captured by German troops during WWI and given to Finish forces in 1917, and they were used as late as WWII.

05:07 This gun is a Swedish Bofors 37mm AT-gun, developed in 1934 and produced from 1935 onwards. Initially a good gun, it became obsolete against heavier armor in later years. This gun was exported to many European nations, including Poland, the UK and the Netherlands. Finland bought 114 of these guns in 38/39, received 42 captured Polish guns from the Germans in 1940/41, and 355 were produced locally from 1939-1941. They remained in service with the Finnish army in reserve units until 1986. 

05:21 This is a Soviet DP-27 light machine gun, produced by the Soviets from 1927 to the 1950s, with around 795,000 built in total. The Finns captured thousands of these guns during the Winter War and continued to use them in WWII. One of the most unique features of the DP-27 was its 47-rounds pan magazine, which can be seen here.

05:25 This is a Maxim PM M1910 heavy machine gun, produced by the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union from 1910 to 1939, and, after development of a successor failed, again from 1941 to 1945. Despite being outdated, it was commonly used by the Soviet Union, with over 650,000 built in total. Like the DP-27, the Finns also captured large numbers of PM M1910 during the Winter War and used them in WWII.

06:28 When Vyborg was captured by Finnish troops in August 1941, of the 6,287 buildings in the town, 3,807 have been destroyed, although I wasn’t able to find out if this was caused by the Soviets or simply by fighting in the town, I assume it’s a mix of both.

07:33 This artillery gun is a 122mm M1931 A-31 field gun, designed between 1927 and 1935, one of the first modern artillery pieces designed after the civil war in the USSR. Around 500 were built from 1935 to 1939, and many captured by the Germans in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, and used by German units afterwards. Some were even installed in the Atlantic Wall in France.

07:55 The gun being towed here is a 3,7cm PaK 36 AT-gun.

08:00 This tank is a Finnish Vickers 6-ton tank. The Vickers 6-ton tank was a tank bult by British Vickers company for the British army, which rejected it, the company was however able to sell it to various European countries (and also to Bolivia, making it the first tank to see combat in the Americas). Finland bought 33 tanks between 1938 and 1939, although they were bought without guns, optics, and radios, and were instead equipped by the Finnish with a variety of their own guns- some with short- barreled 37mm Puteaux guns, some with 37mm Bofors AT-guns, and some were re-equipped with captured Soviet long 45mm guns. This tank seen here is equipped with seemingly only an MG, while the tank in the next scene, at 08:03, is equipped with a captured Soviet 45mm gun.

08:10 The Fast Boats, or “Schnellboote” in German, designated by the Allies as “E-boats”, were fast attack crafts used by the German Navy during WWII. They were first introduced in 1931, but upgraded several times, the most commonly build type was the S38b from 1940-1943. In total, around 200 were built and served mostly in the Baltics and the English Channel. They were armed with two 533mm torpedo tubes, and a few light autocannons and AA-guns.  In total, these boats destroyed 101 merchant ships, 12 destroyers, 11 minesweepers, 8 landing crafts and a variety of other vessels, and mines laid by these boats destroyed a further 37 merchant ships. They were basically the German equivalent to the US PT-boats, although the German boats had usually a higher range and were faster thanks to their stronger Diesel engines. These boats shown here belong to either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th Fast Boat Flotilla, as these were deployed in the Gulf of Finland in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa.

09:55 These planes are Ju-88 bombers. Initially designed in 1935 as fast bombers which were to simply outrun enemy fighters, this was later changed in 1937 to a more conventional tactical bomber, but also giving the Ju-88 dive bomber capabilities, as the general idea in the German Air force was to make every bomber capable of dive bombing. The Ju-88 was a small, versatile bomber, but it was also basically not armored, only had 3 defensive MGs (this was later upped to 4 and then 7, but there was no overlapping fire radius, meaning only one MG could fire at the enemy at time), and, because of its small size, could only carry up to 2400kg of bombs (later upped to 3000kg). Later in the war, the Ju-88 was used for a variety of other roles, such as reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter, night fighter and ground attack plane, fitted with 3,7cm AT autocannons. In total, 14,882 planes were built from September 1939 to March 1945. 

10:16 This is one of the defensive MGs of the Ju-88, probably a 7,92mm MG-15. 

11:01 The Germans advanced on Leningrad, after the Battle of the Baltics and the capture of the reaming parts of northern Estonia until August 28th, in early September. On September 4th, the Germans began shelling the city, and on September 8th, Schlisselburg, an important city east of Leningrad, was captured, cutting Leningrad off. 

11:16 These destroyed tanks are Soviet T-26 light tanks, developed in 1928-1931 of the Vickers 6-ton tank, and generally considered one of the most successful light tanks of the early 1930s. A 10-ton tank, armed with a 45mm 20k, and armored with up to 16mm steel plates. It proved to be superior to German and Italian tanks in the Spanish civil war, however, by the early 1940s, it was generally outdated due to advance in AT-guns. However, it was still dangerous to most German tanks, including Panzer III and IV, due to its powerful gun. 10,300 tanks produced between 1931 and 1941, making it one of the most produced Soviet tanks during the 1930s.

11:21 This is a heavy KV-1 Soviet tank. This tank was most likely captured by German troops and is now used by them or driven back for an evaluation, probably the latter. 

11:25 This is an early model Panzer IV, most likely a Ausf. E. This was introduced in October 1940, and was a slightly updated Ausf. C, with additional 30mm steel plates bolted on the front armor. Still armed with the short barreled 7,5cm KwK 37, it was intended to be an infantry support tank. 206 were built between October 1940 and April 1941.

11:44 This is a Panzer 35(t), a Czech light tank designed by Skoda between 1934 and 1936. It was taken over by the Germans after the occupation of Czechoslovakia and used by the Germans during the Invasion of Poland, France and the early stages of Barbarossa, before being retired from frontline service in 1942. It was, like all tanks build by Skoda, a very good light tank for the mid 1930s, but by the early 1940s it was outdated and wasn’t much use, especially against the heavier French and Soviet tanks. 434 were made between 1936 and 1940. They were also bought by other countries, such as Romania or Bulgaria. 

11:54 These APCs are Sd.Kfz 251, the standard German APC during WWII. Introduced in 1938, 15,252 were built until 1945, although most of them in 1943 (roughly 4250) and in 1944 (roughly 7800). In 1939, only 232 were built, followed by 337 in 1940 and 450 in 1941, making it still a rare vehicle by that point.

12:04 The vehicle on the left here is a Sd.Kfz 251/10, a variant of the Sd.Kfz.251 fitted with a 3,7cm PaK 37, to give mechanized infantry more anti-tank capabilities. 

12:15 This is a sFH 18, a 15cm heavy artillery gun, which was the main heavy artillery piece of the Wehrmacht during WWII. 6,756 build between 1933 and 1945.

12:21 This is Sd.Kfz. 7, a half-tracked artillery tractor, usually used to pull heavier artillery and AA-guns, like the 8,8cm Flak 36 or, like shown here, the sFH 18. 12,187 build between 1938 and 1944.

12:27 This is again an Sd.Kfz. 7, this time pushing a 105mm leFH 18, the standard artillery piece of the Wehrmacht. 11,848 build between 1935 and 1943. 

12:33 This is again a sFH 18, see entry above. 

12:39 Writing messages (or often insults/profanities) on artillery shells or bombs was common during WWII and done by all sides. 

12:49 This is an early model StuG III, either an Ausf. A or B. (These two were visually almost identical). 36 StuG III Ausf. A produced from January to May 1940, and around 300 Ausf. B produced from June 1940 to May 1941). It was armed with a short-barrel 7.5cm StuK 37/L24.

12:57 This is an leIG 18, a 7.5cm infantry gun and the standard German infantry support gun during WWII. Designed in 1927, around 12,000 were made between 1932 and 1945. Interestingly, this gun shown here is a pre-war production model, which can easily be seen by the wooden spoke-wheels. Wartime production models have rubber tires on steel wheels. 

13:25 This is a light 20mm FlaK 38 AA-gun. 

13:37 This is a heavy 8,8cm FlaK 36 AA/AT-gun.

13:41 It was common to use both light and heavy AA-guns against soft targets like bunkers or enemy MG positions etc., usually when tanks or infantry guns were not available. 

14:35 The Duderhof Heights are a small highland area southwest of Leningrad, and they form the highest point of the otherwise flat land around Leningrad, with an elevation of between 100-167m.

15:04 This is a battery of 21cm Mörser 18, a heavy howitzer used by German troops during WWII. Designed in 1933, 738 guns were manufactured between 1939 and 1945. 

15:14 These are Heinkel He-111 bombers, the standard bomber of the German Air Force used during WWII. Designed in 1935, initially as a civil airliner, it was used by the German Air Force from late 1936 onwards, and 7,603 were built between 1936 and September 1944. It was a decent plane in the early stages of WWII, but had insufficient defensive armament and armor, causing it to be outdated by the early 1940s. It was also used in a variety of other roles, as a supply plane and torpedo bomber, for example. 

17:15 This referring to the Battle of Kiev from 23rd August to 26th September 1941, the worlds largest encirclement battle in history. After Hitler decided to shift focus from capturing Moscow towards Kiev, German armies, including Guderians 2nd Tank Group, which was re-deployed from Army Group Center to Army Group South, and von Kleist 1st Tank Group lead a large encirclement attack around Kiev. In the course of this battle, four Soviet armies (the 5th, 27th, 26th, 21st and 38th) were almost completely destroyed, and the 40th Army heavily damaged. All in all, the Soviets lost around 700,000-750,000 soldiers, including around 610,000 killed and captured. The loss in materials was also enormous, around 400 tanks and 28,000 guns and mortars were destroyed, with a further 884 tanks and 3018 guns captured by the Germans.  Despite these large losses, the battle delayed German operations, and the re-assignment of the 2nd Tank Group from Army Group Center to Army Group South meant that German forces had not enough strength to attack Moscow. The Germans suffered around 100,000 death and wounded in this battle. 

18:41 These are again 15cm sFH 18.

21:15 This gun is a light 3,7cm PaK 36 AT-gun.

21:57 This gun is a 76mm M1936 F-22 Soviet gun. It was designed to be used both as a field gun and an AA-gun. Designed in 1936, 2,932 were produced between 1937 and 1939, before production was stopped due to the introduction of the newer 76mm M1939 USV gun. It was mostly used as a field gun, sometimes as an AT-gun, but apparently never in its intended AA-gun function. Hundreds of these guns were captured by the Germans, which used them first as field guns, but then modified them for usage as AT-gun, with new shields, muzzle brakes and modified recoil system. 

21:59 The gun in front here, with the short barrel, is a 76mm Regimental Gun M1927. Developed in 1927 and produced between 1928 and 1943, it was a Soviet infantry support gun intended to destroy light field fortifications, and sometimes, with HEAT ammunition, it was used as AT-gun. 18,116 manufactured; many of them captured by the Germans or Finnish and used in their armies.

22:02 This is again a 76mm M1936 F-22 (see entry above).

24:50 These are again StuG III, either Ausf. A or B.

25:30 This is an MG-34, the standard German MG of WWII.

30:46 Kiev was captured by German troops on September 19th, 1941.

31:09 It should be noted, however, that the Soviets managed to evacuate almost all the industrial complexes out of the city before it was occupied by the Germans. 

31:28 These tanks are again Panzer 35(t), see entry at 11:46.

31:35 The song “From Finland to the Black Sea”, also called “Forward to the East”, was a song composed by orders of Goebbels for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, but it was delayed and not finished in time for the invasion, played for the first time on 29 June 1941, a few days after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa.

11:44 The Panzer 35(t) was only used in Panzer-Regiment 11 of 6th Panzer-Div., which indeed took part in the advance on Leningrad.

12:15 The letter "D" on the gun shows that it is the 4th gun of an artillery battery. The four guns of a battery were designated A - D.

12:20 The sign on the fender of the SdKfz 7 ist the tactical symbol for a motorized artillery battery. The number 9 besides it tells us that it's the 9th battery of an artillery regiment.
Below this sign you see a letter "Y" inside a circle (the "letter" is in fact the rune symbol for life). This is the divisional insignia of 12th Panzer-Div (which also took part in the advance on Leningrad).
The artillery formation of this division was Artillerie-Regiment(mot) 2. So now we know that the gun and the vehicle belong to 9th battery of this regiment.

12:51 On the side of this Sturmgeschütz, you can recognize a letter "E" or "F". As Sturmgeschütz units belonged to the artillery arm not to the tank arm, their companies were called batteries and they used the same designation system for their guns  which I explained above: big letters instead of numbers. At this early stage of the war, these batteries had only six vehicles each, so they were designated A - F. Later in the war, when the batteries were raised to 10 and finally to 14 guns, they also used the three-digit designation system as the tank units.

20:21 The sidecar of this motorcycle shows a sword, the insignia of the SS-Kavallerie-Brigade. You see this symbol also on the plate of the car at 20:28. The car shows also a SS license plate.
The tactical symbol on the car's fender means 7th squadron of a cavalry unit. So this whole sequence of cars and motorcycles dashing through mud and water shows units of the SS Kavallerie-Brigade. The pictures are used to illustrate the advance of Heeresgruppe Mitte southwards to close the Kiew pocket. Too bad SS-Kavallerie-Brigade did not take part at all in this operation. Instead it was used for mopping up operations in the rear area of Heeresgruppe Mitte - and assisting the Einsatzgruppen in their murderous business. 
So here some snippets of footage from one event were incorporated into the narration of a totally different event. This was not uncommon practice for the editors of the German Wochenschau. If some footage seemed usefull to illustrate the narration they wanted to convey to the public (here the difficult road conditions Herresgruppe Mitte was facing during its thrust southwards), they would not hesitate to incorporate it into a totally different context.

25:01 Here you can see the insignia of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 191, a ferociously attacking Büffel (buffalo). Therefore this unil was also nicknamed "Büffel-Brigade" after the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungen were renamed to Sturmgeschütz-Brigaden in 1943. The unit indeed took part in the battle for Kiew.

31:28 As said above, the Panzer 35 (t) was only used in 6th Panzer-Div which fought in front of Leningrad and not in the battle of Kiew. Another case of using footage in a totally different context.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-577-24-september-1941-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5359/685430
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mhtwSFepY