Luftwaffe Officers at Feldkommandostelle "Steinbruch"

1942-1943: One side of a stereograph of Luftwaffe officials at a German Air Force headquarters location in Vinnitsa, Ukraine. Original caption in German reads: "Im fahrbaren und somit schnell beweglichen Hauptquartier der Luftwaffe werden die Operationen der Luftverbände geleitet" (In the mobile and thus rapidly moving headquarters of the Air Force, the operations of the combined Luftwaffe staffs are conducted). Hermann Göring's Feldkommandostelle "Steinbruch" was built during the same time when the "Werwolf" complex was built. It was blown up in 1944 by retreating German forces. Parts of the large bunker that stood here can be found in the forest north of the village of Hulivtsi (near Kordeliwka and close to the Luftwaffe airfield in Kalinowka – Google Earth: 49°29'51.85"N – 28°35'51.54"E). The complex was once attacked by a group of partisans, led by general Naumova, in February 1943.

Source :
https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1180077
https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/64587/Remains-Headquarters-Hermann-G%F6ring-Steinbruch.htm

Pioneers Carrying an Extended Charge

Two Heer pioneers rush forward in training carrying an extended charge (Gestreckteladung) as their Unteroffizier looks on. This consisted of 200g charges wired to planks at 10-15cm (4-6in.) intervals.

Source :
Book "German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht" by Gordon L. Rottman

Crossing a Pontoon Bridge at Night

Crossing a pontoon bridge at night, under the supervision of the Pioniere during an exercise (note the coloured bands on helmets and caps). Brückengerät B bridge construction was a rather complicated procedure that required a reconnaissance of the area to determine the most suitable site to build the bridge and determine the type of bridge required. The Brückengerät B pontoon bridge sections could be assembled in three different configurations: a 130m-long version with a maximum capacity of 4 tons, an 80m-long version with a capacity of 8 tons, and a 50m-long version that could carry up to 20 tons.

Source :
Book "German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht" by Gordon L. Rottman

Inflatable Boats are Loaded with Troops

5.5m medium inflatable boats are loaded with German troops. It was these boats that were paddled across countless rivers to secure the far shore and allow a bridgehead to be established enabling the pioneers to build bridges and operate ferries.

Source :
Book "German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht" by Gordon L. Rottman

Corduroy Road in the Frontline

A completed corduroy road made by the German pioniertruppen was often settled in by running a tank or other heavy vehicle down it before the 'ribbon-cutting ceremony'. The guide rails on the edges were a standard fixture. Beneath the surface logs are at least five stringer logs running the length of the road surface. Depending on the depth of the mud it might require several layers of cross-laid logs. Ideally a layer of sand, earth, or gravel would be laid on the surface for a smoother ride.

Source :
Book "German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht" by Gordon L. Rottman

German Infantry Crossing the River

Improvisation and ingenuity were characteristic of the German Pioniere, even though their makeshift solutions could not always be fully appreciated by the men using them. This improvised footway, built using medium-sized inflatable boats, planks, and timber, enables the infantry to get across the river, but judging from the look of the machine gunner in the foreground something more stable would have been appreciated.

Source :
Book "German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht" by Gordon L. Rottman

Kriegsmarine Land Quarters

Many naval quarters on land were only a little less cramped than conditions on board ships. During training periods, each man was usually allocated a cupboard which had to be kept locked - the reason being that one should not tempt others to steal. The men are wearing white working denims over blue naval shirts with the large ‘Nelson’ collar.

Source :
Book "Wolfpacks At War: The U-Boat Experience In WWII" by Jak Mallmann Showell

Fun at Wilhelmshaven Naval Barracks

The Reichsmarine barracks in Wilhelmshaven around the time when Hitler came to power.‘Lord Muck’, lounging on the chair and being serenaded, claimed he was too hard worked to clean his locker properly prior to an inspection, so his mates are giving him a hand to make sure that the offending piece of furniture is spotless. Some punishment was called for and coping with a wet wooden locker was not terribly congenial because the offender could not lock his clothes away until it had dried out again. Consequently he was confined to barracks for a brief period while the rest of the ‘charmen’ had a run in town.

Source :
Book "Wolfpacks At War: The U-Boat Experience In WWII" by Jak Mallmann Showell

Leutnant Wolfgang Stein in Stalingrad

Leutnant Wolfgang E. F. Stein, commander of the 2.Kompanie / Pionier-Bataillon 635, remembers his experience in Stalingrad during the battle on 18 October 1942: “As the oldest lieutenant, I became company commander. We were ordered to blow up bunkers on the bank of the Volga in close combat. During the night we advanced through the Red Barricade gun factory, near the fuel depot. There I was severely wounded during the attack. I suffered a high loss of blood and was lying there senseless. At dawn my comrades brought me back while using smoke and hand grenades and brought me to the battalion command post. My friend, assistant doctor Dr. Lechtken, saved my life; I was flown out to Stalino severely wounded. In this action my friend and comrade Leutnant Fritz Bauch also was severely wounded; he lost his right leg. Of my unit, Oberleutnant Fröhlich, Leutnant Hartung, Gefreiter Bethke, Pionier Straubinger, and Pionier Fischbacher were killed.”

Source :
Book "Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army" by Hans Wijers

Helmut Walz Describes His Experience in Stalingrad

The fights at Stalingrad that the German 305. Infanterie-Division entered on 14 October 1942 were heavy and costly. At first they were fighting for the housing blocks between the Red Barricade factory and the tractor works. Then, from October 17, the fight shifted to the Red October gun factory. Snipers, infantry and artillery fire, aircraft bombs, rain, cold nights, dirt, insects, and lack of sleep reduced the Germans’ strength. Death was lurking everywhere in the dismal desert of the destroyed factories.

Helmut Walz, of the 7.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 577, describes the fighting: “On the morning of October 17, we were in the ruins of the factory. Then we were ordered to cross the open terrain to the factory halls. That was a desert of rubble in which everything lay scattered around. About fifteen meters away, I saw Soviet soldiers in a bunker. I was about ten meters ahead and only five to six meters from them, and I took cover behind a brick of concrete, a piece of rubble, but a big one. I huddled behind it and called over to them that they were to surrender. They didn’t do that. Fires were burning everywhere,  and then I threw a hand grenade in there. And then one came out who had blood running from his nose, his ears, and his mouth. I knew nothing about first aid, but I knew one thing: he could not survive. He aimed his submachine gun at me, a Soviet one with the drum in front (PPSH). I was saying to myself: ‘Boy, you won’t get me!’ I took aim at him with my pistol and then saw something small start hurtling through the air. For a moment, I was stunned—what was happening? Then I moved my hand over my face, and there was a big spurt of blood and teeth coming out. One of my comrades saw what was happening and jumped on a slab of concrete and then on top of the Soviet soldier. With his boots, he struck straight into the face of the Russian. I can still hear it crack today. He probably kicked him to death. Leutnant Hennes indicated that I was to crawl into the cover of a shell crater, where he bandaged me provisionally. At that moment, a Soviet soldier appeared over us. The Russian aimed his submachine gun at Hennes, and then his steel helmet was torn away, a bull’s-eye hit, straight in the head. His head was open—I could see the brain lying there, brain to the left and the right and water in between, no blood. Another soldier of our unit killed the Russian who had shot Hennes, and I crawled away to find a medic.”

Apparently, Soviet soldiers found Leutnant Hennes or at least took his field post letters with them, for the war diary of the Soviet 62nd Army reported: “On October 13, Lieutenant G. Hennes of the 305th Infantry Division proudly wrote: ‘We’re storming Stalingrad. The Führer said: Stalingrad has to fall, and we say, It will fall.’ But the pride of the Germans was premature. No efforts can topple the resistance of the protectors of the heroic city.”

Source :

Book "Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army" by Hans Wijers

Gebirgs Motorcyclists Crossing the River

Two motorcyclists, wearing their distinctive rubberised coats, wade across a stream during a Gebirgs units drive through southern Poland, September 1939. A pioneer with a spade has been attempting to erect a temporary crossing for the motorcycles, but without much luck.

Source :
Book "Images of War: Hitler's Mountain Troops 1939-1945" by Ian Baxter

Gebirgsjäger in a Rubber Boat

German Mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) are seen paddling across a river in a pneumatic boat during invasion of Poland, 1939. These 18 feet boats could carry a multitude of equipments up to 1.35tons. They were also used to construct pontoon bridges. In this photograph, bicycles can be seen stacked onboard.

Source :
Book "Images of War: Hitler's Mountain Troops 1939-1945" by Ian Baxter

Civilian Carts of 1. Gebirgs-Division

Two photographs taken in sequence showing local civilian carts pressed into service and being used by Gebirgstruppen of the 1. Gebirgs-Division in September 1939. Local civilians were often hired to drive the wagons and were paid very well for their services. However, it was frequently a dangerous preoccupation with a number of them being killed by enemy fire.

Source :
Book "Images of War: Hitler's Mountain Troops 1939-1945" by Ian Baxter

U-128 on its Fourth Patrol

U-128, a Type IX C u-boat, was an extremely successful submarine attached to the 2. Unterseebootsflottille (2nd Submarine Flotilla) in Lorient. Built by Deschimag AG of Bremen, the boat was commissioned by Kapitänleutnant Ullrich Heyse on 12 May 1941. Heyse went on to achieve great success with this submarine in 1942 and early 1943. In the course of six patrols - of which the first was merely a transfer to Norway and the fifth is a seven-day radar trial - Ullrich Heyse and U-128 sank 12 ships totaling 83,639 GRT and damaged another! No wonder that the crew swore by their commander. The 35-year-old Berliner, a member of Crew 1933, knew how to lead his men. Once, on the boat, he pulled a knife from his pocket and sat down to help several of his men peel potatoes. Then, as he peeled, he discussed all the popular topics with this small circle. On land the captain often joined his men for a beer, which further strengthened the bonds with his crew. Before the war Heyse had served on merchant vessels, and as a submarine commander it was difficult for him to now have to sink such ships. In several cases he provided survivors with food, cigarettes and rum and expressed regret for having sunk their ship! Under Heyse, the boat wore a slightly modified version of the emblem of Ulm, U-128's sponsor city on the front of the conning tower, plus a white horse emblem on both sides. Encircling the horse were the words "HÜAHOH HÜAHOH ALTER SCHIMMEL" (secara harfiah berarti: "Hieh Hieh Kuda Tua"). As our drawing depicts, in the summer of 1942 the boat was camouflaged pale gray with dark grey longitudinal stripes. One of the stripes ran from the turret mantle aft to beneath the Wintergarten platform. All of the upwards-facing parts of the boat were painted black as per directives. Six days after completing his sixth patrol, on 21 January 1943, Heyse was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses). In March 1943 he handed the boat over to Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Steinert. Luck deserted him on his very first patrol, however. On 17 May 1943 US Naval aircraft bombed the submarine near a convoy and forced it to surface. The boat sustained heavy damage in further attacks and was unable to dive. With the destroyers USS Jouett and USS Mofett closing in, Steinert ordered his crew to abandon ship. The leading engineer initiated the scuttling procedure, but the submarine was sunk by gunfire from the destroyers. The USS Mofett rescued 51 members of U-128's crew, four of whom died aboard the destroyer.

 This photo (and the first photo above) depicts U-128, probably as it departed Lorient on its fourth patrol on 25 April 1942. The boat emblem and the coat of arms of the sponsor city of Ulm my be seen on the conning tower. Under Kapitänleutnant Hermann Steinert the boat also wore the Olympic rings of Crew 1936 on the conning tower.

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

Two Luftwaffe Instructors with Their Charges During Training

Two Luftwaffe instructors with their charges during initial training. The recruits are wearing white denim clothing, which was popular both on land and for general work aboard ships. The trucks on which they are sitting were quite common at the time. They were used on building sites, quarries and other places where heavy loads had to be moved. The tracks were often laid temporarily along the roads to overcome the problem of carrying heavy loads over soft ground or rough cobblestones. Heavy loads were still moved by horses and carts until some time after World War II. Lorries composed only a tiny fraction of the traffic on roads, many of which were unsurfaced tracks - even the more busy highways were covered with bumpy cobblestones. The vast majority of modern, tarmac surfaces did not appear on the continent of Europe until long after the war.

Source :
Book "Wolfpacks At War: The U-Boat Experience In WWII" by Jak Mallmann Showell

Bio Karl Wolff

Karl Wolff is second from the left in this 1941 photo taken in Russia. On the far left is Hermann Fegelein (then commander of the SS Kavallerie-Brigade) and on the far right is HSSPF Erich von dem Bach. Heinrich Himmler is speaking to Fegelein. Born in Darmstadt on May 13, 1900, Wolff joined the Army in April, 1917, and ended the conflict as a Leutnant in the infantry having won both classes of the Iron Cross. He served in the Freikorps during 1919 as a company commander then left the Army in May, 1920. After studying law and political economics he worked as a bank clerk, then ran his own advertising agency until it dissolved in 1931. Joining the NSDAP and SS on October 7, 1931, he first served with the 2./11./1 .SS-Standarte. On January 19, 1932, he took command of his Sturm until mid- September, 1932, and was commissioned as an SS-Sturmfiihrer on February 18, 1932. From September 20, 1932, to mid-March, 1933, he was adjutant of the IUI. SS-Standarte and was promoted to SS-Sturmhauptführer on January 30, 1933. /4.v adjutant to Franz Ritter von Epp (then Reich Commissioner for Bavaria) he served from mid-March to mid-June, 1933, and attended the first SS course at the Reich Leader School during Februar)1, 1932. Promoted to SS Sturmbannführer on November 9, 1933, and to SS-Obersturmbannführer on January 30, 1934, he was Himmler's personal adjutant from March, 1934, to November, 1935. He then was upgraded to Himmler's chief adjutant as well as being chief of Himmler's personal staff after that command was combined with the post of chief adjutant in November 1936. Holding this combined assignment until until June, 1939, he was also a member of the Reichstag from March, 1933 to May, 1945. Promoted to SS-Standartenfiihrer on April 20, 1934, to SS-Oberführer on July 4, 1934, to SS-Brigadeführer on November 9, 1935 and to SS-Gruppenführer on January 30, 1937, he was Chief of the Personal Staff Main Office from June, 1939 to May, 1945 but a designated deputy commanded in his place after February, 1943. On May 3, 1940, he became a Generalleutnant der WaJfen-SS. Promoted to SSObergruppenfiihrer und General der Waffen-SS on January 30, 1942, from August, 1939, to February, 1943, Wolff served as Himmler's liaison officer in Hitler's headquarters and then became HSSPF "Oberitalien West. " When that post expanded he became the HöSSPF "Italien " in September, 1943. He was also military governor for northern Italy from February to October, 1943 and official representative for the Wehrmacht in Italy from August, 1944, to May, 1945. From February to May, 1945, he was titular commander of the 29.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (italienische Nr. 1) though actual command was undertaken by his chief of staff (and later his deputy). Among his awards were the Gold Party Badge, the Olympic Games Decoration 1st class, both classes of the Iron Cross, the Reich's Sports Badge in Silver, the War Service Cross with Swords 1st class, the Social Welfare Badge and finally the German Cross in Gold awarded on December 9, 1944. A natural diplomat, he endured Himmler's abuse and acted as a buffer between his chief and the numerous personalities around him though he himself made enemies including RSHA Chief Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He incured Himmler's wrath when the latter refused to grant his divorce, Wolff then obtaining permission directly from Hitler. Wolff prevented implementation of the scorched earth policy in Italy and later testified at the Nuremberg Trials. Arrested in 1962, he served a term in prison from 1964 to 1971 for transporting Italian Jews and died in Rosenheim on July 17, 1984. (National Archives).

Source :
Book "Allgemeine-SS: The Commands, Units & Leaders of the General SS" by Mark C. Yerger

U-Boat Commander Hans Hellmann

Oberleutnant zur See Hans Hellmann was born on 8 March 1921 near the Polsih border, became a U-boat commander, and was murdered in Bremen just before the end of the war by an irate husband, who felt he had become too intimate with his wife! Naval authorities took a strong stand against men having affairs with married women, and before the war the punishment was instant dismissal. However, other authorities within the Third Reich did not consider such conduct too bad. Indeed, one such disgraced naval officer, Reinhard Heydrich, took a commission in the SS and became one of their powerful figure!

Source :

Book "Wolfpacks At War: The U-Boat Experience In WWII" by Jak Mallmann Showell

Kommando der Wachtruppe Parade through Brandenburg Gate

The origin of the Großdeutschland Division was the Kommando der Wachtruppe (Command of the Guard Troop) in Berlin, and the infantry-training regiment in Döberitz. This photo shows a guard company of the Kommando der Wachtruppe marching through Berlin's Brandenburg Gate to the Ehrenmal (Honor Memorial) in 1934. The famous guard parade with band took place every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. The parade route led from Moabit through the Brandenburg Gate and along the Unter den Linden to the war memorial in the Schinkel Building. The officer commanding the guard parade usually rode the white horse "Alaric." The horse, too, went on to become quite famous and is well-remembered by many Berliners.

Source :

Book "Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland" by Horst Scheibert

Book "The History of the Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland" by Helmuth Spaeter

Armored vehicle of the Hitlerjugend Division in the Ruins of Caen

A Sd.Kfz. 231 armored vehicle of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" photographed in the ruins of Caen, Normandy, France in July 1944. In the background the ruined Church of Saint-Pierre. The city of Caen was destroyed and reduced to rubble by the Allied bombing after they encountered difficulty in taking it (the bombing was futile as Germans positions were intact outside of the city, in the northern edge). The Allies flattened and wiped out cities and towns all across Normandy and Northern France in which tens of thousands civilians were killed outright.

Source :
http://5sswiking.tumblr.com/post/167393189682/a-sdkfz-231-armored-vehicle-of-the-12-ss-panzer

SS-Standarte "Der Führer" Soldiers

A group of enlisted men from the SS-Standarte "Der Führer". All wear the SS-VT (SS-Verfügungstruppe) pattern field cap and collar patch with numeral "3" alongside the runes. The SS-Standarte Der Führer was formed in March 1938 in Vienna as SS-Standarte 3 following the German annexation of Austria and it was made up Austrian volunteers around a cadre from SS-Standarte Deutschland. It was renamed SS-Standarte Der Führer at the Parteitag in Nuremberg 1938 when it also received its Deutschland Erwache standard.

Source :
http://www.axishistory.com/books/123-germany-waffen-ss/germany-waffen-ss-ss-vt/1462-ss-standarte-der-fuehrer
https://www.thirdreichmedals.com/article/WSS.html