Occupied Smolensk, Warsaw, and Ghent in Colour

These photographs were taken by the German photographer Robert Bothner during the Second World War, and depict Smolensk, Warsaw and Ghent under occupation by Nazi Germany. As time goes on it seems there are more and more sets of original colour photographs turning up, and while the quality on some is not brilliant, they truly help the Second World War come alive.

were scanned from Afgacolor slides. Unfortunately the photographs are undated, but the Smolensk series look likely to have been taken in 1941, as the damage to the city is still fresh, and there are discarded ammunition boxes in one of the photographs.

This first series depict Smolensk some time after the Battle of Smolensk that occurred in July 1941. Preceding the battle, on 28th June the city was heavily bombarded, the effects of which are still clearly visible. The large white building in the photos is Assumption Cathedral, the construction of which was completed in 1772. The final three photos in this section are believed to have been taken somewhere outside Smolensk due to their roof architecture but are likely to fall within Western Belarus.

Russian C-47 'Dakota' found in Siberia

It seems to be a good year for the discovery of old forgotten airframes! There was the P-40 in Egypt earlier in the year, an IL-2 from a Russian lake last month, and now an intact C-47 'Dakota' has been found in Siberia, in absolutely stunning condition! Click the images to view them full-size.

The Occupation of Kharkov in Colour

These photos taken by Johannes Hähle depict the civilian population of Kharkov under occupation by Nazi Germany during the Spring or Summer of 1942. Hähle was a photographer with a Propagandakompanie, and at the time he was assigned to a Luftwaffe reconnaissance unit, likely 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 10 "Tannenberg" (4th Squadron, Reconnaissance Group 10 "Tannenberg").

IL-2 Sturmovik Recovered from a Lake in Murmansk, Russia

Freshly retrieved from 'Crooked Lake' near the town of Severomorsk in the Murmansk region of Russia is the IL-2 Sturmovik wreck pictured below. The wreck was lifted on 21st June 2012 by a team named 'Icarus' from the city of Zaozersk

Flakvierling 38 of Panzer-Grenadier Division Großdeutschland

Today's colourised image is a Flakvierling crew of the Großdeutschland Division in training, taken on 5th November 1943.

The Flakvierling 38 was a quad mount version of the 2cm FlaK 38 and was introduced in 1940. The single 2cm FlaK guns were planned to be phased out early in the war in favour of 3.7cm cannon, as the latter was able to engage targets at much greater range and with several times the explosive force. In order to keep the 2cm gun viable, the Flakvierling 38 (literally ‘quadruple anti-aircraft cannon model 38’) was introduced to increase firepower whilst utilising weapons and ammunition that were already in production.

Previously Unknown US Gun Cam Footage, Germany 1945

In the last week some previously unknown colour Gun Camera footage has emerged from the Romano Archives. The footage was taken over Germany in 1945 from USAF P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers and features the strafing of a pair of locomotives and what appear to be industrial buildings next to them. The exact location of the attack is unknown, though appears to be one of the numerous industrial targets that were engaged by the USAF in March and April 1945. The last few seconds show what looks to be a grounded Luftwaffe jet aircraft or fuel dump exploding when hit from the air.

The Blitz in Colour

Between 7th September 1940 and 10th May 1941 the Luftwaffe launched a strategic bombing campaign against London and other key industrial cities in the United Kingdom, commonly know as The Blitz.

Throughout the UK over a million houses were damaged or destroyed and 40,000 civilians killed. Despite the intensity of the bombings, the stoicism of the British public and their 'Blitz Spirit' ensured that morale did not fall, and despite precautionary measures enacted throughout the affected cities, civilians endeavoured to continue with 'business as usual'.

StuG IV for Sale(!)

Some quite unusual news today, there is an original StuG IV for sale from a private collection in Latvia! It is very rare for original German fully-tracked vehicles to come onto the market, especially something as scarce as a StuG IV.

Click here for the advert on milweb.

Colour Video of the D-Day Landings

On 6th June 1944 the Western Allies launched Operation Overlord, the invasion of occupied France. The assault was launched against 5 beaches in Normandy in North-West France by British, Canadian and American forces. The invasion by sea was spearheaded by British and American paratroopers that were dropped behind German lines to secure vital lines of communication in the early hours of the morning of the 6th June.

Panzer IV Zug in Frankreich, 1944

Today’s colourised image depicts a Panzer IV Ausf. H Zug of 8./Pz-Rgt. 3 (8th Company, Panzer Regiment 3) of the 2.Pz-Div. on manoeuvres near Amiens in early 1944.

The division had been sent to Amiens in late 1943 to refit and rearm after suffering heavy losses during a fighting retreat following the failure of Unternehmen Zitadelle (Operation Citadel, more commonly known as the Battle of Kursk).

When the invasion of Normandy began, the Division was held in reserve in the Somme on the mistaken belief that the Allies main offensive against the Pas de Calais was soon to begin. When this second offensive turned out to be a ruse they were transported to the front in Normandy, though the Division did not arrive until mid July.

V-1 Flying Bomb Testing at Peenemünde, 1943

Today's footage shows V-1 flying bombs being launched into the Baltic Sea from the V1 Catapult at Peenemünde Airfield, adjacent to Peenemünde Army Research Center (Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde) where the V-2 and Wasserfall rockets were designed and tested. Peenemünde Airfield itself was where the Luftwaffe tested several experimental aircraft, including the Heinkel He 176 and the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket-propelled fighters.

US Gun Cam Footage over Germany, 1945

Today's video is US gun cam footage taken over Germany in 1945. Unfortunately it is rather low resolution, but you can make out various horse-drawn wagons and at least one truck being strafed. The caption states these are farm vehicles under attack, but as the Heer used many forms of horse-drawn tranportation this claim cannot be verified.

Trophies of Great Battles - Colour Video of the Gorky Park Exhibition, Moscow 1943

On 22nd June 1943, exactly two years after the launch of Unternehmen Barbarossa
(Operation Barbarossa), an outdoor exhibition of captured war material was opened in
Gorky Park in Moscow. The exhibition consisted of large numbers of tanks, artillery,
aircraft and weapons captured by the Red Army. The below video shows many of these pieces in glorious colour, being visited by civilians and soldiers of the Red Army.

3.7cm Flakzwilling 43, France 1944

The 3.7cm Flugabwehrkanone 43 was introduced in early 1944 as a heavier-calibre replacement for the 2cm Flakvierling 38. It could engage aircraft flying at an altitude of up to 4200 meters, and was frequently used to engage ground targets at a range of up to 6585 metres. In service, it proved to be very successful, but due to it's late introduction there were only 928 (and 185 Flakzwilling) units produced before the war ended.

Panzer IV of the Hitlerjugend Division, Belgium 1943

The 12th SS-Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was formed in mid 1943 from members of the Hitler Youth born in 1926. The leaders of this Division of 17 year old boys were sourced from senior NCOs and Officers of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Many of the soldiers in the unit were so young that they received sweets instead of the standard ration of tobacco and alcohol.

Know Your Enemy - 1943 Training Video on Captured German Firearms

The video below was produced by the US Office of Strategic Services in 1943, and was designed to instruct American troops on the proper use of captured German firearms. It covers the most common weapons that were encountered in the field:

• K98 rifle
• MP40 submachine gun
• Luger P08 pistol
• Stielhandgranate 24 or 39 grenade
• MG34 and MG42 machine guns
• 8cm Granatwerfer 34 mortar

Wilhelm 'Willi' Hübner - One of the Youngest Recipients of the Iron Cross

As casualties mounted during the Second World War, Germany was forced to call up ever younger conscripts to fill the ranks of the Wehrmacht. So dire was the situation at the end of 1944, that boys born in 1928 were called up to serve the Führer. They were 15 or 16 years old and had grown up in the shadow of Nazism. Each would have spent their teenage years in the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) preparing them for military service.

The net result of this was a cadre of youths that grew up surrounded by Nazi propaganda and were called up to serve the Vaterland they had been raised and trained to defend. In many cases they fought bravely against overwhelming odds, but the lives of thousands of these youths were wasted by throwing them senselessly into battle with the Allies when the war was already lost.

US Infantry Weapons and their Effects - 1943 Training Video

Today's post is a departure from the usual in that it is not in colour, though it should be interesting nonetheless. It is a US Army training film from 1943 entitled 'Infantry Weapons and Their Effects' (T.F. 7 1266). It depicts the use of many types of ammunition being fired from most of the standard US infantry weapons of the period. Films like this have always fascinated me as they show live ammunition in use, with the associated recoil and realistic damage to targets.

Of note is the penetration power of the .30-06 round fired by the M1 Garand, and the effect of the M1 Bazooka on a pillbox and sandbagged emplacement. The potential penetration from rifle rounds is always something Hollywood and TV studios seem to disregard. That and the recoil produced by such weapons, though I can understand it is difficult to grasp the true recoil of a weapon when it is only firing blanks.

Walter Krüger and 'Tiki'

For today's update we have a rather famous Tiger I by the name of 'Tiki', from 8./SS-Pz.Rgt. 2 (8th Company, SS-Panzer Regiment 2). The image was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Friedrich Zschäckel in Russia on 20th April 1943.

SS-Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger can be seen here giving a speech to the troops from the front of Tiki, shortly before he presented a series of awards to men of the Das Reich division for their actions in the Third Battle of Kharkov. The officer in the stahlhelm to the left of Tiki is believed to be Otto Kumm, who was promoted to SS-Standartenführer later that day.

Panzerbefehlswagen Panther in Italy

For your viewing pleasure today we have Panzerbefehlswagen Panther tactical number I02 from I/Pz.Rgt.4, and her driver. The image is part of a series taken by Kriegsberichter Bayer of this vehicle and others from Pz.Rgt.4 near Florence in Italy in the summer of 1944.