Armorers load AT-6 Texan Aircraft with Ammunition

Armorers load U.S. North American AT-6 Texan advanced trainers with ammunition. Even in its primary role as a trainer, the Texan could be armed. There was provision for a cowl-mounted Browning .30 caliber machine gun for gunnery training, with some versions mounting an additional Browning in the starboard wing. Here armorers load the cowl guns in preparation for a training mission, the photograph providing an excellent view of engine and propeller details.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 342-C-K-143
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/04/13/

"Rambo" of World War II

 

'Big, Bigger, and Biggest'! An unidentified soldier poses in front of a American flag, wearing a helmet and wrapped in several ammunition belts (as with a bandolier), as he holds the nosecones of several large caliber artillery shells, 1943. Photo from The Frank S. Errigo Archive.

Source :
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/wwii-aerial-color-photos-scli-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR39-ktPbGNR_MRFH2FRT_-OzbptKQULuPCh1JzH8xM6hBiO4O8ntWSalrw
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=410989493503214&set=gm.1640011826184234

German Tank Crew Loading Shells

German tank crews from Panzer-Regiment 15 / 11.Panzer-Division "Gespenster Division" loading shells in their tank, a Panzerkampfwagen III. Presumably in the district of Moscow, winter of 1941/1942. Weapons and vehicles require special lubricants to operate at low temperatures. Mines are unreliable in winter, owing to deep snow that may cushion the fuse or form an ice bridge over the detonator. During World War II, the Wehrmacht lacked necessary supplies, such as weapons and winter uniforms, due to the many delays in the German army's movements. At the same time, Hitler's plans for Operation Barbarossa actually miscarried before the onset of severe winter weather: he was so confident of a quick victory that he did not prepare for even the possibility of winter warfare in Russia. In fact his eastern army suffered more than 734,000 casualties (about 23% of its average strength of 3,200,000) during the first five months of the invasion before the winter started. On 27 November 1941, Eduard Wagner, the Quartermaster General of the German Army, reported that "We are at the end of our resources in both personnel and material. We are about to be confronted with the dangers of deep winter." Also of note is the fact that the unusually early winter of 1941 cut short the rasputitsa season, improving logistics in early November, with the weather still being only mildly cold.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Winter
http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/threads/german-heavy-medium-armour.101/page-4

Discarded Artillery Shell in Smolensk

A view of the town of Smolensk in Russia. A pile of discarded wicker artillery shell packing cases and ammunition boxes. Based on their three-tone camouflage, the boxes are either pre-war dated or constructed after February 1943. As these were likely used during the invasion, I would lean towards the former. This photograph is part of the series that was 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. It 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.

Source :
http://ww2incolour.blogspot.com/2013/05/occupied-warsaw-smolensk-and-ghent-in.html

Ukrainian Volunteers with the Wehrmacht

Operation Barbarossa, summer 1941: In many Ukrainian villages - especially in the District of Galicia assigned to Generalgouvernement - German soldiers were welcomed as liberators from Stalinist oppression. On 14 July 1941, Joseph Stalin called on the people of USSR to engage in partisan warfare, but many Ukrainians preferred to serve as collaborators against their own compatriots.

Source :

Book "The Onslaught: The German Drive to Stalingrad Documented in 150 Unpublished Colour Photographs" by Max Hastings

A Finnish NCO Inspecting Ammo

A Finnish junior sergeant (Alikersantti) inspecting ammunition. The shells seem to be for 152 H/37 heavy howitzer (Soviet 152 mm Gaubitsa-Pushka obr. 1937 g. aka ML-20). The artillery shell under this NCO's hand is captured Soviet OF-540, better known by Finnish Army as "152 p tkr 36/40-RG" (152-mm long TNT-filled high explosive shell with 36/40 fuse slot type -RG). At least one of the shells in the pile seems to have Finnish markings painted into it, so the shells are not recently captured. During the Interim Peace the artillery had been significantly improved. When the war restarted in 1941, it now numbered 1,829 pieces with nearly 1,500 shells in place for each gun. Additionally, antitank weapons were finally plentiful. This was a completely different situation to that of the Winter War (1939-40), where most weapons were obsolete and lacked enough ammunition to complete even a week’s fire missions!

Source :

Book "Finland at War: The Continuation and Lapland Wars 1941-45 by Vesa Nenye

http://www.ww2incolor.com/finnish_forces/254.html

The Crew of an American M4 Sherman Tank Ressuplying the Ammunitions

A U.S. 5th Armored Division tank crew load round's for their tank's 75mm gun. All four of the men are wearing herringbone twill (HBT) coveralls, winter combat (tanker's) jacket and armoured forces' crew helmet. The cords that are draped over the left shoulders of the two men on the ground carry jacks for the headset. The cord would be plugged in to the tank's intercom system so that the man could communicate. Three of these men have sewn the 5th Armored Division patch to their left shoulders.

Source :

Book "Patton's Third Army" by Christopher J. Anderson

US combat engineers Eat a Meal atop Boxes of Ammo Stockpiled for the Impending D-Day Invasion

Unidentified American combat engineers in Stratford-upon-Avon (England) eat a meal atop boxes of ammunition stockpiled for the impending D-Day invasion, May 1944. They're probably from 406th Combat Engineers, a part of 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a tactical deception unit that was known as "Ghost Army". The 1,100-man unit was given a unique mission within the U.S Army: to impersonate other U.S. Army units to deceive the enemy. From a few weeks after D-Day, when they landed in France, until the end of the war, they put on a "traveling road show" utilizing inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions and pretence. They staged more than 20 battlefield deceptions, often operating very close to the front lines. Inspiration for the unit came from the British units who had honed the deception technique for the battle of El Alamein in late 1942. The U.S. unit had its beginnings at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, and was fully formed at Pine Camp, NY (now Fort Drum), before sailing for the United Kingdom in early May 1944. In Britain they were based near Stratford upon Avon, and troops participated in Operation Fortitude, the British-designed and led D-Day deception of a landing force designated for the Pas-de-Calais. Some troops went to Normandy two weeks after D-Day, where they simulated a fake Mulberry harbour at night with lights which attempted to draw German artillery from the real ones. After which the entire Unit assisted in tying up the German defenders of Brest by simulating a larger force than was actually encircling them. As the Allied armies moved east, so did the 23rd, and it eventually was based within Luxembourg, from where it engaged in deceptions of crossings of the Ruhr river, positions along the Maginot Line, Hürtgen Forest, and finally a major crossing of the Rhine to draw German troops away from the actual sites. Photo by Frank Scherschel

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Army
http://time.com/3457047/before-and-after-d-day-color-photos-from-england-and-france/

Major General Ernest Harmon

Known by his troops as ‘Old Gravel Voice’, Major General Ernest N. Harmon gained a reputation during World War II as a dashing and aggressive leader. Frequently seen leading from the front, Harmon inspired confidence with his presence. During the First World War he led a cavalry troop in the Meuse- Argonne battles. Between the wars he competed as a pentathlete in the Paris Olympics, before rising to command a light tank battalion as a Lieutenant Colonel. Given command of 2nd Armored Division in July 1942 as a temporary Major General, Harmon led them during the Operation Torch landings in November. As part of Patton's Western Taskforce he landed near Casablanca, defeating a column of French reinforcements before racing to secure the city. Ordered to the front by Eisenhower at the height of the Kasserine Pass battle in February 1943, Harmon took command of the battle from II Corps commander General Fredendall whose nerve had broken. Setting off in a jeep, he toured the front visiting key commanders and assessing the situation first hand. Within days he turned the rout into a successful defence. After the danger had passed, Harmon turned down an offer of promotion to command II Corps, instead recommending Patton for that position. He then returned to 2nd Armored, stationed in Morocco as the Allied rearguard, to pass on the lessons he had learnt at the front. Harmon was given command of 1st Armored Division in April 1943, leading them from Tunisia to Italy, taking part in the Salerno and Anzio landings and capturing Rome in June 1944. After the fall of Rome, Harmon was sent Stateside to become a corps commander, but requested a return to combat in Europe. From September 1944, he led 2nd Armored Division in combat, taking them through the Lorraine Campaign and the Battle of the Bulge. By the time the war ended, Harmon was commanding XXII Corps.

Source :
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC4QFjADOApqFQoTCNzimtqXi8cCFY8ZjgodoUUKcA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flamesofwar.com%2FPortals%2F0-org%2FDocuments%2FHarmon-rules.pdf&ei=eXa-VZzCG4-zuAShi6mABw&usg=AFQjCNHFWKU1SeWlTXUqvCRox84ph2wi0Q&sig2=PzHoSRT-MXB2-Ti289JFQQ
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1376-tanker-helmets/

German Tank Crews Loaded Shells in their PzKpfw III tank

German tank crews from Panzer-Regiment 15 / 11.Panzer-Division loaded 5cm L60 (KwK39) shells in their Panzerkampfwagen III tank. Presumably on the way to Moscow, autumn 1941. For Operation Barbarossa, the 11. Panzer-Division initially started as part of XLVIII.Panzerkorps / Panzergruppe 1 / Heeresgruppe Süds. It took part in the encirclement of Kiev, and then participated in Operation Typhoon, the attempted encirclement of Moscow. At that time, the division (led by Generalleutnant Walter Scheller) were part of XXXXVI.Panzerkorps / Panzergruppe 4 / Heeresgruppe Mitte

Source :
http://allabouttanks.com/german-tank-crews-loaded-shells-in-their-tank-pzkpfw-iii/
http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1385

The German Gunners Load Ammunition in the ACS StuG III

The Heeres-Sturmartillerie crew Replenished their 75mm shells ammunition to their Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) from a parked Sd.Kfz. 252 leichte Gepanzerte Munitionskraftwagen. Presumably Italian Front in 1943. The Sd. Kfz. 252 was based on the Sd.Kfz. 250 half-track and used the same chassis. Initially built by the Demag and Wegmann firms from June through to December 1940, production shifted to Deutsche Werke from January to September 1941. 413 vehicles were manufactured, all of which were issued as ammunition resupply vehicles to Sturmartillerie batteries and saw operation on both European fronts. This picture itself gives a good comparison between the dull grey paint as used on many German AFV's, and the field-grey uniforms which had a tinge of green

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sd.Kfz._252
http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?f=338&p=100353

Italian Soldiers in North Africa with Anti-Aircraft Gun

Italian soldiers in North Africa manning a Breda 20mm Anti-aircraft gun and wearing pre-war wool m37 uniform. Picture taken in 1941 during Rommel drive to Egypt

Source:
http://www.cybermodeler.com/history/germany/rommel.shtml

Crew of a German Light Anti-Aircraft Gun at Dunkirk

A photo taken by Hermann Weper, an officer serving with Maschinengewehr-Bataillon 52, on 4 June 1940 following the seizure of Dunkirk: German forces arrive in Dunkirk. The sea front at Dunkirk photographed immediately after the completion of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force earlier in the day. The crew of a 20mm Flak 38 gun of the German mobile assault unit Motorensturm 13 stand guard on the seafront. The gun is covered with a camouflage shelter quarter. Debris left by the evacuating British forces is visible in the background.

Source:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/listing/object-205012729