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Friday, October 28, 2022

Werner Machold in Color


Oberfeldwebel Werner Machold (Flugzeugführer in 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen") stands by his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 "Weisse 1" fighter aircraft. The picture was taken in France, April 1941. At the beginning of World War II, Machold was serving with 1./JG 2. He was particularly successful over France in 1940 gaining at least 10 victories, including his first on 14 May. Oberfeldwebel Machold continued to score heavily during the Battle of Britain. He was the eighth German fighter pilot to reach 20 victories. On 5 September 1940, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for 21 victories.On 7 September, Machold was transferred to 9./JG 2. He recorded his 24th through 26th victories on 30 September, shooting down three RAF fighters. Oberleutnant Machold was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 2 in spring 1941. On 9 June 1941, Oberleutnant Machold, flying his Bf 109 E-7/Z (W.Nr. 5983) “White 15”, force-landed near Swanage, Dorset after receiving damage from anti-aircraft fire from a Royal Navy destroyer during a low-level Jabo attack on a shipping convoy off Portland. He became a prisoner-of-war for the remainder of hostilities. Werner Machold amassed 32 victories in over 250 combat missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western front.

Source :
https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109E/JG2-III/pages/Messerschmitt-Bf-109E7-7.JG2-White-1-Staka-Werner-Machold-France-Apr-1941-02.html
https://waralbum.ru/403494/

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Cheerful Karl Dönitz with Kriegsmarine Sailors

Cheerful for the "Führer": This is how Perseverance Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) presented himself in Nazi propaganda, here in 11 January 1945 with German sailors, aboard a ship which is in service on the western theater of war. His submarines were nicknamed as "floating coffins" by the German people - 30,000 of 40,000 U-boat sailors did not return. Dönitz himself would go on to succeed Hitler as head of state and order the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Source :
https://legionmagazine.com/en/hitler-raeder-and-the-demise-of-the-kriegsmarine/
https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/doenitz-regierung-in-flensburg-1945-hitlers-allerletztes-aufgebot-a-53a55abc-9fc7-4aaa-bf9c-80180e6545e2

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Hans-Heinrich Sixt von Armin Welcomes Maximilian von Weichs

Generalleutnant Hans-Heinrich Sixt von Armin (center, Kommandeur 95. Infanterie-Division) welcomes Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (right, Oberbefehlshaber 2. Armee) who has just arrived at the headquarters of an unnamed Wehrmacht corps on the Eastern Front. This photo was taken in April 1942 by Kriegsberichter Mey Hubert. At that time, the 95. Infanterie-Division (Von Armin) was under the command of the LV. Armekorps led by General der Infanterie Erwin Vierow. Then, is the officer wearing the thick fur jacket on the left is Vierow? It is not known for certain because there is no description in the original source.

Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/1782/84f2d73f93200d67dbeb1719bf0ce6c6/

Maximilian von Weichs Inspects Ballistic Measurement

During an inspection of one of the units under his leadership on the Eastern Front, Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (left, Oberbefehlshaber 2. Armee) looked at a ballistic meter that was used to measure the velocity of a fired bullet. This photo was taken by Kriegsberichter Horter in August 1941.

Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/1790/84f2d73f93200d67dbeb1719bf0ce6c6/

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Karl Dönitz Visiting Oder Front (1945)

Visit of Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (foreground, Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) to one of the Marinekompanie of 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division in the Oder front, 15 April 1945. The two Ritterkreuzträger at left is, from left to right: Kapitänleutnant Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach (IIa Adjutant 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division) and Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn (Kommandeur 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division). Photo from the estate of General Bleckwenn.


Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (center, Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) with the soldiers and officers of 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division in the Oder front. The Ritterkreuzträger who walks behind him is Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn (Kommandeur 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division), while other Ritterkreuzträger who stands at left is Kapitänleutnant Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach (IIa Adjutant 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division). Photo from the estate of General Bleckwenn.


Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) in conversation with soldiers who have taken up duty after receiving Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen medals. On the far left is Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn (Kommandeur 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division), while in the middle is Kapitänleutnant Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach (IIa Adjutant 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division). Schlippenbach is actually a U-boat captain. In the last weeks of the war he was used in the naval infantry and eventually ended up in American captivity. This would explain the uniform. Photo from the estate of General Bleckwenn.


Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (right, Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) crossing the Oder side canal (Hohensaatener Kanal), presumably south of the village of Lunow. Sitting in front of him is Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn (Kommandeur 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division). Photo from the estate of General Bleckwenn.


Großadmiral Karl Dönitz (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) walks through the trench, while Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn (Kommandeur 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division) is following behind him. Photo from the estate of General Bleckwenn.


Source :
http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/Generalmajor%20Wilhelm%20Bleckwenn.htm
https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/doenitz-regierung-in-flensburg-1945-hitlers-allerletztes-aufgebot-a-53a55abc-9fc7-4aaa-bf9c-80180e6545e2#fotostrecke-15cd9c32-60c6-44b3-b4c1-270811395c21
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/photos-and-paper-items-forum/625449-post-your-who-is-this-photo-requests-here/page84

Erwin Rommel Posing in His Staff Car


This picture was taken by war correspondent Ernst Alexander Zwilling of Kriegsberichter-Kompanie Luftwaffe 7 on 24 November 1941, and it shows a tired and dispirited General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (Kommandierender General Panzergruppe "Afrika") who stands in the front seat of his Kfz. 15 Horch 901 (Typ 40) staff car, with elements of 15. Panzer-Division between Tobruk and Sidi Omar during the retreat after his momentary defeat by the British during the Crusader offensive. Sitting in the back seat at right is Rommel's Chief of Staff, Generalmajor Alfred Gause, while the driver's name is Leutnant der Reserve Hellmut von Leipzig, the future Ritterkreuzträger (Knight's Cross holder). The vehicle in the background is an Sd.Kfz.260 armoured radio vehicle from the HQ signals unit. After Operation Battleaxe failed to relieve the siege of Tobruk in June 1941, British General Archibald Wavell was replaced as Commander-in-Chief Middle East by General Claude Auchinleck. Lieutenant General Cunningham, fresh from victory in East Africa, was given command of the new 8th Army, comprising 13th Corps, supplemented by a New Zealand division, and 30th Corps, incorporating South African troops. The Australian division garrisoning Tobruk was replaced by 70th Division, incorporating Polish troops. Rommel now headed the expanded Panzergruppe Afrika, incorporating the Deutsches Afrika Korps; he also had operational control over three Italian divisions. On 18 November, 30th Corps advanced through the southern desert, aiming to engage and destroy enemy tanks before turning north west to rendezvous with a breakout at Tobruk. By 21 November, both 30th Corps and 70th Division were pinned down by the artillery of Rommel's 90th Light Division. The situation was saved by the advance of 13th Corps, which began engaging enemy positions along the coast on 22 November; by 26 November 13th Corps' New Zealand Division had cleared a corridor between Tobruk and 30th Corps. Auchinleck now replaced Cunningham with Ritchie. The Deutsches Afrika Korps withdrew on 6 December, creating a new front line at Gazala, west of Tobruk. In December further skirmishes in western Cyrenaica, with heavy British losses, were followed by German withdrawal to Tripolitania. However, this apparently favourable British position was undermined by inadequate forward defences and an unrealistic assessment of Rommel's intentions. A massive and apparently unexpected counter attack in January destroyed British positions in the south and west, bringing Rommel back to Gazala. The gains of Operation Crusader had proved to be painfully limited.


Source :
"Deutsche Afrikakorps (1941-1943)" by Ricardo Recio Cardona
"Gazala 1942: Rommel's Greatest Victories" by Ken Ford
"Rommel's Afrika Korps: Tobruk To ElAlamein" by Pier Paolo Battistelli
http://ww2images.blogspot.com/2013/04/rommel-with-15-panzer-division-between.html

Erwin Rommel Interviewed After the Capture of Tobruk

 


Generaloberst Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Panzerarmee "Afrika") chattered away while being interviewed by Kriegsberichter Lutz Koch, who held a Beyer M 19b microphone close to his mouth, while the bildberichter behind them was busy recording moving images with an Arriflex 35mm camera. Behind Rommel can be seen a radio operator busy working using the AEG magnetophone "Tonschreiber d (Dora)" - which is the world's first portable magnetophone (magnetic recorder) - in a Horch Typ 40 mittlerer geländegängiger Personenkraftwagen (m.gl.Pkw) Kfz 15 vehicle. This photo was taken on June 22, 1942 when German troops had just captured Tobruk from the Allies. This coastal city in Libya has a very strategic role in the battles of North Africa, and its control makes the German people lulled in euphoria: the occupation of Egypt is only a matter of time, and after that is the unification of German troops from Russia and Africa in the Caucasus! This interview was broadcast live to Germany, and was heard by many, including Adolf Hitler and his associates. That same day the Führer - overwhelmed with joy - decided to give his favorite general an extraordinary promotion, from Generaloberst (Colonel-General) to Generalfeldmarschall (Fieldmarshal), a five-star rank with no official retirement!



Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2015/05/foto-wawancara-tokoh-third-reich-dengan.html

Erwin Rommel First Arrival in Tripoli



Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel (Kommandierender General Deutsches Afrikakorps) in Tripoli soon after his arrival in northern Africa. Before being appointed as Afrikakorps commander, he had commanded the 7. Panzer-Division. In 1940 he crossed the fortifications in southern Belgium across the Ardennes and then he fought in France.

Source :
NARA - 242-EAPC
"Deutsche Afrikakorps (1941-1943)" by Ricardo Recio Cardona

Erwin Rommel Discussed with Italo Gariboldi


Although in paper the DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps) reported directly to Italian Comando Supremo under Libya General Governor's command, in practice Rommel set the agenda for all military operations in northern Africa. in this picture - taken in the period of April-July 1941 - Italian general Italo Gariboldi (Army Commander of Comando Supremo) is seated to the right of Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel (Kommandierender General Deutsches Afrikakorps).

Source:
NARA - 242-EAPC
"Deutsche Afrikakorps (1941-1943)" by Ricardo Recio Cardona

The Capture of Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma



In the fluid battles in the desert of North Africa during the Second World War, it was not uncommon for senior commanders to suddenly find themselves within the midst of the enemy. In the early stages of the campaign, a German motorcycle patrol captured two British generals –General Philip Neame, the commander of the British forces in Cyrenaica, along with his advisor General Richard O’Connor, who had earlier defeated the Italian Army in North Africa. During Operation CRUSADER, Rommel and his staff found themselves behind Allied lines several times. On one occasion, he stopped at a field hospital of the New Zealand Army, inquired if they needed anything, promised them medical supplies and drove off unhindered. However, on the 4th of November 1942 a very unusual event occurred – the seemingly voluntary surrender by a very senior, capable and highly respected German general.

It was the opening stages of the decisive offensive at Alamein. The Eighth Army had succeeded in breaking into Rommel’s defences and was now ready to launch the breakout phase codenamed Operation SUPERCHARGE. The point of application had been rapidly switched south from the coast, into the sector covered by an Italian Corps and the Deutsches Afrika Korps commanded by General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. He was one of the most experienced Panzer commanders during the first half of the Second World War. He had fought in the First World War, taken part in close to two hundred combat actions during the Spanish Civil War, and commanded panzer divisions during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He had also taken part in the crucial 1941 winter battle for Moscow. In his memoirs titled Panzer Leader, Guderian who commanded Panzer Group II during the invasion of the Soviet Union, remarked on von Thoma: “He was one of our most senior and experienced panzer officers; he had been famous for his icy calm and exceptional bravery both in the First World War and in Spain.”

On the 4th of November 1942, the 10th Royal Hussars were advancing in the vanguard of the 2nd British Armoured Division. There had been a sharp engagement in the morning when they had been held up by German tanks and succeeded in destroying six of them. Captain Singer, who was commanding the Reconnaissance Troop of light Dingo Armoured Cars, was moving in the forward areas collecting prisoners from the destroyed enemy tanks. He spotted a single German tank moving to a flank and indicated it to one of his tanks which fired and hit it. As the German crew bailed out, Singer went forward to capture them. The war history of the 10th Royal Hussars records: “As he [Singer] approached the German tank, its commander who had got out of the burning vehicle started walking towards Singer with his hands raised. Grabbing a Thompson sub-machine gun, Singer dismounted from his Daimler and took the German prisoner. This was no ordinary prisoner though; this was the acting Commander of the German Afrika Korps, General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.”

Just before the decisive Battle of Alamein, von Thoma had been posted to North Africa. Rommel had been convalescing in Germany and returned only days before Montgomery unleashed his offensive. In the face of rapidly mounting losses and dangerous penetrations into his lines, Rommel prepared to withdraw. However Hitler intervened and instructed Rommel: “As to your troops, you can show them no other way than that to victory or death.” Appalled at this controversial order, von Thoma declared it “madness”, mounted one of the tanks guarding his headquarters and drove to the apex of the battle where his tank was hit and he was taken prisoner. Rommel later opined that von Thoma was probably seeking his death in battle while other staff officers quietly speculated that he went to the front to deliberately surrender.

Captain Singer was ordered to take Von Thoma back to the brigade headquarters and then onwards to the headquarters of the Eighth Army. In a photograph taken when the two generals met, von Thoma is saluting and the expression on the face of General Montgomery seems to be asking the German, “Where have you dropped in from?” However, he then condescended to shake hands with his captive. The war in North Africa was one of the few theatres where a code of chivalry was practised by both sides. That evening, von Thoma dined with Montgomery at his headquarters. When the news got to UK, there was a complaint by a member in the House of Commons that Montgomery had invited a defeated German general to dinner in his desert caravan. “I sympathize with General von Thoma,” responded Churchill gravely. “Defeated, in captivity and…… [a long pause for dramatic effect], dinner with Montgomery.” Churchill was reflecting back to his visit to the Eighth Army in North Africa before the battle. He, too, had dined with Montgomery – who neither smoked nor drank.

Liddell Hart, the author and military thinker, later recorded von Thoma’s reaction to Montgomery’s revelations over dinner. “I was staggered at the exactness of his knowledge”, confessed von Thoma. “He seemed to know as much about our position as I did myself.”

Of course Montgomery knew a lot. He was one of the few Allied commanders who was given access to the ultra-secret information that the Allies had on the German plans by breaking the codes used by the German Enigma and other cypher machines. A film released in 2014 called The Imitation Game tells the story of how Alan Turing and his team cracked the code at Bletchley Park. Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.

After delivering von Thoma, Captain Singer returned to the regiment the next morning, just in time to again lead the advance with his Reconnaissance Troop. Operating in lightly armoured wheeled vehicles on the very edge of the frontline was dangerous work. The troop captured the crew of a German 88 mm gun that was limbering up to make a getaway but as it again moved forward, a second and as yet unseen Eighty-eight opened fire – hitting two of the scout cars. One of these was that of Captain Singer and the Eighty-eight ripped the vehicle apart and instantly killed the officer. When he was told of Singer’s death, von Thoma was greatly upset and sought permission to write to his widow, which was granted and a letter was duly sent. Grant Singer was a very wealthy officer. He had been adopted shortly after birth by a member of the American Singer family who were very rich, in no small part from their (now) world famous sewing machine company. When Grant’s father died in 1934, he left an estate in UK worth a million pounds sterling – which meant that Grant had no need of either seeking full-time employment or a career in the army.

Before von Thoma was taken to captivity in UK, he expressed regret at leaving Egypt without seeing the pyramids at Giza. And the British obliged him. Lieutenant Murray Wrobel, who served in the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre and spoke German, was assigned to escort him and had a picture taken with von Thoma in front of the pyramids. Worbel’s abiding memory of this assignment was the encyclopaedic knowledge of the pyramids that von Thoma enthusiastically demonstrated.

While in captivity in the UK, an indiscretion by von Thoma provided the Allies valuable first information of the German rocket programme. The British had been receiving pieces of information about the program since 1939 but they had no means to verify whether the reports were accurate. Many suspected it was the work of German intelligence, trying to trick the British into chasing false leads. These rumours were confirmed in March 1943 through a conversation between von Thoma and another PoW, General Ludwig Crüwell, in their cell – which was bugged. Von Thoma confided that he had visited a site where long-range ballistic missiles were being tested and even named the location: Peenemünde, an island in the Baltic Sea.

Now that they knew what they were looking for; Allied intelligence started pulling together pieces of the puzzle. A variety of different data, carefully used, helped them gain a fuller picture of the importance of the Research Centre at Peenemünde. British reconnaissance flights brought back unmistakable images of rockets at the facility. In fact, the facility was developing guided missiles and long-range ballistic missiles better known as the V1 flying bomb and the V-2 ballistic missile. In August 1943 a massive bombing raid was launched against the research facility which was destroyed and the development and production of the rockets was severely disrupted.

Von Thoma did not survive long after the armistice and died of a heart attack in 1948 at the age of 58 years.

 
Captain Grant Singer (in peaked cap) and his driver, Trooper Hyatt, pictured at 2nd Armoured Brigades Headquarters just after they had arrived to drop off General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. Von Thoma was later sent back to General Montgomery's own HQ. it was an incredible achievement and was celebrated across the Allied forces. The next day, Grant and his driver Trooper George Hyatt were once again probing forward trying to make contact with the enemy. Their Dingo armoured car was spotted by the Germans and was hit by an 88mm shell which tore their little vehicle apart and killed both Grant and Hyatt. Grant Singer is buried at the El Alamein war Cemetery, whilst George Hyatt, who was from Cliff Vale, Stoke-on-Trent is remembered on the Alamein Memorial. There is also a Memorial to Captain Singer in the church at West Tytherley, where the Normans Court Estate lies, just outside Salisbury.


General von Thoma climbs out of Captain Grant Singer‟s Scout car after arriving at General Montgomery‟s Headquarters.


The commander of the British 8th Army, General Bernard Law Montgomery, meets the commander of the German Afrikakorps, General von Thoma, captured on November 4, 1942 during the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt. As a sign of mercy for the defeated enemy, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma was invited by General Montgomery to dinner. This fact caused a scandal in the English press!


Source :
"The Capture of General Wilhelm Josef Ritter von Thoma" by Wayne Price
https://alabarda.net/wilhelm-von-thoma/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Von_Thoma_and_Montgomery.JPG
https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2019/11/08/an-unusual-capitulation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suKt4YjcYT8
http://ww2images.blogspot.com/2013/06/general-wilhelm-ritter-von-thoma.html

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Bio of General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma (1891-1948)



Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma was born in Dachau in 1891. He was the son of a Bavarian tax official and became a career officer with the Bavarian Army. Thoma took part in the first World War with 3rd Bavarian Infantry Regiment (part of 2nd, then, from 1915, 11th Bavarian Infantry Division) on the Western (1914/15/16/17/18) and Eastern Front (1915/16), the Serbian Campaign (1915) and the Romanian Front in 1916/17. During the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918 he was captured by French-American forces and became a prisoner of war until September, 1919. He was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Bavarian Military Max Joseph Order, the highest military decoration for bravery in the Bavarian Army and was awarded the noble title of Ritter.

After the war, Thoma remained in the new German army, the Reichswehr. During the Spanish Civil War, and now a colonel, he commanded the ground element of the Condor Legion, following the German intervention on the side of the Nationalists under by Francisco Franco.

During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Thoma led the 17th Panzer Division. He then commanded the 20th Panzer Division in the Battle of Moscow and after. In December 1941, Thoma received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

In September 1942, he was transferred to North Africa to take over command of the Afrika Korps, replacing Walther Nehring, who had been wounded. When Panzer Army Africa commander Stumme died on 24 October during the Second Battle of El Alamein, Thoma took command until Rommel returned on 26 October. On 4 November, Thoma was captured as the Allies pursued the retreating Axis forces.

    "I saw it once with Feldmarschall Brauchitsch, there is a special ground near Kunersdorf [sic] ... they've got these huge things which they've brought up here. ... They've always said they would go 15 km into the stratosphere and then. ... You only aim at an area. ... If one was to ... every few days ... frightful. ... The major there was full of hope--he said 'Wait until next year and the fun will start!"

translation of Thoma speaking to Ludwig Crüwell while prisoners of war, 22 March 1943.
Under British surveillance as POW

On 4 November 1942, Thoma was captured by the British forces and for the remainder of the war he was a prisoner in several senior officer prisoner-of-war camps in Great Britain, including Trent Park, Wilton Park, Grizedale Hall and Island Farm.

Trent Park held high-ranking enemy officers prisoner in comfortable, but secretly monitored, conditions. While there Thoma was recorded speaking to another POW, General Ludwig Crüwell discussing rockets that were being tested at Kummersdorf West, which he had observed while on a visit that also included Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and other technical programme details.

Following his indiscretion, further British reconnaissance flights over Peenemünde in May and June 1943 brought back unmistakable images of rockets at the facility which was developing guided missiles and long-range ballistic missiles better known as the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 ballistic missile. When reconnaissance and intelligence information regarding the V-2 became convincing, Churchill's War Cabinet directed the first planned raid (Operation Hydra), the attack of Peenemünde in August 1943, as part of Operation Crossbow, the Anglo-American campaign against the Vergeltungswaffe, the German long-range weapons programme.

In late 1945, Waffen-SS commander Kurt Meyer, captured in Belgium in September 1944 while commanding the 12th SS-Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend", arrived at Trent Park and noted that Thoma, the German camp leader, was "...highly thought of by the English. Relations between him and the guards is excellent".

In 1946 Thoma's leg was amputated while he was still in English captivity. He was repatriated later that year. Thoma lived in his hometown of Dachau until his death of a heart attack in 1948.

Churchill's high regard for Thoma is evident from his many later quotations of Thoma's opinions on strategic matters, especially in his book about the war. After Montgomery invited Thoma to dine with him in his private trailer, Churchill remarked: "I sympathize with General von Thoma: Defeated, in captivity and... (long pause for dramatic effect) dinner with Montgomery".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm [Josef] Ritter von Thoma

Born: 1. Sep. 1891 in Dachau / Bayern.
Died: 30. Apr. 1948 in Dachau / Bayern.

Promotions:
23.09.1912 Fahnenjunker
25.01.1913 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
20.05.1913 Fähnrich:
01.08.1914 Leutnant (ohne Patent; later granted Patent vom 30.10.1912)
14.12.1917 Oberleutnant (later granted Patent vom 18.04.1917)
01.02.1925 Hauptmann
01.04.1934 Major
01.08.1936 Oberstleutnant
01.04.1938 Oberst (later granted RDA vom 01.10.1936)
01.08.1940 Generalmajor
01.08.1942 Generalleutnant
01.11.1942 General der Panzertruppe (later granted RDA vom 01.11.1942)

Career:
Kommandierender General, Deutschen Afrika Korps: 1. Sep. 1942 - 4. Nov. 1942
General der schnellen Truppen in OKH: 23. May 1942 - 1. Jul. 1942
Kommandeur 20.Panzer-Division: 14. Oct. 1941 -
Kommandeur 6.Panzer-Division: Jun. 1941 - 15. Sep. 1941
Kommandeur 17.Panzer-Brigade: 16. Dec. 1940 -
General der schnellen Truppen in OKH:
Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 3: 1. Jun. 1939 -
Kommandeur of Panzertruppen of the Legion Condor, Spain:
z.V. der OKH: 23. Sep. 1936 -
Adjutant of bayr.3.Infanterie-Regiment: (5. Jul. 1916)
Commissioned/assigned to bayr.3.Infanterie-Regiment: 2. Aug. 1914 -
Entered service as Fahnenjunker: 23. Sep. 1912

Enemy Captivity:
Taken prisoner by British troops, 4. Nov. 1942. In British POW camps until 19 .

Awards & Decorations:
31.12.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes as Generalmajor and Kdr. 20.Panzer-Division
05.07.1916 Ritterkreuz des bayerische Militär-Max-Josephs-Orden as Leutnant and Adjutant 3.bayer. Infanterie-Regiment "Prinz Karl von Bayern"
00.00.1939 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
00.00.1939 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
03.06.1915 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
17.10.1914 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
16.11.1914 Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern
05.04.1916 k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern.
00.00.1939 Deutsche Spanien-Kreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten
19.05.1939 Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor, Sonderanfertigung in Gold
00.00.194_ Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber
00.00.1918 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Silber
ca. 1943 Ärmelband “Afrika“
00.00.1935 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
00.00.193_ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
ca. 1939 Medalla de la Campaña de España
ca. 1939 Medalla Militar Individual de España

Notes:
* Son of Eduard Thoma (died 21.11.1899 in Dachau) and his wife Sabine, née Klein (died 04.05.1921 in München).
* Never married.



Source :
"Deutsche Afrikakorps (1941-1943)" by Ricardo Recio Cardona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Ritter_von_Thoma
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/THOMA_WILHELM.html

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Erwin Rommel's Visit to Pavia Division

The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Ernst Alexander Zwilling (Propaganda-Kompanie Luftwaffe 7) on 12 February 1942, and it shows Generaloberst Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Panzerarmee "Afrika") with German and Italian officers, during his visit to the headquarters of Italian 17° Divisione Autotrasportabile "Pavia" (17th Motorised Division "Pavia") in El Agheila. In this occasion Rommel took the opportunity to talk to his Italian allies about the upcoming operational plans. This picture is also available in the book "Rommel's Italian Generals in North Africa" by Dr. Libro Di Zinno and Rudy D'Angelo, page 26. There the authors identify the individual as Generale di Brigata Michelangelo Nicolini, commander of the army artillery. He was in several pictures with Rommel. Unfortunately, Nicolini is one general the authors have noted in several other pictures as mis-identified. This greater focus on Nicolini could imply a better level of research, but that is only speculation. Most possible ID is Generale di Brigata Antonio Franceschini, commander of Pavia Division. On the photo it says Falzoni, it could have been a garbled version of Falconi and the officer Enzo Falconi. Only problem is that he was a colonel at the time and commander of the artillery regiment in the Ariete division. It is the only name and rank that comes close with the writing. For the German officers identification (apart from Rommel): fourth from right is Major Friedrich-Wilhelm von Mellenthin (Ic im Generalstab Panzerarmee "Afrika"). On his right is Oberleutnant Diekmann, Rommel's aide.







Source :
"Rommel's Italian Generals in North Africa 1941-1943" by Dr. Libro Di Zinno and Rudy D'Angelo
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/03/album-foto-erwin-rommel-sebagai_1308.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1982-0927-503,_Bei_El_Agheila,_Rommel_bei_italienischer_Division.jpg
https://www.ebay.de/itm/165715607163?hash=item26956b7e7b:g:EcEAAOSwroZjQX9O&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkKGWZ%2FV0JYl6oJJMZZHEYs4HVsIW4FUrvDC0b1A%2Fq451cb593QTvf%2BRp6xl1luCrxyITWryw3J6r8QiaGIIb5pee4uv62X00WEvwfUIG%2BmySmXhV9oEWqLA%2Ff8%2Fh%2BdFAUgYmztz3Jp806dFikqbBiKkcnXSuAhU7sweiWDNEidOzU44PrZ5MHxmQJ7fTO7nsnA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9b7tpv7YA
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2435229#p2435229

Monday, October 17, 2022

9. Armee Christmas Celebration

This picture was taken during the Christmas celebration at the headquarter of 7. Flieger-Division in Rzhev region, December 1942. From left to right: General der Infanterie Hans Jordan (Kommandierender General VI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber 9. Armee), Generalmajor der Luftwaffe Richard Heidrich (Kommandeur 7. Flieger-Division), and General der Infanterie Ehrenfried Oskar Boege (Kommandeur 197. Infanterie-Division). When the picture was taken, 7. Flieger-Division and 197. Infanterie-Division were under the command of VI. Armeekorps, which itself was part of 9. Armee.
 

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/02/album-foto-terbaik-walter-model.html
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Heeresgruppe_Mitte

Ritterkreuz Action of Friedrich Materna


Friedrich Materna (21 June 1885 - 11 November 1946) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 45. Infanterie-Division. The following wartime excerpt (dated 30 August 1940) describes why Materna received the Ritterkreuz: "On 9 June 1940 Generalleutnant Materna led the major attack across the Aisne, Aisne Canal and Suippe rivers in the face of a tough and well-dug in enemy force. In this time he repeatedly led his armoured group forwards despite the intense enemy activity, and by doing so he enabled the Regiments of his Division to achieve a deep penetration into the enemy defenses by nightfall. Since communications to the forward units broke down during the course of the day, Generalleutnant Materna personally entered the foremost combat zone at the Aisne and directed the combat from there. The determined leadership and bold willpower of the divisional commander were crucial factors that brought about such important success on this first day of battle as well as in the two subsequent days.”

Source :
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Materna,_Friedrich
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/11725/Materna-Friedrich.htm

Bio of General der Infanterie Friedrich Materna (1885-1946)

General der Infanterie Friedrich Materna

Born: 21. 06. 1885 in Hof.
Died: 11.11.1946 in Wien.

Promotions:
14.08.1914 k.u.k. Fähnrich
01.11.1905 k.u.k. Leutnant
k.u.k. Oberleutnant
k.u.k. Hauptmann
Major
01.01.1921 Oberstleutnant (österr. Bundesheer)
01.06.1929 Oberst (österr. Bundesheer)
25.06.1935 Generalmajor (österr. Bundesheer)
13.03.1938 Generalmajor (Reichsheer) 01.06.1939 Generalleutnant
01.11.1940 General der Infanterie

Commands & Assignments:
01.09.1939 - 01.10.1940 Kommandeuer of 45.Infanterie-Division.
01.10.1940 - 10.09.1942 Kommandierender Geneal of XX.Armee-Korps.
31.01.1943 - 10.12.1943 Befehlshaber in Wehrkreis XVIII.
10.12.1943 - 01.09.1944 In Führerreserve.
01.09.1944 Retired from military service.

Decorations & Awards:
05.08.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Kdr. 45.Infanterie-Division
15.12.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as General der Infanterie and Kom. Gen. XX.Armee-Korps
1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnungen






Source :
https://www.europeana.eu/mt/item/92064/bildarchivaustria_Preview_1254421
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2435197#p2435197
https://gmic.co.uk/topic/18846-ribon-bar-from-general-friedrich-materna/
http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum.com/topic/1574-materna-friedrich/
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/MATERNA_FRIEDRICH.html

Friedrich Materna in Color


General der Infanterie Friedrich Materna (21 June 1885 – 11 November 1946) was a General in the Bundesheer (Austrian Federal Army) in the 1930s and the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. He became a Generalmajor in the Austrian army in 1935, and he was also a part of the Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung (Federal Ministry of Defence), in which he acted as Head of the Training Department. After the Anschluss he was incorporated into the Wehrmacht, where from 1938 to 1940, he commanded the 45. Infanterie-Division. Between 1940 and 1942, he commanded the XX Armeekorps, and from 1942 to 1943, the Military District XVII. Between 1943 and 1944, he was held in reserve, and, in 1944, he retired from the Army. He died in 1946. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 45. Infanterie-Division.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Materna
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2283945#p2283945

Sunday, October 16, 2022

German Victory Parade in Warsaw (1939)



Hitler's Motorcade Crosses Warsaw

On the threshold of Hitler’s visit to Warsaw on 5 October 1939, the center of the city, a maiden part of the upcoming motorcade route, had been practically sealed from the locals, abandoning the presence of any polish citizens in proximity to the event. A number of buildings along the planned route were now covered with the Nazi banners and a good few special security squads, armed with machine guns, were disposed within the windows and roofs across the city center. The local population of the occupied Warsaw was now forbidden (at least on October 5), under penalty of death, to leave their accommodation across the route or to open windows facing the chosen streets. the day before, Hitler personally alleviate the concerns of some SS soldiers and officers, who had already participated in mass killings in Poland. On October 4 he issued a secret order on amnesty, an act of oblivion for the Germans soldiers, who were now beyond the law in committing crimes within occupied territories.

For this once on October 5, 1939, Adolf Hitler made it to Poland from Berlin by means of a plane. As early as 11:30 a.m. the air cortege under the masterful lead of Hans Baur came down to the airfield of Okecie (The modern Warsaw Chopin Airport. Some sources state that they landed at the Kielce airport). As befits the supreme commander and the conqueror, Hitler was awaited and welcomed by his generals. Gerd von Rundstedt, the triumphal commander of ‘Heeresgruppe Süd’ (Army Group South); Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German army; Erhard Milch, the future Field Marshal of aviation and Goering’s deputy; Johannes Blaskowitz, the commander of the triumphal 8th army; Walter von Reichenau, the commander of the 10th army at that time; Friedrich von Cochenhausen, the future general of artillery. The planned VIP-like motorcade was to enter Warsaw from the East and proceed towards the initial point, which was the set of the military parade.

Hitler’s automobile cortege cross the Vistula river across the Most Poniatowskiego (Poniatowski Bridge), named after the Polish military leader of the 17-18 centuries. The bridge was rebuilt after the demolition during the ‘Great War (WWI) and would be totally devastated by Germans five years later in the midst of the Warsaw Uprising. Hereafter, the motorcade proceeded to an avenue, historically praised as ‘Aleje Jerozolimskie’ (The Jerusalem alley), now hastily renamed into Bahnhofstrasse (later one, in the course of the occupation, into ‘Reichsstraße’ and finally ‘Ostlandstrasse’). Subsequently, the cars turned into Nowy Swiat, the famous fashionable arteria of Warsaw, and finally to Ujazdów Avenue. All arrangements were made to orchestrate a parade of victory, thus paying tribute both to the German army and Hitler himself as a supreme commander and a Fuhrer.

The Two-Hour Military Parade

The long-drawn automobile column, which had been proceeding its way from the airfield, now eased down and entered the wide avenue. Hitler was the key figure of the cortege, all while standing and greeting the German soldiers (who had been carefully ranked by the side of the road hours before) from his Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 of improved cross-country performance. The route was not accidental as for a while now his cortege had been moving forward across the so-called ‘King’s route’ the king’s road with a two-century history behind. The German dictator was known for his disdain toward the monarchy. Hitler was even much less concerned with the history of the independent Polish state and its kings, who had used this route to reach their royal residences in the South of Warsaw. ‘Ujazdów Avenue’ would later (May 1940) be renamed Lindenallee (Linde Avenue) with a barefaced parallel to the berlin Unter-den-Linden. A year from the day of Hitler’s visit it would be once again renamed (in the course of the orchestrated parade viewed by Hans Frank) to ‘Siegenallee’ (The avenue of Victory).

As far back in Warsaw’s history as the end of the XIX century, a broad street with an elite status of the former king’s road was settled on by rich aristocrats of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the acquisition of independence and the fall of the Habsburgs at the back of the Great War, the spacious villas and adjoining green gardens were mainly turned into embassies. That very afternoon minutes of October 5 1939 Hitler’s cortege made a stop next to Ujazdowski Park and Pałacyk ‘Rembielińskiego’, a luxurious palace of 1840, hit by a German air bomb in the course of the recent raids. A large grandstand, ornamented with Nazi symbolics was erected prior to the event to accommodate Hitler and his close military entourage during the so-called ‘Siegesparade’ (Parade of victory).

Apart from Hitler himself, the made tribune was now to welcome and place forgoing Walther von Brauchitsch, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Friedrich von Cochenhausen. The attentive attendees of the parade had a glimpse to identify the future Feldmarschall of aviation Albert Kesselring, who had been recently (September 30) awarded with Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) by Hitler personally. General Colonel Wilhelm Keitel, the chief of the OKW, had been disdainfully called ‘Lakeitel’ by some of the high-ranking officers of the army. He caught the sight of the battlefields in Poland only from the perspective of Hitler’s personal train, a fact, which had not get in the way of being awarded the ‘Knight’s Cross’ for the Polish campaign. It would take him seven years to get from the parade in Warsaw to the gallow in Nuremberg. Erwin Rommel, the chief of the ‘Führerbegleitbataillon’ was another prominent figure, summoned to Warsaw after a short stay at home and now present within the grandstand.

Among the others present, Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz, the commander of the 8th army was now filled with a mix of pride and doubts watching his soldiers (the 8th army was the privileged regime of the parade) marching the conquered city. Following the Polish campaign, Blaskowitz was promoted to colonel-general, awarder with ‘Knight’s Cross’ and assigned as the Commander in Chief in the East. In under two subsequent months, the general would fall out of favor of Hitler after his deprecation towards the mass killings, performed by the SS in Poland with the extermination of the city citizens, the prelude to mass killing actions in the USSR such as Babi yar massacre in 1941. On that October afternoon, Blaskowitz could see Heinrich Himmler nearby, an architecture of the ‘Sonderauftrag’ (special tasks) against Polish and Jews, who had come purposively from Berlin to join the parade after a ten-day ‘vacation’.

As for Adolf Hitler, he was now making the most of the moment, while playing the role of the warlord, a colonizer who reviewed his self-made triumphant army for more than two hours in the heart of Warsaw downtown. October 5, 1939, was a warm and sunny day, yet the German Fuhrer favored a leather coat to appear in front of his army. The bloody war would demand another day until the shatters of the devastated Polish army would capitulate on October 6 (on that day Hitler would voice a triumphant speech in Berlin). In the meantime, waiting for such ‘formality’, Hitler addressed the foreign journalists next to the grandstand, who had been craving his commentaries for a few hours. He made emotional stress on the ruins of Warsaw and proclaimed a verbose statement, that Warsaw suffered so much because of the ‘criminal’ perseverance of its leaders and defenders. Hitler voiced the idea, that the Western powers should pay extreme attention to the possible aftermath of war. Subsequent to a two-hour orchestrated parade, Hitler was now to proceed with a short ride across Warsaw.



Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Hitler specifically flew to Warsaw on a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 A-0 (S-8) AC+VH "Grenzmark" aircraft to watch the parade. He landed at Okecie airport in Aleja Krakowska, and armed convoy went to the central part of the city where the main event was taking place. After that, he made brief visits to various parts of Warsaw. In addition with Hitler, the main podium was filled by the commanders of the Wehrmacht, while at the bottom left were other generals of lower rank. Also, the bottom right is filled by aides. For identification of the people standing on the podium is, from left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des Führers und Reichskanzler). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.


Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Standing in the podium, from left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl Cranz (Kommandeur 18. Infanterie-Division), General der Artillerie Emil Leeb (Kommandierender General XI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (with glasses, Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (blocked by Blaskowitz, Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), and General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1). Standing directly below Hitler is Generalmajor Erwin Rommel (Kommandeur Führer-Begleit-Bataillon). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.



Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. Standing in the podium, from left to right: Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl Cranz (Kommandeur 18. Infanterie-Division), General der Artillerie Emil Leeb (Kommandierender General XI. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), and Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee). In the invasion of Poland, 18. Infanterie-Division (Cranz) was under the command of XI. Armekorps (Leeb), which itself is a part of the 10. Armee (Reichenau). Standing directly below Hitler is Generalmajor Erwin Rommel (Kommandeur Führer-Begleit-Bataillon). Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.



Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. From left to right: Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), Generalleutnant Conrad von Cochenhausen (with stahlhelm, Kommandeur 10. Infanterie-Division), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), Generalmajor Karl-Heinrich Bodenschatz (Verbindungsoffizier zwischen dem Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe und dem Führerhauptquartier), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des "Führers und Reichskanzlers“). In this photo, Brückner is wearing a rare wartime SA schirmmütze (visor hat) reserved only for Adolf Hitler's personal staff. This type of hat can be identified from the dark brown center with the Reichsadler SA emblem on the top center which resembles the Reichsadler Heer / Kriegsmarine. Photo by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer.




Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. This picture shows Panzerkampfwagen IIs passing Adolf Hitler and other Wehrmacht officials who were standing on the podium. Since the only armored formation belonging to the 8. Armee under the siege of Warsaw was I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 23, it is likely that the tanks is from that unit. Standing on the podium is, from left to right: General der Kavallerie Erich Hoepner (Kommandierender General XVI. Armeekorps [motorisiert]), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Generaloberst Wilhelm Keitel (Chef der Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Korvettenkapitän Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer (Adjutant der Kriegsmarine beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), and General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1).


PaK (Panzerabwehrkanone) 35/36 37mm caliber belonging to a Wehrmacht anti-tank unit passing through the podium during the victory parade of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939 in the presence of Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) and other high-ranking Wehrmacht officials. The PaK 35/36 itself was the standard German anti-tank weapon early in the war, before being replaced by the larger caliber as Allies and Soviet armored vehicles increased in thickness. Note that these anti-tank guns are painted with field gray color so they will "blend" with the color of the tires! The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger, one of Adolf Hitler's personal photographer.


This photo was taken by Hugo Jaeger and shows the Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. The Einheits-PKW (standard passenger car) marching past Adolf Hitler and other dignitaries of the Wehrmacht, standing on the podium . The vehicle on the left is the Stoewer Typ M 12 RW, while the one in the center and right is the Horch 830 R Kübelwagen. Those standing in the podium is, from left to right: General der Kavallerie Erich Hoepner (Kommandierender General XVI. Armeekorps [motorisiert]), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps), Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee), Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee), General der Flieger Alexander Löhr (Chef Luftflotte 4), General der Flieger Albert Kesselring (Chef Luftflotte 1), and SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner (Chefadjutant des Führers und Reichskanzler). The aides are watching below the podium and - in this photo - they can be seen at far right.


This photo was taken by Hugo Jaeger and shows the Siegesparade (Victory Parade) of the German troops from 8. Armee in Warsaw, Poland, which were held on October 5, 1939. A line of military trucks passes Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking Wehrmacht officials, followed by the Einheits-PKW (standard passenger cars). It seems that these vehicles have been added with a two-tone gray-brown camouflage paint, and they also have a glossy shine as if they were fresh from the factory (the order to use all-grey camouflage only came into effect after the end of French campaign in 1940). Here, too, we can see that the generals around Hitler changing according to their unit's turn to parade. From left to right: Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierender General XVII. Armeekorps), and General der Kavallerie Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (Kommandierender General XIII. Armeekorps)



Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/koleksi-ratusan-foto-berwarna-dari-life.html
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m064km4b?hl=en
https://www.life.com/history/world-war-ii-erupts-color-photos-from-the-invasion-of-poland-1939/
https://war-documentary.info/hitler-goes-warsaw/