The Standschütze Hellriegel M1915: A Weapon Lost to Time

(Source: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek)

     Of all the small arms developed during the World War One years, none is as enigmatic as the Austro-Hungarian Standschütze Hellriegel M1915, or, in German, the Maschinengewehr des Standschützen Hellriegel. The existence of the weapon came to light from a handful of photographs dated from October 1915 that were found in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library). Unfortunately, there were no technical details about the Hellriegel M1915 included with the photographs and so all information regarding it are derived from examination of the photographs and making educated guesses. 

     The weapon was named after a man with the last name of Hellriegel and he was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Schützenstand, or shooting club. Members of these clubs, whose men were called Standschützen, were committed to the voluntary, military protection of the state of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. When called to duty, the Standschützen were expected to supply their own rifles and often trained in civilian clothing. Officers in the Standschützen were elected, the maximum rank being Major. Standschützen officers had the same command authority as the regular military officers the latter of which, not surprisingly, did not look upon that with favor. In May 1913, those men who were already Standschützen were liable for service in the Landsturm (militia) and once assigned to Landsturm duty, these men were no longer volunteers. After August 1914, Standschützen were considered regular troops but could not be deployed outside Austrian territory (though this was later ignored). All told, there were some 65,000 Standschützen within Tyrol.

     Returning to Hellriegel's weapon, it isn't known if he designed it himself to interest the Austro-Hungarian military or if it was in response to a call for a lighter, fully automatic weapon. The ammunition used in the weapon was certainly of the pistol caliber but exactly what caliber isn't stated. The most likely caliber was 9x23mm Steyr as this was the standard pistol ammunition for the Austro-Hungarian military starting in 1911 and through World War Two. There were two means to feed the weapon, the first being a 20-round stick magazine with the second, shown here, being a drum that held approximately 160 rounds of ammunition. Unlike the stick magazine which could be fitted to the weapon, the drum magazine, at least in the photographs, could not or was only shown dismounted from the weapon. A novel feature of the drum magazine was the flexible feed chute which used a clip to secure it to the magazine well. The drum magazine was also provided with a stand (also seen in the photograph) which kept it upright if the firer did not have someone to support the drum. Another interesting feature of the Hellriegel M1915 was the fact it was water-cooled. The barrel was surrounded by the cooling jacket and the fill cap can be seen near the muzzle. A simple tubular fore-grip was affixed to the underside of the cooling jacket. Based on the photographs, the action is believed to be a form of blowback and this is because a blowback weapon doesn't require the barrel to move and instead, uses the expanding gas from the fired cartridge to push the bolt backwards, eject the round, then feed a new round as the bolt rides forward. Protruding out the back of the upper receiver were two posts connected by a central bar which was part of the return springs for the bolt. The wooden stock is believed to have been a cut down stock from a Mannlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle, the standard firearm for Austro-Hungarian infantry. The main difference was a deeper cut thumb groove. The leather sling was also derived from the M1895 rifle. Aiming was done by a iron front post sight and a rear flip-up sight. The rate of fire has been estimated to be between 650 to 800 rounds per minute though likely in combat, it would have been less. Also, the effective range of the Hellriegel M1915 isn't known. The 115 grain, full metal jacket 9x23mm round had a maximum muzzle velocity of 1,230 feet per second and when fired from the Steyr M1912 pistol, the range was 160 feet. However, fired from a longer barrel as used by the Hellriegel M1915, a more plausible effective range would be around 320 feet or more.

     The Hellriegel M1915, while it could be operated by a single man (ergo, the use of stick magazines), it could also be crewed by two men and this suggests that while classified as a submachine gun, the Hellriegel M1915 could be deployed as a light weight, light caliber machine-gun. In fact, one of the photographs shows a soldier wearing a special wooden backpack, open at the rear, with a fur covered leather flap to protect the contents consisting of five drum magazines and two pull-out drawers that may have been used for gun tools, loose ammunition, cleaning supplies, or additional stick magazines. The Italians, during World War One, used a similar concept, the twin-barrel Pistola Mitragliatrice Villar Perosa M1915, which fired the 9mm Glisenti round. Favored by the Italian “Arditi” (“The Daring Ones”), as Italian Army shock troops called themselves, the Villar Perosa was light and provided significant firepower at short ranges during assaults. A typical Villar Perosa crew was four men: a gunner and three ammunition bearers, the latter carried some 5,000 rounds between them to feed the ravenous weapon that had a maximum rate of fire of 1,500 rounds per minute, per barrel. Feed was by way of 25-round box magazines.

     Unlike the Villar Perosa, the Hellriegel M1915 failed to make it into service. The exact reasons for this are not known. Issues with the drum feed system, overall complexity, lack of a bipod support (though had it been developed further, might have been added), and difficulty plus expense to produce the gun may have all spelled the end of the novel weapon. The photographs show a weapon that was clearly a prototype, lacking finish and it is believed only a single example was built. Following its demise, it disappeared from history, the prototype lost, until the discovery of the photographs brought the unique weapon to light once more.

Source:

Banach, M. (2017, November 27). Zapomniany Standschütze Hellriegel M1915. SmartAge.pl. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://www.smartage.pl/zapomniany-standschutze-hellriegel-m1915/. 

Jagdtiger: Victim of U.S. Air Power

(Source: pics_of_warfare @ Instagram)

     On October 14, 1944, both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) launched Operation Hurricane against German targets. The intent of the operation was to show the Germans that both British and American bomber forces could exert their dominance at will in German airspace. In addition, the intended targets were designed to pummel German communication lines, demoralize the German populace, further inhibit German industry, and attempt to impart the futility of continued resistance. The bombing was mainly done by the RAF, flying 2,589 sorties in twenty-four hours, with some crews flying both daylight and nighttime missions. 10,210 tons of bombs were dropped on several targets in addition to incendiary munitions to cause as much destruction as possible. For the USAAF's part, the VIII Bomber Command (8th. Air Force) worked in conjunction with RAF Pathfinder squadrons to attack German military infrastructure in several cities.

     This brings us to October 16, 1944. On this date, the Nibelungenwerk was struck by Allied bombers. The facility, located in St. Valentin, Austria, was not only the largest tank producer for the German military, it also had the most modern assembly equipment and processes of any other manufacturer. The factory officially opened in 1942 and commenced to producing Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tanks and later, added assembly tasks for Tiger I heavy tanks. The PzKpfw IV and Tiger I tanks were not the only armored vehicles produced and assembled at the Nibelungenwerk through the years and by September 1944, the Jagdtiger commenced to being produced at the factory. This, then, is the subject of the photograph.

     Exactly who struck the Nibelungenwerk on October 16 isn't given in most sources on the Jagdtiger, only that 143 tons of bombs struck the factory, causing an obvious disruption in production. This shouldn't be too surprising as the aerial campaign against German military industry isn't the subject of those books. Still, we can hazard a guess that the most likely candidates were USAAF bombardment groups under the 15th. Air Force that were conducting bombing raids in Austria at the time. For example, on that date, squadrons from the 451st. and 461st. Bombardment Group hit the Hermann Göring benzol (meaning, benzene) fuel additive plant in Linz, Austria which was only some 18 miles from St. Valentin. On the same date, squadrons of the 484th. Bombardment Group targeted munition works in Linz. All three of these groups belonged to the 49th. Bombardment Wing. With the 15th. Air Force having operations in the vicinity of the Nibelungenwerk on October 16, 1944, it is almost certain that one of the twenty-one bombardment groups under the 15th. Air Force was assigned to strike the plant that day.

     The effects of the bombardment were not as damaging as they could have been for one reason or another. For example, the bombs from the 484th. dropped long and to the left of the munition targets, causing little damage to the target itself while cloud cover affected the effectiveness of the bombing against the benzol plant. The bombing of the Nibelungenwerk facility caused a shutdown of production while the damage was cleaned up and repaired and reduced the output by some 55% for the month which, as a consequence, delayed the completion of Jagdtiger vehicles destined for the German military (namely schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653; 653rd. Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion). The incomplete Jagdtiger in the photograph shows the damage wrought on the chassis by the bombing, to include part of the building on the rear of it. It is said that the factory workers were rather surprised at the extent of the damage to the vehicle. Since the chassis had not yet been put onto the production line, repair was considered impractical and so it was simply scrapped. Because of this, the chassis in the photograph was never assigned a production number. The wheeled device next to the Jagdtiger is a electric arc welder. Another well-known photograph of this same Jagdtiger shows workers with shovels having cleaned up the debris into piles on the factory floor.

Sources:

Davis, Richard G. Bombing the European Axis Powers (Montgomery: Air University Press, 2006)

Devey, Andrew Jagdtiger, Volume 2: Operational History (Atglen: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1999)

Spielberger, Walter J., Doyle, Hilary L., and Jentz, Thomas L. Heavy Jagdpanzer (Atglen: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2007)

Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II: Scrapped in Znojmo

(Source: german_military_technology @ Instagram)

      The remains of a Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf B, better known as the Tiger II or Königstiger, pictured after the war, sitting in a collection yard of German armored vehicles in the Czechoslovakian town of Znojmo (Znaim in German). The town is a little over seven miles from the Austrian border town of Mitterretzbach. The scrappers have already begun their work, having removed the 8.8cm KwK 43 L/71 gun from the turret along with the hull mounted Maschinengewehr 34 machine-gun. The tank has been “short tracked”, a term for when the tracks are shortened and fitted around the road wheels, bypassing the drive sprocket(s). This allows the tank to be towed or moved more easily as the tracks can run freely along the road wheels. Since Znojmo was a collection point, this suggests that the drive sprockets were removed from the tank where it was originally to enable it to be towed or transported to Znojmo for scrapping.

     The tank belonged to Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509 (s.Pz.Abt.509; 509th. Heavy Tank Battalion) and how it ended up in Czechoslovakia comes from the final days of the unit's existence. At this time, the unit was commanded by Hauptmann d.R. Dr. Johannes König and on April 22, 1945, s.Pz.Abt.509 was attached to the 101. Jäger-Division. From April 23 to May 5, 1945, the battalion was deployed in covering positions in the vicinity of Großharras, Austria, a town that was a mere 3 miles or so south of the Czech border. It is unknown what, if any, action the battalion saw while in their defensive positions. A strength report, dated May 1, 1945, listed thirteen Tiger II tanks as operational.

     On May 6, 1945, s.Pz.Abt.509 was ordered to cross the border and make for Znojmo, traveling the 20 or so miles to the town from Großharras. The unit arrived the same day, taking up positions in the southern portion of the town. However, their stay was very short as the next day, May 7, the unit was ordered to withdraw and move to the west of the Czech town of Kaplice (Kaplitz in German). This saw s.Pz.Abt.509 cross back into Austria then enter Czechoslovakia again (likely near the Austrian city of Gmünd) and make for positions near the Vltava River (Moldau River in German). This nearly 90 mile movement punished the Tiger II tanks and the battalion lost nine tanks to breakdowns along the route. With no ability to repair them, each was blown up as best possible by their crews. Thus, this is likely the reason the Tiger II in the photograph is missing the front drive components because if the engine or transmission was broken down, the sprockets likely would not turn, requiring their removal and the short tracking of the tank to move it.

     On May 8, the remaining tanks of s.Pz.Abt.509 launched their last counterattack against Allied forces that had been on the unit's heels. The attack commenced at 8:00pm that night and though no Tiger II tanks were lost in action, the end game was at hand. At 11:00pm, the last of the unit's tanks were scuttled. The remaining men of the battalion surrendered south of Kaplice to U.S. Army troops.

     All told, from the unit's formation in September 1943 to their surrender, s.Pz.Abt.509 destroyed over 500 armored vehicles, mostly tanks. The unit's tank ace was Oberfeldwebel Erich Litzke, Zugführer (platoon leader) in 2./s.Pz.Abt.509 (2nd. Company) who, along with his crew, knocked out some 76 tanks (though the exact number isn't known). For this achievement, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) on October 20, 1944.

Sources:

Chamberlain, Peter and Doyle, Hilary Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two (New York: Arco Publishing Company, Inc., 1978)

Schneider, Wolfgang Tigers in Combat I (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2000)

Oberfeldwebel: Panzertruppen Funkmeister

(Author's Collection)

     Leaning out of the open loader's hatch of a Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw III) medium tank is one of the tank's five man crew. What theater of war the tank and crew is in can be hinted to by looking at his feldbluse insignia on the lapels. Troops within the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK; German Africa Corps), from the rank of Oberst (Major) down to the lowliest Soldat (Private), wore the same litzenspiegel (collar patch) and in the case of panzer troops, the waffenfarbe (corps color) of rosa (Rose-Pink) formed the backing of the litzen. The litzen can barely be seen on the upper lapels of the feldbluse's collar. Below the litzen are the silver metal totenkopf (death's head) that represented the Panzertruppen (armored troops), pinned directly through the material of the feldbluse. Normally, the totenkopf were pinned through the center of the black collar patches piped in rosa waffenfarbe that were worn on the wool panzer uniforms on the Continent. For rank, the crewman is a Oberfeldwebel, equivalent Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army. This can be told by the two metal rank pips on his schulterstücke (shoulder boards) which are also edged in silver or subdued tress.

     As for his position within the tank, a likely one is that of radio operator. That this is probable is because of the trade sleeve badge (ärmelabzeichen) seen on the lower right sleeve of his feldbluse. The badge, consisting of three double-ended lightening bolts in gold threading crossed over each other, signify that he is a Funkmeister (radio operator). However, there is braid encircling the badge which means he earned a higher level of proficiency. A silver braid signified a Funkmeister Wärte II (Radio Operator 2nd. Class) while a gold braid was for a Funkmeister Wärte I (Radio Operator 1st. Class). The badge without a braid was the basic level of skill in radio operation. It is difficult to say what he earned based on the black and white photograph.

     As for the tank itself, given we see so little of it, it is difficult to determine what model of PzKpfw III the tank is but within the DAK panzer forces, the Ausf E, G, H, and Ausf J models predominated. As to the unit, only two main armored forces were encompassed within the DAK and that was the 15. Panzerdivision and the 21. Panzerdivision.

Primary Sources:

Davis, Brian L. Badges & Insignia of the Third Reich 1933-1945 (London: Arms and Armour Press, 1994)

Spielberger, Walter J. Panzer III & Its Variants (Atglen: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1993)

Obergefreiter: Panzer-Lehr-Pionier-Bataillon 130

(Author's Collection)

     Sturmpioniere (combat engineers; literal translation assault engineers) of 2nd. Kompanie, Panzer-Lehr-Pionier-Bataillon 130 make ready to launch an attack against an enemy position...or, it could very well be a training exercise. The main subject of the photograph, an Obergefreiter (the equivalent to a Lance Corporal), as denoted by the two chevrons on his feldbluse's sleeve, makes ready with a Nebelhandgranate (fog hand grenade). This was a modification to the standard M24 Stielhandgranate (stick hand grenade; better known as the "potato masher") in which the explosive warhead was replaced with one which generated smoke. To ensure there was no mistaking the smoke grenade for the M24, it had white bands around the warhead and also in white, the initials Nb.Hgr.39B which stood for the grenade name and the model which was M39B. If that was not enough, many examples had a white band around the shaft and grooves cut into the bottom which allowed the soldier to know which grenade was which by feel if he could not see or was in darkness as the regular M24 grenade did not have such grooves. The smoke issued from vents along the bottom of the warhead. 

     Of interest is the fact he is armed with Karabiner 98a rifle. This was a rifle designed in 1908 as the 98AZ and in 1914 when Germany went to war, it was issued to cavalry, telegraph/telephone operators, artillery troops, transport drivers, and pionieres. These rifles would again go to war in 1939 with the only real modification being grasping grooves in the stock and a new designation (98a). The key identifier is the stacking hook seen underneath the barrel. 

     On his back is the backpack portion of the full Pioniersturmgepäck (Engineer Assault Pack) and this backpack housed the soldier's mess kit (kochgeschirr), shelter half (zeltbahn) and accessories, two Nebelhandgranaten, and one 3kg explosive charge. If need be, the two smoke grenades could be replaced with another 3kg charge. The remainder of the Pioniersturmgepäck is hidden by his body but consisted of two special pouches which held his rifle ammunition (40 rounds total), his gas mask, and a stock of Model 1939 Eihandgranaten ("egg" grenades). In some cases, Stielhandgranaten were carried despite not fitting fully within the pouches or one to two 1kg explosive charges could be carried along with another 3kg charge. That these men belong to 2nd. Kompanie, Panzer-Lehr-Pionier-Bataillon 130 is from another photograph of the same Obergefreiter in which his shoulderboard is visible showing the embroidered "L" for Lehr (which meant "teach") and the number "2" which was for 2nd. Kompanie.

     Much of the initial Panzer-Lehr-Division (which formed in December 1943), of which Panzer-Lehr-Pionier-Bataillon 130 belonged, was made up of instructors, training cadre, and demonstration units which gave the division an elite status from the beginning due to their high level of training and ability. By March 1945, Panzer-Lehr-Division had been ground down to a mere 300 men and 15 tanks and on April 15, what remained after further losses, surrendered to the U.S. 99th. Infantry Division.
 

Vultee A-31 Vengeance: Training Mishap

(Author's Collection)

     A Vultee A-31 Vengeance after a belly landing, waiting for recovery. The Vengeance was a dive-bomber originally designed to meet a requirement for the French Armée de l'Air and suitably impressed with the aircraft, submitted an order for 300 examples with delivery to begin on October 1940. However, the fall of France in June 1940 put an end to the order. Fortunately for Vultee, the British were seeking a dive-bomber as well, having seen the success of the German Junkers Ju 87 “Stuka” first hand. In short order, Vultee had a new order for 300 aircraft. 

     Following the U.S. entry into World War Two, the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) repossessed any available Vengeance and soon requested Vultee to produce more for both the USAAF as well as for Lend-Lease. The Vengeance was flown by the Royal Air Force (almost all in the Burma Theater of operations with others serving as target tugs), the Royal Australian Air Force, Brazil, and the Free French Air Force. 

     The U.S., however, never deployed the Vengeance into combat. Instead, the aircraft it possessed served as trainers and target tugs. USAAF Vengeance aircraft were devoid of any weaponry and often, like this one, carried little in the way of markings. This particular Vengeance was likely utilized as a training aircraft as it does not appear to be carrying high visibility paint which was typical of target tugs. Brazil was the last operator of the Vengeance, removing them from service in 1948.
 

Vickers E Type A: 12th. Light Tank Company, Warsaw Armored Motorized Brigade

(Author's Collection)

     A gebirgsjäger of the 1. Gebirgs Division (1st. Mountain Division) pauses to examine an abandoned Polish Vickers E Type A which once belonged to the 12th. Light Tank Company, Warsaw Armored Motorized Brigade (WBP-M). The WBP-M had been engaged with the German 4. Infanterie-Division and 14. Infanterie “Sächsische” Division starting on September 10, 1939. The unit acquitted itself well, repulsing the German attack and even counterattacking the German forces who retreated back towards the Vistula River. However, the Germans renewed the attack, forcing the WBP-M to retreat towards Lwów. However, by this time, the Battle of Lwów was in its opening stages. On September 15, the unit’s commander, Stefan Paweł Rowecki, ordered that any equipment that was no longer necessary or was judged to be unserviceable was to be abandoned and the unit would, on September 17, be engaged in the opening phase of the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski. By September 19, the unit was all but decimated and Rowecki ordered any remaining heavy equipment (such as tanks) be destroyed and each man seek to escape the German encirclement on their own.

     The vehicle in the ditch behind the Vickers E is a TK-3 tankette. The TK-3 was suitable as a reconnaissance or infantry support vehicle thanks to its low profile. However, with only a machine-gun for armament, it was utterly useless for tank-on-tank combat. Thus, losses of the TK-3 were high. The Polish purchased a license to build the Vickers E and also bought components to construct 50 examples. 38 were built with the parts for the remaining 12 kept as spares. All 38 were built as Type A which had the twin turrets, each with a Vickers machine gun. Later, 22 of the tanks were converted to the Vickers E Type B standard which featured a single turret with a 47mm gun.

Staff Sergeant James A. Baptiste: F Company, 365th. Engineer Battalion

      A studio portrait of Staff Sergeant James A. Baptiste, taken on March 3, 1947. Baptiste served with F Company, 365th. Engineer Battalion, which was a Negro unit. The 365th. Engineer Battalion was deployed to the European Theater and according to Department of the Army Pamphlet (DA PAM) 672-1 Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register dated July 6, 1961, it participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, and Rhineland campaigns. The unit also received, according to the pamphlet, occupation credit for serving in occupational duty in Germany from May 2, 1945 to September 4, 1945.

     Given the date of the photograph, Baptiste survived the war. He was from Algiers, a section of New Orleans, Louisiana. Designated as the 15th. Ward (out of 17 wards that make up New Orleans), Algiers is the only Orleans Parish community that sits west of the Mississippi River. It is also the second oldest portion of New Orleans. His residence was listed as 1114 Whitney Avenue though today, assuming Google Maps is accurate, that location is shown as the intersection of Whitney Avenue and Newton Street. Still, if his residence was in that general location, it is no longer standing, having made way for small businesses on each corner of the intersection.

     For a uniform, Baptiste is wearing the summer cotton khaki uniform shirt and would have had matching khaki trousers. The color of the uniform was designated as “Khaki Shade No.1”. Had he been wearing the necktie, the end of it was often tucked between the second and third button. Interestingly, Baptiste has retained his enlisted soldier's visor cap which ceased being issued to enlisted soldiers by the close of 1941 and so this suggests Baptiste enlisted prior to that date or he privately purchased the cap as it remained a very popular item for enlisted men. Of note is that Baptiste apparently removed the stiffening within the cap, giving it a “crushed” look. This made the cap look more field used rather than something picture perfect for garrison wear and thus conveyed that the wearer was an experienced veteran of which Baptiste, given his service, was.

     Another bit of history is that it is very likely Baptiste and the men of the 365th. Engineer Battalion trained at Camp Forrest which was located in Tullahoma, Tennessee. This was the largest U.S. Army training base during World War Two and served as training grounds for infantry, artillery, engineers, signals/communications, and cooks. The base ceased to be in 1946, having been declared surplus. What could not be sold off and carried away was removed and left only concrete foundations, chimneys, and roads. In 1951, the property became the home of what is today the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC).

Soviet KV-8 Heavy Flamethrower Tank: Final Charge

     The Soviets were big believers in flamethrowing tanks. In fact, such tanks were an integral part of Soviet tank doctrine even before the start of World War Two. These specialized tanks were deployed in their own chemical tank battalions and attached to other units as needed. The typical mission for such battalions was to be attached to infantry units and provide support to them by bringing their fire down on enemy bunkers, hardened positions, and other manned obstacles or entrenchments. However, the flamethrower has, even today, a very real psychological impact on those who have to face it and so the chemical battalions were also used in other operations to take advantage of this fear.

     Many of the main models of tanks deployed by the Soviets in the first two years of World War Two had a flamethrowing variant. The most numerous were those based on the T-26 light tank. The T-26 made up the bulk of Soviet tank forces and thus there were no less than four flamethrowing variants. The first was the OT-26. Fielded in 1933, the OT-26 (OT stood for Ognemetniy Tank; flamethrowing tank) was based on the early twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931. The left turret was removed and within the right turret, a flame gun was fitted. However, the OT-26 was not very successful as the cramped turret made using the flame-projector difficult and the amount of fuel able to be carried was paltry. It was soon replaced by the OT-130. This was the T-26 mod. 1933 single turret tank with the 45mm gun replaced by a flame-projector. OT-130 tanks saw action against the Japanese during the September 1939 Battles of Khalkhin Gol and later against the Finnish in the Winter War which ran from November 30, 1939 to March 13, 1940. Survivors then met the Germans at the start of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia, that kicked off on June 22, 1941. The OT-130 was supplemented with the OT-133 that was the T-26 mod. 1939, again with the 45mm gun replaced with the flame-projector though the flame-projector was much shorter than the one used in the OT-130. The final model was the OT-134 and it was the more radical, but more useful, variant. Like the OT-133, it used the T-26 mod. 1939 but was fitted with the same turret as used on the T-50 light tank. The flame-projector was fitted centrally in the hull. Unlike the other T-26 flamethrowing tanks, the OT-134 retained its tank gun which meant once all the fuel was expended, it still had a weapon to fight with. Only a small number were built in 1941. Typically, the OT-130, OT-133, and OT-134 carried 400 liters of fuel in the hull along with four compressed air tanks that provided the propelling force on the fuel. At best, the range was only 40 yards.

     Another numerous tank in Soviet forces was the BT fast tank and to a lesser degree, the T-28 medium tank. There was a flamethrowing version of the BT-7, the OT-7, which had the flame-projector fitted to one side of the hull, facing forward. The OT-7 remained a prototype. The Germans, following their invasion of the Soviet Union, made reports of the existence of an OT-28 but no such variant of the T-28 was ever made, even in prototype form. The T-28 had two machine-gun armed supplementary turrets in the front of the tank along with the central, main turret. Some believe the larger, five-turreted T-35 heavy tank carried a flamethrower, replacing one of the two machine-gun armed turrets (the other two supplementary turrets housed 45mm guns). This was not a factory fitted armament but was one done in the field and thus not an official model. It could be that the Germans believed the more numerous T-28 might also carry a flamethrower and gave it the spurious OT-28 designation.

     Finally, the Soviets created the OT-34 and the KV-8. The OT-34 was simply the T-34/76 medium tank with the hull machine-gun replaced with a ATO-41 flamethrower. The KV-8, and the subject of the photograph, was a variant of the KV-1 heavy tank. The Soviets learned that when the enemy sees a flamethrowing tank approaching, that tank attracts a high degree of attention. With the exception of the OT-134, the Soviet flamethrowing tanks had obvious differences from their regular T-26 counterparts. Thus, they suffered accordingly, especially when they had to get very close to the enemy to effectively deploy their weapon. The OT-34 was, more or less, the T-34/76, and the hull mounted flame-projector meant the turret could retain its 76mm gun. The same could not be said for the KV-8. Instead of mounting the flame-projector in the hull, it was decided to fit the flame-projector in the turret. This would give the advantage of being able to bring the flamethrower to bear anywhere the turret was facing rather than being limited to strictly straight ahead as with hull-mounted flamethrowers. Unfortunately, the flamethrowing apparatus was too large to fit alongside the KV-1's 76mm gun. A compromise was made and in place of the 76mm gun was the smaller, 45mm Model 32/38 gun. To make it appear that the KV-8 had the KV-1's original gun, a tube was fitted around the 45mm gun's barrel that matched the length of the 76mm gun. This also helped to camouflage its true nature if deployed with other KV-1 tanks. The KV-8 carried 960 liters of fuel along with the compressed air tanks. The ATO-41 could fire three bursts every 10 seconds with each burst draining 10 liters of fuel. If using plain kerosene, the range was no more than 71 yards but if firing a kerosene/oil mixture, the range was out to 109 yards. Another benefit of the KV-8 was its thick front and turret armor which was difficult to penetrate by the majority of German anti-tank weapons. Thus, it was better able to close with the enemy and unleash its flame. Production commenced in 1942 and some 42 examples of the KV-8 were built. Another 25 were built as the KV-8S which utilized the KV-1S tank as the basis and upgraded the flamethrower to the ATO-42 model. A chemical battalion, at the time the KV-8 was deployed, consisted of two companies of KV-8 tanks (10 per company) and one company of OT-34 tanks (11 per company).

     The photograph depicts one of the original KV-8 tanks, belonging to the 500th. Independent Flamethrower Tank Battalion, and it appears to have been stopped just before crushing a German 8.8cm Flugabwehrkanone 18, better known as the “88”. It was not unusual for Soviet tank crews, especially at the early stages of the war, to simply crash into and run over German guns. The reasons were many but the more common was not having ammunition left (or being sent into battle without it) or a gun malfunction. The KV-8 appears to have been knocked out, likely by another Flak 18 gun, and the tank had caught fire as indicated by the dark patches on the front and rear of the turret and hull side. The tank hit the Flak 18 just enough to crumple the fender before it came to a halt. The Flak 18 appears to have been in a prepared position judging by the leveled ground it is emplaced on and the small berm in front of it. There is a slogan on the KV-8's turret which translates as "Onwards...to the West!" and the photograph was taken sometime between August and September 1942 near Voronovo, Russia.

Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U1: 2. Staffel (Fern)/Aufklärungsgruppe 122

(Author's Collection)

     In August 1943, a Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U1 carrying the identification code of 'F6+WK' on the fuselage was captured intact by the British in Trapani, Sicily. The aircraft belonged to the 2nd. Staffel (Fern) of Aufklärungsgruppe 122 (2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122; 2nd. Squadron (Remote), Reconnaissance Group 122) that had been based at Trapani from January 1942 to June 1943. 2./Aufkl.Gr.122 was stood up on January 4, 1936 and conducted reconnaissance missions against the British Isles in 1939 flying Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111 aircraft. During the 1940 campaigns against France and the Low Lands, the squadron had transitioned to the Junkers Ju 88 and the Messerschmitt Me 110 and as the war shifted to the Eastern Front, the squadron was exclusively flying the Ju 88. Starting in May 1943, the squadron received a number of Me 410A-1/U1 aircraft to supplement their Ju 88s.

     The Me 410, nicknamed the “Hornisse” (“Hornet”), was the evolution of the earlier, unsuccessful, Me 210 which was supposed to be the successor to the Me 110 heavy fighter. However, delays in development didn't see the type enter production until January 1943 and it never fully replaced the Me 110. Power came from two Daimler-Benz DB 603A 12-cylinder, inverted-V, liquid-cooled engines, each generating 1,750 horsepower for take-off and 1,625hp at 18,700ft. This gave the Me 410 a maximum speed of 388mph at 21,980ft. in altitude. The A-1/U1 model was a modification of the Me 410 from heavy fighter to that of a fast photo reconnaissance aircraft. This involved the removal of the two 7.9mm MG 17 machine-guns from the nose to allow for the fitting of either a Rb 20/30, Rb 50/30, or Rb 75/30 camera. This left the forward firing armament of two 20mm MG 151 cannons, each with 350 rounds. Fitted to each side of the fuselage was a barbette-mounted 13mm MG 131 machine-gun which was remote controlled and provided a measure of rear defense. Each of these machine-guns was provided with 500 rounds of ammunition.

     Following the capture of 'F6+WK', it was found to carry the Werknummer (Work Number) of W.Nr. 10018. This aircraft was built at Messerschmitt's Augsburg facility and it had the radio call sign of 'DI+NN'. It was decided to keep the aircraft for evaluation and so it was ultimately given the Foreign Equipment number of FE-499. After being prepared for shipment, it was placed aboard a transport and sent to the United States and arrived at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio in January 1944. On April 1, 1944, FE-499 was still in a disassembled state in Hanger Three and it would not be until October 4, 1944 was it finally fully assembled. At some point, FE-499 was sent to Freeman Army Airfield (located in Seymour, Indiana) which was the location of the Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center (FAEC), the latter established at the airfield on June 11, 1944. That FE-499 was there came from an inventory book that listed it on May 17, 1946. However, FAEC was soon stood down by mid-1946 as there was little need for it any longer. Nevertheless, records still showed FE-499 at Freeman Army Airfield on August 1, 1946 where it was designated as a display aircraft. It is believed to have been transported to Air Technical Service Command's storage facility in Park Ridge, Illinois and ultimately, it ended up in the hands of the National Air and Space Museum where it remains today, housed in unrestored condition at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility located in Silver Hill, Maryland.

     Source depending, FE-499 has been listed as a Me 410A-3 model, which was the definitive photo reconnaissance version which carried two cameras rather than one. It was not possible for 2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 to have had the Me 410A-3 as the type was not received by units until October 1944, long after 2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 had left Trapani (though it remained in Italy, based in various locations, until May 1945). In any case, only 1.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 and 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 ever received any of the Me 410A-3 models. Also, some sources claim that FE-499 was a Me 210 that was brought up to Me 410 standards. This was done to many Me 210 airframes and in some cases, Me 210 aircraft were built from the outset as Me 410. However, it is believed that none of these conversions were used outside of development testing for the Me 410 program, equipment trials, and armament trials. A review of Heinz Mankau and Peter Petrick's book Messerschmitt Bf 110/Me 210/Me 410 published by Aviatic Verlag in 2001 does not list the Werknummer 10018 in their roster of known Me 210 and Me 410 work numbers and in any case, most of the work numbers which began with 100XX were listed as Me 410 models with construction dates in 1943 whereas most of the conversions were done in 1942. Still, there are gaps in Mankau and Petrick's lists so we have to assume that the work number for FE-499 is accurate though it could be disputed that it is a converted Me 210.

     As a note, the unit emblem for 2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 consisted of a blue shield upon which was a man wearing black boots and khaki shorts, a wide brimmed hat, and a shirt riding on a black bomb with a bellows camera under one arm. Beneath this was the motto “Holzauge sei wach!” which literally means “Wooden Eyes Be Aware!” but a more contemporary translation is “Keep Your Eyes Peeled!” This emblem was located on the left side of the forward fuselage.

 

Ruth B. Loving: Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps

     The Office of Civilian Defense tasked the American Red Cross with initiating a training program through which to graduate women as nurse's aides. The reason for this was to take some of the non-medical burden off nurses so that they could put more of their attention towards their patients medical needs. Any woman, aged 18 to 50, could volunteer for the program and had to pledge to serve no less then 150 volunteer hours. A massive campaign was launched to recruit volunteers for what was now called the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps and those efforts paid off. By the close of the war in 1945, some 110,170 volunteers went through the 80 hour training course program, graduated, and served around the U.S. in some 2,500 military and civilian hospitals. The Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps was administered by the Volunteer Special Services and the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps volunteers contributed a total of 42 million volunteer hours during World War Two.

     The photograph is that of Ruth B. Loving at her Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps course graduation in 1941. The uniform she is wearing was the standard for the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps and consisted of a pale blue smock over a white, short-sleeved dress, a white and pale blue cap, white nylon stockings, and white lace-up leather shoes. The insignia for the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps consisted of a dark blue circle upon which was a white triangle with a red cross inside the triangle. This was worn as a left sleeve patch as well as smaller patch sewn to the front of the nurse's cap. The pin seen between the dress' collars was gold edged with a white center. Around the gold portion, it read “American Red Cross Volunteer” while centered in the middle of the white center was a red cross. The entire pin was enameled. Upon graduating, the new nurse's aides received their cap, pin, and patches during the ceremony. Loving became a senior aide during her time in the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps. As a note, one can see that the sleeve patch is pinned on as she was just issued it during the graduation.

     Loving was active in serving and following her entering into the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps, she was part of the Massachusetts Women's Defense Corps (MWDC) which was authorized on May 1941 by Governor Leverett Saltonstall. The MWDC was overseen by the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety and the organization supported the Massachusetts State Guard, the U.S. Army, Massachusetts state agencies as needed, and local organizations. The MWDC assisted in five critical areas which were air raid protection/air warden services, communications, food services, medical services, and transportation. Where possible, MWDC women were used to fill roles which could allow military men to be called to active duty for the war. In December 1944, the MWDC became the Massachusetts Women's Corps (MWC) but in September 1946, the MWC was inactivated. Loving enlisted on August 13, 1943. She was one of four African-Americans who served in the MWDC and unlike the U.S. Army's Women's Army Corps (WAC) which was segregated, the MWDC was integrated. Loving primarily worked in food services but also received training as a radio operator.

     As for the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps, following the end of World War Two, its continued existence was seen by some as no longer necessary. However, the Red Cross pushed to maintain the program, in a much smaller scale, primarily to supply aides to under-served medical facilities. While it no longer exists as the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps, the program went on to graduate new aides who would later volunteer during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and later conflicts. Today, the Red Cross offers Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training and certification, continuing the tradition started by the Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps.

Cushman Model 32: Homefront Mobility for the Military

(Author's Collection)

     The Cushman Motor Works began making scooters in 1936 and the U.S. military contracted Cushman to produce several models of scooters for both the Army and the Navy as a means to supplement cars and trucks as scooters were quieter, easier to maintain, less expensive to purchase, and did not consume as much petrol and oils. The most famous Cushman scooter was the air-droppable Airborne Model 53, the “Parascooter”, which was used primarily by the 82nd. and 101st. Airborne Divisions when they parachuted into combat during the commencement of D-Day. The Parascooter provided swift mobility for couriers to move messages between units and the Parascooter even had a trailer hitch to pull the M3A4 general purpose utility cart which allowed it to move supplies as well. Some 5,000 Parascooters were built and after the war, the majority remained in France and Germany.

     The Sergeant in the photograph, however, isn’t sitting on a Parascooter but instead, he is riding a Cushman Model 32. The Model 32 wasn’t meant for the battlefield and instead, it was used by both the Army and the Navy as courier vehicles and personal transportation on Army garrisons and facilities, military industrial complexes, and Navy bases and shipyards.

     Cushman did build a civilian version of the Parascooter, the Model 53-A, which was more comfortable and had less military esthetics. It was marketed following the end of World War II but sales were disappointing. In 1957, the Cushman Motor Works ceased to exist and was bought out by the Outboard Marine Company.

Gefreiter: Sibirisches Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 2

      A Gefreiter of the Sibirisches Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 2 (2nd. Siberian Cossack Regiment). Identification of this unit is made simple by the sleeve shield which consists of the Cyrillic letters for PSV in yellow with yellow upper and lower segments of the shield design with blue being the left and right segments. His rank is evidenced by the single silver tress stripe on each of his shoulderboards, as authorized for all Cossack units beginning May 29, 1943. The rank of gefreiter was the equivalent to a British lance corporal. 

     For decorations, he is wearing two Tapferkeitsauszeichnung für Angehörige der Ostvölker (Valor Award for the Eastern Peoples; shorted to Ostvolkmedaille [Eastern Peoples’ Medal]) of which both appear to be the Ostvolkmedaille 2nd. Class in Bronze (what appear to be stripes on one are more likely wrinkles in the ribbon material). The other is the Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (War Merit Cross with Swords 2nd. Class). Although this ribbon could be worn through the button hole like the Iron Cross ribbon, it is said that veteran German soldiers held the War Merit Cross with Swords 2nd. Class in low regard, calling any soldier who elected to wear the ribbon as “soldaten im Eisenkreuz ausbildung” (“Soldiers in Iron Cross training.”). If the Iron Cross ribbon was worn with the War Merit Cross ribbon, the former took precedence and would be worn over the latter.