Obergefreiter Panzerkommandant: Eyes to the Sky

 

(Author's Collection)

     As World War Two moved into 1944 and later 1945, the ability of the Luftwaffe to deploy aircraft into the skies diminished to the point that ground forces could expect little support nor protection against Allied attack aircraft on either the West or the East Front. In part, this was because the focus of the Luftwaffe by this time was the defense of the Reich against U.S. daylight bomber raids in which the majority of what aircraft the Luftwaffe had were thrown at the U.S. Army Air Force's Boeing B-17 and Consolidated B-24 bombers. At best, the Luftwaffe only supplied German ground forces with sorties against Allied troops during large scale operations, such as the Ardennes Counteroffensive. Following the Normandy landings (D-Day) in June 1944, Allied ground attack and fighter aircraft prowled the skies, attacking any German target they came across. German forces caught out during the daylight hours could expect to be savagely worked over. One particular aircraft, the Hawker Typhoon, gained a fearsome reputation. The British aircraft was armed with four 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannons, eight 3” RP-3 air-to-ground rockets, or two 500lb. or 1,000lb. bombs. Flying under the 2nd. Tactical Air Force during the Normandy campaign, pilots flying the Typhoon were well able to bring German advances to a halt with the RP-3 rockets able to destroy or disable even the heavier of German tanks such as the Tiger I. Another effect was the negative morale impact the Typhoons had on German troops to the point vehicles and tanks would be abandoned even if the damage done was negligible. The losses and the inability of the Luftwaffe to provide air cover meant that in short order, German forces only moved by night when they could help it.

     When troops had to move during daylight, eyes were to the skies and this is evidenced in this photograph. A tank commander, holding the rank of Obergefreiter (equivalent to a U.S. Army Corporal), sits in the commander's cupola of a Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank, gazing upwards. Around his neck is a kehlkopfmikrofon (throat microphone) and in his hands is the accompanying kopfhörer (headphones) and these were used for communication within the tank by the crew members. He is wearing heavy fur lined mittens (the white fur can just be seen on the right mitten) and over his regular uniform trousers, he has on the winter overtrousers, likely lined as well. Given the bulky appearance of the black panzer wrap, he probably has a thick sweater or other warm piece of clothing on underneath. We can tell his rank by the insignia on his left sleeve which has two silver tress chevrons. For decorations, he appears to have the Panzerkampfabzeichen (Panzer Assault Badge) and what could be one other award but all we see is the edge of it. The ribbon through the button hole on his panzer wrap is for the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class). The collar insignia is that of the German Heer (Army) panzer troops and consisted of a black tab piped in pink with a silver totenkopf (“death's head”) in the center. The shoulderboards (schulterstücke) were also piped in pink, pink being the waffenfarbe (branch color) of panzer troops.

     Visible behind him are two or three more Panzer IV tanks and further down the road are two Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 (SdKfz 251) half-tracks and a truck. Notice that the commanders of the other tanks are also sitting in their turrets, scanning the skies and passengers on the other vehicles are doing the same.

SS-Oberscharführer Oscar Bang: Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen

     A rather interesting photograph depicting a kriegsberichter (war correspondent) belonging to the Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen. This Waffen-SS unit was raised in occupied Norway and was made up of Norwegian volunteers under the promise that the personnel would be led by Norwegian officers, the unit would continue to wear Norwegian military uniforms, and that the language within the unit would remain Norwegian. In addition, it was promised that the unit would only see action in Finland. All told, some 1,900 men volunteered and by June 29, 1941, Den Norske Legion (as the unit was called in Norwegian) was formed.

     In short order, two of the promises were completely ignored. The men wore standard German Waffen-SS uniforms and insignia, including unit specific insignia, rather than Norwegian military uniforms. This included the unit cuff title (called Ärmelstreifen) which read "Frw. Leg. Norwegen", special collar tabs featuring a heraldic lion, and those who belonged to the Norwegian NSDAP (Nasjonal Samling) wore a special sleeve patch. For the majority, the regular German Waffen-SS sigrunen (SS runes) tabs were used on the collars rather than the lion tabs. The second broken promise occurred when the Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen was sent to the Rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Nord (Army Group North Rear Area) in February 1942. This area of operations was to the rear of Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North). The main task of units in Rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Nord was security and often, anti-partisan operations. The reason for not sending the unit to Finland was due to the Germans not wanting to give the Norwegians any validation of their territorial claims to the Kola and Petsano peninsulas (in Russia and Finland respectively). Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen was posted to Krasnoye Selo, a town outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. The unit was subordinate to the 2nd. SS Infantry Division (mot.), the division having Dutch, Flemish, and Latvian units underneath it in addition to the Norwegians. The 2nd. SS Infantry Division took part in mass executions as well as the rounding up and deportation of any Russian Jews they found from 1941 through 1942 though it is unknown if Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen was involved in any of these operations or took part in the atrocities. Later, the unit would be strengthened with the addition of a police company (Den Norske Legions Politikompani). By March 1943, the Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen ceased to be, the unit being disbanded. This was because the 2nd. SS Infantry Division (mot.), which was very heavy with Latvian units, became the 2nd. SS Latvian Brigade and thus the Norwegians, along with the Dutch and Flemish, all had their respective units withdrawn and disbanded. All told, Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen lost 180 to 190 men killed in action though there were some desertions and a handful of men were taken prisoner by Soviet forces. Following the disbandment of Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen, those men who desired to continue their service in the Waffen-SS were transferred to SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 which was part of 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division "Nordland".

     Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen had its own Propagandakompanie (PK; Propaganda Company) that was led by one SS-Unterscharführer Breien. Under him were 15 men, including photographer SS-Rottenführer Ulf Tur, artist/illustrator SS-Sturmmann Finn Wigforss, and one SS-Sturmmann Holmung who served as the driver for the PK's vehicle(s). The man in the photograph is SS-Oberscharführer Oscar Bang. What we can tell about him is that he was attending the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz at the time this picture was taken. This can be told by the upper most cuff title on his left sleeve which reads “SS-Schule Tölz“. The school, one of several, was located in the town of Bad Tölz which was some 30 miles outside of Munich. Given this, Bang's rank at the time of the photograph is that of SS-Standartenjunker, or officer candidate. The various SS-Junkerschule taught military planning, logistics, small unit tactics, combat engineering, weapons training, and more but also the curriculum included political ideology and indoctrination. The SS-Standartenjunker could expect to be at the school for up to 19 months and if he successfully graduated, he was commissioned as a SS-Untersturmführer (equivalent to a U.S. Army 2nd. Lieutenant). Given he has the school's cuff title on his sleeve, it meant that Bang was not at the front with his unit but instead, was billeted at the school. Once he graduated, the school's cuff title would be removed from his uniform. The cuff title below it reads “SS-Kriegsberichter” and this identifies his position within the Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen and that he is part of the unit's Propagandakompanie. Finally, the third cuff title is that of the unit, "Frw. Leg. Norwegen". However, Bang is wearing the last two in the incorrect order of precedence. The unit cuff title is superior to his position and so the “SS-Kriegsberichter” cuff title should be below the "Frw. Leg. Norwegen" cuff title. That the “SS-Schule Tölz“ cuff title is above the other two is because the school takes precedence over his position as well as his unit for the time he remains at SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz.

     As a side note, the camera Bang is using appears to be a Leica III manual rangerfinder camera which was introduced in 1933 and built in various models all the way through 1960. The viewfinder was designed for a 50mm lens (which appears to be fitted) and shot 35mm film.

British Mk. IV Tank No.2648 "Lyric": War Memorial Donation

     The British deployed tanks into battle for the first time during the Battle of Flers–Courcelette which was fought from September 15, 1916 through September 22, 1916. The fledgling Tank Corps was equipped with 50 Mark I tanks. Unfortunately, the Mark I was mechanically unreliable and their crews inadequately trained in handling this new weapon. In preparation for the coming battle, the Mark I tanks were moved into assembly positions on September 13 but many of the crews, anxious about the coming battle and moving their tanks over terrain totally different from that of the training grounds, would see only 36 tanks left functional for the start of the battle. During the combat, 27 tanks reached the German front trench line and by the time tanks reached the third objective, only 6 did so. It is believed that only 18 tanks actually contributed to the combat, the remainder breaking down or having been ditched (a term for having become stuck or bogged down due to the terrain). In addition, it was found that the Mark I tank's maximum frontal armor of 10mm was capable of being penetrated by the 7.92X57mm Spitzgeschoß mit Kern (armor-piercing; known as the K Bullet) ammunition used by German infantry weapons. All in all, it had not been a stellar debut of the British tank.

     Still, the British did not give up on the Tank Corps. By 1917, crew training continued to be an issue with many crews only receiving a hasty training regimine. But, the tank itself was improved and by April 1917, the new Mark IV tank was entering service. Mechanical reliability was enhanced to a degree but the main change was the increase in the front armor thickness from 10mm to 12mm. Even though a mere 2mm more of armor seems paltry, it was enough to render the K Bullet far less effective and instead of always being able to pierce the armor of the earlier Mark I tank, now it could only do so 33% of the time against the Mark IV and only from the extremely close range of 100 meters. This had the effect of making German infantry much more reliant on artillery assets to deal with British tanks than they had been in 1916. Moreover, the deployment methodology of tanks had been overhauled so that cooperation between tanks, infantry, artillery, and aircraft was streamlined with easy to learn drills that had the effect of creating a combined arms strategy. Another critical aspect of the revised tank tactics was the use of reconnaissance and intelligence to pinpoint where tanks could be best deployed and effective against enemy positions. A part of the attack strategy was resupply. To that end, when Mark IV tanks went into action en mass again during the Battle of Cambrai which raged from November 20, 1917 to December 7, 1917, behind them were supply tanks.

     Between 1917 and 1918, over 200 Mark IV tanks were produced specifically as supply tanks. In addition, some obsolete Mark I and Mark II tanks were converted into supply tanks. The modification typically involved removing all armament and for the purpose-built supply tanks, the sponsons were larger and squared off in order to more easily accommodate stores of supplies. By the Battle of Cambrai, Mark IV supply tanks were used exclusively, having replaced the earlier models. Each tank company was to be equipped with two supply tanks. The Mark IV supply tanks were known as “Top Towers” due to a box-like towing apparatus that was fitted to the top of the tank. Two tow cables ran from the driver's turret through the box affixed towards the rear of the tank roof, the apparatus preventing the cables from getting tangled in the tracks of the tank. The cables pulled sledges which contained ammunition and other supplies and thus increased the amount of cargo a single supply tank could carry.

     The tank in the photograph is “Lyric” and carried the serial number 2648. It had been commanded by 2nd. Lieutenant Lowe and belonged to B Company, 5th. Section, 12th. Battalion. The crew number of the tank was L36 (other sources say L52). The tank survived World War One and would end up as a replacement war memorial and tourist attraction near Fort de la Pompelle outside the city of Reims. The original tank which served as the memorial had been the German Beutepanzer (“captured tank”), Wagon 113, of Abteilung 14, that had been abandoned after ditching on June 1, 1918. The Germans had captured the Mark IV tank “Liesal” (Serial No.4571) that had belonged to the 5th. Battalion on March 22, 1918 after it had broken down and had to be abandoned while supporting the 66th. Infantry Division near Roisel. It was repaired and refurbished then issued to Abteilung 14. In the mid-1920s, concerns by city administrators in Reims about the safety of visitors to the tank saw them consider replacing it. The damage to “Liesel” was extensive and thus posed the risk of injuries to visitors who decided to climb around the tank. In addition, the area surrounding the tank had yet to be fully purged of any ordnance which also posed a hazard to visitors. Finally, the location of the tank had become overgrown and it was no longer readily visible to passers-by. Thus, the wreck of “Liesal” was removed and later scrapped and the British donated “Lyric” to Reims who emplaced it along Rue de Châlons which was a much more accessible and visible location. In addition to advertising the tank attraction, the city added markers on the tank with one being on the roof which allowed for aerial identification, another on the front of the hull which was about the tank and the local history, and one on the hull side hatches warning against opening or entering the tank. “Lyric” remained in place all the way into World War Two as photographs exist showing German soldiers in 1940 posing with the tank but it would not survive any further as it was presumably scrapped by the Germans in order to reclaim the metal for other uses.

Natalia Fedorovna Bode: Haunted by the War

     Soviet photojournalist Natalia Fedorovna Bode poses beside a T-28 medium tank. Born December 30, 1914 in Kiev, Bode began her journalistic career in 1934 with the коммунист (Communist) and by 1938, she was working as a columnist for the Ukrainian bureau of the Russian News Agency TASS. 

     When war broke out, Bode would lose her husband Boris Kozyuk (also a photographer) and so she volunteered to cover the combat with the newspaper Krasnaya Armia (Red Army) and she would spend the remainder of the war covering actions on the Central and Southwest Front as well as the First Belarussian Front. A skilled photographer, Bode was not above taking risks to obtain compelling imagery. Her photographs were published in numerous other Russian newspapers and press outlets and they would also see worldwide publication as well. For her dedication, acclaimed work, and service, Bode was given the rank of First Lieutenant and she earned the Order of the Red Star, Order of the Patriotic War, Medal of Courage, and the Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad. 

     Bode would remarry to Yevgeny Dolmatovsky, a poet who worked for Pravda to whom she’d met during the war. Bode would continue her photojournalistic career with the Ukrainian newspaper Radyansʹka Kulʹtura (Soviet Culture). She died on July 2, 1996 and upon her death, it was discovered she’d hidden away much of her wartime photographs, most unpublished, as Bode wished not to remind herself of the war and all that came with it.