Lt. James Montgomery Doohan (14th. Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd. Canadian Division)

 

Source: Pintrest

     At 0925 on June 6, 1944, the self-propelled guns (SPG) of the 14th. Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd. Canadian Division, put ashore on Juno Beach. The unit was equipped with the Priest, the British name for the U.S. built M7 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) which used M3 and M4 medium tank chassis as the foundation for the SPG. Each of the Priest self-propelled guns was laden down with crates of rifle, machine-gun, and mortar ammunition for the infantry. By 1100, the unit had moved inland and located firing positions to commence bombardment and fire support for Canadian infantry pushing forward off the beach. Included in the ranks of the 14th. Field Artillery Regiment was Lieutenant James Montgomery Doohan.

     In 1938, Doohan enrolled in the 102nd. Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps at the age of 18. The RCAC, founded on July 25, 1879 and continuing to this day, is a quasi-military youth organization which is similar to the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) in the United States. He would not remain in the 102nd. RCAC Corps for long as when World War Two began, Doohan was quick to enlist, being accepted and sent to the 14th. (Midland) Field Battery, 2nd. Canadian Infantry Division. In May 1940, the division was posted to Iceland for garrison duty but this was quickly cut short and the unit was dispatched to England to augment the British Army who rightly feared that a German invasion was only a matter of time following the German victory in France. The 2nd. Canadian Infantry Division arrived in England in August 1940. During this time, Doohan rose to the rank of Sergeant before earning a slot in officer training school. After successfully completing the training, he was promoted to Lieutenant and transferred to the 14th. Field Artillery Regiment.

     Returning to Juno Beach, the Canadians made progress but there was an element of chaos and nerves as they pushed forward against the Germans. One example of this was when a captain of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles wanted artillery fire called down on a house and gun crews from one of the Royal Canadian Artillery units unlimbered their guns but forgot to remove the barrel covers and clean off the protective grease on the barrels and breeches before opening fire. The result was covers being shot down the road and the guns giving off voluminous clouds of smoke as the grease heated up and burned off. It was a case of nerves that almost cost Lt. Doohan his life...and at the hands of a fellow Canadian. Doohan's unit of 120 men, after battling towards Courselles-sur-Mer, had set up positions near the town. During the night, Doohan took a cigarette from a silver case that one of his brothers had given him and enjoyed a smoke while returning to his command post. Unfortunately, a nervous Bren gunner opened fire on Doohan, mistaking him for the enemy. He was struck a total of six times with four wounds to his leg, one through his right middle finger, and the sixth struck him in the chest. Had it not been for the cigarette case in the pocket of his field blouse, Doohan likely would not have survived. Doohan had to be evacuated from the front line and his finger was too mangled to save and so it had to be amputated. As he convalesced, Doohan attended the 40th. class of instruction for the Air Observation Pilot Course. During the training, he flew Taylorcraft Auster Mk. IV and Mk. V liaison and observation planes. Upon successful graduation, Doohan was assigned to the No. 666 Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. There, Doohan, now a Captain, retained his position as a artillery officer and flew in support of the 1st. Army Group, Royal Canadian Artillery. The small unit was stood up on March 5, 1945 and equipped with sixteen Auster Mk. V aircraft and Doohan was one of ten pilots. The unit departed England on May 28, 1945 and was posted to various locations in the Netherlands where it was ultimately disbanded in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands on October 31, 1945.

     The photograph of Lt. Doohan shows him wearing the 1940 Battledress as evidenced by the box pleats on the pockets and pocket flap covering the front buttons on the blouse as well as the map pocket on the trousers whose flap concealed the button closing the pocket. One both sleeves can be seen the rectangular patch, in French-gray (a light blue hue), that was the formation insignia for the 3rd. Canadian Division. Right above the insignia is the nation patch which read “Canada”. Around his right shoulder can be seen a lanyard, likely in red and/or blue, which was worn by officers of the 14th. Field Artillery Regiment. At the end of it was a whistle. Although not visible in this view, he wears two rank pips on each shoulder board to denote his rank and at least one other photograph of Doohan shows him with slip-on shoulder titles on each shoulder board, likely with R.C.A.C. (Royal Canadian Artillery Corps) stitched on them. On his cap is the badge of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the motto of “Quo fas et Gloria Ducunt” which means “Whither Right and Glory Lead” is written on a banner beneath a cannon with a crown above it. His belt, pistol holster, and ammunition pouch all appear to be the Pattern 1937 web equipment. His sidearm is most likely the .380 caliber Enfield No.2 revolver and the lanyard connected to the pistol grip is visible.

     Of course, James Montgomery Doohan is best remembered for playing Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701) from the Star Trek science-fiction franchise. Doohan died on July 20, 2005 at the age of 85.

Maschinengewehrschütze (369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division)

Source: Author's Collection

    A machine-gunner belonging to the 369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division (369th. (Croatian) Infantry Division). This is identified by the pin he is wearing on his feldbluse’s pocket. The pin, called the Croatian Legion 1941 Linden Leaf, was awarded to those who served in the original unit, the Verstärktes Kroatisches Infanterie-Regiment 369 (369th. Reinforced Croatian Infantry Regiment), and had survived the Battle of Stalingrad. This battle effectively marked the end of the original regiment with only a little over 1,000 soldiers having been evacuated out. These men formed the core of the new 369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division. 

    The unit was used almost exclusively for anti-partisan warfare in the territory of the Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien (Independent State of Croatia; NDH)). The unit was nicknamed the “Teufels Division” (Devil’s Division) and took it from a Croatian WW1 unit, the 42. Domobranska Pješačka Divizija (42. Home Guard Infantry Division) which was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Army. During 1943 to 1945, the unit was involved in numerous operations against the various partisan forces within the NDH, chiefly Chetnik partisan units. However, the combat record of the 369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division was mediocre at best, desertion was a constant problem and the unit was more known for its brutality rather than its prowess in battle. By April 1945, the 369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division was a shell of itself and when the unit was captured in Slovenia, the Germans remaining were allowed to retreat into Austria but the Croatians became prisoners of the partisans which was a near certain death sentence. 

    This enlisted man, evident by his lack of tresse (braid) along his collar edges and schulterklappen (shoulder boards), is armed with the 7.92mm Maschinengewehr 34 select fire machinegun and tucked into his belt is a Model 1924 Stielhandgranate (M24 stick grenade). There is a lanyard looped around his shoulder and tucked into the feldbluse pocket but what is on the end of it isn’t identifiable.

The Battle of Saipan: Green Beach

Source: The U.S. Marine Corps

     The Battle of Saipan commenced on June 15, 1944 where the U.S. Marine V Amphibious Corps squared off against elements of the Imperial Japanese Army's 31st. Army situated on the island. The combat raged across the 12 mile long and 5.6 mile wide island for a little over three weeks in one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of the Pacific War. The defenders of Saipan, namely the 43rd. Infantry Division and the 47th. Independent Mixed Brigade (among other assorted units), were commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito. Saito was a skilled commander and prepared the defenses of the beaches well by pre-sighting artillery, emplacing many dug-in machine-gun positions, setting up beach obstacles, and digging trench lines to protect his troops. Despite a long ship to shore bombardment, the Japanese were able to inflict heavy casualties upon the 2nd. and 4th. Marine Divisions which conducted the landings in four locations. Despite the Japanese fire, it was not enough to repulse the Marines who secured a 6 mile wide and nearly 1 mile deep beachhead by nightfall. The photograph here is, perhaps, one of the more famous of the many which came out of the Battle of Saipan. 

     It was taken by Marine Corps Sergeant James Burns and showed a man from the 2nd. Marine Division coming ashore after his LVT (Landing Vehicle Tracked) was struck by a Japanese mortar round. The 2nd. Marine Division landed on Red and Green Beaches in the Northern Sector of the island. It is not known what beach Burns took the picture on however, it is possible it is Green Beach. On Red Beach, the 2nd. Marine Tank Battalion went in before the 2nd. Amphibian Tractor Battalion, the latter of which was equipped with LVTs. However, on Green Beach, it was the U.S. Army's 715th. Amphibian Tractor Battalion that brought in Marines. This unit was also equipped with LVTs and in this photograph, we can see two LVT(A) 4 models that were fitted with the turret off the M8 Gun Motor Carriage and thus had a short-barrel M2 or M3 75mm howitzer with which to provide close-support high-explosive firepower against fortified positions. The landings were to be conducted in waves but high embankments and thick tree lines made it impossible for the LVTs and Marine tanks to get off the beach and so the LVTs typically disembarked their troops, conducted support fire, then went back out to sea to their support ships so as not to congest the landing zones and risk being destroyed by Japanese artillery and mortar fire. Often, the LVTs carried the wounded off the beaches to waiting hospital ships when they departed. 

     It isn't known for certain who the crawling man is though some believe that it is PFC Clement William and if so, he was likely one of the crew of the LVT as his helmet lacks the camouflage cover as used by the Marines. The identity of the Marine behind him is also not known and given his uniform does not appear soaked, he may have left his position to help the men from the stricken LVT come ashore. 

     As for Saito, his tactics would draw out the battle for weeks but on July 7, 1944, he conducted the largest banzai charge of the war with over 4,000 men which lasted for fifteen hours and ended with the death of nearly every one of his men. All told, the Japanese lost 29,000 men while the U.S. suffered 2,949 dead with 10,464 wounded. As a note, despite the near destruction of the Japanese forces in the charge, Captain Sakae Oba and 46 other soldiers survived and refused to surrender, conducting guerrilla warfare against occupying U.S. forces until finally giving up on December 1, 1945.

Battle of Iwo Jima: M-2-4 Multiple Rocket Launcher Truck

Source: United States Marine Corps

     Positioned somewhere on the island of lwo Jima, a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) rocket battery commences firing salvos of 4.5in. Beach Barrage Rockets (BBRs) towards Japanese positions. The 110mm rocket (4.5") was given the nickname "Old Faithful'' and originally, it was designed for the U.S. Navy to be launched from landing ships. In fact, the U.S. Navy deployed twelve such ships, the LSM(R) (Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)) class, to the Pacific Theater where they conducted ship-to-shore bombardments. 

     At the Battle of lwo Jima, there were two USMC rocket batteries, the 1st. Provisional Rocket Detachment and the 3rd. Provisional Rocket Detachment. The former supported the 4th. Marine Division while the latter supported the 5th. Marine Division. From the photograph itself, it isn't possible to tell which unit this is. 

     The vehicles are International Harvester M-2-4 1-ton, 4X4 cargo trucks which both the Navy and the USMC had been using since 1941. Fitted to the rear of the trucks were three, 12-rail Mk.7 rocket launchers which" allowed each truck to fire a full salvo of 36 rockets. Each battery was equipped with 12 trucks and so one battery could launch 432 rockets. 

     The truck nearest the camera has the name "Vis a Tergo" on the hood. This is a medical term meaning "a force acting from behind; a pushing or accelerating force." It would appear that the crew of "Vis a Tergo" did not secure the canvas bed/cab cover which is being whipped up by the exhaust of the rockets as they launch.

Remnants of War: Panzerkampfwagen 17R 730(f)

Source: Paul Cooper on X™

     Situated along the coast of northern Norway near the village of Kongsfjord resides the remains of Veinesodden Batteri (Gun Battery Veinesodden). Built in 1942 by occupying German forces, the battery consisted of five captured World War One era French Canon de 155 L Modèle 1917 155mm howitzers. Each gun was emplaced in an open, circular pit with a center ring to which the entire gun (carriage and all) was mounted, allowing it a 360 degree rotation. The howitzers were capable of lobbing shells out to 11 miles. Bunkers blasted into the bedrock behind the gun positions housed ammunition and billets for the 140 man strong battery unit. 

     The battery was expanded, to include ex-French Renault FT-17 light tanks (which had the German designation of Panzerkampfwagen 17R 730(f)) of which one remains to this day, situated in a position overlooking the sea. Left to rust and be picked over by souvenir hunters and scrappers, little was left. As a side note, the round parts just behind the turret is the clutch and brake assembly. Fortunately, preservationists received permission from the Armed Forces Museum located in Oslo, Norway to preserve and restore the tank. Missing parts were reconstructed by local metal workers and the FT-17 was given an external restoration where it rested. By 2008, the restoration was complete but not long after, scrappers vandalized the tank and removed several of the rear plates. 

     As for the battery, it was abandoned in October 1944. Four of the guns were removed but the fifth gun and other parts of the battery’s emplacements were blown up by the retreating Germans. The remains of the battery, along with the FT-17, can be visited to this day.

Artillerie-Panzerbeobachtungswagen III, 75. Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment

Source: Author's collection

     As World War Two continued, the German military utilized more and more self-propelled artillery though such guns were never able to fully replace horse-drawn or those guns drawn by half-tracks or other soft-skinned vehicles. Of course, for artillery of any kind to be truly effective during the war, it required forward observers who would watch the fall of the rounds and radio back corrections to the firing batteries to ensure that as much of the incoming fire was as close to on-target as possible and thus maximize the destruction. These forward observers were often small teams on foot or moved about the battlefield in lightly armored vehicles such as armored cars or light tanks. By 1943, such vehicles had a very limited lifespan. Typically artillery was used defensively to break up an attack or was used on the offense to soften up the enemy prior to committing ground troops. Either way, it meant the forward observers had to be in the vicinity of the action in order to witness the incoming fire missions and correct as needed. Thus, it was seen that something better was needed to support the self-propelled artillery batteries and give forward observers the means to survive the front lines. The initial answer was the Artillerie-Panzerbeobachtungswagen III (PzBeobWg III).

     The Artillery Tank Observation Vehicle III was, in reality, a stop-gap measure which was undertaken to provide such a vehicle while development of a purpose-built armored observation vehicle was conducted (something that did not happen). Using war-weary and obsolete Ausf E through Ausf H models of the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank, several modifications were done to convert them to their new role. The biggest change was the removal of the main gun armament. In place of the main gun, a Maschínengewehr 34 (MG 34) in a ball mounting was fitted and provided with 1,500 rounds of ammunition. The weight savings by not having a main gun nor the associated shells allowed for the fitting of an additional 30mm of armor plate on the hull front and on the entire rear of the tank. In addition, a new gun mantlet replaced the original, increasing the thickness from 30mm to 50mm. A feature of this mantlet was the addition of a dummy gun fitted to the right of the MG 34. The hull machine-gun was removed and the hole for the machine-gun was fitted with a metal plug. For radio equipment to allow communication back to the battery, the PzBeobWg III was fitted with a Funkgerät 4 (FuG 4) and the FuG 8. The FuG 4 utilized a 2 meter tall star antenna though specifics about it are not well known. The FuG 8 was heavily used for divisional communication with later models using a 30 watt transmitter, MW receiver C, and had a frequency band of 835 to 3,000 kilocycles per second. It used a 8 meter tall mast antenna. The FuG 4 had a much shorter range, with a Wireless Telegraph (WT) range of 2.3 miles and a Radiotelephone (RT) range of 1.2 miles. The FuG 8, on the other hand had a WT range of 31.1 miles and a RT range of 6.2 miles. In all, 262 PzBeobWg III vehicles were constructed between February 1943 to April 1944 and two such vehicles were deployed to each Hummel (“Bumblebee”) or Wespe (“Wasp”) self-propelled gun batteries as supply permitted.

     The photograph was reportedly taken following the German defeat at the hands of the Soviets following Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen (Operation Spring Awakening) in mid-March 1945 near Lake Balaton, Hungary. If this is accurate, then the PzBeobWg III belonged to 75. Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment underneath the III. Panzerkorps, 6. Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd. This unit was equipped with “Wespe“ 10.5cm self-propelled guns on the Panzerkampfwagen II chassis. It is difficult to assess what model the PzBeobWg III shown was built on but given the late date in the war, it is likely an Ausf H version. The crew had secured three links of track to the front of the tank in an effort to increase the protection. Since the hull machine-gun was not fitted, the track covered where it had been but one can see a portion of the track missing to allow the driver to see through his vision block. Just visible are the schürzen (armored skirts) fitted to the turret and hull. The front part of the skirt on the hull can be made out to the right (as one looks at the photograph) of the Soviet soldier. The turret skirt is visible just behind the dummy gun mantlet. These skirts were designed to reduce the velocity or divert the trajectory of incoming kinetic rounds. In the upper, right corner of the photograph is the star antenna for the FuG 4 radio. 

     Of interest, however, is the dummy gun itself. The crew of this PzBeobWg III fashioned an entirely new dummy gun and fit it over the existing one. The likely reason for this is because the standard dummy gun gave the appearance of the far weaker short 5cm KwK L/42 or the 3.7cm KwK L/46.5. By adding the additional wooden mantlet sleeve and the longer wooden barrel with a muzzle brake, it gave the PzBeobWg III the appearance of a Panzerkampfwagen IV fitted with the potent 7.5cm KwK40 L/48 gun. This was made more so by the use of the schürzen which many late-war PzKpfw IV tanks were equipped with. In so doing, the elaborate wooden dummy gun assembly helped the PzBeobWg III blend in more and not be singled out. Of course, the Soviet soldier hefting the broken gun tube for the camera means it didn't make much of a difference for this PzBeobWg III.

Flieger Otto Vieth, 1. Lw.-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie (mot.) z.b.V.

Source: Author's collection

     During a lull in the combat that raged through the streets and buildings of Stalingrad from August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943, Luftwaffe Kriegsberichter Otto Vieth enjoys a cigar while resting on the fender of a Mercedes-Benz truck. Vieth was part of 1. Lw.-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie (mot.) z.b.V. which was short for 1st. Luftwaffe War Correspondent Company (motorized) zur besonderen Verfügung. Units with the designation z.b.V. were units that had no subordinate combat troops and thus were on special deployment or special duty. Vieth was a contributor to the Luftwaffe's biweekly magazine “Der Adler” (“The Eagle”).

     This color photograph of Vieth shows him with the rank of Flieger, the lowest rank which was equivalent to a Airman Basic in the U.S. Air Force. This is denoted by the single “gull wing” rank pip pinned through his collar tabs. The collar tabs on his fliegerbluse are gold-yellow (goldgelb) which was the Luftwaffe waffenfarbe (corps color) for both men in aviation units (pilots and ground personnel) as well as Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers). This same color was used on the piping of his uniform's shoulder boards. Vieth was not a Fallschirmjäger but he was a glider pilot and we know this from the insignia seen below his medal. This is the Segelflieger B Abzeichen Gleitfliegerprüfung which translates to Glider Pilot Level B Proficiency Badge. The badge was awarded to glider students in the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV; German Air Sports Association) which was, more or less, a training organization for the future Luftwaffe. The DLV was established in March 1933 and then absorbed into the Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK; National Socialist Flyers Corps) on April 15, 1937. The badge consisted of a round base of blue-gray material with a machine-embroidered circle with two gulls within it. This particular badge was the middle of three proficiency levels with A being the lowest proficiency and C being the highest. To earn the B level proficiency required the student to make a 60 second free flight and execute a “S” turn maneuver. Those who earned the B and C level proficiency badges were allowed to wear them on Luftwaffe uniforms even though they were not Luftwaffe awards. Returning to the medal, it is the Deutsches Sportabzeichen (German Sports Badge) which was awarded for excellence in physical endurance, speed, strength, and agility. Though not too visible, the letters DRL are within the wreath which stood for Deutsche Reichsauszeichnung für Leibesübungen meaning German Reich Award for Physical Exercise.

     Not visible in this particular photograph of Vieth is the cuff title (Ärmelband) on the lower right sleeve of his fliegerbluse which read “Kriegsberichter der Luftwaffe”. This was a blue band with the words (in a Fraktur-style script) embroidered in white thread. Also not visible, but on the lower left sleeve, was his Fliegendes Personal (flying personnel) badge. This badge had a blue-gray material background with a embroidered four-bladed propeller superimposed over a pair of wings in white threading. This particular badge was worn by flying personnel not eligible to wear the Pilotenabzeichen (Pilot's Badge).

     For a camera, Vieth is using a manual Leica IIIc 35mm rangefinder camera. This particular model was produced from 1940 into 1946, the Leica IIIc used a die-cast body, pin bearing equipped shutter, cold shoe flash mount, and a M39 lens mount. The viewfinder of the camera was set for the standard 50mm lens and if other lens were used, then the user had to fit an alternate viewfinder on the camera's accessory socket.

     Little is known about Vieth's Luftwaffe career. What we do know is that he worked exclusively for “Der Adler” and was a highly experienced photographer as his pictures were often used for the covers of the magazine. As a reporter, Vieth spent time in France, the Eastern Front, North Africa, Italy, as well as in Germany. From surviving photographs of Vieth, at some point in time, he was promoted to Unteroffizier (equivalent to a U.S. Air Force Sergeant) and was able to earn either the Fliegerschützenabzeichen (Air Gunner Badge) or the Fliegerschützenabzeichen für Bordfunker (Air Gunner Badge for Radio Operators) as there is a photograph of him wearing one of these two badges on his Luftwaffe service shirt in a 1943 photograph taken of him while in Russia. At that time, he was still using his Leica IIIc camera. Another photograph shows him as a Fahnenjunker-Unterfeldwebel, having been promoted again to Unterfeldwebel (equivalent to a Staff Sergeant) and then selected for officer training but there is no date associated with the photograph. Even though the last issue of “Der Adler” came out on September 12, 1944, Vieth continued to work as a photographer as the Bundesarchiv Bildarchiv (Federal Image Archive) in Germany has cataloged photographs attributed to Vieth into 1945. It is presumed he survived the war.

Messerschmitt Me 163B V13: Abandoned in Pölzen

Source: U.S. Army Signal Corps

     Found by troops of Combat Command A, 9th. Armored Division, 1st. U.S. Army in April 1945 was the remains of Messerschmitt Me 163B V13, Werk Nummer (W.Nr.) 10022, fuselage code VD+EV. The location was a airfield hangar in Pölzen, Germany located to the northeast of Leipzig. While the men of Combat Command A likely did not know it at the time they came across the ruins of the aircraft, the V13 had been the start of the further development of the Me 163 rocket fighter that ultimately culminated in the Messerschmitt Me 263 (also designated as the Junkers Ju 248).

     One of the most serious problems with the Me 163B rocket interceptor was the ravenous consumption the Walther HWK 509 A-2 bi-fuel rocket motor had for the reactant propellants, T-Stoff and C-Stoff. Once the Me 163B achieved operating altitude, the aircraft had only 2.5 minutes worth of powered flight left before the tanks ran dry. Typically, given the volatile and explosive nature of the fuels, pilots would often exhaust the entire fuel supply rather than risk having fuel onboard while in combat, let alone coming to a landing which risked causing a detonation if the touchdown was rough. In combat operations, it meant that the range of the Me 163B was severely restricted and unless airfields operating the rocket fighter were near known bomber routes, the Me 163B was more or less impotent. In fact, when U.S. Intelligence determined an airfield was housing a Me 163 unit, they advised U.S. Army Air Force bomber units to simply plot bombing strike avenues to avoid the airfield. Another problem with the Me 163B was that is had no landing gear outside of a central skid. It took off atop a two-wheeled dolly which was then jettisoned once the plane was airborne. Upon landing, it had to be recovered by a special trailer pulled by a three-wheeled tractor called a Scheuschlepper. The V13 was the first step in overcoming the first of these two main concerns with the fighter.

     The V13 was the first to trial a new Walther rocket engine, the HWK 509 C. While the fuels were the same, the biggest difference was the addition of a cruise chamber. The HWK 509 C's main chamber produced 3,750 pounds of thrust but the cruise chamber only provided 660 pounds of thrust. The idea was that for take-off, both chambers would be engaged for a total of 4,410 pounds of thrust. Once the aircraft was at operational altitude, the main chamber would be shut off and the aircraft would fly only on the cruise chamber. As such, the new engine provided up to 6.5 minutes of powered flight before the fuel ran out. The V13 was much the same as the standard Me 163B except that the tail was modified to accommodate the cruise chamber which was to be used in the new development of the aircraft which was then called the Me 163D. The first flight of the V13 took place in December 1943 and the last known flight occurred on May 14, 1944. Two other Me 163B aircraft were part of the Me 163D project and these were the V10 (W.Nr. 10019, fuselage code VD+ES) and the V18 (W.Nr. 10027, fuselage code VA+SP). The V10, having originally been used to test a BMW rocket motor and a revised fuel tank system, was repurposed to trial the tricycle landing gear that was to be used on the Me 163D. The V18 was also refitted with a HWK 509 C engine and on July 6, 1944, pilot Rudolf Opitz took the aircraft up for a calibration flight and the engine was at maximum thrust and as it accelerated, the critical Mach number was exceeded. Opitz cut fuel to the engine which put the V18 into a steep dive Optiz was only able to recover feet from the waters of the Baltic Sea. After landing, the entire rudder was missing and readings taken during the flight showed the V18 had attained a speed of 702mph.

     The results of testing with the V10, V13, and V18 culminated in the Ju 248 which was a nearly complete redesign of the Me 163 fighter. The designation Junkers Ju 248 came into play as work on the project was shifted to Junkers in the spring of 1944 in light of the Messerschmitt company's other development work and production obligations. The name would revert to Me 263 by August of 1944. The new aircraft utilized a new fuselage that incorporated a bubble canopy, retractable landing gear, and a HWK 509 C-4 bi-fuel engine which it was estimated would give the Ju 248 a maximum powered endurance of between 9 to 15 minutes altitude depending. While better than the maximum 7.5 minutes of total powered endurance with the Me 163B, it was not a significant increase overall though the ability to be more mobile on the ground lowered the time it took to for ground crews to turn the aircraft around for another sortie. 

     As it was, the Ju 248 V1 was completed and performed well in unpowered, towed testing but it was never flown under power and ended up captured by the Soviets who shipped it back to Russia for study. The Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270 rocket interceptor, first flown in 1946, drew heavily from the Me 263 but the entire concept of a rocket powered, point interceptor was flawed and the I-270 was abandoned.

7.5cm PaK40/2 auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw II (Sf) "Marder II": Demolitioned Outside Rome

Source: U.S. Signal Corps

     Somewhere outside Rome on June 5, 1944, a U.S. soldier from the 5th. Army examines what is left of a German 7.5cm PaK40/2 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sd.Kfz 131) tank destroyer which was, mercifully, simply called the Marder II. The need to both bolster and improve tank destroying capability resulted in two tank destroyers utilizing the chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen II light tank. 

     The first version was designated the Panzer Selbstfahrlafette 1 für 7.62cm PaK36(r) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D¹ und D² (Sd.Kfz 132). Sometimes (again, mercifully) known as the LaS 762, this tank destroyer utilized Panzer II ausf. D and E as well as Flammpanzer II (a flamethrower variant of the Panzer II) chassis and mounted a captured Soviet 76.2mm F-22 Model 1930 field gun rechambered to fire the 75mm round used by the potent PaK 40 anti-tank gun. The LaS 762 was a stop-gap design while more purpose-built tank destroyers were designed and put into production. It was characterized by its tall profile and 201 vehicles were converted between April 1942 and June 1943.

     The second version was the Sd.Kfz 131, a more dedicated tank destroyer design, and it used war weary Panzer II ausf. A, B, and C chassis (but would later use factory "fresh" ausf. F chassis). The Marder II had the excellent 75mm PaK 40 gun as its main weapon. All told, 651 Marder II were produced between June 1942 and March 1944 and saw service on all fronts (though the majority were deployed to the Eastern Front). Both the German Army (Heer) and Waffen-SS were heavy users of the Marder II, equipping the panzerjäger abteilungen of panzer divisions. In addition, some Luftwaffe ground forces used the Marder II in their own tank destroyer units.

     The Marder II in the photograph has lost its entire superstructure save the forward portion and the front of the hull has been completely blown out as has the back of the vehicle. Given the extent of the damage and most notably by the burst barrel of the PaK 40, this particular Marder II was destroyed by the crew using demolition charges. This was not too uncommon when the vehicle could not be recovered from whatever circumstance disabled it (mired in the ground, mechanical breakdown, or battle damage) and so blowing the vehicle up denied its use by the enemy.

M3 Light Tank "Capt Gore" (10 Troop, C Squadron, 2/6th Armored Regiment, Australian Army)

Source: Author's collection

     "Capt Gore", an M3 light tank belonging to 10 Troop, C Squadron, 2/6th Armored Regiment of the Australian Army, sits abandoned in a field of kunai grass near the "New Strip", a decoy landing strip, within the Buna area of Papua, New Guinea. The 2/6th Armored Regiment sent B and C Squadrons in December 1942 to bolster Allied forces during the Battle of Buna–Gona which raged from November 16, 1942 to January 22, 1943. The squadrons from the 2/6th Armored Regiment were attached to the 2/9th Battalion (Infantry) of the Australian 18th. Brigade and they rolled into battle on December 18, 1942. 

     The tenacious Japanese defenders fought hard and three M3 tanks were lost the first day but it was not enough to stop the Australians and American forces from making good progress. The drive would continue and on December 24, 1942, the remaining four tanks were deployed in support of the U.S. 1st. Battalion, 126th. Infantry Regiment (32nd. Division) and the Australian 2/10th Battalion (Infantry) that were tasked with taking "New Strip". The Japanese, lacking in anti-tank weapons, used anti-aircraft guns in their place. The most common, the Type 96 25mm gun, was capable of firing an armor-piercing round that could penetrate 42mm out to a range of 100m. The M3, at most, had 51mm of armor with a minimum of 10mm. Given the terrain, the Japanese guns were well concealed and took the tanks under fire at very close range and thus the M3 was vulnerable to these weapons. In short order, all four tanks were lost.

     In the case of "Capt Gore", it appears that it was a victim of the ground underneath the kunai grass which was often wet and thus tanks were susceptible to bogging down in the soft earth. There does appear to be some damage to the tank from shell hits, such as through the air filter case and a small ricochet indent just beneath the cupola but nothing from this view that suggests it was knocked out by gun fire. The tank was abandoned and stripped of equipment, to include the .30cal. machine-gun that was mounted on the pintel next to the cupola. It is unknown if the tank was recovered but photographs exist of another M3 from the same battle still in the fields in 1952. The name of "Capt Gore" was applied to the tank for an Australian propaganda film and never removed before deployment. The other M3 tanks in 10 Troop, C Squadron were "Capt Kidd" and "Capt Blood". 

     The Battle of Buna–Gona ended in a Allied victory but at a heavy cost. It was the first time soldiers faced the ferocious nature of the Japanese when on the defensive and all told, the Allies suffered 1,991 killed in action and 12,300 wounded out of some 20,000 men deployed. The savage defense of the Japanese can be seen in the under 300 Japanese soldiers captured by the Allies out of a total force count of 12,000. The rest were either killed in battle (4,000), died from disease (3,000), or were wounded in action (1,200; these men were able to be evacuated).

Char B1 bis (n° 416) “Hautvillers”: Knocked Out at Stonne

Source: Reddit

     Looking at a map of France, today the village of Stonne is a tiny speck consisting of 2.77 square miles of land area and 39 residents. Yet, between May 15 and May 17, 1940, Stonne was the epicenter of a brutal see-saw battle between an ad-hoc force of French Army troops and the German Army, led by the 10th. Panzer Division along with other elements, to include the crack Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland".

     While Stonne itself had absolutely no military value, the land it was situated on most certainly did. Immediately to the north of Stonne sits Mont-Dieu (God's Mountain) which is heavily wooded with only the D 30 road running through it and into Stonne. The village itself sits atop a 330 meter (1,082 foot) elevation with a very steep drop-off into the thick woods north of the village. To the east of Stonne, near the D 30 road's turn into the village, is Le Pain de Sucre (Sugarloaf) which is a conical shaped hill some 335 meters (1,099 feet) high.“Zuckerhut“ (also meaning Sugarloaf), as the point was called in German, offered an excellent observation point. The French realized that the area around Stonne was a natural obstacle to check the German advance further south and so they quickly fortified the area with pillboxes and set up barriers to slow down German troops.

     During the Battle of Stonne, the village exchanged hands seventeen times. The initial day saw elements of the 3e Division d'Infanterie Motorisée already positioned in Stonne but by 0800 hours, Stonne was in German hands, led by 1. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland". In the course of the day's combat, Char B1 bis tanks belonging to 3e Compagnie, 49e Bataillon de Chars, would see action against the Germans and the knocked out tank shown here was one of them. The tank, n° 416 and named “Hautvillers“, was commanded by Sous-lieutenant Jacques Klein and driven by Caporal-chef Emile Chanel. The names of the radio operator and assistant driver (who was usually a mechanic) that completed the crew are not known. The tank was received by the unit on March 25, 1940. 

     At approximately 1000 hours,“Hautvillers“ had been advancing north towards Stonne over the ground between the D 30 and D 24 roads. A Panzerkampfwagen IV, belonging to Panzer-Regiment 8, spotted the French tank and took it under fire. The Pz.IV's gunner, one Karl Koch, was able to hit “Hautvillers“ three to four times. The results of the successful engagement saw “Hautvillers“ turret jammed, the 47mm gun fitted to it bent, the right side track severed, and a non-penetrating hit on the armor near Caporal-chef Chanel's station. The spalling of the armor on the interior by the strike caused superficial injuries to Chanel and triggered a fire in the tank's electrical system. With such crippling hits, the crew abandoned the tank though all four men would later be captured by German troops. Given the photograph, it is clear the fire consumed the tank, probably causing an ammunition detonation which blew apart much of the upper hull, causing the turret to fall inward. This particular photograph was likely taken well after the battle as much of the debris following the tank's demise is no longer seen laying on the ground. Based on the many photographs taken of the tank by German soldiers, the location of the wreck may be at the intersection of Route de la Berlière (D 24) and Rue du Paquis which is located just outside Stonne proper.

     While German forces ultimately won the Battle of Stonne, the area would not be completely pacified until May 25, 1940.

Jagdtigers of 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512: Demolitioned Near Letmathe

Source: Author's collection.

     The remains of two Jagdtigers of 2nd. Kompanie, Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 512 (2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512) sit alongside a road near the German town of Letmathe. On April 11, 1945, 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512, commanded by Hauptmann Walter Scherf, was part of Kampfgruppe (Battle Group) Ernst and set up in hidden positions to check U.S. advances to the Ruhr River. That day, the Jagdtigers fired high explosive ammunition out to 3 miles and the group was able to cause enough havoc to force the U.S. forces to retreat. Despite the victory, 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 was ordered to withdraw and so during the night, Scherf positioned his Jagdtigers on high ground outside the village of Kalthof. The next day, the Jagdtigers shot up U.S. tanks, again halting the advance of U.S. forces. Nevertheless, 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 continued to withdraw and by April 14, was in the village of Ergste. 

     The Jagdtigers were situated in a wooded area near Letmathe where mechanics worked to effect repairs. Scherf could see that his men had no fight left and when word came that 1/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 was all but finished, that was the final straw. 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 was ordered to destroy their Jagdtigers and on April 15, 1945, 2/s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 surrendered. 

     Thus, when the Allies passed through, they found these two Jagdtigers. The second one is difficult to make out but it is parked immediately behind the Jagdtiger in the foreground and it is believed that this Jagdtiger had towed the other after it suffered a mechanical breakdown.

Oberleutnant Heinz Halmes (Luftlandebrigade 25)

Source: Author's collection.

     Little is known about the military history of Heinz Halmes. Much of what is known comes from scattered sources including, among others, a 2015 auction in München, Germany of award documents and the soldbuch (pay book) which belonged to Halmes. Halmes was born in Aachen, Germany on April 6, 1923 and his military career, at least what has been found in documentation, started sometime in 1942 when Halmes entered into the Luftwaffe as a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) and held the rank of Gefreiter (equivalent to a U.S. Air Force Airman rank). His initial posting was with Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5. This was a unit first formed in May 1942 and consisted of three battalions. I. Bataillon and III. Bataillon trained for Unternehmen Herkules (Operation Hercules, the invasion of Malta) at Truppenübungsplatz Mourmelon (Military Training Area Mourmelon) which was located near Reims, France while II. Bataillon was shipped to Africa and placed under Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke. However, the Allied landings in Algeria on November 7, 1942 (and the eventual cancellation of the Malta invasion that same month) saw the two battalions in France sent to Tunisia to join up with the II. Bataillon. The regiment saw heavy combat in defensive positions around Medjez El Bab starting on November 20, 1942 and in the face of American armored attacks, gave ground five days later. II. Bataillon suffered severe casualties and further action south of Tunis against British paratroopers saw the III. Bataillon worn down. Enough reinforcements arrived to reconstitute the II. Bataillon but by December 1942, hard, but successful, defensive combat around Tebourba and Fourna stymied the Allied advance towards Tunis. What remained of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 was renamed as Jäger-Regiment "Hermann Göring" in January 1943 and operated under Panzer Division "Hermann Göring". It saw extensive combat from April 1943 to May 6, 1943 and suffered very heavy casualties in the fighting. Many of the survivors went into captivity but others, including a sizable number from the remains of II. Bataillon, managed to be evacuated by ship to Italy. The survivors were assembled into II./ Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 and placed under the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division where the battalion fought briefly in Italy through September 1943 before being transferred along with the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division to the Eastern Front in October 1943. The battalion saw action around Kirovograd but in January 1944, the battalion was withdrawn and sent to France where it would become Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16, 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

     Prior to the unit change to Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16, Halmes had been promoted to Unteroffizier (other sources say Oberjäger) which was equivalent to a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. In this period of time, Halmes had earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class) on December 19, 1942, the Verwundetenabzeichen 3. Klasse (Wound Badge in Black) on May 6, 1943, the Medaille für den Italienisch-Deutschen Feldzug in Afrika (Italo-German Campaign Medal in Africa) on June 30, 1943, the Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge) on July 10, 1943, the Ärmelband Afrika (Africa campaign cufftitle) on July 14, 1943, and the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen der Luftwaffe (Parachutist Badge) on September 23, 1943.

     As 1944 arrived, Halmes was promoted again, this time to a Fähnrich (officer candidate) and he was made Zugführer (platoon leader) of 1. Zug (1st. Platoon), 11. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16. The 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division saw combat during the Normandy Invasion but Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16 was pulled from the West Front in June 1944 and shifted to Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North) on the Eastern Front. It saw brief combat in Lithuania under Kampfgruppe Oberst Schirmer from July 1944 to September 1944. On September 24, 1944, the unit was renamed to Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 3 "Hermann Göring" while in Radom, Poland. On October 28, 1944, he was made company commander of 11. Kompanie, III. Bataillon, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16. By this time, Halmes had received the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class) on April 5, 1944 and the Deutsches Kreuz im Gold (German Cross in Gold) on October 19, 1944. Halmes, for a very brief period of time, had been transferred into Fallschirmjäger-Regiment z.b.V. which was formed on November 25, 1944. By the close of December 1944, Halmes was the company commander for 7. Kompanie, Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 ”Hermann Göring”. In this brief period, Halmes was awarded the Nahkampfspange in Silber (Close Combat Clasp in Silver) and the Panzerkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe 3. Klasse (Luftwaffe Tank Battle Badge 3rd. Class), both dated December 15, 1944. At some point late in 1944, Halmes was promoted to Oberfähnrich (the highest rank of officer candidate) as in 1945, he graduated and was commissioned as a Leutnant. His last award was the Verwundetenabzeichen 2. Klasse (Wound Badge in Silver) which was received on January 24, 1945.

     What happened to Halmer following World War Two isn't known. However, this photograph of him shows that he survived any captivity and entered into the Bundeswehr as, not surprisingly, a paratrooper. On his left shoulder is the patch for Luftlandebrigade 25 ”Schwarzwald“ (Airborne Brigade 25 “Black Forest”) of the 1. Luftlandedivision. His rank, as denoted by the two rank pips on his shoulder boards, is that of a Oberleutnant (1st. Lieutenant). His ribbon bar consists solely of his World War Two decorations as per the 1957 regulations. The top row, from the left, is his German Cross, Iron Cross 1st. Class, Iron Cross 2nd. Class, and the Close Combat Clasp. The second row is his Wound Badge in Silver, Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge, Luftwaffe Tank Battle Badge, and the Africa Campaign Title. The last row is his Parachutist Badge and the Italo-German Campaign Medal in Africa.

     Halmer died on July 14, 2009 in St. Ingbert-Hassel, Germany at the age of 86.

Remnants of War: Mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen S307(f) mit Reihenwerfer (21. Panzer-Division)

Source: Facebook

     On October 23, 1942, the Allies launched a three part plan under Operations Lightfoot, Bertram, and Braganza which began the Second Battle of El Alamein. Facing the Allies was Panzerarmee Afrika commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel. Included in the order of battle for the Germans was the 21st. Panzer Division (21.Pz.Dv.) and when the Second Battle of El Alamein concluded in an Allied victory on November 11, 1942, 21.Pz.Dv. was a shell of itself with only four total tanks left operational. After fighting rear-guard actions to cover the German retreat, what was left of 21.Pz.Dv. was split into two kampfgruppen (battle groups); Kampfgruppe Pfeiffer and Kampfgruppe Gruen. Following the Battle of Kasserine Pass which occured from February 19 through February 24, 1943, the 21.Pz.Dv. ceased to be when Major General Von Hulsen surrendered the tattered remains of one of the most potent units within the Deutsches Afrikakorps on May 13, 1943.

     Beginning in June 1943, in France, the Germans commenced to organizing a new type of combat unit whose key asset was being highly mobile and thus able to rapidly deploy to locations where they were most needed. In essence, these new units were to be “fire brigades” to be rushed around the front where required in order to bolster the strength of local forces. The first of these units was Schnelle Division West (Fast Division West) and its creation was directly in response to what the Germans knew was coming; the Allied invasion of Europe. Schnelle Division West was to be completely motorized in regards to combat units as well as support units such as artillery and logistical assets. In fact, Schnelle Division West would be more motorized than the standard Heer (Army) panzer division. There was a rather large problem which put a severe crimp in the idea of Schnelle Division West.The problem was that German industry could not supply enough vehicles to equip the division and make the totally mobile force a reality. The Germans were only able to equip a single brigade and so the unit changed names to Schnelle Brigade West. However, the Germans went about the process of scraping together as much armor and vehicles as possible to push the unit to division size. A good part of this process was utilizing captured French tanks and light armored vehicles but the Germans wanted to make these tanks and vehicles more useful and more potent and for that, they called in one Major Alfred Becker.

     Becker, a mechanical engineer by trade, was an artillery officer both in World War One and World War Two. As much of the German artillery forces relied on horses to move their guns and ammunition trains, Becker believed in mobility but being an engineer, he began to convert captured British light tanks and Bren carriers into self-propelled guns and munition carriers while his unit (Infantarie Division 227 "Rheinisch-Westfälische") was on garrison duty in France. Within six months, he and his fellow engineers, mechanics, and metal workers assembled a complete self-propelled gun battery. Soon, Becker and his unit was sent to the Eastern Front as part of Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North) and there, his mobile battery proved an immense success to the point it was often used as a “fire brigade” and deployed where it was needed. In order to meet the threat of new Soviet tanks, the T-34 medium tank and the KV-1 heavy tank, Altmärkische Kettenwerk GmbH, better known as Alkett, sent modified French Renault R35 light tanks equipped with the 47mm PaK(t) anti-tank gun to Russia as the 4,7 cm PaK(t) Panzerjäger Geschützwagen 35R(f) tank destroyer. To make a lengthy story more brief, Becker was recalled to Germany and directed to partner with Alkett and formulate a way to repurpose captured tanks and vehicles. After spending a short time in Germany, Becker was sent back to France and given the monumental task of scavenging the French countryside for any and all French and British tanks and armored vehicles, collecting them all, figuring out how to re-purpose them, then produce enough such tanks and vehicles to equip two panzer divisions. And so by June 17, 1943, Baukommando Becker (Construction Unit Becker) was able to supply Schnelle Brigade West with enough additional armored vehicles to restore it to division size. On June 27, 1943, the unit was re-designated as the 21.Pz.Dv. in honor of the original unit and put under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel. Becker himself was put in command of the 21.Pz.Dv.'s assault gun battalion, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200.

     The remains of the vehicle in the photograph is a French SOMUA MCL half-track which Alkett repurposed as a self-propelled barrage mortar. The long German designation for it was Mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen S307(f) mit Reihenwerfer (Medium Armored Personnel Carrier S307(f) with “Row Thrower”). The Reihenwerfer consisted of sixteen captured French 81mm Brandt Mle 27/31 mortars, known as the Granatwerfer 278(f) (Gr.W 278(f)) in German service, set in a frame with two rows of eight mortar tubes. The entire frame sat on a turntable which allowed for 360 degree rotation and the tubes could be elevated from 35 degrees up to a maximum of 90 degrees. To ensure a wider distribution of rounds on the target, the lower set of tubes had a slight outward angle. In operation, the firing mechanism held a round in the top of each mortar tube and when the gunner pulled the lanyard, the rounds would drop down their respective tubes, strike the firing pin at the bottom of each tube, and then be launched towards the target. A total of 90 rounds of ammunition was available for the mortars and the front of the half-track, cab, and a portion of the rear deck was protected with 12mm thick armor. For self-defense, a MG 34 or MG 42 machine-gun was carried on the vehicle. In all, Alkett produced sixteen of the Reihenwerfer equipped MCL half-tracks and all of them went to 21.Pz.Dv., likely deployed with the Nebelwerfer companies of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 192 (mot.) and Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 152, these being 10.Kompanie (s-Werfer) and 10.Kompanie (Werfer) respectively.

     The 21.Pz.Dv. was the only armored unit that contested the initial D-Day landing, namely at Juno Beach. Not surprisingly, it bore the brunt of Allied attacks as the U.S. and British/British Commonwealth forces pushed further inland. The unit was bleeding tanks with losses never being completely made up by replacements despite being able to achieve almost a 2 to 1 kill ratio. The last gasp for 21.Pz.Dv. Came when it was nearly wiped out in the Kessel von Falaise, the Falaise Pocket, which was closed by the Allies on August 21, 1944. The remnants were bolstered with the remains of Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisionen 16 and retreated to Lorraine where it was further battered down before its ranks were again increased by absorbing the remains of Panzer-Brigade 112. The unit would participate in the last major German offensive of the war, Unternehmen Nordwind (Operation Nordwind), from December 31, 1944 to January 25, 1945 before being redeployed to the Eastern Front where it was demolished by the Soviets during the Kesselschlacht von Halbe (Battle of Halbe). What was left surrendered to Soviet forces on April 29, 1945.

     It isn't possible from the surviving photographs of this particular S307(f) to tell which regiment it was part of. It was struck at least three times, the penetration on the cab having cracked off a piece of the armor. Exactly where the S307(f) was knocked out or abandoned isn't known but it was likely in the initial area of operations of the 21.Pz.Dv. which was south-east of the city of Caen. Photographs taken of this S307(f) after the combat show that at least five of the mortar tubes were missing from the frame, both tracks were gone, and it even appeared the 4-cylinder engine was removed as it is certainly missing in the photographs. This suggests that it may have been abandoned and what could be salvaged from it was taken. This would mean the shell penetrations were done after, possibly by Allied tankers making sure it was truly disabled. This particular photograph was taken after World War Two ended though what year is unknown. By now, all of the mortar tubes are gone, rust has spread across the Reihenwerfer, chassis, and superstructure, and the Balkenkreuz is nearly washed away. Given the derelict state, in time, it was likely retrieved and taken to the scrap yard to be broken down if it wasn't scrapped where it stood.

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf B (2. Zug, 2. Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 4, 13. Panzer-Division)

Source: Author's collection.

     Somewhere on the Eastern Front, the abandoned remains of a Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf B medium tank slowly sinks into the Russian mud. The photograph was one of many contained in a soldier's personal photo album entitled “Meine Dienstzeit” (“My Service Period”) though who the soldier was and who he served with was not given in the album. The tank belonged to the 2. Zug, 2. Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 4, 13. Panzer-Division. This is denoted by the tactical number 222 on the turret with the third number two denoting it was the second tank in the platoon (Zug). That the tank was with the 13. Panzer-Division is denoted by the circle with the cross on the hull side. It is likely the soldier passed the wreck and snapped a picture of it since there was no other tank pictures in the album.

     Production of the PzKpfw IV Ausf B started in April 1938 and by September 1938, a total of 42 had been produced before it was superseded by the Ausf C model. Built by Krupp-Gruson, the PzKpfw IV Ausf B was powered by a Maybach HL120TR engine connected to a 7-speed gearbox (6 forward, 1 reverse) and was enough to provide the tank with a top road speed of 25mph. Enough fuel was carried to give a maximum operational range of 124 miles. For armament, the tank was fitted with a 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 gun with a co-axial 7.92mm MG 34 machine-gun. Curiously, the hull mounted MG 13 machine-gun that had been fitted to the previous Ausf A model was removed and replaced with only a visor and a pistol port. 80 total rounds of ammunition was carried for the KwK 37 and was often a mixture of armor piercing (Panzergranate), high-explosive (Sprenggranate), and smoke (Nebelgranate) shells. The machine-gun was provided with 2,400 rounds of belted ammunition. The turret had a 360 degree rotation which was electrically driven (with a manual backup) while the gun had a maximum elevation of 20 degrees and a maximum gun depression of 10 degrees. For protection, the PzKpfw IV Ausf B had 30mm of armor on the turret front at a 10 degree slope, 15mm on the turret sides at a 25 degree slope, and 15mm and no sloping. The gun mantlet added another 30mm of armor to the front of the turret. The superstructure front was 30mm thick at a 7 degree slope, 15mm of armor on the sides with no sloping, and 15mm at the rear with a 10 degree slope. The hull front had 30mm of armor at a 12 degree slope, 15mm on the sides with no sloping, and 15mm thick on the rear at a 10 degree slope. The turret top armor was 10mm thick, the top of the superstructure was 12mm thick, and the underside of the hull was 5mm thick.

     When the 13. Panzer-Division, under the command of Generalleutnant Walter Düvert, went into Russia on June 22, 1941, it had twenty PzKpfw IV tanks on hand in various makes out of an authorized strength of twenty-eight. A little over a month later, a report dated August 28, 1941 listed only nine tanks left operational with another ten being completely written off. The division was under the 1. Panzerarmee, Heeresgruppe Süd and saw considerable action during the Battle of Kiev which took place from August 23, 1941 to September 26, 1941. Although it was a significant defeat for the Russians, the Germans still suffered 61,239 casualties and would account for the August report on medium tank strength for the division. Of the PzKpfw III medium tanks the division had, prior to combat, the authorized strength was seventy-one tanks of which the division had its full allotment. But after the initial battles in and around Kiev, the report listed only thirty-seven tanks operational with another ten having been written off.

     The tank seen here doesn't appear to have suffered combat damage but without being able to see the front, it is difficult to say for sure. It may have experienced a mechanical breakdown or threw a track and with the rapid advance, it may have been left behind for a later recovery. In the meantime, it appears to have been scavenged to a small degree, mainly with the spare road-wheels having been taken from their location on the fender as where they were can just be made out to the right of the 13. Panzer-Division symbol.

Kradmelder (Regimentsstab, Artillerie-Regiment 110)

Source: Flickr

     Somewhere on the Eastern Front, a kradmelder (dispatch rider) for the regimental headquarters (Regimentsstab) of Artillerie-Regiment 110 prepares to get under way. Of all the belligerents during World War Two, the German military was the largest user of both motorcycles as well as dispatch riders. These men played a critical role in delivering urgent orders and messages between headquarters and units out in the field. Often, this was because wire communications between units and their headquarters was either not yet in place, the distance too far to establish such communication, time was not available to set up wire lines, or the wire lines run had been broken, sabotaged, or in some way destroyed thus severing such communication channels. Typically, dispatches were sent back and forth by foot when moving messages between züge (platoons) and kompanie (companies) but when communicating to bataillone (battalions) and higher units, the kradmelder was utilized. Obviously, the job of a kradmelder, or any dispatch rider regardless of nation, was a dangerous one as they often operated alone. Even moving behind friendly lines, front depending, was no guarantee of safety. Each kradmelder was trained to maintain his motorcycle and spare parts were often carried so that any common mechanical failure could be corrected in the field.

     The Germans issued the kradmelder, and other users of motorcycles, a unique piece of protective clothing which was called the Schutzmantel für Kraft Radfaher which translates as Protective Coat for Motorcyclists. The double-breasted coat was rubberized so that it was waterproof and it also fit loosely. The coat also featured a wool faced collar, split tail, and four large pockets (two on the front, one on each side) with button-closure flaps. Each tail could be gathered around the rider's leg and buttoned into place. This made for a more snug fit and thus made the coat less awkward to wear when sitting on the motorcycle and also lessened the chances the coat material might catch on objects, to include the motorcycle's own rear tire. The coat was standard for both enlisted men as well as officers who operated motorcycles. The rider in the photograph has wrapped the coats' tails around his legs and the bottom of one of the front pockets can just be seen beneath his arm. The clear shield he is using to protect his face is not often seen in photographs with the usual protective equipment being a pair of goggles and conditions depending, a scarf or piece of cloth to cover the mouth and nose. In cold weather, some kradmelder used their gas masks, without the filter, to protect their face from the frigid temperatures. Other equipment visible includes the cylindrical gasmaskenbüche (gas mask case) and the square, rubberized pouch for the gaskap (gas cape). Strapped to his back is a Mauser 7.92mm k98 bolt-action rifle.

     The motorcycle he is riding is a DKW (DampfKraftWagen) NZ 350. By the time this photograph was taken, DKW was building the NZ 350 exclusively for the Wehrmacht. The motorcycle was powered by a 1-cylinder, 2-stroke, air-cooled 346cc engine which developed approximately 12hp. This was paired with a 4-speed transmission. Top speed of the NZ 350 was 65mph. Fuel capacity came from a 3.6 gallon fuel tank with the engine consuming, under normal operating conditions, almost one gallon of gasoline every 62 miles. Of interest, however, is that the license plate affixed to the top of the front fender is not military but a civilian plate. This is because all Wehrmacht military plates started with WH (Wehrmacht Heer for the Army), WL (Wehrmacht Luftwaffe for the Air Force), WM (Wehrmacht Kriegsmarine for the Navy), or SS for Waffen-SS license plates. The “M” on the plate is the Roman numeral that corresponded to a German city or district in which the motorcycle had been registered. The circular red object is the registration proof of issue by the local police. The upper portion read “Der Polizeiprälident” (Chief of Police) and below it would be the city name. It was not uncommon that civilian owned motorcycles were impressed into German military service given that demand for them was high.

     Finally, when this photograph was taken, the regimental headquarters staff for Artillerie-Regiment 110 had been attached to the I. Armeekorps (1st. Army Corps), 18. Armee (18th. Army) which was a part of Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North) during the invasion of Russia that commenced on June 22, 1941 with the launch of Unternehmen Barbarossa or Operation Barbarossa. By October 1941, it was subordinated to L. Armeekorps on several occasions. By the close of 1944, the unit was the 17. Armee and by the spring of 1945, it was under 1. Panzerarmee, LIX. Armeekorps in Silesia. As for the remainder of the unit, I.Abteilung (which encompassed three batteries) was assigned to Artillerie-Regiment 74 in 1939 and III.Abteilung (also three batteries) joined Artillerie-Regiment 74 on July 29, 1940. Artillerie-Regiment 110 was designated a heavy artillery regiment which meant it was equipped with 150mm or 170mm caliber guns.

Brewster Buffalo Mk. I, No. 453 Squadron RAAF

Source: SDASM Archives

     The Brewster Buffalo's history which started in 1937 when the prototype first flew to when the last Buffalo in Finnish service was stood down in 1948 is filled with praise as well as criticism. The Brewster XF2A-1 prototype first flew on December 2, 1937 and on December 8, 1939, VF-3 operating on the USS Saratoga received 10 F2A-1 fighters and in so doing, became the U.S. Navy's first monoplane fighter to enter service. The F2A-1 and later F2A-2 models were generally liked by naval aviators who while not finding the plane fast, liked its turn and roll ability thanks to its low wing loading. However, it was soon becoming clear the F2A's brief time in service was coming to an end as the design was eclipsed. This was even more clear when the F2A-3 model appeared which had additional fuel tankage, armor for the pilot, and larger ammunition capacity for the four 12.7mm M2 Browning machine-guns. This added weight ruined the handling characteristics of the previous models and reduced the speed and climb rate. The inability of the F2A airframe to take a larger engine made it impossible to compensate for the added weight. By December 1940, the F2A made way for the Grumman F4F Wildcat and numerous F2A aircraft were handed over to U.S. Marine Corps to equip several squadrons, the most notable being VMF-221 (the “Fighting Falcons”) who flew the F2A-3 during the Battle of Midway. Other U.S. Navy F2A aircraft were relegated to training units.

     The British got involved with the Brewster Buffalo when a batch of 32 Brewster B-339 (the export designation for de-navalized F2A-2) aircraft that had been allocated to ship to Belgium instead were diverted to England following the fall of Belgium to the Germans. The British found the B-339 wanting. Evaluation reports listed poor speed, weak armament, inferior high altitude performance, lack of pilot protection, engine faults, maintenance difficulty, and poor cockpit controls layout as flaws. At the same time, the reports praised the handling, cockpit size, and the visibility afforded the pilot. Nevertheless, the B-339 was deemed unfit for combat in the Western Theater but the desperate need for any combat capable aircraft to outfit British and British Commonwealth squadrons in the Pacific and Asian Theaters saw the British order 170 Brewster B-339E aircraft as the Brewster Buffalo Mk.I. These  aircraft were modified by adding armor, installing the British Mk.III reflector gun sight, adding a gun camera, and many other modifications. The result, much like the issues with the F2A-3, saw performance suffer from the added weight. Buffalo Mk.I planes were issued to two Royal Air Force (RAF) and two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadrons along with one Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) squadron. The photograph depicts one of these Buffalo Mk.I planes.

     Buffalo Mk.I W8202 was issued to No. 453 Squadron RAAF which was raised on May 23, 1941 and deployed to Singapore in August of that same year where it operated from RAF Sembawang. Once the crated aircraft were reassembled, issues soon arose. The addition of the armor plating disturbed the center of gravity which affected handling, especially in dives. The heat in the area of operations limited the Buffalo's ceiling and was a cause of oil seal failure in the engine which had the consequence of spraying oil across the canopy, blocking the pilot's view. Another constant headache was the inability of the M2 Browning weapons to fire due to issues with the solenoid firing mechanism. In some cases, the wing mounted guns were replaced with Browning .303 Mk. II weapons in order to at least attain some reliability. In service, some of the additions to the Buffalo were removed, to include the armor, bullet resistant canopy glass, gun camera, and anything else deemed unnecessary so as to lighten the aircraft. In addition, it was not uncommon for sorties to be conducted on half the petrol to further reduce the fighting weight. The problems were compounded by poor construction of the Buffaloes, lack of spare parts, and poorly trained maintenance personnel. Despite the many problems, some of the pilots appreciated the robustness of the Buffalo and its ability to withstand damage. 

     Returning to W8202, it was assigned to Pilot Officer F. Leigh “Curly” Bowes of A Flight, No. 453 Squadron. On August 27, 1941, Bowes took his Buffalo up on a flight for the first time. Unfortunately, upon returning to RAF Sembawang, he forgot to lower the landing gear and made a belly landing. Thankfully, W8202 wasn't severely damaged and it was sent to RAF Seletar in Singapore to be repaired and returned to service. Bowes suffered no injuries outside of, perhaps, a bruised ego. The Buffalo was able to compare favorably to the Nakajima Ki-27 fighter (codenamed “Nate”) but soon, the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (“Peregrine Falcon”; codenamed “Oscar”) appeared which outclassed the Buffalo. No. 453 Squadron drew its first blood on December 13, 1941 in the skies over Malaya when it tangled with Kawasaki Ki-48 light bombers (codenamed “Lily”) from the 75th. Sentai and Mitsubishi Ki-51 dive bombers (codenamed “Sonia”) from the 71st. Chutai along with escorting Ki-27 fighters. In the melee, two Ki-48s, one Ki-27, and three Ki-51s were downed with one Ki-48 being probable but at the cost of two Buffalo pilots. The unit had its largest aerial battle on December 22, 1941 when fourteen Buffaloes tangled with eighteen Ki-43 fighters from the 64th. Sentai. The Buffaloes claimed one Ki-43 confirmed and two Ki-43s as probable but at a loss of five Buffaloes with three pilots being killed. By now, the unit only had three functional Buffaloes and so the squadron was merged with No. 21 Squadron RAAF which was equally as depleted in terms of aircraft. No.21 Squadron RAAF had been formed on April 21, 1936 and had been deployed to Singapore in August 1940. Originally operating from RAF Seletar, it moved to RAF Sembawang where it fought alongside No. 453 Squadron. With the new unit, 21RAAF/453 Squadron, W8202 was now the mount of Sgt. Grant T. Harrison. Harrison was with No. 21 Squadron RAAF from the start. The end for W8202 came on January 12, 1942. 21RAAF/453 Squadron has been scrambled to strike Kuantan but thick cloud cover over the target area forced the unit to return. On the return flight, in heavy turbulence, a Buffalo flown by Flight Officer R.H. “Dainty” Wallace collided with Harrison flying W8202, shearing off the canopy and bending the propeller. With no power, Harrison was able to glide into a crash landing among trees near the Mersing River. Uninjured, Harrison made for the coast and after six days, was found by an Australian Army patrol. W8202 was never recovered.

     Harrison would not score any kills while flying the Buffalo though Bowes was credited with a probable kill of a Ki-48 on January 15, 1942. As for W8202, the wreck was discovered in 1962 and was in a relatively good state with each gun still loaded with 400 rounds of ammunition, the hydraulic system still had pressure, and the pilot oxygen bottle was still full. No. 390 Maintenance Unit of the RAF that was based at RAF Seletar, went to the wreck and removed the guns and ammunition. To this day, the wreck remains where it had crashed and the exact location has been kept secret to prevent the wreck from being looted. Other users of the Buffalo included the Netherlands and as already noted, the Finnish. It was in the hands of the Finnish that the Brewster really shined. Nicknamed, among others, the “Lentävä Kaljapullo” (“Flying Beer Bottle”), Finnish pilots flying the B-239E (the export designation of the de-navalised F2A-1) racked up impressive scores against all types of Soviet aircraft. One unit, Lentolaivue 24, shot down 477 Soviet aircraft between 1941 and 1945 while only losing 19 B-239E aircraft, a kill ratio of 26 to 1. This was even in the face of improved Soviet fighters and more experienced pilots. The last B-239E fighters, five in all, were stood down on September 14, 1948 and put into storage. Sadly, all five were scrapped in 1953.

Remnants of War: Type 96 15cm Howitzers, 4th. Artillery Regiment, 35th. Brigade

Source: A.A. Image

     On August 7, 1942, the 1st. Marine Division, 2nd. Marine Division, the 23rd. Infantry Division (the “American Division”), the 25th. Infantry Division, and other U.S. Forces commenced landings on the island of Guadalcanal. It was the opening salvo by the Allies who were now going on the offensive against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater. The Battle of Guadalcanal, code-named Operation Watchtower, raged for over 6 months, finally ending with an Allied victory on February 9, 1943. The Japanese forces who had been stationed on Guadalcanal since May 1942 were overwhelmed by the initial landings and subsequent battles. The Japanese high command had not expected such an attack and after the shock of it wore off, set about plans to land forces on Guadalcanal and evict the Allied forces from the island. Between August 18, 1942 through November 5, 1942, the Japanese thrust the 2nd. Infantry Division (nicknamed Isamu Heidan, the “Courageous Division”), the remains of the 38th. Infantry Division (nicknamed Numa Heidan, the “Swamp Division”), and elements of the 38th. Brigade onto the island in an effort to defeat Allied forces. In the end, it was all for naught. On February 7, 1943, the Japanese evacuated what forces they could, 10,200 in all, and left Guadalcanal in Allied hands for good. The Japanese lost 19,200 dead of which 8,500 were from combat with the rest dying from malnutrition and disease. The Allies also paid a heavy price with 7,100 dead with another 7,789 wounded.

     Today, the jungles of Guadalcanal remain littered with the debris of war. Some of it is vandalized or stolen by treasure seekers. But, some of the remains of the campaign have been collected together and preserved at the Vilu War Museum. Situated on grounds an hour away and west of the city of Honiara on Guadalcanal, the museum is difficult to find as there is little in the way of signage or promotion to direct visitors to it. Scattered about the property are relics of the conflict, located and brought to the land in the 1950s and 1960s by the current owner's father-in-law. Among the open air displays are these two Type 96 150mm howitzers.

     Development of the Type 96 began in 1920 as a replacement for the Type 4 150mm howitzer that had been in service since 1915. However, the new howitzer was not completed in prototype form until 1934 and even then, changes to the design would not see it put into production until 1937. A total of 440 examples were built and it never did replace the Type 4 which was still in service with the Imperial Japanese Army and would remain so until the end of the war. According to U.S. Intelligence sources (namely from the October 1944 dated manual TM-E 30-480), the Type 96 was considered an excellent gun in design, construction, and effectiveness. The Type 96 was able to fire an 80lb. high-explosive projectile out to a range of 6.2 miles and a good crew could maintain a rate of fire of six to eight rounds per minute. The Type 96 had a maximum elevation of 75 degrees, which was much higher than contemporary howitzers in the same caliber. This elevation, however, could only be achieved if a pit was dug beneath the breech to allow for loading. Without the pit, the maximum elevation was 45 degrees. The Type 96 used the same ammunition as the Type 4 which simplified logistics in regards to supply. The museum's Type 96 examples are devoid of the rubber shod, wooden wheels and the breech locks are missing. This may have been done by the Japanese prior to evacuating the island and thus rendering the guns useless or they may have been removed as a means to demilitarize the guns by Allied forces.

     It is difficult to guess to what unit these guns belonged but it is possible to make an educated guess. The 2nd. Infantry Division included the 2nd. Artillery Regiment. However, the artillery regiments of infantry divisions did not utilize heavy guns like the Type 96. Instead, they were often equipped with 75mm guns, such as the Type 95. The 38th. Infantry Division included the 38th. Mountain Gun Regiment but artillery units such as these, by this time, were equipped with the Type 94 or Type 41 75mm mountain gun. This, then, leaves the 4th. Artillery Regiment which was under the 35th. Brigade. While the 35th. Brigade also had the 10th. Mountain Gun Battalion and the 20th. Mountain Gun Battalion, neither was equipped with the Type 96 and so only the 4th. Artillery Regiment is left. The IJA utilized several non-divisional forces and included in these was the medium artillery regiment. Unlike regular divisional artillery regiments, often, these independent artillery regiments only contained two battalions rather than three. Such medium artillery regiments were equipped with twenty-four Type 96 howitzers. If the guns did indeed belong to the 2nd. Division, this would assume that the 2nd. Artillery Regiment was a mixed field artillery regiment in which one of the three battalions was a medium artillery battalion equipped with seven Type 96 guns. The only other option was that the 2nd. Division was considered a “strengthened division” which meant that the unit's artillery assets would be increased to include a medium artillery battalion but there is no documentation that I found which says when the 2nd. Division deployed to Guadalcanal, it was a strengthened division.

Avia B.534: Pre-War Fighter Excellence

Source: Author's collection

     The Avia B.534 is considered by some to be the most important Czechoslovakian aircraft built during the 1930s and was certainly the most well known to many nations of the time. It was also the most prolific in terms of production numbers with 566 of all B.534 types being constructed. The man behind the B.534 was František Novotný and throughout 1932, he designed the B.34/2 with the first prototype taking to the air on May 25, 1933. The aircraft, now designated the B.534-I, was turned over for testing and on September 10, 1933, the public got to see the new fighter at an exhibition. The second prototype was completed in late September 1933 and featured a fully enclosed cockpit. Extensive testing was carried out through the first half of 1934 with April 14, 1934 standing out when test pilot Václav Kočí flew the second prototype to a Czech national speed record of 227.2mph. The Czech Air Force (Vzdušné Síly) finally put in an order for the B.534 on July 14, 1934 with an initial purchase of 34 aircraft with first deliveries occurring in October 1935. The most numerous version in service was the B.534-IV, with 253 being built, and that is the aircraft shown here.

     The B.534-IV was powered by a Hispano-Suiza HS 12Ydrs 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled V engine developing 850 horsepower which gave the aircraft a top speed of 245mph at 14,435 feet and a climb rate of 2,953 feet per minute. The B.534-IV had a wingspan of 30.1 feet, a length of 26.1 feet, height of 10.2 feet, and a wing area of 253.61 square feet. Armament consisted of four 7.92x57mm Kulomet vz. 30 machine-guns fitted in the forward fuselage with 250 to 300 rounds of ammunition per gun. If need be, six 22 pound bombs or four 44 pound bombs can be carried on underwing racks. The loaded weight of the B.534-IV was 4,674 pounds and with full tanks, the fighter had a range of 360 miles. At the time the B.354-IV entered service, it was superior to many of the fighters fielded by the British, U.S., and the Soviet Union. In fact, even in 1937, the B.534 stood up well against many fighters, only being truly bested by the Messerschmitt Bf 109B.

     The aircraft in the photograph belonged to the Slovak Air Force (Slovenské Vzdušné Zbrane) which came into existence when the Slovak State (Slovenský Štát) began on March 14, 1939 following its declaration of independence from Czechoslovakia. A client state of Germany, Slovak forces participated in the German invasion of Poland, the only other Axis country to do so. Slovak units under Field Army Bernolák (Slovenská Poľná Armádna Skupina "Bernolák") fought in Poland from September 1 through September 16, 1939, subordinated to the German 14. Armee under Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South). The Slovaks were victorious in seizing territory in a disputed region along the Poland-Slovakia border. Later, in 1941, the Slovak Expeditionary Army Group and later the Pilfousek Brigade fought in Russia, being attached to the German 17. Armee. However, the Slovak forces lacked command structure, had logistical problems, and were short on motorized transports and despite seeing some frontline combat, were usually relegated to rear-area security operations. Involved in the Russian campaign were three Slovak Air Force squadrons. The B.534-IV aircraft used by the Slovak Air Force had been former Czech Air Force planes but by mid-1942, the fighter was long eclipsed by superior designs and was removed from front-line service and distributed to training units.

     The B.534-IV seen here has a German Balkenkreuz painted on the fuselage, no doubt to aid in identification and prevent friendly fire incidents. The emblem on the tail rudder was that of the Slovak Air Force and consisted of a double cross on a field within a circle. In this case, the cross is blue on a red field within a white circle. Some aircraft had a red cross on a blue field. This emblem was repeated on the top of the wings and on the bottom of the lower wings. In addition, some B.534-IV aircraft added the German Balkenkreuz beside the Slovak emblems. Later, Slovak Air Force aircraft used their own version of the Balkenkreuz that consisted of a blue cross with white borders with a red circle in the center. The overall color was a dark green with whitish-gray undersides.

     The Slovak Air Force ceased to be when the Slovak State came to an end on April 4, 1945 when Slovakia fell to the Russians during the Bratislava–Brno Offensive and both Slovakia and Moravia were returned to Czechoslovakia. Other users of the B.534-IV during the war was Bulgaria which operated some 48 to 78 aircraft (which they called the “Dogan“, or Hunting Hawk), Germany (mostly as training aircraft and glider tugs), and Romania (which used several as glider tugs). 

     Today, no complete B.534 exists in the world. A replica B.534-IV is on display at the Prague Aviation Museum in Kbely, Czechoslovakia while another replica, a cannon-armed Bk.534 variant, is on display at the Slovak Technical Museum at Košice International Airport, Slovakia. Both replicas incorporate some original parts but the majority of the components had to be fabricated. There is also a airworthy replica, though not to scale (it is 30% smaller than the actual B.534) that was built by Stanislav Fiala starting in 2002. The first flight took place in 2009 but following testing, needed modifications which made Ultralight certification difficult. It was not until October 2012 was the replica certified and it carries the code OK-QAB-1. Power comes from a Walter Mikron III engine with the frame being chrome-molybdenum tubing with wooden wings and tail surfaces. The plane is painted in the colors of the 1. Letecky Pluk (1st. Air Regiment), either the 32. Letka or 34. Letka (32nd. or 34th. Squadron), of the Czech Air Force.