Obermaschinist Rudolf Zölk: eBay Auction Misinformation

     If one isn't careful, eBay is a place in which sellers unintentionally or intentionally misrepresent the merchandise they offer. This particular photograph is one of those cases. The seller listed the name as Rudolf Zölk, holding the rank of Kapitän zur See (literally Captain at Sea) on the submarine U-123. At $3.99, the reproduction of the genuine photograph isn't too bad except that Zölk was not a line officer. To boost the eyes on the auction and entice sales, the seller included the word “Hardegen” and this was in reference to the actual captain of U-123, Korvettenkapitän Reinhard Hardegen. Hardegen was one of the more successful U-boat captains and during his command which ran from May 19, 1941 to July 31, 1942, 221 total days at sea, he sank 22 ships totaling 115,656 gross register tonnage sent to the bottom. 19 of these ships were torpedoed off the U.S. east coast and in Canadian waters.

     Returning to Zölk, he held the rank of Obermaschinist and this can be told by his schulterstücke (shoulderboards). The pointed shape of the schulterstücke denoted a sailor within the Unteroffiziere mit Portepee ranks which, more or less, was the U.S. Navy equivalent to Petty Officers. Zölk's specific rank is shown by the two rank pips which was the equivalent to a Senior Chief Petty Officer. His naval profession, that of machinist, was denoted by a cypher situated between the two pips. It consisted of a anchor with the anchor's shaft running between two stylized gears. As a machinist on U-123, his duty tasks included the maintenance and repair propulsion equipment, auxiliary equipment, boilers, pumps, engines, and even mess equipment such as refrigerators, stoves, etc. In addition to being able to maintain and fix such equipment, he also had to know how to operate it.

     As far as awards, Zölk was certainly well decorated. From his awards, U-123 was certainly not his first duty station. This is told by the Kriegsabzeichen für Minensuch-, U-Boot-Jagd- und Sicherungsverbände (Minesweepers, Sub-Chasers and Escort-Vessel War Badge). This was awarded to those men that served on minesweeper ships and could be received under several conditions including simply serving on such a ship for 25 days of escort duty all the way to earning the badge for his ship being sunk from enemy action. The badge represented a geyser of water rising from waves, surrounded by a gold wreath. Above this badge is the U-Boot-Kriegsabzeichen (U-Boat War Badge) and this was typically earned by being part of two war patrols with each patrol sometimes lasting months at sea. Above that badge, and having the highest order of precedence, is the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class). Zölk has three ribbons but of the three, the only one which is identifiable is the Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung (Long Service Award). This was a blue ribbon which had a eagle (adler) device affixed to it. If only by the appearance of the eagle, it may be the second lowest grade which was for 12 years of service. Through the buttonhole is the ribbon for the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class). However, the most notable award is that of the Spanien-Kreuz (Spanish Cross) which is partially visible. This meant that Zölk likely served on one of the Kriegsmarine ships dispatched to Spain as part of Nordseegruppe (North Sea Group) during the Spanish Civil War. German forces were active in the conflict from July 29, 1936 through May 26, 1939.

     On May 17, 1944, Zölk was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold) and because this decoration is not shown on his uniform in this image, we can date the photograph to sometime earlier. This prestigious award was received for repeated acts of valor or multiple outstanding achievements.

 

SS-Rottenführer: SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Deutschland"

     A studio portrait of a SS-Rottenführer belonging to the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Deutschland" which was a part of the 2. SS-Panzerdivision "Das Reich". His rank is denoted by the sleeve chevron while his unit affiliation is evidenced by the cuff title on the sleeve of his feldbluse. Speaking of the feldbluse, he is wearing Die Feldbluse Modell 1936, often called the M36 feldbluse by modern collectors and the more evident features of the M36 included the dark blue-green collar, the three-pointed pocket flaps, and the box pleats on the pockets themselves. Despite being a pre-World War Two feldbluse, it continued to be worn during the early war years. However, the M36 was superceeded by the Feldbluse Modell 1940, or M40, which did away with the blue-green collar and replaced it with a collar using the same feldgrau (“field gray“) color as the rest of the feldbluse. Interestingly, some soldiers liked the look of the M36 and kept it for as long as possible or modified later feldbluse by stitching a salvaged collar from a M36 over the existing collar. The piping on his uniform's shoulderboards (schulterstücke) as well as the piping on his uniform cap (schirmmütze) is white, the waffenfarbe (meaning, corps or branch color) for infantry and panzergrenadiers. Speaking of the schirmmütze, it was a popular piece of headgear for NCOs (non-commissioned officers) who often removed the cap spring which kept the rigidity of the schirmmütze. This allowed it to be shaped by wear, giving it a “crushed“ look which became a sign of a veteran soldier. Given the pinched appearance of this man's cap on either side of the metal eagle, it is evidence that he has taken the spring out though he may have primped the cap up to make it more regulation appearing for this formal photograph.

     On the right upper pocket is a signal whistle, something often carried by NCOs who led men into battle. The whistle is tucked into the pocket with only the lanyard visible. A loop on one end of the lanyard secured it around the pocket's button. For decorations, he has earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class) whose ribbon has been sewn through the feldbluse's button hole. On his upper left pocket is the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class), Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge), and a Verwundetenabzeichen 3. Klasse (Wound Badge 3rd. Class) as evidenced by it being painted black. The single ribbon seen above the left pocket is most likely the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal). This particular award is more often called the Ostmedaille (Eastern Medal) by collectors but during the war, given it was earned by seeing combat on the Eastern Front, German troops called it the “Gefrierfleischorden“ which meant “Order of the Frozen Meat“. This was because one of the ways to get the medal was to suffer a frozen limb which was severe enough to warrant being awarded a Wound Badge.

 

Private First Class Floyd L. Rogers: Sniper Killing BAR Gunner

     Private First Class Floyd L. Rogers of C Company, 38th. Infantry Regiment, 2nd. Infantry Division poses for a photographer somewhere in the north of France on June 29, 1944. Rogers was part of a heavy weapons platoon, led by Technical Sergeant Frank Kwiatek. Kwiatek had a score to settle with the Germans when one of his two brothers, Ted Kwiatek, was killed in action during the combat in Sicily, having served as a gunner in a tank crew. A few weeks later, his other brother, Jerry, was killed during the battles in Italy proper. Kwiatek was featured in an article by Sgt. Walter Peters in Yank magazine where he discussed his methods for dealing with German snipers which were a ever present threat as the Allies moved through France. Included in the article was mention of Rogers. Rogers was born on November 29, 1919 in Rising Star, Texas and at the time of the photograph, he was 24.

     There appears to be some confusion on the number of kills Rogers was credited with. Most sources give a count of 27 and this appears to be confirmed in General Orders No.32 issued through the 2nd. Infantry Division headquarters in 1944 when Rogers was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in actions which took place on June 11, 1944 in France. Interestingly, it was said Rogers was part of the Rangers which suggests that he had been selected to attend the Ranger Battle Training Course. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) from select infantry regiments, which included the 38th. Infantry Regiment, attended the two month course at Camp McCoy (in Wisconsin) that started on April 12, 1943 and concluded on June 5, 1943 and graduates from the course were sent back to the units they came from albeit far more highly trained and adding capable NCO leadership to those units. Thus, while Rogers likely received this specialized Ranger training, he was not a part of any of the Ranger battalions created during World War Two. Returning to the Silver Star, this is the third highest award a soldier can receive for valor in combat. The 2nd. Infantry Division, in total, had 741 personnel decorated with the Silver Star during World War Two.

     It is said that Rogers used his M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) to vanquish the 27 men which had all been called snipers. The BAR was not a new weapon, having been introduced into service in 1918 and being first blooded in combat on September 13, 1918 in the hands of the 79th. Infantry Division. Typically chambered for the .30-06 Springfield round, the BAR usually used a 20-round magazine and it was deployed as a light machine gun. The U.S. Army did not issue the BAR in large numbers until 1938 when it began to be used as a squad automatic weapon. By World War Two, the main BAR model in use was the M1918A2 though earlier models were also issued to meet the soldier's demand for the hard hitting weapon. Some debate whether or not some of the men Rogers killed were genuine snipers as the BAR was not exactly conductive to precision shooting. It was not uncommon for the Germans to leave behind one or two soldiers to harass Allied troops. The trained and skilled snipers typically were found in German companies, battalions, and other higher echelon formations. At the platoon level, some German soldiers were given the designation of sniper but had no formal training at all. Other Germans who may have been encountered alone or in pairs included artillery forward observers and reconnaissance troops. While not taking away from Rogers' accomplishments, it is possible that some of those in his kill score were not specifically snipers.

     Of interest is that Rogers is wearing a helmet cover made of German Buntfarbenaufdruck 31 (literally “Colorful Print 31”) camouflage material. More commonly known as Splittermuster (“Splinter Pattern”), it was introduced in 1931 and continued in use throughout World War Two. The camouflage was mainly used for zeltbahn, tarnhemd (smocks), and tarnhelmüberzug (helmet covers). Rogers likely used a swath taken from a smock or zeltbahn to fashion his helmet cover. Also, he has removed his rank from the sleeves as evidenced by the loose threads where the rank patches would have been. He carries a total of twelve magazines for his BAR (not including the one in the weapon) and a Mk.2 fragmentation grenade is also visible. Finally, he has the M1910 entrenching tool but has cut down the shaft, eliminating the T-handle end.

     PFC Rogers did not survive the war. On July 12, 1944, he was killed in action. It was the very same day he posted his Silver Star to his mother, Anne Belle Rogers. He was returned to Rising Star, Texas and was buried in the Rising Star Cemetery in Rising Star, Eastland County off County Road 273.

     As for Frank Kwiatek, he survived the war, having a kill score of 38. Later, in 1947, at the rank of Master Sergeant, he would be decorated with the Medal of Honor for his service.

British Medium Mk. A Whippet: In Japanese Service

     Parallel to the development of British heavy tanks in World War One was the creation of a cavalry tank that could exploit any breakthroughs made by the heavier tanks. Work began on the new tank in October 1916 with metal being cut on the prototype on December 21, 1916. The work was completed on February 3, 1917 and trails commenced on March 3, 1917. Following the demonstration of the tank, given the designation Medium Mark A but nicknamed the Whippet, an order of 200 examples was given with the first to be delivered on July 31, 1917.

     Originally, the Whippet was given a rotating turret off an Austin armored car but this was dropped in favor of a fixed, rear mounted turret. Armament consisted of four, ball-mounted .303 Hotchkiss machine-guns, one on each face of the turret. The Whippet was powered by two 4-cylinder Tylor Twin engines, each driving one set of tracks. In addition, each engine had its own gearbox and transmission which could be locked together when the tank was driving in a straight line. This rather complex drive train required significant training on the part of the driver in order to master the handling of the tank. In order to turn the Whippet, the transmissions had to be uncoupled and one engine revved up and the other powered down in order to effect the change in direction. The driver was provided with a steering wheel whose mechanism automatically adjusted the engines accordingly. In practice, the gradual steering often failed, causing the tank to veer off course. Drivers, knowing the problems with the regular steering mechanism, would use the brakes to effect turns or would bring the tank to a halt, lock a track side, then turn which sometimes led to the Whippet throwing or breaking a track due to the jerky motions. For armor, the Whippet had a maximum of 14mm which was proof against German armor-piercing ammunition as used in their machine-guns and small arms though it was completely vulnerable to anti-tank guns and artillery. In terms of speed, the Whippet could muster a top speed of 8mph which was double that of the main British heavy tank, the Mark IV. The Whippet had a three man crew that consisted of the commander, the driver, and the gunner. The latter had his work cut out for him given he had to man four weapons within the confines of the turret. In some cases, the commander would assist or a second gunner was crammed into the fighting compartment.

     Following World War One, the Whippet was eventually replaced by the Medium Mark B and Medium Mark C which left examples of the Whippet as surplus and at this stage, the Japanese entered the picture. As Japan sought to modernize its military in the 1920s, it did so in three major ways. The first was to send personnel abroad to the major military powers (like Britain and France) to study the military technology of those countries. The second way was for Japanese companies to hire foreign engineers and designers and the third way was to purchase foreign designs with which to study. When World War One ended, the Japanese looked to Britain and France to purchase tanks. The first order was for a single Mark IV heavy tank (some sources state a Mark V tank) while a second purchase, done in 1919, was for six Medium Mark A Whippet tanks along with thirteen Renault FT light tanks (called the Ko-Gata Sensha in Japanese service). The photograph shows one of the Japanese Whippet tanks being demonstrated before a crowd of military personnel.

     The Whippet tanks the Japanese obtained were production models as evidenced by the four mud chutes on the tank as the prototypes had five. Exhaust smoke from the engine is obscuring some of the features of the tank but the fixed turret is evident though devoid of any armament. It is possible that the demonstration was done soon after the Whippets were received in Japan as the original British white/red/white identification striping on the front of the tracks is still visible. Later photographs of the Whippets do not show this and stars were added to the front of the hull which suggests the tanks had been later repainted. The Japanese retained the Whippets in service until 1929 but by then, Japanese industry was already developing their own indigenous tank, the Type 87 Chi-I medium tank. 

The Model of 1941 Johnson Rifle: Domestic Failure but Foreign Success

(Photograph from the Dutch Nationaal Archief)

     Very much overshadowed by the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle was the Model of 1941 Johnson Rifle. The designation Model of 1941 is no grammatical mistake as the naming was meant to convey that the rifle had been accepted by the U.S. military even when it hadn't. Melvin Johnson developed the rifle and after informally demonstrating the weapon to the U.S. Army in June 1938, the rifle was seen favorably to give it an official testing in August 1938 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds by the U.S. Army's Ordnance Department. The Johnson rifle was put up against the new M1 Garand and for the most part, found favor save a few minor concerns that Johnson rapidly corrected. The revised rifle was again put to the test in December 1939 but following the Ordnance Department's official final report on the testing issued in February 23, 1940, the Johnson rifle was found to have no significant advantages over the M1 Garand. This did not spell the end for the Johnson rifle as the M1 had some early “teething” problems of its own which made public headlines that even had Congress threatening to withhold funding for further M1 Garand purchases. Yet another competition between the M1 and the Johnson rifle was held on May 5, 1940 but once more, it did not win out against the M1. Some felt Johnson was dealt a bad hand and the competitions were rigged to the point in December 1940, the War Department had to issue a statement proclaiming there were no shenanigans and the testing between the two rifles was fair. Shot down twice by the U.S. Army, Melvin Johnson went to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to interest them in the rifle only to be denied once again following a shoot-off between the M1 Garand and the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle (used as a control rifle) in which the M1 was deemed superior. With no U.S. military orders, Johnson had little option but to push export sales, the rifle often being called the M1941 Johnson Rifle in pitches to foreign buyers.

     The M1941 Johnson Rifle was chambered for the .30-06 Springfield round and a rotary magazine held ten rounds. The magazine could be fed singly or it could use the five-round stripper clip of the M1903 Springfield rifle to more quickly load the weapon. Total length of the M1941 was 3.8 feet long and had a loaded weight of 9.5 pounds. The M1941 used a short-recoil action with a rotating bolt. The usage of a short-recoil system was one of the main problems with the M1941. In short, upon firing, both the bolt and the barrel travel backwards. The barrel is stopped and the bolt continues backwards, ejecting the round. As the bolt rides back forward, it feeds a new round into the barrel and then pushes the barrel back into battery. This type of recoil system led to wider shot dispersion and while the M1941 could be fitted with a 8 inch triangular “spike” bayonet, attaching the bayonet to the barrel added enough weight to cause stoppages. In truth, the bayonet was an afterthought, included only as selling point for potential customers. The M1941 was unsuited for bayoneting as it risked damaging the rifle, the bayonet had no use outside of being attached to the rifle (and it had no true handle at all), and it was sometimes referred to as a “tent peg”. Muzzle velocity was 2,840 feet per second and the round was suitable for shots up to 1,000 yards using the rifle's iron sights.

     Johnson's efforts to obtain foreign sales paid off when the Netherlands ordered 70,000 examples in late 1941 to equip the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (KNIL; Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) in the face of the looming Japanese attacks on Dutch holdings such as Java and Sumatra. The only change to the rifle was using meters instead of yards on the graduating sight. However, just under 2,000 M1941 rifles reached the Dutch East Indies before the Japanese completed their domination of the region by March of 1942. The Dutch government in exile (Nederlandse regering in ballingschap) embargoed some 33,000 rifles to prevent them from being captured by the Japanese while the remainder of the Dutch order was completed by Johnson (via the Cranston Arms Company) and kept in storage by the company. 

     Some of these rifles, however, were distributed and used to equip the Surinaamse Schutterij, the Surinamese Militia. At the time of World War Two, Suriname (located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America) was a Dutch colony and the country was an important exporter of oil, rubber, and bauxite, a rock that contains a high content of aluminum. Aware of the Japanese threat, the Dutch government in exile (as the Germans had conquered the Netherlands in May 1940) permitted the deployment of U.S. troops in November 1941 to Suriname (as well as the Antilles and Dutch Guiana) to protect these vital industries. The presence of U.S. troops in the Dutch colonies was seen by some as a threat to colonial rule by the Dutch governors of the territories, thinking the troops would remain permanently. In Suriname, the Surinaamse Schutterij was raised and supported U.S. troops in protecting important industrial facilities and ports. These men, photographed in Paramaribo (the capital city of Suriname) in 1942 during a visit by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, are dressed in the Dutch M1937 service uniform which was made of gray-green cotton material (called Garoet-B). The tunic was closed by seven brass buttons, had two pleated upper pockets and two lower patch pockets with all of the pockets having pointed flaps. Their headgear, however, isn't Dutch but looks to be patterned after British army side caps. For equipment, the men have brown leather belts and Y-straps to which a single M1931 ammunition pouch (normally used for the 6.5mm Mannlicher M95 carbine) has been fitted. None of the visible men have any rank. The rotary magazine of the M1941 Johnson Rifle is very much evident here as is the bayonet fitted to the barrels. The lack of a true handle and the spike nature of the bayonet is clear and illustrates how useless it was for anything else. Ultimately, neither the Japanese nor the Germans threatened Suriname though German U-boats shelled an oil refinery in Aruba (another Dutch colony) in February 1942. In September 1943, Suriname was deemed safe and the regular U.S. Army troops were replaced by Puerto Rican troops from the 65th. Infantry Regiment. These men were the last U.S. forces in Suriname, finally leaving in October 1947. 

     As for the M1941 Johnson Rifle, the USMC ultimately made a small purchase of the rifle to equip the 1st. Parachute Battalion on account the M1941's barrel was easily detached which made it shorter, important for combat drops. The unit was never deployed as airborne troops and saw action in the Solomons in 1942. However, they were rapidly replaced by the M1 Garand. Other U.S. users included the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the 1st. Special Service Force (the “Red Devils”). Other foreign users included the Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres) during World War Two and after the war, the largest user was Chile who equipped her navy with 1,000 M1941 Johnson Rifles chambered in 7X57mm Mauser.

     Following World War Two, most of the M1941 Johnson Rifles were demilitarized by destroying them. The fate of the Dutch weapons stored by Cranston Arms is believed to have been one of destruction or shipped to the Dutch after the war. The embargoed weapons were purchased by the Winfield Arms company sometime in 1953 and were sold into the 1960s before their supply ran out. Today, the Model of 1941/M1941 Johnson Rifle is much sought after by collectors and commands a high price when in good condition.

Canon de 32 Modèle 1870/84 à Glissement: Seeing Action in Two World Wars

(From a stereoscope card. Author's collection)

     Somewhere near the French city of Reims, a battery of French Canon de 32 Modèle 1870/84 à Glissement railway guns fire on German positions, likely during the Second Battle of the Marne which raged from July 15, 1918 to August 6, 1918. In 1915, thirty of these railway guns were constructed by the Schneider-Creusot company using former Canon de 32C Modèle 1870/84 coastal defense guns. The 320mm (32cm) gun was capable of firing a 855lb. high-explosive shell to a maximum range of 13 miles and a skilled crew could maintain a rate of fire of one round every four minutes. The carriage was designed by Schneider-Creusot to house the guns and consisted of a rectangular steel base on two, five-axle bogies. The gun used a sliding recoil system (Glissement) in which the gun cradle slid backward to absorb some of the recoil forces before having to be pushed back into battery. For firing, the gun could be elevated from 3 degrees to a maximum of 40 degrees. However, given the gun itself had no means of traverse, special curved track had to be constructed at the firing site in order to move the entire carriage along the track to obtain traverse. The curved track provided from 2 degrees of traverse up to 15 degrees. Any further angling risked instability when firing. To stabilize the carriage, once the firing position was selected, heavy wooden beams were used to reinforce the rail bed and then steel beams underneath the carriage were lowered onto the tracks and the carriage lifted onto jacks. The steel beams utilized friction between them and the track to further reduce the recoil effects. The apparatus on the back of the carriage was the shell hoist and the ammunition was in two parts, the projectile and the powder bag. The guns entered service in 1916 and served throughout the remainder of World War One and after the conflict ended, some were put into reserve.

     When World War Two began, eight Canon de 32 Modèle 1870/84 à Glissement railway guns were taken out of reserve and assigned to the 373e Regiment Artillerie Lourde sur Voie Ferrée (ALVF; Heavy Artillery on Railroad) with four guns placed with the 7e Bataillon ALVF and four with the 8e Bataillon AVLF. Both battalions were held in reserve at Seppois-le-Haut but in short order, the 7e Bataillon AVLF deployed to Hirtzbach while the 8e Bataillon AVLF was sent to Steinsoultz. Both of these locations were in the Alsace region of north-eastern France, near the German border. Following the German invasion, these guns plus one additional example were captured and put into German service under the designation 32 cm K(E) 657(f).

Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II "324": Knocked Out At Lake Balaton

     On March 1, 1945, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509 (s.Pz.Abt. 509; Heavy Tank Battalion 509) was attached to the III. Panzer-Korps with 25 Tiger II heavy tanks listed as operational. Situated in the Hungarian town of Falubattyán, the mechanics of s.Pz.Abt. 509 toiled for the next three days to bring as many tanks back to operational status as they could. Their efforts paid off and by March 4, the battalion had 32 tanks ready for combat. They did not have long to wait. That day, orders were received to move towards the Hungarian village of Seregélyes in order to deal with dug-in IS-2 heavy tanks from one of the units belonging to the Soviet 2nd. Ukrainian Front. These tanks had stalled a German attack as the Panther tanks supporting the effort could not neutralize the IS-2s from a range of 2,000 meters. There was a very good reason the Panther tanks were attempting to engage at long range. In order for the 7.5cm KwK 42 L/70 gun of the Panther to guarantee penetration of the thick (up to 160mm) frontal armor of the IS-2, the gunner had to engage at a range of 600 meters or less. However, the IS-2's 122mm D25-T gun could punch through the front armor of a Panther at 1,000 meters. Although the Panther could go through the side armor of a IS-2 at 2,000 meters, the Soviet tankers were not giving them the opportunity to get such shots. On March 5, the battalion moved out at dusk but many of the tanks become mired in the mud which delayed their arrival near Seregélyes until March 6. The battalion had to leave some of the tanks behind where they bogged down so as to avoid further delays. Two of the battalion's tanks took the IS-2s under fire from long range where the 8.8cm KwK 43 L/71 guns of the Tigers were able to knock out six of the Soviet tanks and the German attack was able to continue. Unfortunately, the battalion had to wait until a railway bridge crossing the Dinnyés–Kajtori Channel was repaired. The bridge was opened on March 7 and the battalion moved across and assumed supporting positions.

     After consolidation, the German forces pushed forward towards the town of Gárdony beginning on March 10. The battalion, at this time, was down to 26 operational Tiger II tanks. After hard fighting, Gárdony was bypassed and the town of Velenczefürdö was taken on March 12 with the battalion destroying twenty Soviet assault guns in the action. On March 13, the battalion linked up with Kampfgruppe Bradel between Velenczefürdö and Tükröspuszta and during the advance, ran into a Soviet minefield that was overwatched by no less than twenty-four ISU-152 assault guns. The ISU-152 was nicknamed by Soviet crews as the “Zveroboy” or “Beast Killer” and this was because of the massive 152mm ML-20S gun-howitzer's 100lb. armor-piercing and high-explosive shells that had the potential to devastate an enemy tank if the round hit. In addition, the frontal armor of the ISU-152 was between 90mm to 120mm thick. Fortunately for the Tiger II tank crews, the ISU-152's gun was situated in a superstructure rather than in a turret which meant the entire vehicle had to be moved to traverse the gun. Also, the ISU-152 wasn't meant for anti-tank combat because the fire controls and sighting for the ML-20S were not optimized for such engagements. By consequence, accuracy beyond 1,000 meters was poor and even when firing APBC (Armor-Piercing Ballistic Capped) rounds, at 1,000 meters, the round could only penetrate 95mm of armor at a 60 degree slope. This was not enough to penetrate the 100mm to 180mm of frontal armor the Tiger II carried. Still, the concussive force of impacts from the ML-20S was enough to damage the Tiger II as well as injure crewmen. The battalion deployed 16 tanks to deal with the ISU-152s while German combat engineers cleared the minefield. In the ensuing engagement, three of the Tigers were knocked out with the remaining thirteen tanks suffering heavy damage. Despite the punishment dealt out by the Soviets, two of the Tigers advanced through a corridor made in the minefield and they overran the Soviet position, knocking out the last of the ISU-152s.

     On March 14, s.Pz.Abt. 509 withdrew back to Seregélyes in order to lick their wounds. Recovery parties were dispatched to extract the mired down Tigers and return them to Seregélyes while repairs got underway around the clock. By the next day, the battalion had eight tanks listed as operational. Repairs would continue until March 18 when the roster was up to 20 tanks as operational. At this stage, the battalion was deployed southeast of the Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweißenburg in German) in order to keep the roads from Geregelyes and Dinnyes open. However, on March 21, the battalion was sent back towards Falubattyán in order to stymie a Soviet push towards Polgari. There, the battalion covered German forces until March 23 when the tanks were sent to Sandorka under the cover of darkness and that same day, engaged the flanks of Soviet armor thrusts near Küngös and Papkeszi. The next day, the battalion assumed positions along a ridge on the northwest side of Lake Balaton. Here, they repulsed numerous Soviet tank attacks, destroying eight T-34 medium tanks and eight IS-2 heavy tanks but at a loss of three of their own. And one of the losses is the subject of the photograph.

     The photograph depicts Tiger II “324” of s.Pz.Abt. 509. The tactical number meant it belonged to the 3rd. Kompanie, 2nd. Zug (platoon), and was the fourth tank in the platoon. It is likely that this image was taken following the war as it appears to be in the process of being broken down. This is evidenced by the missing tracks, road wheels, front drive sprockets, and much of the exterior pieces such as the track links, tow cabling, etc. What took out “324” is difficult to say though judging by the scorching on the very back of the turret, it may have come from a hit or hits to the rear side or direct rear of the tank which set the engine compartment on fire. The “57” painted on the gun mantlet may be a cataloging number used by the scrappers to identify the wreck. There appears to be some writing on the turret side but it is difficult to make out.

     Returning to s.Pz.Abt. 509, on March 25, the remaining 27 tanks were refueled and ammunition was replenished. By now, the unit was in retreat in the face of continued Soviet advances. On the road march towards the Austrian border, fuel turned into a serious difficulty. The Tiger II only had a maximum range of 75 miles on the road (less off-road) and this was because the Maybach HL230P30 engine consumed two gallons of fuel per mile from the tank's maximum fuel capacity of 227 gallons. Thus, the battalion was faced with a hard decision given fuel was running low. The choice was made to drain what fuel remained from fourteen of the tanks and top off the rest of the Tigers so they could continue on. The now drained tanks had demolition charges set and were blown up, leaving s.Pz.Abt. 509 with only thirteen tanks left by the time the unit crossed into Austria near the town of Heiligenkreuz im Lafnitztal on March 31. As the weeks went on, the battalion was whittled down until by May 8, 1945, it had no tanks left. The next day, what remained of the unit surrendered to elements of the U.S. 3rd. Army near the city of Kaplice, Czechoslovakia (Kaplitz in German).

Acting Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips: 1st. The Queen's Dragoon Guards

     Acting Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips, husband (at the time) of Princess Anne, sits in the driver’s station of a FV101 Scorpion Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)). The Associated Press photograph was taken January 7, 1974, under one year after the Scorpion entered service with the British Army. Phillips, an officer in 1st. The Queen's Dragoon Guards, was test driving the new Scorpion at the Driving and Maintenance School housed in Bovington, England. 

     Not much of the Scorpion can be seen outside of the barrel of the low velocity 76mm L23A1 gun and the coaxial 7.62mm machine-gun along with a bank of smoke grenade dischargers. The Scorpion remained in active service with the British Army until 1994 when they were withdrawn from front line use and currently, they are utilized for training. The Scorpion also saw much success as an exported weapon system with some 17 countries still actively utilizing the vehicle. The chassis of the Scorpion was also the basis for several derivative vehicles to include the FV103 Spartan APC (armored personnel carrier), FV104 Samaritan armored ambulance, and FV106 Samson recovery vehicle among others. Many of these remain in service with the British Army as well as with export customers. The Scorpion would see combat during the Falklands War (deployed with elements from the Blues and Royals cavalry regiment) and also the Gulf War (with 1st. The Queen's Dragoon Guards). 

     As for Phillips, after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in July 1969 and in short order, attained the rank of Lieutenant in January 1971. By the time this photograph was taken, Phillips had married Princess Anne (in November 1973) and was appointed personal aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II. He attained the rank of Captain in July 1975 and would retire from the Army on March 30, 1978. 

     Phillips, an accomplished equestrian, remains involved in the sport to this day.

Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II "03": Broke Down Outside Villers-la-Bonne-Eau

(U.S. Army Signal Corps)

      Villers-la-Bonne-Eau was a section of the city of Bastogne and the site of a vicious battle between elements of the U.S. 137th. Infantry Regiment, 35th. Infantry Division and numerous German forces including elements of the 7. Armee Oberkommando and 6. Panzerarmee. From December 28, 1944 to January 10, 1945, the two sides fought back and forth to the point that little was left of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau when the 137th. Infantry Regiment finally evicted the Germans from the village on January 11, 1945. 

     Involved in the combat was Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 (s PzAbt 506; Heavy Tank Battalion 506) that fell under the order of battle for the 6. Panzerarmee. The unit transitioned to the Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B (better known as the “Königstiger” [“King Tiger”] or simply Tiger II) tank between August 20, 1944 and September 12, 1944 when it received 45 of them and soon after, s PzAbt 506 was involved in numerous skirmishes with 36 tanks operational just before the battle for Villers-la-Bonne-Eau. 

     Following the withdrawal from Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, s PzAbt 506 was down to 33 tanks (despite a report by an inspector stating the unit was at full strength!). Tiger II “03” in the photograph belonged to the Stab eines Panzerbataillons (Battalion Staff) of s PzAbt 506 which consisted of three Tiger II tanks in all (“01” and “02” being the others). It was abandoned outside Villers-la-Bonne-Eau sometime around January 13, 1945 when it broke down due to damage to its final drive. An attempt was made to recover it but was unsuccessful and so the tank fell into U.S. hands more or less intact.

Curtiss B-2 Condor: Coast to Coast Flight

     Pilots and crew of at least three Curtiss B-2 Condor heavy bombers chat with curious civilians at an airfield in Louisville, Kentucky sometime in 1931. The bombers belong to the 11th. Bombardment Squadron, 7th. Bombardment Group. The 11th. BS operated from March Field (now March Air Reserve Base) located near Moreno Valley, California. This photograph was likely taken when four B-2 bombers of the 11th. BS undertook a cross-country flight from California to the East Coast. 

     The B-2 would enjoy a very short service life and very few were purchased by the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC); in all, 13 were built. The 11th. BS was the sole operator of B-2 bombers which commenced in 1929. Two considerations which likely led to the small order for the B-2 was that it was far more expensive to build and that it was a large aircraft which meant few hangers already built could accommodate the bomber. The B-2 was armed with six 7.62mm Lewis machine guns and the bomber could carry up to 2,508lbs of bombs. Not visible in this photograph are the gunner positions within the rear of the engine nacelles. The 1930s were a period of rapid aviation technology advances and the B-2 would be swiftly eclipsed. The 11th. BS ceased flying the B-2 in 1931 and by 1934, the B-2 was retired from service. Also, the end of the B-2 would also end the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company’s involvement in bomber production and development. 

     The legacy of the B-2 saw better success in the Curtiss T-32 Condor II which was derived from the B-2. It was used by the USAAC as an executive transport (designated the YC-30) as well as with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (as the R4C-1). Several airlines around the world used the T-32 and several countries used a bomber variant (the BT-32) of the Condor II. Perhaps the last user of the T-32 was the Royal Air Force in 1939 when four T-32 aircraft were impressed into service. However, none were issued to any RAF squadron and ended up being scrapped by the No.30 Maintenance Unit located at RAF Sealand, Flintshire, Wales. 

Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank: Demolished on Iwo Jima

Knocked out Type 97 belonging to 1st. Company, 26th. Tank Regiment (Author's Collection)

     Opposing U.S. armor on Iwo Jima were three companies and a headquarters section of the 26th. Tank Regiment. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi, the force contained twelve Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks and eleven Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks. A handful of the medium tanks were the improved Type 97-Kai which featured an enlarged turret which mounted a Type 1 47mm gun. He deployed 1st. Company to the southern portion of the island, sent 2nd. Company to the western section of the island, and 3rd. Company (including the HQ) set up in the rear in the eastern portion of Iwo Jima. Nishi wanted to keep the Type 97-Kai tanks, due to their better performance against the M4 Sherman, as a mobile reserve, shifting them to where they were needed. However, this was denied and he was ordered to construct pits and drive the Type 97-Kai tanks into them to create pillboxes. 

     From February 20 to March 1, 1945, the 1st. Company engaged U.S. Marines from the V Amphibious Corps supported by armor. The last of 1st. Company was wiped out at Hill 328. The Chi-Ha shown in the photograph was one of the knocked out 1st. Company tanks. The standard Type 97 (as this tank was) used a 57mm gun which showed up poorly in terms of armor penetration and range due to its low velocity. 2nd. Company, their tanks having been hidden within caves, rolled out to give battle to elements of the 21st. Marine Regiment, 3rd. Marine Division on February 28. Although taken by surprise, the Marines quickly decimated the tanks using M1 bazookas. 

     What was left of the 26th. Tank Regiment assembled in the village of Maruman. By March 20, the unit was practically devoid of tanks and had been fighting as infantry. Nishi did not survive the Battle of Iwo Jima yet how he died remains a mystery to this day.

Technician 4th. Grade Nicholas Viscardi: 3rd. Armored Division

     Sometime in 1943, Nicholas Viscardi enlisted in the U.S. Army and following his induction training, he was posted to the newly formed 66th. Infantry Division under the command of Major-General Herman F. Kramer. So new was the unit that it had no distinctive insignia and Kramer authorized a competition among the division for a design. Private Viscardi’s snarling black panther drawing won and the image became the unit’s official patch, thus creating the division’s nickname, the “Black Panther Division.” Impressed with Viscardi’s artistic talents, Kramer had orders cut to assign Viscardi to the division’s headquarters staff where he would often do portraits of the officers and their wives. 

     This new posting, however, did not last and another high ranking officer became enamored with Viscardi’s work and requested that he be transferred to the 3rd. Armored Division. As the only available position in the unit was in the motor pool and at a higher rank than Viscardi was, it earned him a promotion to Corporal and a new posting to the 3rd. Armored Division’s Service Company. 

     In September 1943, the 3rd. Armored Division was deployed to Europe as part of the 1st. Army under General Courtney Hicks Hodges. There, it saw significant action as well as suffered equally significant casualties. So much so that Viscardi was pulled from the Service Company and became an assistant driver/bow gunner of a M4 Sherman tank in one of the division’s two armored regiments (the 32nd. or 33rd.). Viscardi would see action in many of the major engagements to include the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine into Cologne, and the Battle of Dessau. During the combat to take Cologne, the turret of Viscardi’s tank was struck by a Panzerschreck round which decapitated the tank’s commander. Viscardi would receive two Purple Hearts for being wounded in action during the course of the war. Over 10,500 Purple Hearts were awarded to personnel of the 3rd. Armored Division. Following VE-Day, Viscardi was sent to France to work in the Army’s Information and Education office. Viscardi would be discharged from the Army late in 1945, having attained the final rank of Technician 4th. Grade (T/4). 

     Known more by his pen name Nick Cardi, he would be remembered by comics fans for his work at DC Comics on such characters as Aquaman, the Teen Titans, and the gunslinger “Bat” Lash. 

     Viscardi died in November 2013 at the age of 93. 

Enlisted Man: 15th. Signal Training Regiment

     A studio portrait of an enlisted man in the Army Service Forces which is denoted by his shoulder patch. Specifically, he was part of the Signal Corps which made up one of the seven technical services which were encompassed by the Army Service Forces beginning in 1942. That he was Signal Corps, and that he was an enlisted man, is evidenced by the pair of branch insignia on the upper portion of his jacket’s collar. 

     His unit was the 15th. Signal Training Regiment and this can be told by examining the distinctive unit insignia (DUI) pinned to the collar below the branch insignia. DUI were often enameled and so this reflected the flash which washed out the nearest DUI to the camera. Enough of the other DUI was visible to identify the unit. The unit motto, given on a scroll underneath the crest, read “FIDELITER SERVIMUS” which means “Faithful Service.” The unit was activated on December 1, 1940 as the 15th. Signal Service Battalion but on December 14, 1942, the unit was redesignated as the 15th. Signal Training Regiment. On May 31, 1945, the unit was disbanded but on September 23, 1986, it was reconstituted as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 15th. Signal Brigade and currently serves under TRADOC (United States Army Training and Doctrine Command) at Fort Gordon, Georgia. 

     The award on his left jacket pocket is a marksman qualification badge and though it is extremely difficult to read what is on the device’s clasp, given the length of the word, he likely earned it in RIFLE.