The Type 4 20cm Roketto: Japan's Rocket Mainstay

(U.S. Army Signal Corps)

     The Germans, U.S., British, and especially the Russians made use of unguided rockets to augment standard artillery and provide for rapidly delivered, devastating bombardments against opposing forces. The Japanese, on the other hand, did not and by the time they realized the value of rockets, the effort put forward to deploy rocket systems was too little, too late. One such rocket system which did make it into service was the Type 4 20cm rocket launcher. 

     First issued in 1943, the Type 4 was actually a 203mm rocket, weighed just over 185lbs. and had a maximum range of 1.4 miles. The Japanese elected to not use fins as a means to stabilize the rocket and instead, it achieved accuracy by means of spin-stabilization. The Type 4 was fired from a standardized launcher which resembled that of a mortar (hence, the Type 4 weapon system often being referred to as a rocket mortar) but it had the advantage of being able to launch from something as simple as a dirt mound. Thus, it was not uncommon for Japanese troops to fabricate launchers in the field. This particular Type 4 was captured by the 4th. U.S. Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Unlike the more usual wooden launch rails (which were easier to construct), this Type 4 launcher was far more elaborate. The wheeled carriage made transportation easier as well as allowed for more rapid deployment and had a locking lever to adjust the elevation of the launch tube. The rocket would be loaded into the tube and launched by pulling the long lanyard. The length of the lanyard allowed the firer to be far enough away from the rocket to avoid being struck by debris kicked up by the rocket exhaust. 

     Of all the rocket systems developed, the Type 4 was produced in significant numbers though most of them were kept within Japan to be used to repel the expected Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands…something which never happened.
 

The Lloyd 40.05: Strange Solution for a Common Problem

     Until the introduction of Anthony Fokker's Stangensteuerung (literally Rod Control) interrupter gear in 1915 which allowed for a forward firing machine-gun to fire through the propeller arc with some measure of safety, the various combatants of World War One had to use other solutions to permit a machine-gun to fire forwards. At first, pilots and observers used pistols and rifles against enemy aircraft but soon after, machine-guns became the standard aircraft armament. A simple solution, used by the Nieuport 10 as an example, mounted a Lewis or Hotchkiss machine-gun on top of the upper wing, firing forwards. While clearing the propeller arc, the position of the machine-gun made reloading a difficult prospect for the pilot. Another solution was to put the engine in the rear of the fuselage. Pusher designs, such as the de Havilland D.H.2 and Farman F.40, permitted a clear field of fire for the gunner who was positioned in the front of the aircraft, forward of the pilot. Yet another relatively common solution was the use of wedge shaped deflector plates fitted to the back of the propeller that would deflect bullets away from the blades. One type of aircraft that used these deflectors was the Morane-Saulnier L scout plane. While somewhat effective, there was no guaranty that the deflected bullets wouldn't strike the aircraft. Perhaps the most bizarre solution in order to permit a machine-gun to fire forward and not destroy the propeller in the process was put forward by the Hungarian Lloyd Repülőgép és Motorgyár Részvénytársaság (Lloyd Aircraft & Motor Works, Inc.) company.

     The Lloyd Works (Ungarische Lloyd Flugzeug und Motorenfabrik AG in Austrian) manufactured the Lloyd C.II, C.III, and C.IV two-seat, single-engine biplane reconnaissance aircraft for the Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen (K.u.K. LFT;Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops). The C-series of aircraft were quite conventional in design which made the appearance of the Lloyd 40.05 (it was also called the FJ for Flugzeug Jäger or Aircraft Hunter) all the more striking when it commenced development in 1915. A Lloyd engineer by the last name of Melczer decided that an optimum solution to permit a forward firing machine-gun a good range of fire and still retain a tractor propeller (meaning, a front mounted engine) was to position the observer/gunner above the upper wing. To accomplish this, the entire forward portion of the Lloyd 40.05 featured a fully enclosed position that consumed the space between the fuselage and the upper wing. On the left side of the enclosure were clear panels to give some measure of side vision for the observer when seated and performing reconnaissance tasks. At the top of the enclosure was the open gun station which had a short windscreen in the front and armament consisted of twin 8mm M.07/12 Schwarzlose machine-guns on a flexible mounting. Just beneath the windscreen, in the direct front of the aircraft, was a radiator for the motor. While the observer had a clear view when manning the gun station, the same could not be said for the pilot. Sitting directly behind the observer's enclosure, the pilot had no forward view unless he moved his head to look from side to side. To add to the pilot's situation, the exhaust stacks for the engine were positioned on the right side of the enclosure, directly in line with the pilot's head which meant the slipstream likely carried any fumes and smoke into his face.

     The Lloyd 40.05 was powered by a MAG-Daimler 6-cylinder, water-cooled, inline piston engine that developed 160 horsepower. It drove a two-bladed, fixed pitch wooden propeller. The aircraft stood at 10.2 feet high, was 22.8 feet long, had a maximum wingspan of 36.8 feet, and a total wing area (top and bottom wings) of 270 square feet. The fully loaded weight was 2,120 pounds. The maximum service ceiling was 16,404 feet and the maximum operational range was 310 miles.

     The first prototype of the Lloyd 40.05 took to the air in January 1916 and needless to say, the K.u.K. LFT was not impressed with the design and flat out rejected it. The reasons were many and included poor handling in the air, the difficulty for the pilot to land the aircraft, slow speed due to the friction drag produced by the large frontal surface area of the plane, and that by 1916, interrupter gears were being used more and more, removing the need for other solutions to provide safe forward weapon firing. Lloyd, in a desperate bid to try to interest the K.u.K. LFT in the aircraft, converted the 40.05 into a single-seat fighter, eliminating the observer and in place of the gun station, a Type-II VK (Versuchs Kompanie) gun container was fitted, firing forward, with a single 8mm M.07/12 Schwarzlose machine-gun. The shape of the container earned the Type-II VK the morbid nickname of “Kindersarg” or "Children's Coffin”. Since the 40.05 was relatively unchanged outside of the modification to fit the gun container, the K.u.K. LFT again quickly rejected the aircraft as all the flaws of the two-seat version remained. In all, only two Lloyd 40.05 aircraft were built.

Soviet T-35 Heavy Tank: Left Behind on the Stalin Prospekt

     Prior to the German invasion of Russia (Operation Barbarossa) which commenced on June 22, 1941, five T-35 heavy tanks from the 14th. Heavy Tank Brigade were in the city of Kharkov for refitting. One of these was this T-35 (chassis 220-28), the twentieth T-35 built, having rolled out of the factory sometime in 1936. Kharkov was a strategically important city because of its manufacturing and industrial complex. It was the birthplace of the T-34 medium tank but also was the site of numerous small arms and infantry weapon manufacturing plants as well as the location of the Sukhoi Su-2 reece/light bomber aircraft production plant. Thus, the city would be embroiled in four major battles between 1941 and 1943. 

     On October 20, 1941, LV. Armeekorps deployed the 101. Leichte-Division, the 57. Infanterie-Division, and Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 197 to commence the taking of Kharkov. Defending the city was the Soviet 216th. Rifle Division and the ad-hoc Separate Armored Unit which was made up of twenty-five T-27 tankettes, thirteen KhTZ-16 vehicles (improved tank built on a STZ-3 tractor), five T-26 light tanks, and four of the five T-35 heavy tanks. The Soviets were to defend the city and buy time for factory equipment to be evacuated. The actual assault on the city began on June 23, 1941 by which time the evacuation of the equipment was completed and the next day, the city was in German hands. The T-35 in the photograph was being driven along Stalin Prospekt, a main road leading out of Kharkov, when the tank either broke down or was abandoned. The crew had enough time to plant charges and scuttle the tank which blew the roof off the main turret, upended the rear facing 45-mm gun turret, and completely blew the two machine-gun turrets off the tank. 

     The tank would remain on the road, becoming a sign post and attraction for photographs. By May 1942, the tank had been pushed off the road and photographs taken by German troops show the tank as losing more and more pieces. Some of the last photographs were taken in 1943 and show that the T-35, despite being derelict, was mistaken for an active tank and sustained a penetrating hit to the rear. It is presumed that following the Fourth Battle of Kharkov (which ended August 23, 1943) in which the Russians reclaimed Kharkov for good, the T-35 was scrapped.

Unteroffizieranwärter: Heer Nachrichtenpersonal

     A studio portrait of an Unteroffizieranwärter. An Unteroffizieranwärter (Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate) was a soldier who was considered by his superiors to be a candidate for attending Unteroffizierschule (NCO School). His rank (for the moment) is Gefreiter which was equivalent to a Lance Corporal and this is shown by the “V” shaped silver tress on a triangular wool backing. His status as a NCO school candidate is denoted by the single loop of silver tress on his schulterklappen (shoulderboards). Of interest is his Nachrichtenpersonal (Signals Operator) proficiency badge. This proficiency badge was given to those soldiers who excelled in the tasks required to operate signals equipment but more importantly, how to service, maintain, and repair communication equipment. The color of the “blitz” (lightning bolt) followed the same regulation as the Waffenfarbe (corps colors) and so in this case, it would appear that the Unteroffizieranwärter is infantry and so the “blitz” would be white. Had he been, for example, artillery, then the “blitz” would have been red (the corps color of artillery). As a note, the soustache (the inverted chevron) on his feldmütze (field service cap) would also match the corps color. So, as another example, had this Unteroffizieranwärter been with a Kraftfahrparktruppen (vehicle troop), the piping on the shoulderboards, the soustache, and the “blitz” would all be blue.

     The Litzenspiegel (more often called Litzen; collar patches), prior to 1938, would have matched the Waffenfarbe. However, it was seen that logistically, creating collar patches in all of the Waffenfarbe colors was simply impractical and would have burdened unit tailors with having to sew on new litzen if a unit changed missions (for example, transitioning from a cavalry unit to an infantry unit) or soldiers from other units transferred in. So, after 1938, a universal litzen was introduced with silver-gray threading on a green backing. By 1940, this was changed to a feldgrau (field gray) to more match the uniform but it was never popular and troops, when they could, would wear the green backed litzen and those troops who had the pre-1938 litzen with the Waffenfarbe colors continued to wear them as a sign of pride.

Douglas B-26B Invader "Brown Nose": 731st. Bombardment Squadron

(Author's Collection)

     A Douglas B-26B Invader belonging to the 731st. Bombardment Squadron (BS), 3rd. Bomb Group (BG). Prior to 1948, the aircraft was designated A-26B. The 731st. BS (at this time, part of the 452nd. BG), a U.S. Air Force (USAF) Reserve unit stationed near Long Beach, California, was activated for duty in the Korean War. The squadron flew their B-26Bs across the Pacific, landing at Iwakuni Air Force Base (AFB) in Japan in November 1950. 

     Upon arrival, the unit was placed under the 3rd. BG. “Brown Nose” and other 731st. B-26B aircraft conducted 2,000 sorties amounting to 9,000 flying hours from November 1950 to June 25, 1951. After that date, the 731st. was inactivated and became the 90th. BS which moved to Yokota Army Airfield (also in Japan). The extensive sortie tally on “Brown Nose” while flown with the 731st. was removed after the transfer. The 90th. would eventually be rotated back to the U.S. but not before they amassed numerous missions with a specialty for targeting rail lines (especially with trains on them) as well as marshaling yards. “Brown Nose” would be later upgraded to the B-26K standard which featured more powerful engines but removed the wing mounted machine guns. 

     “Brown Nose” would see action in the early years of the Vietnam War and on May 1966, the USAF changed the B-26K designation to A-26A. The A-26A was retired from service in 1969 when their airframes reached their maximum airworthiness level.

Heisōchō Takeo Tanimizu: A Compassionate Warrior

(Author's Collection)

     Imperial Japanese Navy Warrant Officer Takeo Tanimizu poses beside his Mitsubishi A6M5c Model 52 Reisen fighter, tail code 03-09 (c/n 32374). At the time this photograph was taken, Tanimizu was assigned to the 303 Hikótai, 203 Kókūtai which was based at Kagoshima. The photograph was likely taken sometime in June, 1945. All told, Tanimizu was credited with between 18 to 32 kills, making him an ace. It was rare that Japanese fighters carried kill markings (as kill scores weren’t officially kept) but Tanimizu chose to put them on his aircraft as a way to boost morale among the many inexperienced pilots that predominated the ranks by 1945. 

     Tanimizu, during and long after World War Two, felt regret and sadness for the lives he took in combat. He did his duty nonetheless. After the war, he erected a small Buddhist shrine in his residence and every night, would offer prayers to those men whose lives he had cut short. Tanimizu, even during combat, was honorable and felt compassion for his opponents. In one example, his unit sparred with U.S. Marine fighters. The Japanese fliers won the contest and Tanimizu spotted a downed American pilot swimming in the ocean. Tanimizu struggled out of his life preserver (as worn by pilots operating over ocean), came down at low altitude, opened his canopy, and threw the life preserver to the pilot whose name was Captain Harvey Carter (who survived the war). On August 31, 1944, eleven B-24 bombers belonging to the 14th. USAAF which were operating out of Liuzhou, China were intercepted by Tanimizu and his comrades who sought to stop the bombers from attacking the Imperial Japanese Navy airfield in Takao. In the combat, Tanimizu was credited with downing one B-24 and severely damaging another. 

     Unbeknownst to Tanimizu, the crippled B-24 made it back to China but crashed into Maoer Mountain in Guangxi Province. Forward to 1996, the remains of the lost B-24 were discovered by farmers looking for medicinal herbs. Tanimizu learned of the find and knew he was the one responsible for the deaths of the crew. When asked about the discovery, he wished that the crew had found happiness in the afterlife. Tanimizu’s Reisen survived the war but was collected, along with other military aircraft, in Nagasaki and reduced to scrap in November 1945. Tanimizu himself passed on to the great beyond on March 12, 2008 at the age of 88.

Kanonier Karl-Heinz Rosch: Doing Good in Evil Times

     Karl-Heinz Rosch, one of many young men in the German Wehrmacht in the final two years of the war, did not survive the conflict. However, he became known as the “Hero with No Glory” for a selfless act on his part that led to the creation and erection of one of two known monuments dedicated to a specifically named World War Two German soldier...a measure to give him the glory some felt he deserved.

     Rosch was born on October 3, 1926 in the German town of Meißen and little is known of his early childhood. His military career began when he was conscripted into service at the age of 17 in July 1944. Rosch soon found himself assigned to the elite Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. “Hermann Göring”. This unit, whose lineage went back to its formation by Hermann Göring in 1933 as a police battalion, became a Luftwaffe unit in September 1935 under the designation Regiment General Göring. At the time of Rosch's appointment, the division was commanded by Generalmajor Wilhelm Schmalz. Specifically, Rosch was assigned to the 14. Batterie (14th. Battery) of Fallschirm-Ersatz- und. Ausbildungs-Regiment “Hermann Göring” (Parachute Replacement and Training Regiment “Hermann Göring” under the command of Oberst Fritz Fullriede. The purpose of the regiment was to take in new recruits and transfers, provide them with training, then push them into the parent unit (in this case, Fallschirm-Panzer-Div 1 HG) as replacements for casualties. Rosch, by October 1944, had the rank of Kanonier (Private in an artillery unit) and was assigned to the Muni-Staffel (Munitions Staffel, literally “ammunition squadron”) of 14. Batterie. His immediate commander was Oberwachtmeister Heinz Wustmann. Also by this time, the process of turning the division into a full Panzerkorps had gotten underway, ordered on October 1, 1944 with the first step being the formation of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier Division 2 "Hermann Göring”. This brought a large influx of men into the training regiment (drawn from superfluous Luftwaffe personnel and draftees leeched from the German Heer (Army).

     Fallschirm-Ersatz- und. Ausbildungs-Regiment “Hermann Göring” was based in Utrecht in the Netherlands and by the beginning of October 1944, elements of Rosch's battery was situated in the town of Goirle, some 54 miles south of Utrecht. Specifically, Rosch and his fellow soldiers were based at a farm owned by the Kilsdonk family. Rosch celebrated his eighteenth birthday at the farm on October 3, 1944. Three days later, on October 6, Rosch was inside the farmhouse having a cup of coffee with the matriarch of the Kilsdonk family when the whistle of incoming mortar rounds from a British unit started to impact near the farm. Rosch, along with his fellow soldiers, picked up their arms and made for their positions to ride out the bombardment and prepare to repulse the expected attack once the shelling stopped. Rosch, from his position, noticed that the two children (aged 4 and 5) belonging to the Kilsdonk family, Jan and Toos, were in the yard and seemed to be oblivious to the incoming fire that was creeping towards the farmhouse. Rosch dropped his weapon and ran towards the two children, picking them both up, one under each arm, and took them to the relative safety of the farmhouse's basement. Rosch sprinted back towards his comrades when a mortar round directly struck Rosch near the very location where the children had been. The detonation of the round blew Rosch apart. When the bombardment ceased, there was no follow-up assault on the unit's position and so Rosch's fellow soldiers were able to assemble Rosch's various body parts that had been strewn across the yard by the blast and buried him on the farm's grounds in a field grave.

     Rosch's selfless sacrifice was a closely guarded Kilsdonk family secret. The German occupation of the Netherlands, which worsened starting in June of 1941, saw the people of the Netherlands endure starvation, deplorable living conditions, mass deportations, and war crimes to the point that by the final surrender of German forces on May 5, 1945, the country was in relative ruin. Not surprisingly, the hatred of the Germans was high and for the Kilsdonk family to praise a German soldier for saving the lives of their children was simply inviting ridicule and shame. In fact, Rosch's parents and relations did not know the truth behind their son's death, even after Rosch's father was able to visit the farm following the fall of East Germany in 1989. But, in 2004, that changed.

     The two children, Jan and Toos, finally informed the world of what happened to them on that October day in 1944 and who they had to thank for their lives. Rosch's sacrifice was made known to the Rosch family and Rosch's body was exhumed and re-interned at the Deutsche Kriegsgräberstätte Ysselsteyn (German War Cemetery Ysselsteyn) located 1.2 miles outside of Ysselsteyn, Germany. Jan and Toos wanted to erect a monument to Rosch but despite some 60 years having passed since World War Two, the opposition to it was great. Nevertheless, through the efforts of former Goirle city councilman Herman Van Rouwendaal, enough private funds were raised to have sculptor Riet van der Louw create the bronze statue that depicts a German soldier with two children under his arms. The monument was unveiled in 2008 but because the city would not allow it to be put on public property, it was erected on  private property, situated in a garden in front of the home of a citizen who had actually met Rosch prior to his death. It is located in the village of Riel (a municipality of Goirle) at the corner of Dorpstraat and Beatrixstraat streets.

     The photograph of Rosch shows him in full Luftwaffe uniform. He looks to be wearing the early M35 Fliegerbluse for enlisted ranks as there does not seem to be any noticeable lower pockets on the Flight Blouse, something introduced on the M40 Fliegerbluse. Despite being introduced prior to the start of World War Two, the M35 continued to see wear well into 1945. He is wearing the black leather Marschstiefel, or Marching Boots, and atop his head is the Luftwaffe Einheitsfliegermütze which was introduced starting in September 1943. Not visible is the single gull pip on his white collartabs that denotes his rank of Kanonier. After June 1943, the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. “Hermann Göring” adopted the standard Luftwaffe waffenfarbe (corps colors) and so Rosch's collartabs should have been red which was the corps color for Artillerie (Artillery). However, the division changed the regulations so often (three times between 1936 and 1943), it was difficult for troops in the field to adopt the new regulations and so it was not uncommon for enlisted men to use the standard HG white collartab regardless of their branch of service. Just visible on his right sleeve is the enlisted cuff title for the division which was a dark blue band with HERMANN GÖRING in white block letters.

Stoner 63 Light Machine-Gun: LMG of the SEALs

     U.S. Navy SEAL (Sea Air and Land) Philip “Moki” Martin checks out a Stoner 63 Light Machine-Gun (LMG) while deployed in-country during the Vietnam War. While more commonly called the Stoner 63, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) officially designated the weapon as the XM207. Designed by Eugene Stoner, the Stoner 63 started development in 1963 as a modular weapon that could serve as a rifle, carbine, light machine-gun (LMG), squad automatic weapon (SAW), as well as a vehicle mounted weapon. An evolution of the earlier 7.62X51mm chambered Stoner 62, the Stoner 63 used the 5.56X45mm NATO ammunition. Testing was undertaken by both the U.S. Army and the USMC with the former finding numerous flaws which needed correction while the USMC appreciated the light weight and high ammunition capacity. Stoner modified the weapon based on the Army's recommendations as the USMC retained an interest in the design even though the Army declined to accept it. Despite the rejection, Stoner took the improved design, the Stoner 63A, to the Army in 1970 and after successful testing, the Army put in a small order for the XM207 and issued them to a small number of Special Forces units. However, by 1971, the higher maintenance needs for the XM207 saw no further orders. The USMC first mass deployed the Stoner 63 in the rifle and carbine variant (designated the XM22 and XM23) with Lima Company, 3rd. Battalion, 1st. Marine Regiment, 1st. Marine Division in addition to the company using some of the weapons in the LMG and SAW versions. But the USMC wasn't the first to use the weapon in the Vietnam War as that went to the SEALs. The SEALs were also the last users of the Stoner 63, adopting the “Commando” variant as the Mark 23 Mod 0 machine-gun, and finally retiring the Stoner 63 in the late 1980s when the USMC accepted the M249 SAW into service. The LMG model weighed 11.7 pounds, was 40.3 inches long, had a gas-operated, rotating bolt action, and used simple iron sights. The weapon could accommodate a disintegrating M27 ammunition belt or a 75, 100, or 150 round drum magazine of which the larger drum is shown in the photograph. Maximum rate of fire was 1,000 rounds per minute out to an effective maximum range of 1,000 meters.

     As for Martin, he was born in September 1942 in Paia, Hawaii and in 1960, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from basic training in San Diego, he was posted to the USS Orleck (DD-886) which was a Gearing-class destroyer where he served as a steam engine operator. Within two years, he earned his promotion to Petty Officer, 2nd. Class. Martin had wished to go to the Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) training but enrollment was limited and he wasn't able to get in. It should be noted that UDT teams existed as far back as World War Two and they were the forerunner to what would become the SEALs when the latter was formalized in 1962. Returning to Martin, the advent of the Vietnam War saw the expansion of UDT training opportunities and late in 1964, Martin was selected to attend as part of Class 35. The training commenced in September 1965 and of the 130 men who started the training, only 36 passed and Martin was one of them. Martin was deployed to Vietnam where he was able to see the new SEAL teams in action. Intrigued, Martin was able to enroll in the intense, 8 week SEAL training program and successfully graduated. He was then deployed to the Mekong Delta where he was involved in reconnaissance operations, raid missions, and prisoner interrogations. In 1972, he was promoted to Warrant Officer but as the SEALs did not have positions for him at that rank, he returned to the U.S. Navy Fleet but by 1975, he was a Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) instructor. In all, he served seven tours in Vietnam, four of them as a SEAL. Among other decorations, he received two Bronze Stars and three Navy Commendation Medals. After the Vietnam War, he returned to San Diego, still with the Navy but in 1982, Martin was involved in an accident that resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic. As a result of the injury, Martin was removed from active duty but as of 1983, he remains on Active Retired status and has the rank of Lieutenant. Today, he lectures at the Naval Special Warfare Center, is an lecturer to students on disability, and he is an accomplished artist.

Major: Bundesgrenzschutz

     Established on March 16, 1951, the West German Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS; Federal Border Guard) was tasked with protecting the newly created West German borders. When first formed, it was a paramilitary force of 10,000 men responsible for protecting the borders within a 19 mile deep zone from said borders. The BGS was, more or less, light infantry and was organized as battalions made up of companies and platoons within the companies. A notable aspect of the BGS from its inception through to 1976 was the usage of World War Two surplus German equipment and field gear, uniforms patterned on their World War Two progenitors, production of field gear derived from their World War Two equivalents, and the continued (to this day) use of the stahlhelm. One reason for this was due to the BGS falling under the Bundesministerium des Innern (Federal Ministry of the Interior) rather than the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (Federal Ministry of Defense). The German Bundeswehr (Federal Defense), which was founded on November 12, 1955, was under the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung and there was initial resistance (especially by France) of rearming West Germany. The looming Cold War changed this, resulting in the creation of the Bundeswehr, but there may have been an unstated desire to not have the new German army resemble its World War Two predecessor and because of this, the new German army looked much like U.S. soldiers in terms of uniform styling, field gear, weapons, helmets, and more. Only after a few years did some of the WW2-era uniform items and insignia creep back into the Bundeswehr. When the BGS was founded, it wasn't surprising that the majority of the non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and officers were veterans of World War 2, having served in the Wehrmacht. It should be noted that the wartime Wehrmacht included only the Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) and did not include the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) or the Waffen-SS. The influx of veterans is evidenced by the BGS officer in the photograph here.

     The officer holds the rank of Major and this is denoted by the collar Litzenspiegel (collar patches) and the schulterstücke (shoulder boards) on his tunic. The BGS used the same rank insignia as the Ordnungspolizei from World War 2, keeping the same green truppenfarbe (troop color) as the wartime Schutzpolizei (State Protection Police). The dienstrock (literally service shirt) bears a resemblance to the wartime Model 1936 officer's dienstanzug (service uniform) except for the usage of a more traditional lapel. The material coloration is a light green though the collar, in keeping with the tradition of the Model 1936, is a blue-green color. On the left sleeve is the BGS Bundesadler (Federal Eagle). The medal on his left pocket is the Deutsches Sportabzeichen (German Sports Badge). It is the 1957 regulation version of the wartime era DRL (Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen; German Reich Association for Physical Exercises) version of the badge but with the swastika on the bottom of the medal removed. Had it been earned post-WW2, the scripted letters would have been DSB (Deutscher Sportbund; German Sports Association). In 2007, the letters changed again, this time to DOSB (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund; German Olympic Sports Federation). Above the left pocket is a ribbon bar consisting of his World War Two decorations. The first two appear to be the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse and Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. and 2nd. Class). The third may be a Verwundetenabzeichen 2. Klasse (Wound Badge in Silver) but the fourth cannot be determined with any certainty though it is most likely the Ostmedaille (Eastern Medal) for having served on the Eastern Front during the war. The collared shirt was white with a blue-green tie.

     In regards to the helmet, the BGS was issued with wartime produced M35 stahlhelm that had been taken from warehoused stocks. In 1951, production commenced on a small batch of new helmets to replace unserviceable ones with the designation M35/50. These were identical to the wartime helmets in every way with only the serial numbers giving away the newly built helmets. Curiously, most of these new helmets ended up in the hands of local German police forces rather than the BGS for whom they were made for. The second, and final, BGS helmet was the M35/53 and these can be easily told apart from the other M35 styles by the lack of ventilation holes and different liner arrangements. Since this officer's helmet has the ventilation holes, it is either a wartime issue M35 or the M35/50.

     Barely visible beneath his left arm is a pistol holster attached to his leather belt (koppel) which itself was much the same as the wartime two-prong officer's belt. The pistol was likely either a wartime produced 9mm Walther P-38 or the post-war version, the P1. This was the most common pistol in the BGS until 1975 when it was replaced by the P4 which itself was a further development of the P-38.

Fallschirmjäger: 1. Luftlandedivision

     The post-World War Two German military, the Bundeswehr, was founded on November 12, 1955. Initially, nearly every trace of German wartime uniform aesthetics was banished and it was the United States which provided the major influence in uniform design. The U.S. also provided much of the armaments for the Bundeswehr such as rifles, tanks, support weapons, heavy weapons, and other equipment, such as steel helmets and field gear. Despite this, some aspects of German uniform items survived, typified by the usage of the Einheitsfeldmütze (field cap) and gamaschen (gaiters), the latter worn with U.S. style leather boots. By 1957, as German industry was more and more able to supply the Bundeswehr, uniform items and equipment that hearkened back to World War Two returned. This included Marschtiefel (marching boots), a revised service dress uniform, and the wide-spread usage of camouflage uniforms in a post-war variant of the wartime Splittermuster (Splinter Pattern).

     The photograph depicts a fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) belonging to one of the units that made up the 1. Luftlandedivision (1st. Airborne Division) which was established on January 1, 1956. He is sporting the Kampfanzug (battle suit) in the Bundeswehr-Splittermuster camouflage pattern but on a uniform unique to the fallschirmjäger forces. It is believed only about 1,000 uniforms were made. It differed from the standard Kampfanzug in having upper pockets with zipper closures (rather than snaps), pockets added to the sleeves, and two pockets on the rear of the blouse. The matching trousers also differed from the regular issue Kampfanzug by having zippers on the pockets. The Bundeswehr camouflage is distinct from the wartime Splittermuster in that during the printing, the screen was purposely allowed to slip which resulted in white borders on some of the edges of the splinter patterns and this can clearly be seen on his uniform. There were also two variants of this camouflage in which the strich (raindrops) differed. The most common had thin, light gray strich printed close together while the other, more rare variant, had sparse black strich. The fallschirmjäger here most likely has the more common strich coloration though it is difficult to make it out. His stalhelm (steel helmet) was a post-war copy of the helmet used by fallschirmjäger during World War Two. For a weapon, he has a G1, which was the German designation for the Belgian FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Léger; Light Automatic Rifle). Germany ordered several thousand for the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS; Federal Border Guard) as the Bundeswehr was already equipped with U.S. supplied weapons. However, in November 1956, Germany ordered 10,000 rifles for the Bundeswehr and these were put into service as the G1 and remained in use for a short period of time before being replaced in 1959 by the Spanish CETME Modelo 58. The reason for this is that the Belgian company FN, refused to grant Germany the production rights to the FAL.

     As a note, the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) was formed on March 16, 1951 and because it operated under the Bundesministerium des Innern (Federal Ministry of the Interior) rather than the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (Federal Ministry of Defence), the BGS was a heavy user of uniforms and equipment which either were wartime surplus or patterned almost exactly like the World War Two types and styles. This included the stalhelm which was virtually unchanged from World War Two (the Bundeswehr wore U.S. style helmets) and their own use of Splittermuster. It is thought that the Splittermuster used by the BGS was made off the same printing equipment as the pattern is almost an exact replica to the wartime pattern. However, it is distinguished from the World War Two pattern by having a very pale grey background and that the reverse side of the camouflage is solid white.

French SOMUA S35 Cavalry Tank: Abandoned at the Beaches

     The Battle of Dunkirk that ran from May 26 to June 4, 1940 encompassed a series of engagements in which British and French forces battled the Germans with the goal to delay the Germans for as long as possible in order to allow as many troops to evacuate from the beaches of Dunkirk as possible. In fact, it was the French who battled to the end, permitting British forces to depart knowing they would be left behind. The hardest of the fighters was what remained of the 12e Division d'Infanterie Motorisée (DIM) whose lineage was traced back to the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-1815. Included in the combat was the 18e Régiment de Dragons (RD; Dragoon Armored Regiment) of the 1ère Division Légère Mécanique (DLM). The 1st. DLM was equipped with three main types of tanks, the Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance Renault Modèle 35 (AMR 35) light cavalry tank, the Char Léger Modèle 1935 H (better known as the Hotchkiss H35) cavalry tank, and the SOMUA S35 cavalry tank. The S35 was more of a medium tank in comparison to the AMR 35 and H35 and thus the SOMUA (which stood for Société d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie) was assigned to the 18e RD, the photograph showing two of them abandoned in Dunkirk.

     The S35 stood up well to contemporary tanks of the day. It featured well sloped frontal armor with a maximum thickness of 47mm and had some 40mm thick armor around the sides and turret. It was armed with the potent 47mm SA 35 anti-tank gun that could penetrate 60mm of armor at 1,800ft. This was more than adequate to pierce the majority of German tanks in 1940, to include early makes of the Panzerkampfwagen IV. The S35 had a top off-road speed of 20mph which was good for a 19 ton tank (the lighter H35 at 11 tons could only muster 17mph off-road). A distinguishing feature of the S35 was the use of a methyl bromide automatic fire extinguishing system. The S35, though, was not devoid of problems. It was a difficult tank to maintain in the field due to a complex track and suspension system. The V-8 engine used was also mechanically unreliable and access to the engine was not conductive to ease of maintenance. Another issue was the fact that the cast upper hull was bolted down to the lower hull (chassis), leaving a clear seam between the two components. If an enemy round struck the seam, the result was that the S35 could literally be split in half due to the impact. Another flaw was the single-man turret in which the commander had to not only lead the tank but also act as loader and gunner for the SA 35 gun. Finally, the S35 carried a high price tag and the cast hull couldn't be produced rapidly and thus fewer S35 tanks were obtained. The S35 began to enter service in 1936. Despite the flaws, some consider the S35 to have been one of the best tanks in the world in the 1930s.

     Following the French defeat, the German army captured a little under 300 S35 tanks and would issue them to various units under the designation Panzerkampfwagen 35-S 739(f). Others were shipped off to German allies such as Bulgaria, Hungary, and Italy. Some of these tanks did see front line combat but most were used for anti-partisan duties where the risk of facing enemy armor was low. Some of the tanks had the upper hull removed and used as tank driver trainers at German armor schools. Still other tanks served in security forces.

     The gun seen in the foreground is a British Ordnance QF (Quick Firing) 25-pounder Mark I that entered service in 1940. Interestingly, this gun, in later makes, is still used today with the largest user being Pakistan with some 1,000 guns in service.

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf C: 1. Panzer-Division in France

     On October 14, 1935, the 1. Panzer-Division (1.Pz.Div.) came into being, the first of three debut tank divisions raised by the Germans in that year. The formation of the 1.Pz.Div. came from the Reichswehr era 3. Kavallerie-Division that had existed since June 1, 1920. The unit was first commanded by General der Kavallerie Maximilian von Weichs (who was the last commander of 3. Kavallerie-Division) until September 30, 1937 when Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmidt assumed command. Schmidt led the division through the Anschluß Österreichs (Annexation of Austria) and later the occupation of the Sudetenland in 1938 before, in 1939, commanding the unit in the taking of Czechoslovakia and the invasion of Poland (operation “Fall Weiss”; “Case White”). However, when operation Fall Gelb (“Case Yellow”), the planned invasion of France and the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), was fully underway, the 1.Pz.Div. had a new commander, Generalleutnant Friedrich Kirchner, who assumed his position beginning on November 2, 1939.

     When “Fall Gelb” commenced on May 10, 1940, 1.Pz.Div. was under XIX Korps which was commanded by General of Cavalry Heinz Guderian. XIX Korps itself was under Panzer Gruppe Kleist which in turn was underneath Heeresgruppe A (Army Group A) that was led by Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt. 1.Pz.Div. was mainly equipped with the Panzerkampfwagen I and II (PzKpfw I and II) which were light tanks with equally light armament and armor. However, by 1937, the unit began to receive the more powerful PzKpfw III medium tank as well as the PzKpfw IV medium tank. The former, with its 3.7cm and later 5cm gun, was designed to tackle enemy tanks while the latter, with a stubby 7.5cm gun, was tasked as a infantry support tank. These medium tanks, however, never completely replaced the PzKpfw II within the two tank regiments in the unit (Panzer-Abteilung I and Panzer-Abteilung II). 1.Pz.Div. took part in the Battle of Sedan (from May 12 to May 15, 1940), the Battle of Dunkirk (which raged from May 26, 1940 to June 4, 1940), before taking part in operation “Fall Rot” (“Case Red”) which was the second phase of the conquest of France. This phase would see the end of France, the country's leadership signing the armistice with Germany on June 22, 1940.

     Overall, the 1.Pz.Div. suffered only light casualties. All told, the unit lost 500 men killed in action from the start of “Fall Gelb” to the German victory at the close of operations of “Fall Rot.” This photograph, however, illustrates quite well the grim side of that victory. The tank is a PzKpfw IV Ausf C and its entire front has been completely demolished. The front glacis plate, which was 30mm thick, is completely missing and has exposed the ZF 6-speed SSG 76 gearbox and where the steering gear had been on the front of the gearbox. To the left and right of the gearbox are the round disc brakes which were connected to the drive sprockets for each track which, in this case, at least the left drive sprocket is completely gone. The driver would have been sitting to the left of the gearbox and on the right would have been the radio operator. Given the level of destruction, it is highly doubtful either man survived whatever hit the tank. The tank caught fire and this is evidenced by the scorching on the hull side and the lack of rubber on the road wheels. That the tank is an Ausf C model is evidenced by the armored sleeve for the co-axial MG 34 machine-gun (just visible to the right of the 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 gun) and the lack of a hull mounted machine-gun. The tank can be identified as belonging to the 1.Pz.Div. by the stylized oak symbol which can be seen in white on the turret front, underneath the gunner's vision flap (to the left of the gun). The tank had been stripped of useful parts as another, earlier, photograph of the same tank showed far more parts on the tank. Identifiable parts removed include the steering gear, the brake cover for the left brake assembly, return rollers, and the tracks. In fact, one of the tank's road wheels can be seen propping up the gearbox.

The Soviet 37mm ChK-M1 Anti-Tank Gun: Sidecar Armament Extreme

     Prior to World War One, the motorcycle was starting to be seen as a viable replacement for bicycles. The Germans were the first to introduce the motorcycle into military service in 1904 and by 1914, both the British and the United States also had motorcycles as part of their military forces. Not surprisingly, the usage of motorcycles continued through the post-WW1 years and when World War Two began, all of the major warring powers utilized motorcycles of various makes. Motorcycles were used by couriers, messengers, and as transports for men and matériel but the largest use of motorcycles was by scouts conducting reconnaissance operations. Not too surprisingly, sidecars were often attached to motorcycles. This permitted the motorcycle to carry a passenger, cargo, and in some cases, used to carry wounded away from the front line. As a vehicle used by the military, sidecar equipped motorcycles were soon fitted with weapons, even as far back as World War One. German Zündapp KS 600 and BMW R12 motorcycles with their sidecars fitted with Maschinengewehr 34 machine-guns are a common image in many books on World War Two. There were attempts to equip sidecars with heavier weapons and perhaps the Russians can take the grand prize for the largest gun ever fitted to a motorcycle/sidecar combination.

     Prior to the 1930s, the Soviet Union did not have much in the way of indigenous motorcycles and relied heavily on imports. In fact, during World War One and into the Russian Civil War, the major brands of motorcycles in use by the Russian military were Indian and Harley-Davidson. By the mid-1930s, the Soviets were well on the path to producing their own motorcycles such as the TIZ-AM-600 (a copy of the British BSA Sloper 600), the PMZ-A-750, and the Dnepr M-72 (copy of the BMW R71). Still, Harley-Davidson motorcycles continued to see use and during World War Two, the Soviets received over 30,000 Harley-Davidson WLA motorcycles via Lend-Lease. So, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was selected for the testing of a sidecar mounted ChK-M1 37mm anti-tank gun as a means of moving the gun around the battlefield. As a side note, the gun was also fitted to Lend-Lease Willys MB Jeeps and the GAZ-67 (the Soviet equivalent to the Jeep) among other transports.

     The ChK-M1 was the final result of development of the ChKSh-1 which appeared in prototype form in the summer of 1941. The intent was to produce a anti-tank gun that could be airdropped and provide airborne troops with some capability to tackle enemy armor. Testing showed that the gun was flawed. It was deemed overly complex, had a slow rate of fire (between 8 to 10 rounds per minute), was inaccurate, and the armor penetration of the 37mm round was found wanting. In 1942, the Soviets set up a special design bureau, OKBL-46, to continue development of the ChKSh-1 and two designs emerged, the ChK-M1 and the ZIV-2. Between April 18, 1943 and May 28, 1943, both guns were put to the test but it was the ZIV-2 that came out the loser and the ChK-M1 was ordered into production on June 14, 1944. The first examples started to enter service in July 1944 and production continued through June 1945 with some 472 guns being produced.

     The ChK-M1 had several features designed to both lighten the weight (in keeping with the need to be airdropped) and limit both size and recoil. The gun barrel was surrounded by a cylindrical shroud and within the shroud was a inert mass and a recoil spring. When the gun was fired, the barrel recoiled a maximum of 3.9 inches and the inert mass disengaged from the barrel, moving backwards 3.5 feet, compressing the recoil spring which then moved the gun back into battery. The entire gun, excluding the muzzle brake, was 7.6 feet long. The muzzle brake also added to the reduction of the rearward recoil. A good crew was able to put 15 to 25 rounds through the gun. The ChK-M1 fired the BR-167 armor-piercing round which weighed 1.7 pounds (7 ounces being the charge weight) and the penetration was approximately 20mm at a 60 degree slope and 25mm at a 90 degree angle from 500 meters. The other round the ChK-M1 fired was a high-explosive round, the OR-167. The 1.6 pound round had a 7 ounce explosive warhead fitted with a MG-8 fuze.

     Some question if the ChK-M1 was actually able to be fired from the sidecar. The answer to that is that yes, it could, if the crew had no option to dismount the gun. The photograph makes it appear as if the gunner is resting the breech on his shoulder but he is not. When the gun recoiled, the breech would move to the right of the gunner's shoulder. The man seated behind the driver was the loader and both he and the driver carried ammunition in backpacks so in action, he would pull rounds from the driver's pack to hand to the gunner or load the gun himself. The ChK-M1 was fired via a trigger, which can be seen in the gunner's right hand. His left hand was used to effect traverse and what little elevation and depression the gun had via a vertical grip offset to the left of the breech. The far more normal operation of the ChK-M1 was for the crew to dismount it from the motorcycle, assemble the carriage, and deploy it in the ground role. A skilled crew could do this in 80 seconds. To that end, behind the loader were the simple, all-metal spoked wheels and carriage legs while the gun shield can be seen secured to the side of the sidecar. The gun shield was not large and had a meager 4.5mm of armor thickness which was, at best, proof against some small arms and fragments. The gunner was provided with a periscopic sight which allowed him to keep his head low and behind the gun shield. The entire gun carriage was very low and provided only 5 degrees of elevation and at most, 5 degrees of depression. The carriage also provided 45 total degrees of traverse. The low profile of the weapon usually forced the crew to operate the gun from the sitting or prone position. A typical ChK-M1 team consisted of six men and two motorcycles. The motorcycle shown here included the driver, gunner, and loader while the second motorcycle was manned by the driver, the gun team commander, and a ammunition bearer.

     The ChK-M1 had a total weight of 478 pounds and it could be carried easily within the two major Russian airborne troop gliders; the Antonov A-7 and Gribovsky G-11. It could also be carried by the Lisunov Li-2 (the Soviet copy of the Douglas DC-3). The gun was usually airdropped via parachute from the Ilyushin Il-4 but the Li-2 was also used for airdrops as well. The sole user of the ChK-M1 was the 98th. Guards Infantry Division, its personnel from the 13th. Guards Airborne Division that had been formed on December 20, 1943. On January 19, 1944, the unit was included within the 37th. Guards Airborne Corps until reorganized again December 18, 1944 to the 103rd. Guards Rifle Division. The unit never saw combat during World War Two. On June 7, 1946, the unit became the 103rd. Guards Airborne Division and reformed on October 15, 1948 after absorbing several other units. Finally, on April 25, 1955, the unit was disbanded. It was likely just as well that the division did not see action as the ChK-M1 was not well liked in service. It was found that the barrel rapidly wore out while the accuracy of the BR-167 round dropped off quickly. In addition, the penetration value of the round was, by 1944 and into the early post-war period woefully inadequate in comparison to the later war Soviet 45mm anti-tank guns (such as the 45mm M-42). Finally, crews complained that the simple sight of the ChK-M1 suffered in low-light conditions, something that also plagued the 45mm guns but rather than improve the ChK-M1, the 45mm guns were recommended to be improved upon rather than a light gun that had little value.