La Segunda Guerra Mundial en Color

[emilioteles]

Pte. Harold Burnard Hillis A/38246 (from Elmira, Ontario) serving with the Highland Light Infantry of Canada, R.C.I.C. seen here using a truck mirror for shaving in a bomb shattered garage, somewhere in Normandy, France. June 1944.

Pte. Hillis died in action, only weeks later, during the 'Battle of Buron' on the 8th of July 1944, aged 21
He is buried in the Canadian Cemetery in Beny-Sur-Mer, Calvados.

'The Battle of Buron'
The forward companies of The Highland Light Infantry of Canada, advancing towards Buron, came under heavy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire. They cleared the enemy's positions in front of the village, losing heavily in the process, and then fought their way across the built-up area, assisted by tanks of the 27th Armoured Regiment whose arrival had been delayed by mines. Although it was reported at 8:30 a.m. that the H.L.I.'s forward troops were in Buron, some of the enemy fought on all day among the rubble, and in fact the last survivors were not rooted out until the following morning.
In this area the 3rd Battalion, of the 25th S.S. Panzer Grenadier Regiment was fighting with the bitterness expected of the 12th S.S. Panzer Division; and the Canadians got the impression that the garrison of Gruchy when evicted had retired into Buron to strengthen the defence there.
The Highland Light Infantry were fighting their first real battle at Buron, and it proved to be, like the North Shore's at Carpiquet, their bloodiest of the campaign.
The battalion's casualties on 8 July amounted to 262, of which 62 were fatal; its commander, Lt.-Col. F. M. Griffiths, was among the wounded, but the day also brought him the D.S.O. Not only was Buron taken, but a very formidable armoured counter-attack late in the morning was beaten off with the efficient assistance of two troops of the 245th Anti-Tank Battery Royal Artillery and the supporting squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment. Fourteen German tanks were reported destroyed.

Pte. Hillis died in action during the 'Battle of Buron' on the 8th of July 1944, aged 22
He is buried in the Canadian Cemetery in Beny-Sur-Mer, Calvados.

(Colourised by Allan White from Australia)

 

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Fl.Lt. Dudley S.G. Honor, Nº 274 Squadron RAF poses by a Hawker Hurricane of the squadron at Gerawala, Egypt, on rejoining his unit following his rescue.
On the afternoon of 25th May 1941, his Mk.I Hurricane (W9266) and that of Fl.Lt Hugh Down were attacking the aerodrome at Maleme, Crete. Down's plane was hit but Honor shot down an Italian SM79 and a German JU52 before being attacked by a Bf 110 and then a Bf 109. His plane crashed into the sea, sinking some forty feet, but because he was wearing a German self inflatable life jacket, he was able to reach the surface. After a four hour swim he managed to drag himself onto the rocks. He was found by Cretan peasants and a party of Greek soldiers and after six days in hiding was rescued by a passing RAF Sunderland that saw him signalling from his pocket torch. The Sunderland pilot said it was a million to one chance that he was spotted, they were looking for Major General Weston and his staff, with Honor giving directions down the coast, they located the General at Sfakia on about the 31st May.

Dudley Sandry Garton Honor was born, to British parents, on September 5th 1913 at Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was educated.
He was one of 600 volunteers from Argentina who came to fight with the RAF and RCAF.
Awards: DSO, DFC & Bar
He died on the 26th December 2007 aged 94

© IWM (CM 941)

 

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Captured French soldiers of the 158eme Regiment d'Infanterie (43eme Division d'Infanterie) carry a wounded comrade past a damaged French 25mm Hotchkiss (SAL Mle 34) anti tank gun which was positioned at crossroads in the Belgium village of Thulin.
23rd May 1940.

'The Battle of Thulin'
On the 20th of May, a German 'Aufklärungs-Abteilung 269' unit was occupying the town and in control of its crossroads.

In the meantime, the French 158eme Regiment d'Infanterie commanded by Col. Pierre Puccinelli were fighting in Maubeuge (15 miles away), and after four days of fighting they were surrounded, by May 21st their situation had become desperate, there was only one alternative and that was to withdraw Northwestwards towards Valenciennes.

They withdrew through German controlled area's and on May 22nd the French units clashed with German troops in Blarengies (about 7 miles away).

On the morning of May 23rd a German out-post (6 or 7 men of 'AA269') stationed at crossroads South of Thulin were surprised to see a French motorcycle coming from Élouges, a town the German soldiers thought was in their hands; the German soldiers opened fire and the motorcycle set ablaze, Col. Puccinelli saw the smoke and realised that his reconnaissance team had run into trouble, he immediately gave the order for his troops to push towards the crossroad, and the Germans guarding the crossroads were taken prisoner.

Puccinelli hoped to find food and ammunition in the village of Thulin and decided to attack it in force, 'AA269' had used the railway line that ran just South of Thulin as their defence line, but after some fierce hand-to-hand combat with fixed bayonets, the French assault was successful, and the men of 'AA269' withdrew from Thulin, taking up new positions North of the town behind the canal.

The French assault was then a threat to the rear of the German infantry regiments of '269 Infantry Division'.
The commander of 'AA269' was able to send a message to his Divisional HQ of the French assault, and '269ID' gave orders for the 'Artillery Regt. 59' to shell the town and for his only available reserve, 'IR 469' to counterattack and to retake control of Thulin and its important crossroads.
The battle was fierce, Puccinelli was wounded in his HQ, but the depleted French infantry were no match for the fresh German troops and after exhausting all their small arms ammunition, the French surrendered and at 10.00 am Thulin was back in German hands.

The exact casualty figure for this small engagement has never been established but 14 French and 12 German soldiers were buried in Thulin.

(Colourised by Doug)

 

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Private G.R. MacDonald of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.) 2nd Canadian Infantry Division Support Btn., giving first aid to injured French children in Brionne, Haute-Normandie, France on the 25th of August 1944.

The 2nd Canadian Corps had reached the line of the River Risle east of Bernay, which was captured on the 24th August. Under orders issued by General Simonds on the 22nd of August, they were moving on the left, through Brionne, directed on Bourgtheroulde.
The 3rd Division was in the centre, moving by way of Orbec upon the Elbeuf area. On the right the 4th Canadian Armoured Division was following the axis Broglie-Bernay-Le Neubourg, directed on the region about Pont de l'Arche. The advance was being led and covered by the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) and the divisions' reconnaissance regiments.
Resistance to the 2nd Corps had so far been insignificant; the enemy was chiefly intent on getting away, and such opposition as he offered was merely delaying actions by rearguards which withdrew as soon as strong pressure was applied.
Indeed, the most memorable feature of these days was the tumultuous and heartfelt welcome which the liberated people gave our columns. The historian of the 10th Brigade wrote later, "Will Bernay ever be forgotten? Bernay where the people stood from morning till night, at times in the pouring rain, and at times in the August sun. Bernay where they never tired of waving, of throwing flowers or fruit, of giving their best wines and spirits to some halted column. . . ." But in every town and hamlet the reception was much the same. It was an experience to move the toughest soldier.

(nb. We believe that this could be the same Private George Robert MacDonald (Service Nº F/97949) of the 11th Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps attached to the 2nd Div., who was sadly KIA in the Bedburg area of Germany on the 19th of February 1945 (aged 21).

(Colourised by Royston Leonard UK)

 

[emilioteles]

'Happy Thanksgiving from the front.'

Sgt Louis S.Wallace, from Meadville, Miss., prepares two of the many thousands of turkeys on a M1937 Field Range that have arrived from the states.

The M-1937 served as the Army’s primary field stove from the beginning of World War II until the end of the Vietnam War. Each RANGE was equipped with a gasoline-powered fire UNIT(or "burner"), 10- and 15-gallon stockpots, a heavy aluminum roasting and baking pan (one deep, one shallow), a cradle, and a set of knives and utensils.The following description from, Lawrence P. Belmont of the 225th, who used to use them in the ETO.

"The M-1937 Field Gas Range could cook and bake anything. They were about three feet tall and about 15 inches wide; they had compartments with rails where you could put the burner if you wanted to grill items. It had a square roasting pan with a cover — you would use the cover for a grill and put the gas range right below it. If you were cooking potatoes or making coffee, it had 10- and 15-gallon stock pots and you would put the gas burner on the bottom. Before this very versatile and portable stove, the Army had wooden and coal stoves that they used to use on troop trains. The M-1937 was so easy to move and set up. It had handles on each side and two guys could move them easily since they didn't weigh much when they didn't have the pots in them. You could put them any place: in the back of trucks or in searchlight trailers. In Normandy I had mine in a wooden lean-to shed that my buddy Sgt. Kravarik help me make. I had two stoves set up there and used to make hotcakes every morning. I can still smell them! The biggest problem was that after cleaning them you were very dirty because the gas would clog up the pipes on them. The other thing was that they were prone to blowing up! They had a round disc on the top of the burner and you had to use graphite to seal it, so you'd get really dirty cleaning them. But the guy that invented it was sure a smart person. In the German Army, the cooks had a 30-gallon tub and they made a fire in the bottom."

Colourised by Paul Reynolds.

 

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The Battle of Saipan. June 15th - July 9th 1944.
US Navy Hospital Corpsman with Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment administers blood plasma to a wounded Marine at a typical aid station near the front lines on Saipan, before evacuating him to areas in the rear. Other wounded men wait their turn for attention.

Medical Situation on Saipan.
It appeared on 26 June that the evacuation situation was rapidly approaching a major crisis. On 21 June Group A transports had retired from Saipan carrying 1,474 casualties, followed the next day by Group B transports127 with 1,400 casualties on board. Hospital ships 'Relief' and 'Samaritan' had departed with 1,355 casualties on 23 June. Transports of the reserve group left Saipan on 25 June with 675 casualties. With this exodus, only the 'Cambria', 'Rocky Mount', two hospital ships ('Solace' and 'Bountiful') and assorted merchant cargo ships remained. The latter ships' capacities were limited due to their lack of medical personnel, and since the 'Cambria' and 'Rocky Mount' were to remain in the area, they could not be used for evacuation purposes. Fortunately, the casualty rate decreased, and no epidemics occurred during the critical period.

On June 15, 1944, during the Pacific Campaign, U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of the strategically significant Japanese island of Saipan, with a goal of gaining a crucial air base from which the U.S. could launch its new long-range B-29 bombers directly at Japan’s home islands. Facing fierce Japanese resistance, Americans poured from their landing crafts to establish a beachhead, battle Japanese soldiers inland and force the Japanese army to retreat north. Fighting became especially brutal and prolonged around Mount Tapotchau, Saipan’s highest peak, and Marines gave battle sites in the area names such as “Death Valley” and “Purple Heart Ridge.” When the U.S. finally trapped the Japanese in the northern part of the island, Japanese soldiers launched a massive but futile banzai charge. On July 9, the U.S. flag was raised in victory over Saipan.

(Colorized by Jared Enos from America)

 

[emilioteles]

Wing Commander James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson DSO & 2 Bars, DFC & Bar, commanding No. 144 (Canadian) Wing, on the the wing of his Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX with his Labrador retriever 'Sally', at Bazenville Landing Ground in Normandy.
31st of July 1944.

(nb He is seen here wearing an RAF issue Battle Dress Blouse in Khaki often worn by Australian pilots in the Middle East and Italy)

Johnson had been interested in aviation since his youth, and applied to join the RAF; initially rejected, first on social, and then on medical grounds, in August 1939 he was eventually accepted. An old rugby injury caused problems during his early training and flying career, resulting in him missing the campaigns in the Low Countries and France and the Battle of Britain. In 1940 Johnson had an operation to reset his injured collarbone, and began flying regularly.
He took part in the offensive sweeps over German-occupied Europe from 1941 to 1944, almost without rest.

By late June 1944, Johnnie Johnson surpassed the record 32 victories of "Sailor" Malan which was highly publicised by the press. Johnnie emphasised that "it was the duty of any leader to have their pilots destroy as many enemy aircraft as possible, not gain personal victories". "Teamwork was essential to ensure a maximum offensive and defensive effectiveness, flushing out and stalking the enemy to bring as many guns to bear as possible".

In early July the three Canadian Spitfire Wings, 126, 127 and 144 were formed into two Wings, Nos. 126 and 127 with Johnnie Johnson commanding 127 Wing comprised of 404, 441 and 442 Squadrons of the RCAF.
On August 23rd, Johnnie Johnson shot down two FW190s and his aircraft was hit for the first time by enemy fire. After the combat, he found himself separated from the Wing ( a most dangerous situation) and he proceeded to join a formation of six aircraft after a friendly wing waggle from its leader. He discovered too late that he had inadvertently joined up with a formation of Me109s! Miraculously he escaped by pulling up and climbing into the sun at full power. When the supercharger kicked in he got the extra boost of speed that he needed and he escaped safely but not without taking a cannon shell in his wing root. Upon returning to base he obtained another Spitfire and again went right back into combat.
On the 27th of September 1944, Johnnie Johnson dove out of the sun to claim his 38th and final aerial victory. Through 515 operational sorties he was fortunate enough to only be holed once.
In March of 1945, Johnnie Johnson was promoted to Group Captain and given command of No. 125 Wing (in an administrative role) but he often led the Wing or a Squadron.

Johnson was one of the highest decorated pilots to emerge from the War and continued his career in the RAF serving in the Korean War until his retirement in 1965 with the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

(He died on the 30th of January 2001 - aged 85)

(© IWM CL 604)

(Colourised by Benjamin Thomas from Australia)

 

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Nick Dalphonse and Robert 'Plug' O'Neil were cooks for the 23rd US Marine Regiment, 4th Marines Division, on Iwo Jima.
20th of February 1945 (D-Day+1)

They had barely landed and the unit was constantly pinned down by enemy artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire. A fellow soldier lost his composure and started popping off little bursts in all directions until O'Neil took his rifle. "It wasn't bad enough that we could hardly move and then one of our leaders starts firing shots all over the place. We had to take his rifle from him."
Not much after that, they found themselves under attack. They were concerned with the numbers of Japanese soldiers coming at them and noticed their 0.50 caliber machine gun had been taken out by enemy fire. The fire fights toward the front were intense and the machine gun seemed like the better option than the M1.
"They were in and on us. We were fighting and men were falling. At some point we noticed they had taken out our machine gun. The M1 was a good rifle and I know what they will teach you about shooting, but there will be nights when you go to sleep pretty sore. I swear we could pop guys off from behind the trees that were on those islands. We figured the only way we were coming off of that island was behind the machine gun, and just decided that it may as well be us. We moved the men and started firing that gun. The shells we were firing were half inch diameter. We were in a pretty good fight and lost a lot of good men there. Afterwards, we took it the rest of the way taking turns at it.
One evening we were firing the machine gun and that baby kept getting pretty hot.They just kept coming at us. All I can tell you is we were lucky our division was bringing along spare barrels."
They also helped in repulsing several Banzai attacks that occurred toward the end of operations on the island. O'Neil and Dalphonse were machine gunners for the better part of the operation.
Nick also cornered a Japanese officer as they made their way through the brush. He ended up with his rifle on him. O'Neil was scanning flicking his eye toward his buddy. Nick said it seemed like forever, but he could see that the soldier was of some rank and thought he should be taken back for questioning. So they took him back to their field leader.
On Iwo Jima, heavy fire started as they made their way up the beach. O'Neil was hit by mortar fire and Nick bandaged and helped O'Neil back to the boat that would take him to the hospital ship.
"There were shells flying all over the place and all of a sudden I saw 'Plug' running back with both hands on his face," he added. "So I grabbed him, seen he was hit and took him back to the landing craft."
Staff Sgt. Dalphonse ended up taking charge of the remaining men after losing their platoon leader.

Bob O'Neil account:
A mortar blast flipped him into the air, shredding his head and face.
He remembered spitting out blood and teeth as Nick Dalphonse crudely bandaged his head and helped him back to the shoreline to catch a boat to a hospital ship. Along the way, a Marine photographer snapped a picture of Dalphonse supporting his wounded, towering buddy.

Bob O'Neil's wife, Betty, said her husband once told her how angry he was at being photographed at that moment. She recalled, "He said, 'My head is killing me and this guy's taking my picture?' That's why his hand is clenched in the picture."

(The photographer was Corporal Eugene Jones, also of the 4th Division.)

Robert O'Neil died in 2002 aged 78
Nick Dalphonse aged 91 in 2014 (and may still alive today)

(Colourised by Johhny Sirlande from Belgium)

PD:
Photographer Cpl. Eugene Jones (left) and his twin brother, both on Iwo Jima.

 

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'Operation Tiger' the training exercise on Slapton Sands in Devon, England. Spring 1944.

In late 1943, as part of the build-up to D-day, the British Government set up a training ground at Slapton Sands to be used by Force "U", the American forces tasked with landing on Utah Beach. Slapton Beach was selected for its similarity to Utah Beach: a gravel beach, followed by a strip of land and then a lake.

The Photo:
In the foreground on the sand are rolls of mesh 'Sommerfeld Tracking' (named after German expatriate engineer, Kurt Joachim Sommerfeld), used to strengthen weak and viscous surfaces.

In the center of the frame is an American Sherman M-10 tank destroyer named "Bessie" equipped with special boxes that protected the engine from the ingress of water, also visible is a Caterpillar D-8 bulldozer, used by the allies in landings for clearing the beaches.
The photo also shows two landing craft LCT class numbered 27 and 53.

At the back, is a large tank landing ship LST-325, which subsequently was involved in transporting troops and equipment onto the Normandy beaches.
After the war, she was sold to Greece and served in it's Navy until 1999. In 2000 LST 325 was bought back by the United States and now serves as a memorial to ships of this class in Evansville Indiana.

'Operation Tiger'
The first practice assaults took place on the morning of 27 April 1944.
These proceeded successfully but early in the morning of 28 April, nine German S-boats that had left Cherbourg on patrol spotted a convoy of eight LSTs carrying vehicles and combat engineers of the 1st Engineer Special Brigade in Lyme Bay and then attacked.
One transport (LST-507) caught fire and was abandoned.
LST-531 sank shortly after being torpedoed while LST-289 was set on fire but eventually made it back to shore.USS LST-511 was damaged by friendly fire.

Of the two ships assigned to protect the convoy, only one was present.

British shore batteries defending Salcombe Harbour had seen silhouettes of the S-boats but had been instructed to hold fire so the Germans would not find that Salcombe was defended.

When the remaining LSTs landed on Slapton Beach, the blunders continued and a further 308 men died from friendly fire.
The British heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins shelled the beach with live ammunition, following an order made by General Dwight D Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, who felt that the men must be hardened by exposure to real battle conditions.

Ten missing officers involved in the exercise had 'Bigot level' clearance for D-Day, meaning that they knew the invasion plans and could have compromised the invasion should they have been captured alive.
As a result the invasion was nearly called off until the bodies of all ten victims were found.

The total of 749 American killed and missing was 10 times the actual losses on UTAH BEACH on June 6 1944.

Colourised by Paul Reynolds.

 

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This photograph shows a British Paratrooper taking aim with an American M1 carbine from the first floor balcony of the Hartenstein Hotel in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem in The Netherlands. September 1944.

(The photograph was taken by Sergeant D M Smith, Army Film and Photographic Unit on Saturday the 23rd of September 1944.)

Sergeant Dennis Smith, the photographer, wrote: "We have had a very heavy shelling this morning, September 23rd and now the situation is serious. the shelling is hellish. We have been holding out for a week now. The men are tired, weary and food is becoming scarce, and to make matters worse, we are having heavy rain. If we are not relieved soon, then the men will just drop from sheer exhaustion".

The British 1st Airborne Division headquarters had been established in the Hotel during 'Operation Market Garden' and it is now the Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’.

(Colourised by Doug)

PD:
The first floor front balcony of the Hartenstein Hotel, in Oosterbeek

 

[emilioteles]

T/Sgt. Benedict "Benny" Borostowski, ball turret gunner of Capt. Oscar D. O'Neil's B-17 Flying Fortress "Invasion 2nd" (serial 42-5070) of the 401st Bomb Sq, 91st BG.

The B-17 and crew were on a bombing run destined for the Focke-Wulf factory in Bremen on the 17th of April 1943 when it was hit by flak and crashed in the region of Nikolausdorf, near Oldenburg in Germany.

"Invasion 2nd" formed the lead plane of the first element of six aircraft making up the lowest squadron. Taking flak hits and attacks by German fighters over the target, the number two engine was completely shot away. The left wing caught on fire and spread to the fuselage. Captain Oscar D. O'Neill called for the crew to bail out but Waist Gunners T/Sgts. Lapp and King were prevented from leaving by a stuck escape hatch. The ball turret gunner, Technical Sergeant Benedict B. Borostowski, came up into the fuselage from the ball turret and went to the partly open waist door. He found Lapp and King unable to force the door and used his foot to push both of them through. All of the crew members were able to leave the aircraft and survived the jump. They all spent the remainder of the war as POWs.

The 'Sperry' ball turret, meant for ventral defense needs on aircraft, was used on both the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator as well as the United States Navy's Liberator, the PB4Y-1. The Sperry ball turret was very small in order to reduce drag, and was typically operated by the shortest man of the crew. To enter the turret, the turret was moved until the guns were pointed straight down. The gunner placed his feet in the heel rests and then crouched down into a fetal position. He would then put on a safety strap, close and lock the turret door. The gunner sat in the turret with his back and head against the rear wall, his hips at the bottom, and his legs held in mid-air by two footrests on the front wall. This left him positioned with his eyes roughly level with the pair of light-barrel Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber machine guns which extended through the entire turret, and located to either side of the gunner. The cocking handles were located too close to the gunner to be operated easily, so a cable was attached to the handle through pulleys to a handle near the front of the turret. Small ammo boxes rested on the top of the turret and the remaining ammo belts were stowed in the already cramped turret by means of an elaborate feed chute system. A reflector sight was hung from the top of the turret, positioned at head height, there was no room inside for a parachute, which was left in the cabin above the turret. A few gunners wore a chest parachute.

The turret was directed by two hand control grips with firing buttons similar to a one-button joy stick. Hydraulics normally powered elevation and azimuth. Hand cranks were available for backup. The left foot was used to control the reflector sight range reticle. The right foot operated a push-to-talk intercom switch.

Colourised by Paul Reynolds.

PD:
Back Row - Left to Right:
Charles Melchiando, Radio Operator; T/Sgt. Harry Goldstein, Top Turret & Engineer; T/Sgt. Donald King, Left Waist Gunner; T/Sgt. Benny Borostowski, Tail Gunner; T/Sgt. Eldon Lapp, Right Waist Gunner.
Front Row - Left to Right:
1st Lt. Robert Freihofer, Co-pilot; Capt. Edwin M. Carmichael, Group Navigator; Capt. Oscar O'Neill, Pilot; Lt. Eddie Bush, Bombardier; T/Sgt. T. "Pappy" Youell, Tail Gunner.

 

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US Marine Dog Handler Corporal Harold N Flagg and his Doberman Pinscher named "Boy" of the 5th War Dog Platoon posing with a Japanese flag in Okinawa.
April 1945.

"Cpl Flagg was taking a break with a patrol when the ears of his Doberman named 'Boy' stiffened. Flagg and his dog moved ahead to expose a ambush position. It was a big one with machine guns and other automatic weapons. Cpl. Flagg couldn't afford to wait for the patrol to move up, and he opened fire. He drew a lot of Japanese fire which wounded 'Boy'. The patrol arrived and disposed of the ambush. The dog recovered and was commended, and Flagg was awarded the Bronze Star." ('Leatherneck' - Magazine of the Marines)

'Boy', a Doberman Pinscher from Dayton, was considered a real hero during the war. 'Boy' served as a Marine Corps War Dog, and was cited several times for valorous service against the enemy at Peleiu in the Palau island group from September 15 to October 19, 1944. In early 1945, Boy's owner, W. D. Canton, received word that the dog had been injured in action on Okinawa. To Canton's relief, he soon received a picture showing Boy and his handler, Corporal Harold N. Flagg, displaying a Japanese flag that had been captured from the enemy. Although Boy's front left leg was bandaged at the shoulder, he was well enough to hold up one end of the flag in his teeth, while Flagg held the other corner. ('The Dog Days of War' by Curt Dalton)

The United States Marine Corps used dogs, donated by their American owners, in the Pacific theater to help take islands back from Japanese occupying forces. During this period the Doberman Pinscher became the official dog of the USMC; however, all breeds of dogs were eligible to train to be "war dogs of the Pacific". Of the 549 dogs that returned from the war, only 4 could not be returned to civilian life. Many of the dogs went home with their handlers from the war.

(Harold Flagg of Fairfield, Maine 6/8/25 - 4/3/92)
('Boy' returned to his US owner after the war)

(From the Photograph Collection (COLL/3948), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections)

(Colourised by Johhny Sirlande from Belgium)

 

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Crew members, Gefreiter Hempl and Obergefreiter Lehrrieder in their Panzer III Ausf J (5cm KwK L/42) of 1./Panzer Regiment 35, 4.Pz.Div. in the vicinity of Seredyna-Buda in the north east of the Ukraine.
12th of March 1943.

At the start of the invasion of the Soviet Union the Panzer III was the most numerous tank in the Germany army, with a total of 1,440 in service, of which 960 were serving with the light armoured companies of the seventeen Panzer Divisions that would take part in the invasion. The Panzer III was still the main German battle tank, although in the summer of 1941 it was still armed with a mix of the original 3.7cm gun and the 5cm gun introduced on the Ausf F.

In 1942 the Panzer III played a major role in the last significant Germany victories on the Eastern Front. It was still an effective weapon early in 1943, during the fighting around Kharkov, but by the summer of 1943 it was becoming increasingly outclassed.

Hitler had ordered the Panzer III to be equipped with the longer 5cm KWK39 L/60, but a shortage of this gun and the initial success of the L/42 meant that this was not done. When Hitler discovered this he insisted that the new gun was installed, and production of the long-gun armed Ausf J began in December 1941. Existing tanks also had the gun replaced, with the result that by June 1942 only 500 of the short-gun armed Ausf Js remained on the Eastern Front. By the summer of 1943 a combination of battle losses and conversions had reduced that figure to only 141.

In the summer of 1943, Army Groups Centre and South had a total of 432 Panzer IIIs with the L/60 gun, but the battle of Kursk would be the last time it was present in such large numbers, as production of the Panzer III came to an end in August 1943. Early in 1944 the surviving Panzer IIIs were withdrawn from the front line, and moved to secondary theatres.

(Colourised by Doug)

 

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BOUGAINVILLE OPERATION, November 1943.

Cpl William Coffron, USMC, fires at a sniper on Puruata Island, during landing operations in Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, November 1943. He was covering Marine gun positions firing from Puruata on Torokina Island nearby.

The invasion of Puruata Island (1-2 November) took place on the same day as the main Allied invasion of nearby Bougainville and saw a force of Marine raiders capture this small island close to the main American beachhead.

The main American landings took place around Cape Torokina on Empress Augusta Bay (on the western coast of Bougainville). Puruata Island is about half a mile from this beachhead and was garrisoned by a platoon of Japanese infantry. It was to be attacked during the first wave of the American invasion. The attack was to be carried out by the 3rd Raider Battalion (Lt Colonel Fred D. Beans), with one reinforced company in the lead and the rest of the battalion as a reserve.

The landing was opposed by light fire, and by 9.30 the Marines had established a secure perimeter around 125 yards deep. They were facing snipers, machine guns and mortars, and so at 1.30pm the rest of the battalion joined the attack, supported by some self-propelled 75mm guns. The battalion then launched an attack that saw them occupy half of the island by the end of 1 November.

On 2 November the Marines launched a two-pronged attack on the Japanese half of the island. This time they only faced rifle fire, and by 3.30pm the island was secure. Twenty-nine Japanese bodies were found, and the rest of the garrison appears to have escaped to Bougainville. The marines lost 5 dead and 32 wounded

Photo: USMC 63280

Colourised by Paul Reynolds.

 

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A trooper of the 4.Fallschirmjäger Division, armed with an MG.42 (Maschinengewehr 42) looks skyward during the Allied landings at Anzio in Italy, in late January 1944.

(source - Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe, sygn, 2-2164)

The 4 Fallschirmjäger Division was formed in Venice, Italy, in November 1943, from elements of 2 Fallschirmjäger Division and volunteers from the Italian 184 and 185 Airborne Division Folgore parachute divisions.
Its first combat action was against the Allied landings at Anzio (Operation Shingle) as part of the I. Fallschirm Korps in January 1944.
After Anzio, the Division fought a rear guard action in front of Rome, and was the last German unit to leave the city on 4 June; it withdrew towards Viterbo Siena Firenze and then managed to halt the Allies at the Futa pass.
In the Winter of 1944/1945 it was positioned on the Gothic Line. In March 1945, the Division had to send the II Battalion, 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment and the 2nd Company from the Pionier Battalion to the new 10 Fallschirmjager Division, which was being formed in Austria.
It surrendered to the Allies in April 1945.

(Colourised by Doug)

 

[emilioteles]

British soldiers retrieving part of the tail section belonging to Messerschmitt Bf.110C-4 3M+EL (Wk.Nº 3113) of 3./ZG2 (Zerstörergeschwader 2) shot down at 11.18 hours on Tuesday the 3rd. of September 1940.
Both crew baled out, survived and were taken prisoner. It was shot down possibly by F/O Count Manfred Beckett Czernin of 17 Squadron, RAF Debden (Hurricanes) and crashed in fields at Canewdon in Essex. (F/O Czernin shot down two confirmed Bf.110s that day)

650 German aircraft attacked London and Kent that day and 42 were destroyed for the loss of 13 RAF planes.

In the 1970's excavators had to dig to a depth of 35 feet before both engines of '3M+EL' were recovered, as well as six propellor blades, a tail wheel that was still inflated and undercarriage struts. Also found were instruments from the cockpit, the control column, a first aid kit, a gunners tool kit, and pieces of the other tail-fin that still bore markings of the Swastika.

(Colorised by Vitaly Lopatin from Russia)

 

[emilioteles]

Guam Landings 1944

The Second Battle of Guam (21 July – 10 August 1944) was the American capture of the Japanese held island of Guam, a United States territory since 1898 (in the Mariana Islands), during the Pacific campaign of World War II.

Guam, ringed by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf, presents a formidable challenge for an attacker. Underwater demolition teams reconnoitred the beaches and removed obstacles from 14-17 July. Despite the obstacles, on 21 July, the Americans landed on both sides of the Orote Peninsula on the western side of Guam, planning to secure Apra Harbour. The 3rd Marine Division landed near Agana to the north of Orote at 08:29, and the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade landed near Agat to the south. Japanese artillery sank 20 LVTs, and inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans, especially on the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, but, by 09:00, men and tanks were ashore at both beaches.

(Source- Defence Dept. Photo (Marine Corps) 88167)
(Photographer - T/Sgt. George R. Gass)

Colourised by Paul Reynolds.

 

[emilioteles]

A group from the Special Boat Section (SBS) pose for the camera on a Greek island. c.1942.

Dick Holmes, one of the few surviving SBS members, put it like this: "We were to be terrorists, our job was to terrorise the Germans, and we did.”

The Special Boat Section was founded in July 1940 by a Commando officer, Roger Courtney. He was unsuccessful in his initial attempts to convince the Admiralty, that his idea of a folding kayak brigade would be effective. He decided to infiltrate HMS Glengyle, an Infantry Landing Ship, anchored in the River Clyde. Courtney paddled to the ship, climbed aboard undetected, wrote his initials on the door to the captain's cabin, and stole a deck gun cover. He presented the soaking cover to a group of high-ranking Royal Navy officers meeting at a nearby Inveraray hotel. He was promoted to captain, and given command of twelve men, the first Special Boat Section.

Attached to Layforce they moved to the Middle East, they later worked with the 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria and carried out beach reconnaissance of Rhodes, evacuated troops left behind on Crete and a number of small-scale raids and other operations. In December 1941 Courtney returned to the United Kingdom where he formed No2 SBS, and No1 SBS became attached to the Special Air Service (SAS). In June 1942 they took part in the Crete airfield raids. In September 1942 they carried out Operation Anglo, a raid on two airfields on the island of Rhodes, from which only two men returned. Destroying three aircraft, a fuel dump and numerous buildings, the surviving SBS men had to hide in the countryside for four days before they could reach the submarine. After the Rhodes raid the SBS was absorbed into the SAS due to the casualties they had suffered.

In April 1943, 1st SAS was divided into two with 250 men from the SAS and the Small Scale Raiding Force, forming the Special Boat Squadron under the command of Major Jellicoe. They moved to Haifa and trained with the Greek Sacred Regiment for operations in the Aegean.

They later operated among the Dodecanese and Cyclades groups of islands in the Dodecanese Campaign and took part in the Battle of Leros and the Battle of Kos. They with Greek Sacred Band took part in the successful Raid on Symi in July 1944 in which the entire German garrison was either killed or captured. In August 1944 they joined with the Long Range Desert Group in operations in the Adriatic, on the Peloponnese, in Albania, and, finally, Istria. So effective were they that by 1944 200–300 SBS men held down six German divisions.

Throughout the war, the No2 SBS did not use the Special Boat Squadron name but instead retained the name Special Boat Section. They accompanied Major General Mark Clark ashore before the Operation Torch landings in November 1942. Later one group, Z SBS, which was based in Algiers from March 1943, carried out the beach reconnaissance for the Salerno landings and a raid on Crete, before moving to Ceylon to work with the Special Operations Executives, Force 136 and later with Special Operations Australia. The rest of No2 SBS became part of South-East Asia Command's Small Operations Group, operating on the Chindwin and Irrawaddy rivers, and in the Arakan, during the Burma campaign.

They became known as the Special Boat Service in the 1980's.

(Colourisation and text by Paul Reynolds)

PD:
Dick Holmes ex SBS - aged 92 in October 2013

 

[emilioteles]

Two Sikh soldiers of the 19th Indian Infantry Brigade, 8th Indian Infantry Division positioning a Bren gun in the line near Villa Grande on the 15th of January 1944.
The 19th Brigade helped capture Villa Grande on the 26th of December 1943.
(© IWM NA 11188)

In order to keep up pressure on the whole front, the Indian 19th Brigade was ordered to attack Villa Grande and exploit any gains as far as the Arielli river which ran from the mountains through Tollo to the Adriatic. The attack went in at 05:30 on 22 December but failed in desperate fighting. The 1st/5th Essex Regiment renewed their attack the following morning with more success. After a counterattack by German paratroops had been repulsed at midday, the Essex advanced to mop up the remainder of the village. However, deadly small scale house-to-house battles continued throughout the rest of 23rd December and for the next two days as the determined parachute soldiers clung on. To the south of Villa Grande, the 3rd/15th Punjabis had taken Vezzano on 23rd December and a continuous brigade line had been established.
On 25th December, reinforcements in the form of 3rd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment were brought forward and after a softening up barrage were launched at the east side of Villa Grande. With four battalions now involved (the 5th battalion Royal West Kent Regiment had by now been tasked on the south east side of the village) supported by tanks, Villa Grande was finally cleared by the end of 26 December. The troops of the Indian Division entered the village to find a shambles. One correspondent described the scene "as though a giant had trodden on a child's box of blocks"

(Colorised by Paul Edwards)

 

[emilioteles]

Troops of the US 5th Engineer Special Brigade, wade through the surf to the northern coast of France, at Fox Green Sector of Omaha Beach.
They were part of the over-increasing number of men bolstering the forces which made the initial landings on the beachhead.
8th of June 1944.

(Colourisation and Research by Paul Reynolds.)