An excellent shot of a KV-1 tank abandoned on a damaged bridge.
A souvenir photo from a "trip" to Lvov in July 1941 taken by Luftwaffe personnel, showing two of them and a knocked-out T-34 Model 1940 from 4th Mechanized Corps. Clearly visible in this photo is the ventilation on the turret hatch and an extra transmission lashed to the engine deck. Also abandoned on another street was at least one T-34 from the same unit with a similar transmission on the rear deck
This was a typical sight in the Soviet western frontiers in the early phase of Operation "Barbarossa" - hundreds of destroyed and abandoned Soviet vehicles littering the field. This is what remained of a Soviet support and artillery unit after a Luftwaffe air strike
A rifleman pauses for a drink from his M31 canteen. The O.8-liter canteen was issued with a small kidney-shaped drinking cup that was carried upside-down over the canteen's cap and secured by a leather or web strap fastened to the canteen's felt cover. The battered cup can be seen still attached to the securing strap on the canteen's opposite side. Wheat stalks garnish his helmet as camouflage.
A rifleman is set to throw a Stg24 (Stielgranate 1924) stick hand grenade, commonly known as the "potato masher". This was the standard hand grenade used throughout the war, although there were other models. The TNT explosive charge weighed six ounces. This was a blast grenade with only limited fragmentation effect, although there was a little used slipon fragmentation collar available. It was armed by unscrewing a cap on the end of the handle, pulling a cord that activated a friction igniter, and thrown to detonate after a 4.5-second delay. Although motion pictures have portrayed German soldiers activating grenades by banging them on their boot heel, helmet, or another solid object, the Germans have never possessed a grenade armed in this manner. This soldier wears a war economy uniform lacking the dark blue-green collar, with the shoulder straps being replaced by field grey types.
A 7.92mm machine-gun belt for the MG34. They were issued in 50 and 250-round lengths and any number could be fastened together. The same belt was used with the later MG42. Unlike the US disintegrating metalliclinked belt, the German metallic belt did not break up in individual links when fired. German belts were reusable so crews recovered them, as they sometimes were in short supply. Every fifth round is an armor-piercing-tracer identified by a black bullet tip (faint in this photograph) and a red ring around the primer. German tracers burned red or white.
An NCO armed with an MP40 machine-pistol displays his equipment. A tent pole section can be seen beneath his shelter cape. Four soldiers could button their shelter capes together; with each providing a tent pole section, they could erect a somewhat cramped pyramid-shaped shelter. A binocular carrying case is seen between his mess kit and gas mask canister. The ovalshaped item on the back of his collar is a leather eyepiece cover for his binoculars, which was used when it is slung around his neck outside of the protective case.
