Hans Lex Award Ceremony

Image size: 1070 x 1600 pixel. 307 KB
Date: Friday, 10 September 1943
Place: Werchopenje, southeast of Orel, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Oberleutnant der Reserve Hans Lex (Chef 7. Kompanie / II. Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment "Großdeutschland" / Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland" / XXXXVIII.Armeekorps / 4. Panzerarmee / Heeresgruppe Mitte) proudly displayed his newly received Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) after an award ceremony which taken place in Werchopenje (Russia) on 10 September 1943. This prestigious medal was awarded  to Lex (21 January 1916 - 11 August 1994) by the Divisionskommandeur, Generalleutnant Walter Hörnlein, after his company of 5 Tigers destroyed 16 Soviet T-34 tanks without loss of his own (!) from a Panzer position near Novenskoje on 15 July 1943, thus alleviating a strong flank threat. Because the "real" Ritterkreuz was still on the way at the time of the award ceremony, so a converted Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse was used instead! Lex ended the war as Hauptmann der Reserve.

Source:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=105457
http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/viewtopic.php?p=144498

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2429363

German Soldier Playing With a Cat

Image size: 1380 x 1600 pixel. 446 KB
Date: Thursday, 16 July 1942
Place: Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Rare photo of German soldier with cat from inside Sd.Kfz.250/1. This vehicle possibly belong to the 2.Kompanie/Kradschützen (motorcycle) Bataillon/Infanterie-Division "Großdeutschland" (before they became 2.Kompanie/Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilung/Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland"). This picture is quite rare because for the first time it shows what the MG mount actually looks like! it appears to be an early MG 34 mount in an Sd.Kfz.250 and also used in the 251. It would have its advantages in long range accurate fire but be a hazard in close defense. The optics arrangement is interesting. The periscope for the sight appears the same as that used in the Richtkries 31, also the 250/3 had the radios and these are not in the usual 'tubular' rack. The time of this picture was taken is more interesting: it looks like mid war 1942-43 but seems to be the soldier is wearing a M43 type shirt with straight pocket flaps and plain pockets, which was generally only seen from 1944... But the unprotected MG mount would put it back to a 251/1 Ausf.A, Polish/France campaign! This is a strange one indeed. Grey shirts with collars were not issued till around 1942 to infantry/panzergrenadier etc. They were issued with the white collarless shirt up to that period. You can see the figure in the background wearing the standard issue white collarless shirt. Best Guess if this is early war, and it must be a privately acquired shirt. This Lafette type was occasionally used throughout the war. It was a bit similar arrangement as the Lafette of the heavy MG (MG34/MG42). What if the shirt is not German at all? The shade is lighter than colour of his Hosen could be a even a Russian shirt! German army collar shirts had very long pointed collars, this one does not, so it might be captured stock from some other army. At the front, troops indeed wore whole variety of different clothing, also officially. GJ (Gebirgsjäger) Truppen were in the beginning allowed to wear civvie Berghosen and Schuhe. Early winters troops received a lot of winter clothing collected via Winterhilfe. No wonder there were mismatch items everywhere. At garrison duty it was a whole other case (possible even right behind the frontline).

Source:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152101282120752&set=o.303273499761263&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

Tiger of Großdeutschland with Two Soldiers and Captured Soviet Anti-Tank Guns

Image size: 1600 x 1140 pixel. 269 KB
Date: Thursday, 10 August 1944
Place: Vilkaviškis (Wilkowischken), Marijampolė, Lithuania
Photographer: Kriegsberichter Pfeiffer from PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) Division Großdeutschland

Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I Ausf.E "B12" from 11. Kompanien/III.Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 'Großdeutschland', passes close to a Russian anti tank guns 76 mm M1942 (ZiS-3) on the road, while two Obergefreiter watching the sky. Based on the book "God, Honor, Fatherland: A Photo History of Panzergrenadier Division 'Grossdeutschland' on the Eastern Front 1942-1944" by Thomas McGuirl and Remy Spezzano, this picture was taken in the region of  Wilkowischken, Lithuania, in 10 August 1944 (some sources, including Bundesarchiv, places this as 23 September 1943 in Kharkov-Poltava, Ukraine). This vehicle (and the pic below from the same scene, Tiger S01) has got the all-steel (without rubber) road wheels, and this version came into production in february 1944. The Germans captured thousands of ZiS-3 along with captured armored vehicles and modified them into self-propelled guns. Some guns were supplied to the Afrikakorps. The Germans liked the 76.2mm guns for their reliability, durability, and accuracy they found out, it could knock-out light and medium tanks with its armor-piercing round but, against the Tiger and Panther, it made the lives hard for the Russian gun crews. The troops could be looking at the Stukas taking out targets ahead of them. The troop (soldier) on the right looks like he's carrying a MG34 with link belted ammo around his neck, armed with a walther P-38 or Luger 08 pistol in his holster. The other soldier looks like he is a Gefreiter (Lance Corporal or Obergefreiter Corporal) because he's got the field glasses around his neck, sidearm same as the private walther P-38, or Luger 08 Pistol, looks like he's armed with a MP-40 9mm Sub-machine gun. The Tiger behind them, is there for comfort: Don't leave home without it!

Source:

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-732-0138-14

http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=9731
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1194214865/1194308515/Most+likely+turret+numbers+for+command+Tigers...-