Luftwaffe Troops at Stalingrad

Image size: 1600 x 1071 pixel. 407 KB
Date: Saturday, 19 September 1942
Place: Suburb of Minina, Stalingrad, Stalingrad Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Kriegsberichter Rothkopf (PK Lfl. 4)

First published in 22 October 1942, this picture shows Luftwaffe troops securing areas recently overran by Soviet troops at Stalingrad, September 1942 (note MP 40 submachine gun!). Also note that the officer in the foreground wearing a tie: correct dress code amid chaos! Page 192 of Jason D. Mark's excellent book "Angriff: The Attack on Stalingrad in Photos" identifies the officer as Oberleutnant der Reserve Helmut Wilhelm Schnatz, Chef of 3.Batterie/Flak-Regiment 25. Date is September 19,1942 and the location is suburb of Minina. The short bio of Schnatz: SCHNATZ, Helmut (Helmut Wilhelm). (DOB: 09.12.15 in Hombruch, Krs. Dortmund-Land). (R). 04.04.36 began service in the RAD (to 30.09.36). 03.11.37 assigned to 4./FEA 34 in Münster-Handorf for basic training. 20.03.38 trf to 7./Flak-Rgt. 14 in Bonn. 16.11.38 trf to 2./le.Flak—Abt. 84 in Bonn. 22.08.39 trf to 5./Reserve-Flak-Abt. 391. 01.10.39 promo to Wachtmeister. 01.12.39 promo to Lt.d.R. 01.08.40 appt Batterie-Offizier in le.Reserve-Flak-Batterie 9/VII B.O. 16.11.40 appt Zugführer in le.Reserve-Flak-Batterie 9/VII B.O. 01.05.41 appt Ordannanz-Offizier in Stab/Reserve-Flak-Abt. 392. (n.d.) trf to Flak-Rgt. 181. 01.03.42 promo to Oblt.d.R. 30.04.42 trf to Flak-Rgt. 25 (mot). 23.06.42 Oblt.d.R. appt Führer 3./Flak-Rgt. 25 (mot). 19.09.42 KIA 5 km SE of Pescanka near Stalingrad. 17.10.42 Oblt.(d.R.), posthumously awarded Ritterkreuz, 3./Flak-Rgt. 25 (mot). So, in the same day that the picture taken, Schnatz was killed on the other side of the city. This could be his last picture!

Source:
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B22478
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-B22478,_Stalingrad,_Luftwaffen-Soldaten_in_Ruinen.jpg

French soldiers of the Légion des Volontaires Français

Image size: 1073 x 1600 pixel. 578 KB
Date: Between Saturday, 1 November 1941, to Thursday, 6 November 1941
Place: Smolensk, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown (Signal magazine photographer)

French soldiers (with MP40) of the Légion des Volontaires Français (soon to be 33.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS "Charlemagne"), when still part of the Wehrmacht. They are in anti-Partisan operation and wearing Heer uniform with french tricolore armelwappen "FRANCE". They were came from Infanterie-Regiment 638 (Französischer). This regiment was subordinated to the 286. Sicherungs-Division (Security Division) from February 1944. The original French unit in the German army was the Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism (Légion des Volontaires Français contre le Bolchévisme, or LVF). The LVF was also known by its official German designation, the 638th Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment 638). The LVF was mainly made up of right-wing Frenchmen and French prisoners of war who preferred fighting to forced labor in Germany. The LVF fought near Moscow in November 1941 as part of the 7th Infantry Division. In 1942 the men were assigned to anti-partisan duties in the Byelorussian SSR (Belarus). At the same time, another unit was formed in France, La Légion Tricolore (Tricolor Regiment) but this unit was absorbed into the LVF six months later. The LVF's French commander, Colonel Roger Labonne, was relieved in mid-1942, and the unit was attached to various German divisions until June 1943 when Colonel Edgar Puaud took command. The LVF fought well on the Ukraine front against the Soviets. In June 1944, hours before the LVF's planned departure to France, it was called into action when Army Group Centre's front crumpled under the Red Army's summer offensive. On 25 June, at the Bobr River, elements of the LVF under Major Bridoux fought for 48 hours against a Soviet assault. Attached to the 4. SS-Polizei Division and supported by Stukas and five Tiger tanks, they checked a number of attacks in what is generally regarded as the LVF's most successful operation. Forty or more Soviet tanks were destroyed in front of the French position. Testimony to the ability of the LVF came from a Soviet communique which spoke of their forces being stopped by the sacrifice of "two French divisions"!

Source:

"Signal" magazine Nr.3, 1 February 1942 edition