American Gunner Minutes Before His Death

Image size: 1600 x 1042 pixel. 141 KB
Date: Wednesday, 18 April 1945
Place: Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
Photographer: Robert Capa

Leipzig, 18 April 1945, Private First Class Raymond J. Bowman (right) of “D” Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment and his fellow comrade, Lehmann Riggs, set up their .30 Browning machine gun on an open balcony in order to provide cover for the American troops of the 2nd US Infantry Division, who were advancing over a bridge. This balcony had an unobstructed view on the bridge however this same clear view would turn out to be a deadly mistake for Pfc. Raymond J. Bowman. After taking half of the city, the commanding officer ordered the heavy weapons squad to climb to the third floor of the Jahnallee apartment building (nr. 61). Together with them was famed war photographer Robert Capa. Capa, who was standing just a few feet away from Raymond Bowman when all of this occurred, would later have these photographs published in the May 14, 1945 issue of Life magazine, under the headline “Americans Still Died.” However the identity of the men in the picture was a mystery. It was only after Lehmann Riggs himself shared his memories of that day and the family of Raymond J. Bowman, who identified him by the pin bearing his initials on his collar, that the mystery was solved and later revealed. “We had to go across these bridges to get to the other side of the city. They had blocked the bridges with burned-out tanks and streetcars, anything that would obstruct us from going across. There was a park in front of this building, and they were dug in and we couldn’t see them. We had orders to go up to the third floor of this apartment building and set up our guns to spray that area out there in the park to try to keep them pinned down until our troops could cross that bridge.“, said Lehmann Riggs. Adding “We only fired with one person at a time, and we alternated…one person being exposed all the time. I had just been firing the gun, and I just stepped back off the gun and he had taken over. In 30 seconds, I happened to look up and see the bullet pierce his nose. The bullet that hit him killed him, ricocheted around the room, and it’s a miracle that it didn’t hit me. As soon as he got hit, somebody had to take the gun. I had to jump over him and start firing the gun.” Raymond J. Bowman was born in Rochester, New York on April 2, 1924, the fifth of seven children. After graduating high school, Bowman was drafted into the United States Army on June 21, 1943. While serving in Company D of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. In January 1944, he was sent overseas to the United Kingdom in preparation for Operation Overlord. Raymond J. Bowman served in France, where he was wounded in action on August 3, 1944. He went on to fight during the Battle of the Bulge and the final battles in Germany. He was decorated with a Bronze Star Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal and two Purple Hearts. Robert Capa recalled in an interview in 1947: “So it made no sense whatsoever but he (Bowman) looked so clean cut, like it was the first day of the war and he was very earnest. So I said ‘All right, this will be my last picture of the war.’ And I put my camera up and took a portrait shot of him, and while I shot my portrait of him he was killed by a sniper. It was a very clean and somehow a very beautiful death.“ In 2015, the city of Leipzig voted to name the street in which the apartment building is located to “Bowmanstraße”, in honor of Raymond J. Bowman. The renaming took place on April 17, 2016. The apartment building (called Capa House) now contains a small memorial with Capa’s photographs and information about Bowman.

Minutes prior to his death, Raymond J. Bowman (seen left now) with his fellow comrade Lehmann Riggs (on the right). 

Pfc. Raymond J. Bowman after he was struck by the German sniper

 Pfc. Raymond J. Bowman after he was struck by the German sniper. Another soldier of his squad takes over the machine gun

Source :
https://www.argunners.com/raymond-j-bowman-story-behind-dramatic-photo/
http://www.panzernet.com/foro4/showthread.php?11073-Uniformes-mezclados/page4

Messerschmitt Bf 109 of Feldwebel Hans Döbrich

Image size: 1600 x 1090 pixel. 505 KB
Date: January 1943
Place: Alakurtti, Kandalakshsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

One of the specialists of 6.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) at the Eismeer Front during the winter of 1942/1943 was, beside the more well known Oberleutnant Horst Carganico, Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Müller and Leutnant Heinrich Ehrler: Feldwebel Hans Döbrich. This picture shows his brand-new in winter camouflage Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 “gelb 10” with 2cm gondola mounted cannon (Rüstsatz R6 = Gondel MG 151/20) in the spring of 1943. Because the “Eismeerjäger” encountered mostly slower Russian Hurricanes, the reduction of top speed caused by the gondola mounted cannon was of no negative influence. The aircraft has the four leaf clover as emblem for II.Gruppe / JG 5 as well as a personal emblem of Feldwebel Döbrich. Notice also the oil leakage of the oil cooler and that the markings of Stammkennzeichen under the wing are not painted over. Picture was probably taken at Alakurtti.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

German Fallschirmjäger on the Italian Front

Image size: 1186 x 1600 pixel. 512 KB
Date: Friday, 1 October 1943
Place: Italia
Photographer: Baitz (PK Fsjg. AOK)

German Paratroopers from Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5/Division Hermann Göring during the march on the Italian front. Some were carrying MG 42. They were the few remnants from the Tunisian campaign, during their short stay in Italy before leaving for the eastern front in early November 1943. Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 was formed in May 1942 (Stab and I./FJR.5 new, while II. and III./FJR.5 from II. and III. /Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1). In July 1942 II.Bataillon/Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 was sent to Africa and joined Brigade Ramcke, while the rest of the regiment transferred to Reims (training for Operation Hercules, attack on Malta). Stab, I. and III./FJR.5 were transferred to Tunisia in November 1942, joining Brigade Ramcke. II./FJR.5 was apparently disbanded shortly afterwards. On February 1943 FJR.5 was redesignated Jäger-Regiment Hermann Göring, now part of Division General Göring which destroyed on May 1943. Reformed in October 1943 (only II./FJR.5) and saw action in South Russia together with  2. Fallschirmjäger-Division (October 1943 Zhitomir, February 1944 Kirovograd), but was destroyed at Kirovograd. Only the Stab II./FJR.5 remained and on July 1944 became Stab / FJR.16. An entire new regiment began forming January 1944 in Reims, later Brest. When III./FJR.1  arrived in Brest in March 1944, it became the basis of the new FJR.5. The regiment was almost totally destroyed in Normandy, and had to be reformed in Oldenzaal, October 1944.

Source:

Zbiory NAC 2-2113

http://www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/1612/h:436/