German Press Photo – Panzergrenadiers in Training, July 1944 (“Brennende Erde”)

Original wartime German press photograph showing Panzergrenadiers (armored infantry) during frontline training. The detailed typed caption explains the vital combat role of the Panzergrenadier, fighting in close cooperation with armored vehicles and assault guns, often in burning or contested areas — the literal “Brennende Erde” (“Burning Earth”) of the front.

Reverse caption reads:

“Panzergrenadiere in kriegsnaher Ausbildung. Auf allen Kriegsschauplätzen ist der Panzergrenadier an entscheidender Stelle dabei: er bildet heute den Rückhalt der Fronten immer da, wo ein Brennpunkt ist. Im Schutze des Schützenpanzerwagens geht er zum Angriff auf die feindlichen Linien vor… Schützenpanzer mit Flammenwerfern fahren mit aufgesessenen Panzergrenadieren in den Feind.”
(Panzergrenadiers in combat training. On every front, the Panzergrenadier plays a decisive role, providing the backbone of the lines wherever the fighting is fiercest. Under the protection of armored vehicles, they advance to attack enemy positions; assault vehicles with flamethrowers move forward with mounted Panzergrenadiers into the fight.)

• Caption Title: “Brennende Erde” (“Burning Earth”)

• Date: 20 July 1944

• Photographer / PK Unit: Kriegsberichter Hellfritzsch (G/M)

• Caption Code: L 2334 Wb EM

• Agency Stamp: Weltbild Presseservice, Frankfurt am Main (on reverse)

• Size: approx. 18 × 13 cm

• Condition: Very good – complete typed caption slip, period pencil annotations, minor edge wear consistent with age.

Historical Context

Taken during the summer of 1944, this photo captures the intense training and battlefield readiness of Panzergrenadier units at a time when German armored forces were engaged in desperate fighting on both Eastern and Western Fronts. The use of the title “Brennende Erde” reflects the scorched landscapes of the Eastern Front and the fierce mechanized warfare characteristic of late-war operations.

Collector’s Note

An excellent and atmospheric Weltbild press photograph illustrating the frontline role of Panzergrenadiers in 1944. Photos from this period with strong thematic titles and complete typed wartime captions are highly collectible, especially when tied to armored and mechanized units. A strong addition for collectors of Wehrmacht, Panzertruppe, and propaganda photography.