Photos & Postcards

Original photograph of the 3. Kompanie/ Panzer-Regiment 3 in memory of their service from 1936-1938 in Wien. Postcardsize.

Original Wehrmacht (Heer) studioportrait of a soldier wearing a helmet with decal. Postcardsize. Condition as seen.

Original wartime German Propaganda-Kompanie press photograph, depicting combat engineers (Pioniere) and a Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) working together to repair a damaged bridge during operations on the Eastern Front. The soldiers are shown securing planking and reinforcement under the cover of the assault gun, illustrating the close cooperation between infantry and armored support units during frontline repairs.

The reverse bears the original typed PK caption slip (Nur für den Dienstgebrauch!), issued by Propaganda-Kompanie Heeresgruppe Nord, dated 25 July 1944, with text by Kriegsberichter Weber. The caption reads:

“Antreten zum Gegenstoß. Das erste Sturmgeschütz hat die Brücke erreicht. Artilleristen, Offiziere und Soldaten greifen an, den Schaden raschestens zu beheben.”
(“Assembly for the counterattack. The first assault gun has reached the bridge. Artillerymen, officers, and soldiers work quickly to repair the damage.”)

Stamped “Eingeg. Bildprüfstelle d. Armee 1 Aug. 1944” (Army censorship office approval) and “P.B.Z.” (Propaganda-Bildzentrale), confirming this as an officially released Wehrmacht press photo.

Item Details

• Original wartime Propaganda-Kompanie photograph with typed caption slip and censorship stamps.

• PK Unit: Heeresgruppe Nord.

• Photographer: Kriegsberichter Weber.

• Date: 25 July 1944 (approved 1 August 1944).

• Location: Eastern Front, likely Baltic sector (Latvia / Lithuania).

• Subject: Wehrmacht pioneers repairing a bridge under StuG III protection.

• Size: Approx. 13 × 18 cm.

• Condition: Very good; strong contrast and detail, minor handling wear, fully intact caption slip.

Collector’s Note

A fine Eastern Front combat engineering scene, fully documented with period PK slip and release stamps. Such images showing combined arms operations — pioneers, artillerymen, and assault guns — are scarce and historically significant, particularly from the summer 1944 retreats under Heeresgruppe Nord.

Original wartime German press photograph showing camouflaged anti-aircraft positions hidden within the dense hedgerow terrain of the Normandy front. The caption, titled “Feuerspeiende Büsche an der Invasionsfront” (“Fire-Spitting Bushes at the Invasion Front”), vividly describes the deception of the landscape — where seemingly harmless bushes conceal deadly gun positions ready to open fire.

Reverse caption reads:

“In dem hügeligen Kusselgelände der Invasionsfront steht Busch neben Busch. Nichts Lebendes ist zwischen dem Blattgrün zu sehen, und doch speien die Büsche auf Befehl Feuer. Von rückwärts sieht der Busch nicht so harmlos aus. Unter der Tarnung zeigt sich das gepanzerte Führerhaus der Selbstfahrlafette, der Vierlingsflak, dessen Bedienungsmannschaft einsatzbereit den Feuerbefehl erwartet.”
(In the hilly terrain of the invasion front, bush stands beside bush. Nothing living can be seen between the greenery — yet on command, the bushes spit fire. From behind, the harmless-looking foliage reveals the armored cabin of a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, its crew standing ready for the order to open fire.)

• Caption Code: 65059

• Date: 11 July 1944

• Photographer / PK Unit: Kriegsberichter Röder, 260 PK-Aufnahme

• Agency Stamp: Heinrich Hoffmann, Presse-Illustrationen, Berlin SW68 (on reverse)

• Size: approx. 18 × 13 cm

• Condition: Excellent – original typed caption label intact, light period wear, clear Hoffmann agency stamp.

Historical Context

Taken during the Normandy Campaign following the Allied landings, this image reflects German efforts to conceal Flak and anti-tank positions within the bocage countryside. The evocative caption title “Fire-Spitting Bushes” served as propaganda to emphasize both German ingenuity and resistance against overwhelming Allied air and ground forces.

Collector’s Note

A dramatic and well-documented Heinrich Hoffmann press photo, offering insight into the camouflage and defensive tactics of German forces during the 1944 Normandy fighting. Complete with its full typed caption slip and Hoffmann stamp, this is a fine and collectible example of authentic WWII propaganda imagery.

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.

20x Gruesome Photolot (Postwar Copies) of Murdered/Dead German Soldiers (of which 1 or 2 with civilians)

Original Studioportrait of a U-Boot Sailor with Unit Cap Badge! Rare to see. Postcardsize. Condition as seen.