Man the Guns

An American poster from World War II.

North of Rome

North of Rome, June 1944: While an American 6x6 truck is passing through the road, a British soldier examines the barrel of a German 88mm gun knocked out and abandoned in an emplacement on the road’s edge. In the background, the wreck of a German Army’s vehicle completely destroyed perhaps by an attack by Allied fighter-bombers.

Hungarian Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Hungarian anti-aircraft artillery on the Russian front, around the Don river-bend area, most likely part of the Second Army. They appear to be relaxed, the heavy fighting is yet to come, probably in January 1943.

Shelling Iwo Jima

Helmeted crewman in a landing craft watched as a Fletcher-class destroyer shelled Iwo Jima, 19 February, 1945.

M36 Jackson

An American M36 Jackson tank destroyer moves past another gun carriage that slid off an icy road in the Ardennes Forest during a push to halt advancing German troops.

24th Panzer Division

The 24th Panzer Division, Summer, 1942 DAK in Russia.

Action figures of the 24th Panzer Division that  can be found here

Germans in Latvia

A German SDKFZ 251-1 halftrack at a rail crossing located in Aiviekstes, Latvia, June, 1941.  This is a colorized photo.

Japanese Surrender

Commander of the 18th Japanese Army in New Guinea, Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi, with his surrender party moving away from Cape Wom airstrip after having signed the surrender document marking the defeat of the Japanese. This took place on September 13, 1945 before Australian troops.

Chicago, 1943

Trucks and cars parked outside the U.S. Army Consolidating Station in Chicago, Illinois, 1943.

Soviets in Berlin

Soviet soldiers in Berlin, 1945.  Colorization credit to Serg.

Forward Observation Post

German forward observation post somewhere on the Eastern Front. Note the "scissor glasses" wrapped with burlap as camouflage. The observer keeps some hand grenades handy (right front).

Soviet Letters from Home

The standard form of Soviet war correspondence during WWII were letters folded into a triangular shape. During the war, the mails were brought for free from the front to home. It could not have been differently, because probably the postage stamps would have been the last item the halting logistic support would have delivered to the front. Even so, postcards and envelopes were shortages. 

D Ration Hershey's Bars

From 1942 - 1944, these bars were included in American D rations. 

The following text is from the Hershey's archives:

Developing the Formula

The standard chocolate bar, which melted readily in summer heat could never be adapted to being carried in a soldier's pocket. In addition, it was thought to be too tempting in taste to be used as an emergency ration to be eaten only when on the verge of starvation. Captain Logan explained his requirements: a bar weighing about four ounces, able to withstand high temperatures, high in food energy value, and tasting just a little better than a boiled potato.

Company Chemist Sam Hinkle was charged with developing the bar. The final ingredients were: chocolate liquor, sugar, skim milk powder, cocoa butter, oat flour, vanillin. Sugar was decreased and chocolate liquor increased to give the bar a less appealing taste than normal chocolate bars. The formula created a heavy paste that had to be pressed rather than poured into moulds. A four ounce bar contained 600 calories. After three days of experiments with blending and processing, Captain Logan gave his approval and a small quantity of four ounce bars was produced. Captain Logan was well pleased with the samples.

The original formula and shape of the ration bar were altered slightly when thiamine hydrochloride was added as a source of Vitamin B1 to prevent beriberi, a disease likely to be encountered in the tropics. These bars were originally called "Logan bars" and later were referred to as Field Ration D.

According to Hinkle, even in the experimental stage it was obvious to the chocolate technologists that sweat and toil, if not blood and tears, lay ahead when the time for quantity production of Field Ration D arrived. Normal chocolate is produced at a flowing consistency when warm and all chocolate machinery is constructed based upon this physical property. The Field Ration D could not flow at any temperature and therefore required the development of special processing methods and machinery.

In June 1937, Hershey Chocolate Corporation undertook the production of 90,000 bars for the Quartermaster Corps. A sufficient number of moulds were built; the chocolate paste was produced according to the formula; and each four-ounce portion was weighed, kneaded, and pressed into the mould by hand. Three weeks were required for production.

The first of the Field Ration D bars were used for field tests in the Philippines, Hawaii, Panama, the Texas border, and at various Army posts and depots throughout the United States. These bars also found their way to Antarctica with Admiral Byrd’s last expedition in 1939. The results of the test were satisfactory and Field Ration D was approved for wartime use.

Between 1937 and 1941, at irregular intervals, small contracts were awarded to Hershey Chocolate Corporation for production of this ration. As war became more imminent, it became necessary to develop an automated method of moulding.

World War II Production

After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, the Quartermaster felt it necessary to protect Field Ration D as well as other rations, from possible damage by poison gas.

New specifications called for the placing of each bar in a heavy cellophane bag, closing the bag by means of a heat seal, inserting this into an individual cardboard carton, securely gluing the carton ends, dipping the cartons in a wax mixture, packing twelve waxed cartons in a master carton, gluing the master cartons top and bottom, packing twelve master cartons in a wooden case, and nailing and steel stripping the case.

Each of these operations had to be carried out with approved materials exactly according to the instruction. Nothing was left to the imagination, not even the type of glue for the cartons nor the ink used in marking the cases. The Quartermaster General, Major General Edmund Gregory, also issued orders that all shipments be coded so that quantities and destinations would be confidential. This resulted in a number of ration packet designations that varied by ordering source.

In 1939, Hershey was able to produce 100,000 units per day. By the end of 1945, production lines on three floors of the plant were producing approximately 24 million units per week. It has been estimated that between 1940 and 1945, over three billion ration units were produced and distributed to soldiers around the world. In addition to the individual bar, Hershey Chocolate produced a three pack of the four ounce bars intended to furnish the individual combat soldier with the 1,800 calorie minimum sustenance recommended each day.

In 1943, the Procurement Division of the Army inquired about the possibility of obtaining a heat resistant chocolate confectionery bar with an improved flavor. After a short period of experimentation, Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar in both one and two ounce sizes was added to the list of war production items. This bar was destined to exceed all other items in the tonnage produced and along with the Field Ration D bar, became part of Hershey Chocolate's history. In July of 1971, Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar went to the moon with Apollo 15 astronauts.

Whizz Bang Rockets

US soldiers of 'B' Company, 3rd Platoon, 752nd Tank Battalion with experimental T40 'Whizz Bang' rocket launchers mounted on Sherman tanks, Italy, 1944.

Occupied Paris

A collection of color photos from Nazi occupied Paris.

“These images were taken in Occupied Paris during WWII by André Zucca for Nazi German propaganda magazine Signal using rare Agfacolor film supplied by the Wehrmacht. Zucca was arrested after the 1944 liberation but never prosecuted. He worked until his death in 1976 under an assumed name”

Polish Army Nurse

Polish army nurse with Polish POWS.

German Ace

Major Walter Oesau near his Messerschmitt BF.109. Oesau flew 300 sorties and scored 109 confirmed kills. He was KIA on Dec 11, 1944 during dogfights with US fighters over Belgium.

Keeping Warm

American troops around a fire in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge.

Italians in the Afrika Korps

Italian soldiers in Rommell's Afrika Korps, in Northern Africa.

Heinrich Himmler

Unwanted by his former colleagues and hunted by the Allies, Himmler attempted to go into hiding. He had not made extensive preparations for this, but he had equipped himself with a forged paybook under the name of Sergeant Heinrich Hitzinger. With a small band of companions, he headed south on 11 May to Friedrichskoog, without a final destination in mind. They continued on to Neuhaus, where the group split up. Himmler and two aides were stopped at a checkpoint on 21 May and detained. Over the following two days he was moved around to several camps, and was brought to the British 31st Civilian Interrogation Camp near Lüneburg on 23 May. The duty officer, Captain Selvester, began a routine interrogation. Himmler admitted who he was, and Selvester had the prisoner searched.

Spot and Sight Chart No. 1

A poster used by British soldiers to help them identify the enemy.

Preparing for D-Day

Jeeps being driven into the open doors of an LCT at a port in Britain in preparation for D-Day.

Soviet Women Taking a Break

Soviet women snipers and auxiliaries take a rest while playing some music on the Eastern Front.  Colorization credit to Za Rodinu.

Thompson Submachine Gun

In 1938, the Thompson submachine gun was adopted by the U.S. military, serving during World War II and beyond.

There were two military types of Thompson SMG. The M1928A1 had provisions for box and drum magazines. It had a compensator, cooling fins on the barrel, employed a delayed blowback action and its charging handle was on the top of the receiver. The M1 and M1A1 had a barrel without cooling fins, a simplified rear sight, provisions only for box magazines, employed a straight blowback action and the charging handle was on the side of the receiver. Over 1.5 million military Thompson submachine guns were produced during World War II.

German troops in Tunisia with a captured M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun.

Home on Leave

Hungarian troops arriving home on leave from the Eastern Front.

A Message for the Enemy

Two members of the Waffen SS prepare a message to be sent to the enemy.

Mitsubishi G4M Bomber

A Mitsubishi G4M2E Model 24 Tei bomber from Kokutai 721 carrying an Ohka.

No Smoking on this Island

A guard on duty beneath a No Smoking sign on Tarawa.

Waffen-SS Stop Watch

A Zunghans stopwatch manufactured for the Waffen-SS with the eagle and swastika.

Coastal Defenses

Modern day photos of the remains of coastal defenses erected in Scotland during World War II.

Snow Patrol

Six US soldiers patrolling during Battle of the Bulge, January 1945.