French poilus pose for a comrade outside a makeshift dugout. Given the overcoats and the barren trees, this image was probably taken during the winter of 1939–40 during the so-called “Phony War” that took place along the borders of France and Germany. In Germany, it was known as the Sitzkrieg—“Sitting War”—a play on words for Blitzkrieg.
The spoils of war . . . soldiers of the army and airmen of the Luftwaffe examine a French tricolor that has been captured. There must be something of interest on the flag, as evidenced by the Unteroffizier taking notes as the officer points.
A makeshift field grave for fallen French soldiers.
A Luftwaffe soldier poses in front of a bunker with his MP 40 machine-pistol.
Field-expedient methods used to cross a canal, with commercial or private watercraft being used to span the obstacle and additional planking material added to reach either bank. Obviously, this was not intended for ferrying vehicles, but it did allow infantry to cross without getting wet.
In the absence of bridging assets or while waiting for the same, engineers sometimes constructed ferries capable of allowing vehicles to cross waterways This was obviously not the preferred method, since it was slow and cumbersome, but it was sometimes the only method available.
Here we see soldiers in front of a beached French vessel, probably a destroyer. This image may have been taken in the aftermath of the Dunkirk evacuation, when such images were a favorite subject.
Part of a machine-gun team moves out along a rural French road. Machine Gunner 1 carries an MG 34, the standard infantry machine gun of the time, while Number 2 appears to be carrying ammunition boxes. In contravention of orders regarding operational security, the men continue to wear shoulder straps with unit numerical designators plainly visible.
A rather elaborate dugout that might have been used for artillery or mortars, judging by its expansiveness. It was probably originally French, since the German forces would not have had time to construct a “finished” product like this while on the attack.
By contrast, a more traditional infantry-style dugout is seen here. This does not appear to be a fighting position, but rather sleeping “quarters” or a command-and-control bunker of some sort, since there are no obvious revetments or fields of fire from it. During the lull between the first part of the campaign and the second, German units may have had time to build structures such as these.
Soldiers, given the opportunity to rest, enjoy a meal in the field and listen to a commercial-type radio for the latest announcements and music.
Luftwaffe troops congregate around what apperars to be a range finder.
An interesting contrast between the “old” and the “new”: a horse-drawn antiaircraft machine gun moves down a cobblestone French road as part of a horse-drawn column, while a motorized element takes a break.
A machine-gun section, with the MG 34 set up in the “heavy” configuration. The superb, lightweight MG 34 gave German infantry units considerable firepower and was far superior to anything the Allies could field.
These soldiers appear to be catching up on paperwork or writing home. Of interest is the effort to hide unit designators on shoulder straps. The noncommissioned officer on the left has simply removed his, while the soldier in the middle uses the prescribed “slides.”
French railway cars are used to transport German motorized elements. Because of the speed of the advance, the railway system was captured largely undamaged.
Luftwaffe gunners pose around their weapon, a 3.7-centimeter automatic cannon. Although the immediate area around the gun is camouflaged, the position itself is in a relatively open area. This allowed the gun to freely traverse while engaging high-speed aerial targets and also to act as an inviting target from the air.
Whenever possible, German mechanized and motorized units moved by rail to save wear and tear on the vehicles.
Photo 1 of 2: Luftwaffe troops, probably part of an antiaircraft unit. Cooperation between the army and the Luftwaffe was exceptional and far more effective than that of the Allies. Luftwaffe liason units were permanently attached to the divisions as well as higher headquarters.
Photo 2 of 2: Luftwaffe troops, probably part of an antiaircraft unit. Cooperation between the army and the Luftwaffe was exceptional and far more effective than that of the Allies. Luftwaffe liason units were permanently attached to the divisions as well as higher headquarters.
Unloading what looks to be a large tent, possibly for a headquarters unit. Accommodations for combat troops were far less elaborate.
In the wake of the decisive victory, German noncommissioned officers play “dress up” with captured French uniform items. Scenes such as this were relatively common early in the war for the German armed forces personnel, when victory seemed certain. As the fortunes of war shifted, souvenir hunting was less frequent for obvious reasons: when fighting for survival, there is no time for such luxuries and, perhaps more importantly, no one wishes to be captured with “souvenirs” from the other side, since it could mean an almost instant death sentence.
Photo 1 of 2: As was typical of the early stages of the war, the headgear of the fallen soldier was placed on the gravesite in addition to a cross. After the campaign, the soldiers were often disinterred from the field burial sites and reinterred in rather elaborate military cemeteries.
Photo 2 of 2: As was typical of the early stages of the war, the headgear of the fallen soldier was placed on the gravesite in addition to a cross. After the campaign, the soldiers were often disinterred from the field burial sites and reinterred in rather elaborate military cemeteries.
Divisional or corps engineers have constructed a traditional segmented sixteen-ton bridge. Unlike permanent civilian structures, the bridge was relatively fragile in nature and only allowed the crossing of spaced vehicles, usually moving at a walking pace and provided with a guide. This type of crossing could take hours for a large formation and required considerable planning to ensure the right assets were sequenced properly for a continuation of operations on the far side. This bridge site has become administrative in nature—that is, it does not appear that there is any imminent tactical danger to it and personnel wait to cross “in the open” and without concern for “bunching up.”
This position appears to be some sort of fighting or outpost position, since it is well camouflaged but also has a field of view to the front. Given the fact that these are Luftwaffe airmen, as evidenced by the “gulls” on the rank collar tab of the one individual, it is probably for some sort of Flak element.
Members of an infantry section prepare to move out. One man carries a spare machine-gun barrel (tube slung over his back), while almost all of the men have affixed wire to their helmets to enable them to apply field camouflage in the form of foliage.
Once time and the tactical situation allowed it, engineers set about constructing more permanent structures. If the existing civilian structure was destroyed or damaged beyond immediate repair, a semi-fixed structure was often built next to it since the crossing points and features were generally known quantities. In this case, wooden planks have been built and the edges apparently reinforced with railway track. A horse-drawn supply column crosses the structure. It was probably part of the field trains of an infantry division, since almost all of its “mobile” assets were provided with literal “horsepower.”
A well-armed infantry squad poses for an impromptu photograph.
A mounted infantryman with saddle horses, probably used for reconnaissance. Despite the publicity given to the panzers, the German Army was largely horse-drawn--up to 90 percent of infantry divisions, which, in May 1940, typically had 1,700 saddle horses, 3,600 draft horses, and a veterinary company to take care of them.
Assault crossings were generally done whenever the far shore was defended. These relied on floats or pneumatic craft, either motor-powered or paddled. Generally, these types of operations were done at night, given the extreme vulnerability of forces moving in the open across a waterway in slow-moving craft against a defended position. In this instance, the river has already been forced and assets—apparently two manhandled 3.7-centimeter antitank guns—are being transported to the far side.
A 7.92mm MG 13 being used in the antiaircraft role as indicated by the mounting and the ring sight. This is a posed photograph--there is no indication of any ammunition feed! Usually, the MG 13 used a 25-round box magazine or a 75-round saddle magazine. The MG 13 was superseded by the much superior MG 34 in 1936 and was mainly used by garrison units after that date.
Soldiers of an infantry element wait their turn to cross an expedient bridge.
Once the campaign was over, most of the forces not immediately designated for occupation duties were returned to Germany and their home stations by rail.
A soldier has written, “Mir ist alles Schnuppe . . . ich fahre zu meiner Puppe” (“I could care less . . . I’m going to see my gal”), on the Type 82 Volkswagen.
French prisoners wait along the side of a cobbled road while a German motorized column passes.
Long columns of French POWs, in this instance guarded by a mounted infantryman. The first-class French divisions were sent to Belgium to man the Dyle Position, leaving second-line fortress formations, inadequately trained and badly equipped, to guard the French lines in the supposedly “tank-proof” Ardennes. Although the French soldiers defended bravely, they were soon swept aside by the attacking Germans. Surrounded, with no orders or supplies reaching them, they had little choice but to surrender.
Some “exotic” French ordnance and weaponry is put on display for German soldiers. Some of the weapons look to be of World War I vintage and may have been culled from battlefields of that era. German soldier accounts of the fighting in France often relate how units passed by or through World War I battlefields, where relatives also fought and fell a generation previously. By 1940, none of the World War I battlefields had been totally swept for weapons and explosive ordnance, which still posed a danger to passers-by and visitors. In fact, injuries are still reported annually to this day from previously unexploded ordnance in France.
A memento of the fighting for the photo album. The Germans were proflific takers of photographs, even though it was officially forbidden to do so. Note that two of the soldiers are wearing the flashlight signalling device.
The Napoleonic maxim that “an army marches on its stomach” is still true to this day. The field kitchen is one of the most essential rear-echelon items.
An orders conference as an assault unit waits to cross a river. The Germans made numerous river crossings during the campaign, most of them under difficult conditions.
“Newly minted” soldiers ready for the front.
A very nice posed shot of a soldier on guard duty.
The chance to relax is taken whenever possible.
An Sd.Kfz. 222 armored car is ferried across a river on a pontoon raft. The Germans were masters of improvisation and quickly adapted to changing circumstances.
Where bridges are not available, the tedious job of fording the river becomes necessary.
The panzers received the publicity and the glory, but a large proportion of the transport capacity of the German Army consisted of horse-drawn elements that were an essential part of the campaign.
This staff car has seen its share of combat, but it appears to still be operational, if somewhat disorganized.
Photo 1 of 2: A break from the strain of combat was always welcome, particularly listening to music or news from home, even if it was strictly censored and often rife with heavy-handed propaganda.
Photo 2 of 2: A break from the strain of combat was always welcome, particularly listening to music or news from home, even if it was strictly censored and often rife with heavy-handed propaganda.
An image that seems emblematic of the campaign in the West as a whole: long columns of infantry march down dusty roads in one seemingly ceaseless march against an ever-withdrawing foe.
Once obstacles had been breached or bypassed, it was necessary to make the roadway trafficable again. Here soldiers fill in a surface next to a railway crossing.
The different modes of transport are obvious: bicycles, horse-drawn vehicles, and trucks.
Horse-drawn trains elements follow a column of infantry down a dusty rural road.
An individual fighting position that is posed to show a soldier aiming an MP40 submachine gun. While on the offense, positions usually consisted of whatever was available in the process of tactical movement.
These soldiers are wearing what appear to be M43’s, which were issued later in the war, although, because of the angle, they might also be Bergmützen, which were worn at the time of the campaign in the West. In addition, one of the soldiers is wearing a Jäger patch on his right sleeve, so it is possible that this stems from the Blitzkrieg era.
A well-camouflaged assault unit waits for the order to attack.
A motorized column bivouacs for the night, with the vehicles surrounding the tents offering protection in case of attack.
An engineer footbridge that replaces an existing civilian structure in a small French town. Some equipment appears to be in the process of being manhandled across, followed by soldiers with bicycles and a four-legged friend.
An 8.8-centimeter Flak and prime mover are carefully escorted across an engineer bridge that consists of both pontoons and fixed spans.
German engineer units were well supplied with pneumatic boats for river crossings.
A cautious advance through the arches of a destroyed railway viaduct.
An observation/range-finding unit observes enemy movments. Those not immediately required for duty catch up on precious sleep.
Captured French medics seem at ease in posing with German soldiers. Once the war turned decidedly in the Germans’ favor, many junior-grade French soldiers were only too happy to lay down their arms.
An older-model Maxim MG 08 machine gun, generally issued to second-line and reserve units.
The tragedy of war: a dead French soldier. Most French units fought bravely but were overwhelmed by the speed of the German advance.
Enemy bunkers were occasionally encountered, especially along the Dyle Position that defended Brussels and the approach routes into northern France. One bunker seems to have covered an important approach route, since a great deal of effort was expended in placing it out of commission. The steel-reinforced concrete has received innumerable hits from guns of quite large caliber.
An opportunity to “liberate” some fresh milk. Rations were often supplemented by local supplies from the civilian populace. In France, the locals were usually quite willing to trade with the occupying troops.
The destruction of a French horse-drawn artillery element, although, unlike the Germans, most French and British artillery elements were actually motorized.
An army Gefreiter taps into a keg of liquid refreshment. It is interesting to note that stocks of French wine, champagne, and cognac were maintained by soldiers and officers during the rest of the war and often passed out in the field on the occasion of special events or individual accomplishments. Of interest in this image is the fact that the soldier has hidden the numerical designator on his shoulder strap (lighter-colored patch) in accordance with orders issued prior to the campaign and designed to heighten operational security. Images are frequently seen where soldiers did not cover up the numerals in this manner but simply turned their shoulder straps upside down for the duration of the campaign.
A road obstacle of doubtful utility—even if defended, it can be easily bypassed.
A dramatic photograph of a near miss from a large-caliber shell.
SS troops, as indicated by the camouflage smocks, which were issued only to SS troops at the time. They probably belong to the SS-Division Verfügungstruppe. The vehicle may be a French AMR 35 destroyed by a German 3.7cm PaK 36, and the impressive cathedral in the background may be the one at Rheims.
Captured French personal kits, rifles, transport, and artillery. When overrun by the panzer units, numerous French formations abandoned their equipment and faded away.
Photo 1 of 2: What appears to be a shattered refugee column. Fleeing civilians were often mixed in with retreating Allied soldiers and suffered accordingly from the bombing and strafing of the Luftwaffe.
Photo 2 of 2: What appears to be a shattered refugee column. Fleeing civilians were often mixed in with retreating Allied soldiers and suffered accordingly from the bombing and strafing of the Luftwaffe.
An obstacle such as this one could generally only be declared a nuisance, unless it was defended and not easily bypassed. Whether this one was defended is unknown, but it could apparently be bypassed quite easily.
These “Spanish Riders” were probably quite effective initially as an obstacle, since they seem to be “anchored” to both sides and there was a clear field of fire covering them. By the time this image was taken, however, they were merely a nuisance that had to be avoided while moving down the road. Wire could also be an effective obstacle against both infantry and vehicles when properly emplaced and covered by fire.
An infantryman negotiates a wire obstacle during a training exercise. If this type of obstacle had been encountered in the field, it most likely would have been cut or trampled as opposed to being gingerly crossed, as seen here.
During the campaign in the West, the SS fielded three formations of brigade and division size, all of which would become some of the most famous fighting formations of the war: the Leibstandarte SS-Adolf Hitler; the SS-Verfügungs-Division; and the SS-Totenkopf-Division (mot.). The Leibstandarte was essentially a reinforced brigade, with four infantry regiments, two artillery battalions, an antitank battalion, and a reconnaissance battalion, among other assets. The SS-Verfügungs-Division, which eventually became the 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich,” had three infantry regiments, two artillery battalions, an antitank battalion, and a reconnaissance battalion, among other assets. Finally, SS-Totenkopf-Division had three infantry regiments, four artillery battalions, an antitank battalion, and a motorcycle infantry battalion. At this time, none of these formations had any organic tank components. Generally, the formations acquitted themselves well, although the army leadership was still highly skeptical of the utility of the separate formations. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 men were members of Waffen-SS formations.
Jubilant SS troops at the outskirts of a French village. They cannot be identified by formation, but they can be identified as SS since they do not wear the national emblem on their right breast.
A towed 3.7-centimeter PaK 36 antitank gun and crew stop to observe something in the course of their duties.
Members of the SS-Totenkopf-Division pose in front of their truck on a rural road in France. They can be identified by the collar tab featuring the death’s head—Totenkopf—on their right lapel. The Totenkopf was among the most controversial of the Waffen-SS formations since it routinely used personnel from concentration camps to man its field formations.
Dead SS soldiers. Most wear camouflage smocks, a hallmark of SS personnel until the latter stages of the war. The SS pioneered the use of field camouflage and came up with innumerable patterns used on a wide variety of uniforms. The influence of those efforts can still be seen today in the camouflage patterns used in the world’s armies.
A field telephone truck in the process of laying cable. Field telephones were more cumbersome than radios but far more reliable and less likely for messages to be intercepted unless the cable was tapped directly. However, the wires were vulnerable to artillery fire and being run over by vehicles, paricularly tanks.
A light staff car, based on a civilian vehicle, camouflaged by a shelter quarter. The column is parked under the trees for some measure of protection from Allied aircraft, which were very active despite Luftwaffe air superiority.
A captured Allied staff car. The soldier on the right appears to be wearing British battledress. The German officer is examining the contents of the vehicle for anything of use to the intelligence section, such as maps or orders.
The horses are the passengers for once, being transported in a Kfz. 72 medium cross-country truck.
It is not possible to determine if this truck was ambushed or merely involved in a road accident.
German troops inspect abandoned and destroyed French Renault R-35 tanks. These variants are armed with a short L/21 37-mm main gun. The R-35 was the main French infantry tank and, with a maximum armor of 40 mm, was considerably better armored than the Panzer I, II, or III.
The victorious troops pose for celebratory photographs. They do not seem to be to concerned about the ammunition of the burning R-35 tank catching fire and exploding.
A German 3.7-cm PaK 36 antitank gun that looks to have been crushed, possibly by a French tank. The French S-35 and Char B heavy tanks had little to fear from the PaK 36.
Masses of German infantry pause before renewing the offensive—it was the infantryman’s maxim to rest whenever he had the opportunity. The motorcycle is probably a 350-cc DKW.
A wounded panzer commander (as indicated by the throat microphone) and his crew.
The famous Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland. During the Battle of France, he was a Hauptmann (captain) and later a Major with 1./JG 27. His first victory during the battle was a British Hurricane.
The panzer divisions brush aside all opposition in the Ardennes and advance to Dinant, Monthermé, and Sedan in order to cross the Meuse and break into central France