WW II Historical Thread, Discussion, Pics, Videos

[Miragedriver]

Gunner and pilot a Heinkel He 111 Luftwaffe are captured by the camera of a crew member for another bomber during a raid on London. November 1940 ...

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[Miragedriver]

A squadron of Bf 109 some were in France

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[Jeff Head]

a "dreadnought" with a seaplane, how much more fun could you have?

Well, she carried two OS2U Kingfishers in World War II (a Vought aircraft I might proudly add). You can see them both in this photo from the Pacific in 1944 (between the two masts, sitting on top of the center 14" gun turret there).



In WW II she was in combat and earned combat stars in North Africa, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

This girl got around!

 

[Air Force Brat]

Well, she carried two OS2U Kingfishers in World War II (a Vought aircraft I might proudly add). You can see them both in this photo from the Pacific in 1944 (between the two masts, sitting on top of the center 14" gun turret there).

View attachment 16759

In WW II she was in combat and earned combat stars in North Africa, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

This girl got around!

Wow, I would hate to be in the "flying bridge" in any kind of a sea? did they climb a ladder in that leg, or was there an elevator? no doubt the elevator ride in the cockpit would be a wild one as well? as I am assuming the pilot stayed in the cockpit during the crane ride? to the water and off the water?

hate to show my lack of knowledge, but that is just an awesome ship? I would have been in Okinawa in 1960, there was a tomb behind our house, and we made a trip to a place called "suicide cliff"? a local shrine where soldiers jumped instead of surrendering?

oh and those "kingfishers" are very cool, would have to be a "tough bird" to live through all of that? Not to mention launching and recovering off the open sea?? we call them sea planes, but you could have a definite hard water problem, sometimes an "oil slick" was laid just to minimize the "white caps"?

 

[Jeff Head]

Wow, I would hate to be in the "flying bridge" in any kind of a sea? did they climb a ladder in that leg, or was there an elevator? no doubt the elevator ride in the cockpit would be a wild one as well? as I am assuming the pilot stayed in the cockpit during the crane ride? to the water and off the water?

Okay, here's a little walk down memory lane.

The OS2U Kingfisher was a scout aircraft and was used for several roles.

It could carry some light ordinance for either ASW (two 325 lb depth charges) or harassment duties (two 100 lb bombs), and it did have guns for self defense (a 30mm gun operated by the piliot and a 30mm gun aft for the radioman).

But mainly it was tasked with three things:.

1) Find the enemy and scout them.
2) Help with spotting for shore bombardment.
3) Find downed US pilots and either point them out, or help them. (SAR)

Here's some pics:

An OS2U Kingfisher mounted on its catapult:


An OS2U Kingfisher rescuing downed American pilots at sea:


An OS2U Kingfisher landing at sea:


AN OS2U Radioman hooking up for lift onto their ship:


An OS2U Kingfisher being lifted onto their ship:

 

[Miragedriver]

US infantrymen rest on their Jeep, listening to a shortwave radio.
In the background is a concrete pill-box on the West Wall of the Siegfried line.

The chalked up box-score would indicate that they are listening to the Baseball 'Streetcar World Series'. This was Game 5 between the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardials, dating this photo as Sunday the 8th of October 1944.

(note - the Jeep has a wire cutter fitted to the front, it was used to protect personnel in open vehicles against taut-wire traps. It was first used late in World War II and mainly installed as a field modification. There were no standard models, but wire cutters usually consisted of a piece of iron installed vertically on the front bumper coming up between two and three feet above the windshield of the vehicle when raised)

(Colourised by Allan White from Australia, added research by John Winner, US)


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[Miragedriver]

A Fallschirmjäger Obergefreiter loading a 75mm round into the breach of a PaK 40 anti-tank gun mounted on a Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 131) Panzerjäger, somewhere in Russia, March 1943.

The Marder II was based on the Panzer II chassis. It's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a high silhouette and open-top fighting compartment made them vulnerable to indirect artillery fire, shrapnel, and grenades. The armour was also quite thin, making them vulnerable to enemy tanks or infantry.

The Marders were not assault vehicles or tank substitutes; the open top meant that operations in urban areas or other close-combat situations were very risky. They were best employed in defensive or overwatch roles. Despite their weaknesses they were much more effective than the towed anti-tank guns they replaced.

(Source - Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-580-1113-20)
(Colourised by Doug - Researched by John Winner)


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[Miragedriver]

U-Boots

U-302 Type VIIC

U-36 Type VIIA

U-2326 Type XXIII

Type IX

U-203 Type VIIC

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[Jeff Head]

USS Texas, BB-35, in action in world War II:

Performing escort duties early in the war in the Atlantic.


Shelling Normandy on D-Day


Exchanging fire with the large German battery at Cherbourg




Preparing for action off of Okinawa

 

[Miragedriver]

Fallschirmjäger Division, at Anzio in Italy, January 1944

The trooper shows off a captured British 'Bren' Light Machine Gun and is leaning on a wooden case marked: "Luftdichter Patronenkasten" (Air tight sealed ammunition boxes, for 1500 x 7.92 Mauser or 9mm cartridges).

(source: Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-576-1846-11A)

The 4 Fallschirmjäger Division was formed in Venice, Italy, in November 1943, from elements of 2 Fallschirmjäger Division and volunteers from the Italian 184 and 185 Airborne Division Folgore parachute divisions.
Its first combat action was against the Allied landings at Anzio (Operation Shingle) as part of the I. Fallschirm Korps in January 1944.
After Anzio, the Division fought a rear guard action in front of Rome, and was the last German unit to leave the city on 4 June; it withdrew towards Viterbo Siena Firenze and then managed to halt the Allies at the Futa pass.
In the Winter of 1944/1945 it was positioned on the Gothic Line. In March 1945, the Division had to send the II Battalion, 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment and the 2nd Company from the Pionier Battalion to the new 10 Fallschirmjager Division, which was being formed in Austria.

It surrendered to the Allies in April 1945.


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