La Segunda Guerra Mundial en Color

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In the foreground is U.S. sniper Pfc. Edward J. Foley, Co 'G', 143rd Infantry, 36th Infantry Division cleaning his Springfield 1903A4 rifle, Near Velletri, Lazio, Italy. ‪
29th of May 1944.

Bill Gorman, a veteran who served with Foley stated "Foley soon realized being a sniper was not a good career" It brought too much fire to him. Gorman also stated that "the 5 shot 1903A4 bolt sniper rifle - with a 4 power scope was a waste" Foley swapped it for an M1 Garand and took the helmet camo off.

On the 18th of May the 143rd Regiment sailed from the port of Pozzuoli near Naples and closed in at the Anzio beach head on the following day. On the morning of May 23d, the Regiment jumped off in an attack to break out of the beach head and entered the line on the road to Rome near the town of Velletri.

The Division, in a daring maneuver, sent the 142d Infantry and the 143 Infantry from the left flank squarely across the Division front under cover of darkness and the two regiments infiltrated to the rear of Velletri, up a 2,000-foot peak before the Germans realized what had happened. With the capture of the hills in rear of Velletri, the town folded and the race to Rome was on. Charging through the Alban Hills, the regiment arrived in the outskirts of Rome about 4 p.m. on the afternoon of June 4th, 1944.

(Nb: Foley came from 10 Odile St., Methuen, Massachusetts. He appears to be wearing Corcoran Jump boots)

 

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Messerschmitt Bf.109 E-1 7 Staffel/Jagdgeschwader 54 (White 13+)(Werke/Nr.3576).
Pilot: Unteroffizier Arno Zimmermann crash-landed on the beach at Lydd in Kent, South of England.
Sunday morning, 27th of October 1940 (Weather, cloudy with some bright intervals)

The engine was damaged in combat with No.605 Squadron Hurricanes during a fighter sweep over Tunbridge Wells, in Sussex.

"He started out from Guînes in the Pas-de-Calais, with the whole Gruppe at 08.35 hours on a free-lance patrol over London. The formation was flying at 23,000 ft. on the return flight from London, when they saw a squadron of Hurricanes below them; some aircraft dived on them but without success. As his aircraft was climbing to rejoin the Gruppe, a Hurricane got on his tail and fired a burst into the engine. Zimmermann made for the coast but the engine failed and the cockpit filled with smoke, so he was compelled to make a forced landing. The engine appeared to have seized and had been hit by an incendiary shell which had burnt all plug leads on port side of the engine and had punctured the water jacket. There were a few .303 strikes in the port wing."

Arno Zimmermann had made many active flights during the French Campaign and had taken part in 34 raids on London. A mark on the tail of the aircraft indicated that he claimed one victory against British aircraft.
He survived the crash and was made a Prisoner of War.

(Nb. The 7.Staffel 'winged clog' emblem was inspired by the time that III.Gruppe spent in Holland refitting after the French Campaign.)

 

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French civilians get out their treasured hoard of wine to welcome their American liberators. Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados, Normandy, France. 13th of June 1944.

Colleville-sur-Mer was liberated on the 8th of June

The beach next to the coastal village was one of the principal beachheads during the D-Day landings on the 6th of June 1944, designated Omaha Beach. Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados, Normandy, France.

 

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A British soldier poses by a Panzer VI 'Tiger 1' of the s.Pz.Abt. 508 that has broken down and been pushed off onto the verge of the Poggibonsi road, about 20 miles south of Florence, in Italy. June 18th 1944.

By the 3rd of June 1944, a general fighting withdrawal to the 'Trasimeno Line' began as the Allies pressed northward, taking Rome the next day. Thirteen Tigers were lost moving towards Poggibonsi on the 13th of June, mostly destroyed by their crews. Two more were lost in action against five enemy tanks near Chiusdino on 27 June.

 

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Vickers Wellesley Mark I (L2673 Ku-C) de no. 47 con base en el escuadrón de la raf de agordat en vuelo sobre el paisaje accidentado de eritrea.
C. 1941. De Abril

Entrando en servicio en abril de 1937 como un bombardero, el ungainly vickers wellesley fue el primer avión a utilizar la forma de construcción geodésicos ideado por barnes wallis y utilizado más adelante en el bombardero de Wellington. Otra característica inusual fue la provisión de un pannier debajo de cada ala para servir como una bomba contenedor. Midiendo 74 ft 7 in (22,73 m), Su envergadura fue el más largo de todos solo motor que vio servicio durante aircrafts ww2.

La segunda guerra mundial no afectan a la escuadra hasta los italianos se alió con Alemania en junio de 1940, y la unidad comenzó una campaña de bombardeos de 11 meses en el este de África con su wellesleys. Por el comienzo de 1942, la unidad había vuelto a Egipto y comenzó a trabajar en beaufighters asignado a 'Armado Rover' en el mediterráneo oriental patrullas. Después de otro movimiento, esta vez a la India, el escuadrón comenzó a misiones de ataque a tierra en Birmania, concentrándose en japonés y el tráfico ferroviario del río con mosquitos.

 

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He 115 C4 aircraft loading a LT F 5b practice torpedo

 

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malta

 

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'Rey uno a rey dos..bitte, kommen; atienda, por favor!!..e inmediatamente la voz del Capitan Steen , Rey dos a rey uno...bitte, kommen...Atencion! veo justamente abajo un barco grande..............debe ser el Marat''

Hans-Ulrich Rudel en momentos previos al ataque.

 

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Sturmgeschütz StuG III Ausf.G (Sd.Kfz. 142/1- 7.5cm StuK L/48) captured during January-February 1945 in the 'Battle of the Bulge' by the US 104th Infantry Division.

This final production model was equipped with a Saukopf cast mantlet and an extra concrete layer, also on this vehicle can be seen an MP.44 assault rifle.

The 104th actively defended its sector near Duren and Merken from 15 December 1944 to 22 February 1945. Then it moved across the Roer taking Huchem-Stammeln, Birkesdorf, and North Duren. On 5 March, after heavy fighting, it entered Koln. After defending the west bank of the Rhine, the Division crossed the river at Honnef, 22 March 1945, and attacked to the east of the Remagen bridgehead. After a period of mopping up and consolidation, it participated in the trap of enemy troops in the Ruhr pocket. The 104th repulsed heavy attacks near Medebach and captured Paderborn, 1 April 1945. After regrouping, it advanced to the east and crossed the Weser River on the 8th, blocking enemy exits from the Harz Mountains. The Division then crossed the Saale River and took Halle in a bitter 5-day struggle, 15 to 19 April. The sector to the Mulde River was cleared by the 21st, and after vigorous patrolling, the Division contacted the Red Army at Pretzsch, 26 April. The 104th left for home and inactivation 27 June. (history.army.mil)

 

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Marine Riflemen from the US 1st Marine Division demonstrate how they took out a Japanese Sniper from the steeple of a Methodist Church, below Shuri Castle on the Island of Okinawa, 1st May 1945.

The Division smashed up against the Shuri Line, and in a series of grinding attacks under incessant artillery fire, reduced one supporting position after another. As May wore on, heavy rains flooded the battlefield into a sea of mud, making life misery for all hands. meanwhile, Japanese kamikaze attackers exacted a fearsome toll from the supporting ships offshore. Finally, on 31 May 1945, Marines of the First completed the occupation of Shuri Castle, nothing more than a pile of rubble after so many days of unrelenting combat.