Top image: American propaganda photography showing U.S. Army Military Police Lieutenant Paul Unger of the 2nd Armoured Division frisking an Waffen-SS officer in Notre-Dame-de-Cenilly, South West of Saint-Lô, during Operation
Cobra. The French author
Jean Claude Perrigault identifies the officer being frisked by Paul Unger as SS-Untersturmführer Kurt Peters who served in the 3rd Battalion of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37 of the 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen. Bottom image: captured prisoners of war of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37 of the Götz von Berlichingen, the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 Deutschland of the Das Reich and so-called
Green Devils of the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6. Three distinct
camouflage patterns in view; Waffen-SS
Platanenmuster, Waffen-SS
Erbsenmuster and Luftwaffen
Splittertarnmuster. Note that the unidentified German Fallschirmjäger officer to the right is wearing an SS enlisted man's belt buckle. The surviving parts of the Götz von Berlichingen refitted in the Saar during September 1944 and took of manpower from Heer and Waffen-SS stragglers. The tactical marking of the division was the mailed fist of the German Imperial Knight and mercenary Gottfried Götz von Berlichingen. Both photos were taken by the Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist Robert Capa in Notre-Dame-de-Cenilly between July 27-29 1944. Credit: Doug Banks. LIFE photo archive. Fair use.
Most decorated unit USA army is one of Japs.Enough said.
ReplyDeleteThe book "Breakout from Normandy" by Mark Bando 1999 goes into some detail on this Notre Dame de Cenilly Robert Capa photo. The book relates that this SS officer POW wearing the overcoat could possibly be the same man that was butt-stroked in the head after being taken prisoner.
ReplyDeleteThose are awesome camo patterns. Useful in almost every environment encountered in Europe. It's easy to see the influence on our modern patterns.
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