Thoughts on this photo

[areilley]

What thoughts do you have on this photo? There seems to be a mixture of uniforms and it looks like the man on the left is holding a russian submachine gun? Thanks

[OKW]

Re enactors?

[bikerboyzx6r]

Re enactors?

I doubt that, anything on the back? I see a X above one of the guys... anyother photos come with it?
Dan

[Andrew]

great historical picture. i think its original. i have seen many period pictures with the germans using automatic weapons from the russians and americans. i recall a picture of a german soldier with a thompson .45
i think that X just represents the family member .
your picture would be welcome in the discussion's area. in the german quality thread, about the odd and unusual of the time.
andrew

[areilley]

Thank you for your comments. It did come with two other pictures, they are UV negitive.

[sitges1990]

Definitely original eastern front picture. He's carrying a well worn Russian PPSH-41. After 1942, the typical uniform for the German soldier on the eastern front was anything he could find. They all had lice on them and would change into anything to try and stop the itching. I should add that the photo is of an original eastern front scene. As Ade informed me sometime ago, alot of these pictures were copied using old Czeh paper in the 1970's. Therefore, it's very difficult to verify if the photo your holding was printed during WWII.

Jay

[OKW]

Sorry but i still can't see anything here which says these photos are taken period.
They carry no other kit, bread bags, zelts etc.
Wrapping ammunition belts around ones self, rolling in the mud and then expecting the belt to feed through an m.g when its needed most doesn't appear to be the actions of experienced troops. But its very decorative.
No steel helmets, worn or carried.
Nothing in back ground to indicate where in world photos taken.
I understand that the m.g group is posed but if you engage like that you ain't going to live long.
The fact that uniform is so varied. Is that a para smock plus ss camo all together?
Re enactors also have seen the photos of use of enemy weapons, they are readily available as deac or reproduction, the ultimate re enactment to do the same.
Saying something is original, or wanting it to be, doesn't make it so. See the other recent post of ebay photos, one of which appears on the cover of a well known book.

[Adrian Stevenson]

These are period photos. The lack of other kit shown is not a problem.

The men shown are from one of the Luftwaffe Feld Divisons. Note that they wear the unique 3/4 length camo jacket in green splinter pattern material worn by the Luftwaffe ground forces. They are not in SS smocks.

Cheers, Ade.