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Interesting photo, German soldiers in combat, with flag on the ground.
Here's a photo I got a while back. It's an original, with writing on the back (below - scanner stopped working so just a regular picture). There's a couple neat things going on in this one. A NSDAP flag on the ground, a soldier using a band to attach grass to his helmet, a Gefreiter leaning against his rifle, aa knocked over street sign, a vehicle in the background, and what appears to be smoke as well. Hopefully someone can read the writing on the back, because I'm having trouble. It's dated 11/6/1940. (not sure what battle was happening in November with leaves still on the trees, unless Germans read it as June 11th 1940)
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02-01-2023 11:22 AM
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The German date is 11 June 1940 = battle of France 10 May – 25 June 1940, nice picture.
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Hi.
Dates written with numbers, in German, are understood: day, month and year.
So in your photo it's June 1940.
Regards
Santi
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Nice picture, I understand the writing as Two Schütze, riflemen lying out a flag for their aircraft to recognise.
Presumably doing so to avoid being strafed or bombed by their own side. Nicely decked out Kubelwagen under the tree too.
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Writing on the backside says: "? for protection against own planes. Crepy (en valois?) herself is foggy." Can't decipher the first word.
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At first I thought the place was a miss spelling of Crecy, but I had a search and found this place.
Crépy-en-Valois is a commune located in the Oise department in northern France.
Crepy-en-Valois - Wikipedia
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by
Willmore
At first I thought the place was a miss spelling of Crecy, but I had a search and found the place.
Crépy-en-Valois is a commune located in the Oise department in northern France.
Crepy-en-Valois - Wikipedia
So did I. I've heard of a french Town named Crepy before.
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by
BlackCat1982
Nice picture, I understand the writing as Two Schütze, riflemen lying out a flag for their aircraft to recognise.
Presumably doing so to avoid being strafed or bombed by their own side. Nicely decked out Kubelwagen under the tree too.
Correct, the modern term is "Air Recognition Panel" which is a purpose specific fluorescent fabric panel in an appropriate colour, usually orange and or yellow or sometimes pink but in the absence of the specific item the appropriate national flag is a common substitute. All these points in the photo suggests that the troops are just behind the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA) so, far enough back not to have to dodge snipers etc but far enough forward to be in the "Weapons Free" are of their own aircraft.
Nice unusual photo.
Regards
Mark
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
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