High quality color & exceptional B/W photographs. German side

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German Fallschirmjäger (Paratroopers) at Crete with graugrun knochensack, summer of 1941. The Fallschirmjäger, like all paratroopers from all countries in World War II, had special clothing and equipment that the standard Infantry did not have. The knochensack (jump smock or bone sack) was one of these unique pieces of clothing that only the German Paratroopers of WW2 had. This pictures shows the early green pattern of Fallschirmschützenbluse M1940, intended to be worn over the standard uniform and personal equipment when descending by parachute. The generous amount of pockets and zipper openings made it possible for the man to gain access to his equipment, and if worn at the time of the jump, a side-arm, as in German practice personal weapons were carried in drop-containers. Other variations of jump smocks were those earlier ones of the Army Fallschirmjäger-Infanterie-Bataillon (later incorporated into the Luftwaffe), a light green shorter collarless garment distinguished by having two parallel zips from throat to thigh; a green step-in smock similar to this example; a full front-opening smock with no 'legs'; and one that featured a fitted pistol holster made of fabric attached to rear right. Late-war examples also appeared in tan 'water' pattern camouflage material. Physical description for Fallschirmschützenbluse M40: Single-breasted step-in mid-thigh length jump oversmock made of splinter pattern printed gabardine. The smock has a zipper fitted to the front and is concealed with a fly front, has two deep hip pockets and two diagonal pockets to the upper chest with two deep vertical access slits, one at either side of the low hip, closed by zips with black leather tags. All are fly fronted as is the main vertical closure that has six additional pressure studs. Fitted to the right of the lower front fly is an additional short concealed secondary zip with leather tag that permits the wearer to urinate without removing the garment. The cuffs are closed by a metal studs and have short elasticated inner wind resistant shrouds of brown cotton material. There are a pair of metal pressure studs fitted to the outer legs of the garment, allowing the legs to be adjusted to fit the legs tighter when parachuting. There are large open apertures underneath the arms, with below, a series of six air vent holes. Triple vertical holes are seen at either side of the waist for fitting metal belt equipment support hooks. A machine-embroidered Luftwaffe eagle and swastika insignia in white on dark grey is sewn to the right upper chest.
 

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A noncommissioned officer of a German Army Artillery regiment - specializing in Transmissions - posing with a woman (probably his spouse) and puppy, near Tempelhof, Berlin, summer of 1943. Note the difference in colors of his uniform tunic and trousers.

[Fritz]

He is wearing a Summer tunic, which is of a light cotton material, the colour of which is more of a sand/khaki/brown colour than formal fieldgrey. The breeches are of the normal fieldgrey colour of fine wool. These uniform types still turn up occasionally. The advantage here is that they don't have any moth problems! He has the rank of Oberfeldwebel or more - the rank is not quite clear in the picture, could also be Hauptfeldwebel or Stabsfeldwebel, which were normally indicated by two rings on the cuffs, but these may not have been on the Summer tunic. On the other hand, he could also be an Oberfähnrich, which wore the same insignia as the Oberfeldwebel, but had more of an officer look.  There was also a special white Summer tunic for officers, this had detachable insignia and buttons, including a metal breasteagle.
The collar also has no braid.

[Fritz]

Gebirgsjäger Foto: Shorter weapon, also known as the Gebirgsjäger-Karabiner. The cap had special insignia in "T" form, as well as the Edelweiß worn on the left side.

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Photographed in the winter of 1941/42, this "White 2", a Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2 of 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) "Pik-As", is standing in the partial shelter of a bay of snow. Snow led to many Bf 109s (E, F and G models) being damaged in taking-off and landing, increasing the Luftwaffe's difficulties in finding sufficient aircraft to replace losses sustained in action. 
 

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Junkers Ju 88 “T5+BU” (probably an A-4) of 1.Staffel / ObdL (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe). Picture taken at Bad Zwischenahn airfield in March or April 1941. The Staffel had moved to this airfield at the end of January when it was still equipped with Heinkel He 111’s. In the first three weeks of March they switched to the Ju 88. The Staffel had an authorised strength of 9 aircraft. To make long weather flights over the Northsea and Polar Sea possible, the range of the Ju 88 had to be increased. This was done by removing the ventral gondola with the aft-firing MG. The absence of this defensive weapon to the rear and below led to a number of losses due to British fighters. Note the unit emblem of Westa 1./ObdL and the aircraft’s individual letter “B” painted black on the fuselage and green on the upper side of the wing. The unit code “T5+...U” was used by the Staffel till mid January 1942, after which it was replaced by “D7+...H”. Note also that camouflage precautions are in full process at Bad Zwischenahn. The walls to protect the aircraft against shrapnel and the frame to hold the camouflage nets are already completed. The nets itself have not been installed yet.
 

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Horst Grund (Kriegsmarine filmberichter or cameraman) shot some scene in the boat with his Arriflex 35mm camera, in the Mediterranean sea, 1943. He is wearing a kapok schwimmweste (life jacket/vest) early model. The Arriflex 35 II is one of the most significant motion picture cameras of all time. It was designed and developed by Arnold & Richter, A.G. of Munich Germany, founded in 1917 as film laboratory equipment and accessory manufacturers. The name ARRI derives from the first two letters of each founder’s name: August Arnold and Robert Richter. ARRI introduced their first camera the Kinarri in 1924. 100 Kinarris were sold. After a great deal of research and development, they developed the mirror reflex viewing system in 1931. After perfecting their mirror reflex system, ARRI introduced the Arriflex 35 in 1937. It was the world’s first 35mm reflex motion picture camera. The mirror reflex viewing system it introduced was so superior that it is used on all professional motion picture cameras, in all formats, to this date!
 

Source: Internet

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Photo below shows Type II boats approaching and tying up at the 21. U-Flottille's base in Pillau. The submarine in the foreground is U-62. Under Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Bernhard Michalowski, the Type II C sank two ships during fire patrols in the period 1 February - 30 September 1940, including the British destroyer HMS Grafton. The latter vessel was taking part in "Operation Dynamo", the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk. During the night of 29 May 1940, while attempting to rescue survivors from HMS Wakeful, which had been sunk by the German motor torpedo boat S-30 a short time before, the destroyer was torpedoed by U-62 and sank. In October 1940 U-62 became a training vessel. Note the rescue buoy on the afterdeck and the training emblem on the conning tower. Approaching in the background is U-61, another Type II C. U-61 completed eleven patrols between October 1939 and October 1940, including nine under Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten. He sank five ships with a combined tonnage of 19,668 GRT. Kapitänleutnant Wolf-Harro Stiebler subsequently replaced Oesten as commander of U-61. Stiebler, who later commanded the "Milchkuh" (Milk Cow) U-461, completed two more patrols. After its days of frontline service were over, U-61 also joined the 21. U-Flottille in the Baltic. Note the emblem of Crew 37 b on the conning tower: to date none of U-61's commanders has been linked to that crew.
 

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Adolf Hitler (third from right, Führer und oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) inspecting one of the first twenty Jagdpanzer 38 (Sd.Kfz.138/2) "Hetzer" (Baiter or Troublemaker) during official presentation for the 55th Führer's birthday at Arys (Orzysz) in East Prussia, 20 April 1944. After the demonstration they were sent directly back to the factory since they were not yet completely serviceable. The name "Hetzer" was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle. It was the designation for a related prototype, the E-10. The Škoda factory for a very short period confused the two names in its documentation and the very first unit equipped with the vehicle thus for a few weeks applied the incorrect name until matters were clarified. However, there exists a briefing paper from Heinz Guderian to Hitler claiming that an unofficial name, Hetzer, had spontaneously been coined by the troops. 
 

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Formal studio portarait of Oberfeldwebel Johann Schwerdfeger, a pre-war professional soldier, probably created in connection with his award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross), received in 14 May 1944 when he served as a Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 228 / 101.Jäger-Division. Schwerdfeger soldiered from 1935 to 1937 in Infanterie-Regiment 84, and in 1939 was transferred to the third company of Infanterie-Regiment 186 of the 73. Infanterie-Division, at the Polish Campaign's start. In June 1942, after serving in Jägerersatzbataillon 75, Schwerdfeger joined Jäger-Regiment 228 of the 101. Jäger-Division, who fought in the Don Bend, at Rostov, and at Maikop, in the Caucasus, and joined the retreat through the Kuban and the Taman Peninsula. On 17 May 1943 Schwerdfeger was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) for his extraordinary bravery in the battlefield. In April 1944, in the breakout from Hube's Pocket, he was severely wounded, and was awarded the Eichenlaub for his Ritterkreuz; moreover, Sergeant Schwerdfeger also earned two Panzervernichtungsabzeichen (tank destruction badges), meaning that he singlehandedly destroyed two enemy tanks with hand-held weapon. Schwerdfeger was able to recover from his wounds sustained in Hube's Pocket and served the remainder of the war. He passed away in December 2015. The novel, "The Willing Flesh", by veteran Willi Heinrich, and the famous World War II movie "Cross of Iron" (based on the novel), is generally recognised as being loosely based on Schwerdfeger's experiences as an NCO in Jäger-Regiment 228 in the course of that unit's retreat through the Kuban and Taman Peninsula in the late stages of the war. 
 

Source material obtained via internet.

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Oberfeldwebel Otto Brakat (15 January 1916 - 31 January 1978) was a highly decorated soldier of the German Wehrmacht, veteran of Annexation of Austria (1938), Invasion of Poland (1939), Battle of France (1940), Operation Barbarossa (1941), Battle of Białystok–Minsk (1941), Battle of Kiev (1941), Battle of Smolensk (1941), Battle of Voronezh (1942), Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43), and Battle of Berlin (1945). As a Spähtruppführer (Patrol Leader), he always placed himself in front of his soldier and proved his exceptional bravery in the fighting around Bobruisk, south of Mogilev, when he attacked an important Soviet observatory post and, in the process, destroyed three well dug in anti-tank guns and captured large amount of ammunition, grenades, and machine guns. For this achievement he prevent the danger to his advanced division behind, and he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) in 27 July 1941 as Unteroffizier and Gruppenführer in 2.Schwadron / Radfahr-Abteilung 1 / 1.Kavallerie-Division. He was thus the second member of his division to receive the coveted Ritterkreuz, and the first in the Russian campaign (he would became the only Ritterkreuzträger of non-commissioned officer rank from 1. Kavallerie-Division). After the third wounds he suffered in the Battle of Stalingrad, Brakat returned home and taken the instructor post in Wach-Bataillon "Großdeutschland". Even in the last days of the war he showed his indelible bravery when he destroyed an enemy tank in the Battle of Berlin. Apart from Ritterkreuz, Brakat was also decorated with Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes (6 February 1940); Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (25 September 1939) und I.Klasse (5 July 1940); Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (12 July 1941) und in Silber (1 August 1942); Allgemeines-Sturmabzeichen in Silber (1 November 1941); Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Ostmedaille); Nahkampfspange in Silber (1 May 1945); and Panzervernichctungsabzeichen in Silber (1 May 1945)
 

Source: Internet

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Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) award ceremony for Luftwaffe fighter ace, Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Müller (Flugzeugführer in 6.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 5 "Eismeer"), that was held at Petsamo airfield (Finland) in 19 June 1942. Müller was awarded the Ritterkreuz after he scored his 46th air victory.

The opening months of the German air campaign above the Arctic Circle were fought by a miscellany of units before a flurry of redesignations saw the piecemeal emergence of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) proper during 1942. This Geschwader was somewhat unusual in that it faced two ways at once. One half of it was employed in defending the western coast of Norway against attack by the RAF (and USAAF), while the other half was engaged against the land and naval air forces of the Soviet Union primarily over the White Sea area and along the strategically vital Murmansk railway line. The latter took supplies delivered by the Allied Arctic convoys down into central Russia.

Despite this diversity of tasks, JG 5 produced a formidable number of high-scoring Experten (or at least those Gruppen operating in the eastern parts did). In addition to a handful of truly stellar performers who racked up three-figure totals, there were at least half-a-dozen semi-centurions among their ranks.

One of the first to come to prominence was 6./JG 5’s Feldwebel Rudolf "Rudi" Müller (born 21 November 1920). He was credited with five Russian-flown Hurricanes downed over Kola Bay on 23 April 1942. In less than two months his score had risen to 46, for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Crosses) on 19 June. And he had more than doubled that total again – to a final score of 94 – before he was himself lost on 19 April 1943.

On the morning of that date, "Rudi" Müller, by now an oberfeldwebel and currently JG 5’s highest scorer, was piloting one of the six Bf 109s that took off from Salmijärvi, in northern Finland, for a freie Jagd sweep of the Murmansk region. They had been warned to keep a special eye on the Soviet fighter base at Vaenga, on the eastern shore of Kola Bay. And with good reason, for approximately 40 enemy aircraft rose to intercept them.

A fierce dogfight developed. At least one Red Air Force Airacobra was sent down, but another latched onto the tail of Müller’s Gustav and got in an effective burst. Müller tried to escape by diving away in a steep spiral, but his machine was too badly damaged and he was forced to belly-land on the surface of a frozen lake. While the battle continued to rage overhead, his victor is described as having "put down alongside the stricken Messerschmitt". But of Müller there was no sign – just a set of snow-shoe tracks heading off into the tundra.

"Rudi" Müller remained at large behind enemy lines for several days before finally being captured. Like so many others who disappeared into Soviet captivity, his ultimate fate is unknown. One statement released long after the war asserted that he had been killed while trying to escape in 21 October 1943, but there were also reported sightings of him in a Russian gaol as late as 1947, and one of the many rumours circulating about him at that time among other German prisoners was to the effect that "Rudi is serving as a flying instructor for the Ivan".

“Rudi” Müller was credited with 92 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front and included at least 35 Hurricane fighters
 

Source: internet

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The ubiquitous German motorcycle messenger (Kradmelder) from Stab Artillerie-Regiment 110 in the Eastern Front with his DKW NZ 350, wearing his rubberized coat (Kradmantel) that has been wrapped and buttoned around his legs to keep dirt and dust off his uniform. The German military was the largest employers of motorcycles during World War II, 1939-45. On 22 June 1941 Germany launched its Operation Barbarossa, the 3-million-man invasion of the Soviet Union. During the campaigns that followed, the military motorcyclist served a variety of functions including chauffeur service for officers, delivering dispatches, even hot meals, as scouting patrols, as point vehicles taking the brunt of battle, sometimes as specially equipped tank destroyers. As with all motorcyclists, there was a kinship among these soldiers who called themselves “kradmelder” (military messenger). They rode exposed without the armor plating of the Panzers, without the safety of hundreds of foot soldiers beside them. Moving targets as it were, sniper magnets, and then there were mine fields, artillery fire, and strafing aircraft to contend with. The other enemy was the Russian weather. By autumn the roads had turned into nearly impassable bogs, the fields over which the motorcycles traveled turning in to “seas of jelly three feet more deep”. By winter, temperatures fell to -40 degrees Celsius, engine oil and exposed soldiers froze solid. Some German motorcycle riders benefited from special heating systems grafted onto their bikes, including foot and hand warmers. However, by war’s end, many if not most of the motorcycles, along with their riders, never returned home.
 

Source: Internet

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Eastern Front. A German courier delivering mail and rations to combat troops in the trenches.

The German Army, like all others, had ration scales laid down for both men and horses. However, once the Russian campaign had started, ration supplies were often erratic, and the men in the field had to scavenge for themselves. Quite often the horses became food, especially during the siege of the encircled 6. Armee at Stalingrad. The following is an intelligence report on ration scales. It applied whenever possible, but was never more than a guide when means were in short supply:

1. Human rations scales
The daily ration quantity (Portionsatz) is the amount of food consumed by one man for one day. It consists of three meals, the noon meal amounting to one-half of the total, the evening meal to one-third, and the next morning's breakfast to one-sixth. Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Armed Forces High Command) has laid down an over-all plan specifying the maximum amount of any ration item that may be served. The amount depends upon two factors: the duty class of the man receiving the ration, and the component class of the particular item being served. 'There are four main types of rations served to troops. Ration I (Verpflegungssatz I) is for troops committed to combat, for those that are recuperating from combat, and for troops stationed in Norway north of 66° North. Ration II is for occupation and line of communication troops. Ration III is for garrison troops within Germany. Ration IV goes to office workers and nurses within Germany. Hospital cases may fall within any of these classes depending on the seriousness of the cases. The most important items of the component classes are as follows:
(a) bread;
(b) meats, soy bean flour, cheese, fish, and eggs;
(c) vegetables;
(d) puddings and milk;
(e) salt, mustard, vinegar, and other seasonings;
(f) spices such as pepper, cinnamon, and cloves;
(g) butter, lard, marmalades, fats, and bread spreads; (h) coffee and tea;
(i) sugar;
(j) spirits and wines;
(k) tobacco.
Substitute issues may be made within a component class but not among different component classes. Thus the daily maximum allowance of vegetables for a soldier is 60 grams of dried vegetables, or 1,200 grams of kidney beans, or 400 grams of salted vegetables, or equivalent quantities of any of about 30 other substitutes. It is not possible to predict which items will be served on any given day.

2. Special types of human rations
(1) March ration {Alarmverpflegung). The march ration is a cold food ration issued for not more than three or four consecutive days to units in transit either by carrier or on foot. It consists of approximately 700 grams of bread, 200 grams of cold meat or cheese, 60 grams of bread
spreads, 9 grams of coffee (or 4 grams of tea), 10 grams of sugar, and 6 cigarettes. Thus it has a total weight of about 987 grams.
(2) Iron ration (Eiserne Portion). An iron ration consists of 250 grams of biscuits, 200 grams of cold meat, 150 of preserved vegetables, 25 of coffee, and 25 of salt. Total weight is 650 grams without packing and 825 grams with packing. An iron half-ration is composed of 250 grams of biscuits and 200 grams of preserved meat: thus its total weight is 450 grams without packing and 535 grams with packing.
(3) Combat Package (Grosskampfpacken) and Close Combat Package (Nahkampfpacken). The Germans have begun to use these types of ration for troops engaged in combat. They include chocolate bars, fruit bars, sweets, cigarettes and possibly biscuits.

Source: Internet

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Eastern Front. Kriegsmarine Gunner at sea pointing weapon into the sky for protection against air attack. The gun is a 20mm Oerlikon - a.k.a. 2.0cm Flak 29, produced by Semag and Becker in Zürich (Swiss), later than by Oerlikon in Zürich (Swiss). Germany bought many of them before the war, and gave them the name 2 cm Flak 28 and 29 (The Flak 28 used a 15-round clip magazine and the Flak 29 used a large drum magazine with 60-rounds). First they were mainly used in the german navy, but later - and expecially during the war, when many of them got captured - they were also used in other units. The 2cm Oerlikon Flak 28 and Flak 29 apt in the Sockellafette 40 pedestal mount were intended by the Kriegsmarine for installation on ships. Interestingly enough the US Navy had the same gun one their ships for anti-aircraft purposes. 
 

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In August 1943 Oberfeldwebel Helmut Benkendorff, a pilot in 5.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2), reached a significant milestone, completing his 500th combat mission. The photo shows Oberfeldwebel Benkendorff - "Mucki" to his friends - immediately after landing. With the flowers in hand, he receives the congratulations from the Staffelkapitän of 7./StG 1, Leutnant Willi Viertel (left), for the benefit of the photographers. Only a few days later, on 31 August 1943, Viertel was shot down by ground fire while attacking enemy tanks near Glukhov. His aircraft (Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" D-3, Werknummer 2279) sustained a direct hit and crashed from a height of 300 meters. Viertel and his gunner, Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Hippe, were both killed. Helmut Benkendorff was later promoted to the rank of Leutnant and on 26 March 1944 was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) after more than 600 feindflügen (combat missions). He would complete 666 feindflüge by the end of the war. 
 

Source, internet.

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Generalmajor Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski (2 January 1899 – 19 September 1966) was fought during World War I (as a cavalry officer) and World War II (as a panzer officer). At the 1936 Summer Olympics he won the Gold Medal in the team Dressage. In World War II, he acquired reputation as a bold tank commander, especially in the Eastern Front front when once he only got 39 tanks left (of 104 available at the start of the battle) but kept fighting until the front stabilized. From 6 December 1942 to 5 January 1943 his Kampfgruppe (Battle Group) destroyed no less than 451 Russian tanks, 209 guns and 752 heavy weapons. During the battle for Caen he managed to keep his position for 32 days, without losing even one meter of ground, but lost 50% of his tank forces! In the last months of the war, he fought fiercely for a narrow corridor to the fortress of Breslau. Then he freed the besieged 1200 soldiers of the Fort of Bautzen, and countered all enemy attacks until arriving at Spremberg. He only surrendered to the American forces in 18 May 1945, a couple of days after the war ended in Europe. Months later they found out that he was the defender of Caen and was accused as a war criminal. Classified in the category of "completely innocent", he was released in 1947. In the post-war period he worked as a civilian advisor and helped setting up of the German Bundeswehr. He also worked for the Canadians as a riding instructor at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was the recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords), of which only 159 members of the Wehrmacht received it.
 

Source, internet 

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This picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger, one of Hitler's personal photographer, and showing German Heer (Army) soldiers milking a rather docile Friesian cow during a break in the drive through Netherlands, summer 1940. Apart from the ordinary water, Wehrmacht soldiers also filled their canteens with milk (or coffee), and drank it when it's still fresh. Especially when the water may be flavoured. There's also 'Klim', a German canned milk. This seems to be "milk" spelled backwards, or 'milch' close enough likewise. Some photos show German troops using it, and others show it used by Allied POWs in Luftwaffen Stalag. Rumour has it that during the war, a U-boat put to shore in New Zealand with one aim - to milk a cow. Having snuck ashore, they successfully milked several cows before returning to their U-Boat, leaving confused farmers the next morning wondering why their cows didn't need milking!
 

Source, internet

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Leutnant der Flaktruppe Hans Dietrich Riesl (left) and Leutnant des Heeres Lucius Günther Schrivenbach in North Africa, 1941. Not much information about Riesl, but Schrivenbach served with Erwin Rommel through the entire Africa campaign and up until 1944, when transferred to Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt’s staff. Please note the Heer tropical uniform with Luftwaffe red (Flak) kragenspiegel worn by Riesl! The first Luftwaffe Flak units in North Africa were kitted out completely with Heer uniforms; Caps, tunics, boots etc. This is because at that stage the Luftwaffe had not completed development or issue of Luftwaffe tropical uniforms. These troops wore the Heer uniform for a few months prior to reissue with the only distinguishing feature being the use of Luftwaffe Flak collar tabs.
 

Source: internet

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This picture was taken in Belgium in May 1940 and showing Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau (3rd from right, front row) listen intently with his staff officers while Oberstleutnant Hans Mikosch explaining the unit operation with his map. Front row, from left to right: Mikosch (Kommandeur Pionier-Bataillon 51), Generalleutnant z.V. Siegfried Haenicke (Kommandeur 61. Infanterie-Division), Reichenau (Oberbefehlshaber 6. Armee), General der Infanterie Viktor von Schwedler (Kommandierender General IV. Armeekorps), and Generalmajor (Luftwaffe) Otto Deßloch (Kommandierender General II. Flakkorps). During the invasion of the Low Countries the 6. Armee saw active service linking up with paratroopers and destroying fortifications at Eben Emael, Liège, and Namur during the Battle of Belgium. 6. Armee was then involved in the breakthrough of the Paris defences on 12 June 1940, before acting as a northern flank for German forces along the Normandy coast during the closing stages of the Battle of France
 

The most interesting parts of this picture are the different types of uniforms, badges, etc. For example look at the NCO on the left, wearing the brown colored map case. On his sleeve appears to be the standard bearers patch. These had background colors that were the same as the waffenfarbe. Not something you see on uniforms very much. Lots of binoculars as well, and I like the sunglasses. 

Source, internet and ruptured duck.com

 

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Here is an interesting photo, from 1944, Normandy, showing german troops with a captured US M2 .50 cal machine gun. Looks like the have adapted one of their sights for it as well. Note the circular hole in which the gun could be traversed 360 degrees, but little to no protection however. 

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Here is another interesting photo, a German Army Gefreiter (hard to tell, looks like one chevron on heis sleeve) holding a scoped Sturmgewehr 44. Note the A Frame carrier and gear on his back as well. 

Arriving on the Eastern Front, the StG44 was used to counter Soviet troops equipped with the PPS and PPSh-41 submachine guns. While the StG44 had a shorter range than the Karabiner 98k rifle, it was more effective at close quarters and could out-range both Soviet weapons. Though the default setting on the StG44 was semi-automatic, it was surprisingly accurate in full-automatic as it possessed a relatively slow rate of fire. In use on both fronts by war's end, the StG44 also proved effective at providing covering fire in place of light machine guns.

The world's first true assault rifle, the StG44 arrived too late to significantly affect the outcome of the war, but it gave birth to an entire class of infantry weapons that include famous names such as the AK-47 and the M16.

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Here are three SS enlisted men, privates. Interesting details in the uniforms, the man on the right seems to have his bayonet, slightly visible on his right side. The one in the middle is wearing low quarter boots with gaiters. Good view of the belt and buckles as well. 

[Fritz]

The bayonet as a sidearm was always worn, when only the belt was worn. This was a long standing regulation. The gaiters are a special type, used to be known as "spats", also the Gebirgsjäger seem to have worn this a a form of formal dress, when not in everyday service.

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Here are some SS soldiers enjoying some down time, with a Kitten and what looks like an M39 egg grenade as a toy. The man in the center is a NCO/ Unterscharfuhrer  from the Handschar Division as is the men to the right. The center figure appears to have the infantry assault badge. The figure on the right is a Sturmmann, and appears to have a silver wound badge and some other crest/device on his sleeve.

The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Handschar" (1st Croatian) was a mountain infantry division of the Waffen-SS. It was given the title Handschar (Bosnian: Handžar) after a local fighting knife or sword carried by Ottoman policemen during the centuries that the region was part of the Ottoman Empire. It was the first non-Germanic Waffen-SS division, and its formation marked the expansion of the Waffen-SS into a multi-ethnic military force. Composed of Bosnian Muslims (ethnic Bosniaks) with some Catholic Croat soldiers and mostly German and Yugoslav Volksdeutsche (ethnic German) officers and non-commissioned officers, it took an oath of allegiance to both Adolf Hitler and the Croatian leader Ante Pavelić.

The division fought briefly in the Syrmia region north of the Sava river prior to crossing into northeastern Bosnia. After crossing the Sava, it established a designated "security zone" in northeastern Bosnia between the Sava, Bosna, Drina and Spreča rivers. It also fought outside the security zone on several occasions, and earned a reputation for brutality and savagery, not only during combat operations, but also through atrocities committed against Serb and Jewish civilians. In late 1944, parts of the division were transferred briefly to the Zagreb area, after which the non-German members began to desert in large numbers. Over the winter of 1944–45, it was sent to the Baranja region where it fought against the Red Army and Bulgarians throughout southern Hungary, falling back via a series of defensive lines until they were inside the Reich frontier. Most of the remaining Bosnian Muslims left at this point and attempted to return to Bosnia. The rest retreated further west, hoping to surrender to the Western Allies.