"A german soldier book." Topic

Of possible interest.
(Wait for the pictures).

PDF link

Amicalement
Armand

Interesting. Some good building pics in there.

Fascinating find Armand. Is there any information about who took the photos? I'm guessing we are seeing parts of Russia in 1941 from the view of a rear echelon unit, but any context would be appreciated.

Unfortunally not my friend.
That's it.
Guess that one of them had his "Leika" camera and love to take pictures to his budies.
I agree with you that those photos became from some german platoon from rearguard in Russia.
They show themselves as cookers, Antiaircraft crew, with a capture T-34, on a Armored Train and showing a center of a railroad office.
I like the human touch of the little white dog.
Interesting to see the real life of those soldiers on that Era.
Glad you had enjoy it boys!.

Amicalement
Armand

Agree with you Ditto.
It's shows the War at a lebel so realistic (even with not even a shot) from people like anyone which had to be there and live the best they can.
I guess they show them in so many houses because of the continue advance of the german Army deeply in Russia and then became the final assignment (the house were they had to arrive by bote? or the train station?).
Don't know if they were even in combat but they show some heavy weapons as the AA gun.
Took my atention how they always clean their weapons and cannot identify the "big city" were they remain some time (but not living there) and were they catch some girls.
The little white dog move me a lot.
They LOVE that dog and put him in most of their pictures.
Finally, I must assume that some of them survived the War and return home with that old photographs book.
The last pics were from a airplane.

Amicalement
Armand

In several of the photos you can clearly see a big "K" and the tactical symbols on their trucks. I think with some digging it would be possible for a tread-head to figure out at least what unit they were with. I'll have to see if I can track this down in a book somewhere.

One truck in many pictures has "Verpfl. Wagen" marked on the driver's door, which is "Provisions Vehicle".

Another truck is seen in a couple pictures with a sign hung over the radiator, "Abschleppdienst", which is "towing service" or "towing duty".

I deduce their initial training was in Bavaria or Austria, from there they headed east, with time for some tourist sight-seeing in Budapest. The river with destroyed bridges is most likely the Bug, then they passed through Kiev. The first fairly destroyed city is probably Kharkov, because it has a very big, broad flat central square in the middle of the city surrounded by taller apartment blocks.

When the shot of camels shows up, as a curiosity, they've clearly reached the gateway to the Caucasus.

I would guess the industrial facility with five smokestacks is possibly a power station, based on the transformer stations and transmission towers around it, but that's just a guess.

And then they cross the Don. The next stop is certainly… Stalingrad. He was lucky to get the photo album out in time, but the soldiers in the pictures probably didn't make it.

VERY interesting points Tuscaloosa.
So, they were rearguard services.

I think also about Stalingrad when they left by plane.
Maybe some of them (the author of the book?) can manage to scape and some relative put it on the net.

Thanks for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand