Picture of the Day

[Born2Kill 007]

Mines on an S-Boot

[Kading]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grzo3i8WGhQ

Not a photo, but some very good footage of the fighting in Warsaw and liberation.  At the end a citizen of Warsaw punches a German soldier being marched into captivity, that was a powerful image for me.

Why did they have PIAT 

Nearly everyone in that footage was in the Polish Resistance. They, during the Warsaw Uprising, adopted lots of German uniforms and weapons. So much so, that it was common for them to be mistaken for German soldiers. The can be distinguished by a white and red arm band. I also saw a few with a white helmet band. Anyway, the PIAT would have been supplied to the Polish Resistance by the British. It was also an extremely simple weapon that could have been manufactured in any machine shop, like the STEN.

[Turkish007]

Exactly. I heard they also captured a factory producing uniforms for the Germans. And one guy called Mathias Schenk in the German Sturmpioniers said that they couldnt wear their helmets because they might be mistaken as Polish Resistance.

Also, they made a homemade SMG based on the Sten, thr Blyskawica. Check out Warsaw Uprising 1944 thread, it has some interesting info on the first page.

[VonMudra]

Just as a note, those "citizens" of Warsaw greeting soviet troops are either trucked in by the Soviets, or the footage is from a different town.  After the uprising, the Germans destroyed almost the entire city, and the population was expelled.  At liberation, less than 2000 people remained in the entire city, living in the sewers and hiding from German death squads that patrolled the city to catch them.

[TASSER]

At liberation, less than 2000 people remained in the entire city, living in the sewers and hiding from German death squads that patrolled the city to catch them.

WOW. The things I learn on this forum never cease to amaze me.

[Torenico]

Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr (Counter espionage/information gathering/military intelligence branch) from 1935 to 1944. Wilhelm Canaris took part in the 20 July Plot, the famous attempt to kill Adolf Hitler. The plot failed and Canaris was arrested and kept alive by Hitler until 9 April, 1945, when he was executed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp, after being humiliated in front of everyone.

It is said that Canaris never liked the Nazi Party at all, and he completely disagreed with Hitler's desire to eliminate Jews, also, it is said that Canaris helped numerous Jews escape from the Nazis, allowing them to flee into Spain or other neutral countries. Canaris had contacts with the MI6, and with Churchill himself. He was watched constantly by the SS, especially by Heydrich. According to some people, Canaris tried to stop the Nazis as much as he could, but his efforts led him to his death, other says that his actions were one of the causes of Germany's defeat in the War. After his death, the Abwehr was dissolved.

One big mysterious person of WW2, i never studied this character, a Hero to some, just another Nazi to others.

[Dukat]

Canaris was an officer in the prussian tradition. Though he disliked the Nazis, he still felt more bound to his duties as a soldier.

AFAIK this prussian aspect has changed after 1945 in the german military training. Nowadays soldiers are taught to follow their conscience when they have high doubts in the rightfulness of an order.

Anyway:

Eastern Front. Stalingrad, allegedly.

[Kev4000]

damn u mudra pointed out its a fake
http://henk.fox3000.com/t34/t34-88/2/02.jpg

[Yustax]

A fake perhaps, but the germans did that in the Eastern Front. They combined the T34 hull and an 88 with shield.

[Turkish007]

That looks freaking epic!  How much can turret can rotate?

[Yustax]

Not sure, but I think it can rotate 360 degrees.

[GuinNess]

There were 3 Sherman Tanks heading for Esch-sur-Sûre (Luxemburg) when they ran into a Panzerschreckambush. One Sherman got disabled and the other two ran away. The engines were still running when the German troops found the two remaining Shermans the other day in the neighbourtown with no sights of their tankcrew.
Since the Shermans were in running condition they were used, as seen on the picture, by the Germans.

[Born2Kill 007]

[pizzzaman]

Polish airplane PZL-P23 Karas used in 1939

^Did this airplane partake in any major battles in the Polish-Defensive War?

[Torenico]

Probably it did, but the Karas suffered heavy losses.

As far as i know these were one of the firsts aircraft to bomb Germany.