Photo album Panzerjäger Behnke

[Tim DC]

Some weeks ago I acquired a great album from an old collector which I want to share now. I will show a selection of 20 nice photos.

Some background: the album shows 2 years of the military life of Gefreiter Behnke. He entered service in a motorised panzerjäger unit of the 269th Infantry Division. In may 1940, this division participated on the Western Front, playing an important role under General Hell in the south of Belgium. They were also in Holland and France. On the 28th of September, one third of the division was transferred to the 131st Infantry Division. Behnke's unit was one of them. He spent some time at the western coast of Denmark, and was then transferred to the Eastern Front, where he was part of the Heeresgruppe Mitte. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened to him from 1942 on.

The album contains dozens of technical photos, so it wasn't easy to make a selection. Any additional info on the photos would be very appreciated. I hope you like them


As a starter; the cover of the album, which looked very promising

[Tim DC]

Behnke's adventure started in the south-east of Holland. I wonder what these Dutch farmers' feelings were when this photo was taken.

[Tim DC]

Group portrait with a small German tank.

[Tim DC]

This French airplane didn't make it to the air; probably a Stuka attack?

[Tim DC]

These 2 German pilots were burried on a Belgian civil cemetary. Any chance on ID'ing them?

[Tim DC]

Behnke posing with a dismantled French recon plane.

[Tim DC]

Let's skip to the tanks now. All these French B1 tanks were stopped in their counterattack a few miles west from the Meuse river, south of the city Namur in Belgium.

The first one is nicely camouflaged, but unfortunately unknown to me.

[Tim DC]

Most of these tanks wore names on the turret, so it is easy to identify them. This one is the "Yser", named after the famous WW1 river (Ypres area)

[Tim DC]

Next one is the "Isere", another 32 tons French B1 Char.

[Tim DC]

The "Nancy II", named after the French city. The Panzerjäger were of course very interested in these knocked out enemy tanks.

[Tim DC]

The last one is the #323 "Var", which belonged to the 37th B.C.C. and under command of Olt. de la Romignières. When the tank suddenly became uncontrollable in the village of Ermeton-sur-Biert, he and his crew left the tank. When the Germans got to the tank, they thought there was nothing wrong with it, but they drove right into this building.

(Information from P.Taghon - Mei 40)

[Tim DC]

After the tank battle, the open fields were strewn with graves. This is the final resting place of a brave French tank soldier.

[Tim DC]

But war continued of course ... Here's General der Artillerie Ernst-Eberhard Hell, commander of the 269th ID, in a meeting in the field with some other unidentified officers.

[Tim DC]

Behnke and a friend posing with what I think is a small French anti-tank vehicle.

[Tim DC]

"Wir sind bereit"
Notice the wordt "Lüttich" on the front of the sidecar. The 269th ID played an important roll in the capture of this Belgian city.