From the Kriegsberichter's Eyes: A study in German Press Photos

[DDD777]

...some more then and now pic's from my pioneers :

Ребята из 699 инженерного батальона строят мост через Торец. На заднем плане цеха СКМЗ. Обратите внимание на характерную крышу

The guy's from 699 PBBB constuct the the next in turn bridge across river Torec in Krematorsk, East Ukraina. Behind you can see the building of the СКМЗ factory (with the specific roof).

[DDD777]

The same place in 2011 :

[DDD777]

The bridge is ready :

[DDD777]

Now :

[DDD777]

Closer :

[DDD777]

Germans fighting with the ice.
On the right side of the river you can see the 2 columm's, this is the entry in Lenin park of Kramatorsk.

[DDD777]

The same colomm's now :

[DDD777]

[DDD777]

The beginning of the bridge building.
Look to the building behind with the 2 pipes :

[DDD777]

The building is mooving on, but we see the same house with the 2 pipes behind ...

[DDD777]

The same house, now :



http://www.kramatorsk.info/?view&101791

[Todd Gylsen]

Thanks Dobri for the Then and Now pics!

This was taken 11 July 1940 and shows the TV Division (according to the writing on the back of this press photo). Can anyone ID the SS officer in the pic or possibly even the location of this particular tank?

[Todd Gylsen]

Close-up of the SS officer.

[Todd Gylsen]

Side view of the tank.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

I found another photo of the tank in Charles Trang's book on the Totenkopf Division. It had the name VICTORIEUX stencilled on the front. The photo seems to be from the Totenkopf Division's path of advance through Picardy, around May 22 or so, of 1940.

I know some people investigate the named French tanks, but I'm not up on this line of research. If anyone has information about this particular Char B, it could help pinpoint the location.

As a guess, the SS General might be Hans-Adolf Prützmann, but I'm not really certain.

Edited to add, the photo's date of July 11 would probably be when it was released to the press, but can you clarify this, Todd? Does the caption state that the occasion was on July 11? I would expect destroyed tanks would have been cleared away by this date.