Female Soldiers in the 3rd SS Totenkopf Div. in Russia 1941

[Remy Spezzano]

Only a crazy Japanese anime artist could take an iconic photo of the 3. SS Totenkopf Division from
the summer of 1941 in Russia and turn it into a platoon of fresh faced wide eyed young girls.

By the way, this photo was taken by the talented German photographer Ernst Baumann who was at
the time working as a Waffen-SS Kriegsberichter and attached to the TK Division during Operation Barbarossa.

[juoneen]

Doesn't look like those in that outfit were expecting to be photographed...some are superstitious about having their photos taken . Can you imagine running up against this lot? They look like a vicious battle hardened crew of cut throats. Makes you wonder just who they were by name , I don't suppose anybody knows their identitys ?

[dragnet]

I've allways found this photo very interesting since seeing it as a child, they might well be viciuos cut throats , battle hardened for sure, but they all look like a cadre of comradesthumbsu.
p.s. as for the Japanese anime, well....

[Edward]

If taken in 1941 that would explain alot about the men in the photo. A good number of them appear to be of a more mature age which would be a fit for 1941 as former members of various Totenkopfverbände in 1939 were drafted into the TK division. With the Polish, France 1940, and then ongoing Barbarossa Campaign that would explain alot about why you have such a particularly hard looking set of men.

[overthetop]

I bet Baumann yelled, "OK guys, mean face for the folks back home!!!"

And if real, which group would I like to go to war with ... I'll take the gals

[MarcRikmenspoel]

I don't think Baumann asked them to make faces. Other photos in the set (there's at least one, if not more) show they are riding in a truck. Totenkopf went through incredibly intense fighting in the summer of 1941. These guys are exhausted, and trying to get a bit of rest and food while en route to their next commitment.

[pitfighter]

Am I looking at the same photo as you guys? They don't look any tougher than other troops who've been in sustained combat - I've seen Marine Commandos, Paras and Gurkha's that look like they'd eat these emancipated, protein deficient, unwashed lads for breakfast.
Knowing who they were, and what horrors they may or may not have committed doesn't make them look tougher.
It is a terrific photo, though - and there is story to their faces, but it's of the grim reality of war, not of an army of super-men.

The Manga comic is just strange - there is an odd fascination with Nazism in a lot of the Japanese comics, I think they like the symbolism, without digging much deeper.