World War 2 in Pictures

World War 2 on all fronts shown through photography. Pictures are posted when I get time. Disclamer: This blog is non-political and exists only as a resource for historical reference. Posts may contain graphic or or upsetting content, we take no responsibility for any distress caused. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

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American soldiers of the 163rd Infantry Regiment come ashore from a Higgins boat. Wadke Island, New Guinea. 18th of May 1944.

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The German hospital ship MV Wilhelm Gustloff at anchor. After being converted to an armed military transport ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff would be sunk while ferrying refugees from the east back to Germany after being torpedoed by Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea in January 1945 with the loss of over 9,000 lives, the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history. Danzig, Germany (now Gdańsk, Poland). 23rd of September 1939.

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The Japanese battleship Haruna under attack by US Navy aircraft at her moorings. Kure, Japan. 28th of July 1945.

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British children sit outside the remains of their home. London, England. September 1940.

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An American B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber drops its payload on the Hispano Sueza aircraft factory. Paris, France. 31st of December 1943.

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Soviet prisoners of war arrive at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Oranienburg, Germany. 1944.

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A mother and her children walk through the ruins of a town. Netherlands. May 1940.

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British Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) meets the American crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber which had been renamed the “Rose of York” in honour of her 18th birthday. Bedfordshire, England. 6th of July 1944.

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The Japanese Type A midget submarine Ha-19 beached at Waimanalo. The single crew submarine was one of five launched from the larger submarine I-24 to take part in the attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. A compass malfunction prevented Ha-19 from entering the harbor and taking part in the attack and instead ran aground. The submarines only crew member, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki, became the first Japanese prisoner of war to be taken by the United States. Oahu, US Territory of Hawaii. 8th of December 1941.

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American soldiers march through the Kasserine Pass. The Battle of Kasserine Pass was the first major engagement between American and Axis forces in Africa. The battle would prove to be a disaster for the inexperienced American troops as they were swiftly repulsed by the battle hardened Afrika Korps led by Erwin Rommel. The American forces would eventually overcome the Axis offensive with the arrival of veteran British reinforcements. Kasserine, Tunisia. 26th of February 1943.

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Captured German crew members of the submarine U-505 climb aboard the American escort carrier USS Guadalcanal after being rescued from the water. Due to the capture of a German Enigma code machine onboard the submarine, the crew would be held in secret by the US until 1947 when they were returned home. Until then the German government believed the submarine had been lost with all hands. Atlantic Ocean. 4th of June 1944.

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Bombs explode as German aircraft target a road. Poland. September 1939.

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The American aircraft carrier USS Saratoga receives an honorary escort from destroyers of the Royal Navy as it leaves to return to the United States. The Saratoga had joined the British Eastern Fleet and supported operations in Sumatra and Java from March to May. Indian Ocean. 18th of May 1944.

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American bombers drop their payload on the Italian heavy cruiser Trieste. Torpedo nets surround the ship. Sardinia, Italy. 10th of April 1943.

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Burning buildings photographed from a German aircraft. Warsaw, Poland. 25th of September 1939.

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German soldiers rest on their BMW R75 motorcycles. North Africa. 1941.

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A German soldier and his war dog beneath a coastal gun. France. 1943.