Photos WW2 Allied Forces

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Siege of tobruk
Soldiers of the victorious Allied Armies (Polish, British, Indian, Australian and Czech).
Below: Soldiers of Czechoslovakien batalion in Tobruk.

 

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After breaching Gustav Line in 4th Battle of Monte Cassino, the allied army faced next obstacle, the Hitler Line.
The Hitler Line was a German defensive line running from Terracina on the west coast of Italy, to Fondi, through the Aurunci mountains, to Pontecorvo, Piedimonte and Monte Cairo, where it joined the Gustav Line. It was breached on 24 May 1944 by the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 5th Canadian Armoured Division attacking with II Polish Corps on their right. The Polish Corps captured Piedimonte the following day and the line collapsed.

 

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WWII. Greece. 1941. Greek soldiers handling captured Italian mortars. Photo by Frank Hurley. [AWM 007076]

 

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This archaic Austin-Putilov armoured car was actually used by the Poles during the German invasion of 1939.
Small numbers had been previously captured during Soviet-Polish war and kept in service.
(LIFE / Hugo Jaeger)

 

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Exile Poles from Anders' army.

 

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Polish 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade. I believe that the Motorcycles are Sokol 1000.

 

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Siege of Tobruk. Polish Indepedent Carpathian Brigade. Field mass. The worshippers are dispersed as the German/Italian artillery often shelled this area.

 

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Pictures of the pre-war Czechoslovakian army.

 

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The mystery girl of Warsaw captured by two different photographers, 1946. The first picture was taken on April 3, 1946 by Reginald Kenny who was a photographer accompanying former US president Herbert Hoover on his Food Mission in Europe. The second was apparently captured by Hans Reinhart (Corbis) possibly on the same day. Hitler ordered the city be razed to the ground following the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944.
More on the story of these images here: https://culture.pl/.../search-for-missing-woman-from-1946...

 

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General Stanisław Maczek was a Polish tank commander in World War II.
He commanded the1 Dywizja Pancerna (Polski)... Polish 1st Armoured Division... until the end of European hostilities.
His division was instrumental in the Allied liberation of France, closing the Falaise pocket, contrubuting towards the overall destruction of some fourteen German Heer and SS divisions.
He is seen here in his Cromwell command tank, closest to the camera, with the horseshoe, which later bore the name "Hela".
(Polish History Museum)

 

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A Polish 7TP light tank, caught right on the cusp of lurching forwards over a sandhill during pre-war exercises.
The 7TP ( Siedmiotonowy Polski ) was a derivative of the British Vicker six-tonner and was the best Polish tank facing the Germans when they invaded the country in September 1939, but there were unfortunatey only some 150 examples available.
(Polish History Museum)

 

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Polish light cruiser ORP Dragon was torpedoed by German manned torpedoed "Neger,,
A German manned/human torpedo eventually knocked the ship out of action on July 7th, 1944 as she committed to unseat defenders in Caen once again. Over two dozen of her crew were killed in the surprise attack and her third magazine store went alight forcing a flooding. This brought about a list to port but the crew was able to right the ship for travel and she proceeded to shallower waters. From there the ship was written off, her useful equipment (including guns) stripped and her hulk towed to be scrapped. She formed a part of the artificial breakwater at Courseulles from the middle of July on.

 

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G7e Torpedo from U-156 on the island of Aruba in the Caribbean
In the early morning hours of February 16, 1942, U-156 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartenstein fired three torpedoes at the 6452-ton Texaco-owned tanker SS Arkansas berthed at Eagle pier near the Arend/Eagle Refinery, two torpedoes missed and one ended up on a nearby beach
This was a part of Operation Neuland (New Land) which was the Kriegsmarine code name for the extension of unrestricted submarine warfare into the Caribbean Sea
The U-boats which were a part of Operation Neuland were intended to disrupt United Kingdom petroleum supplies and United States aluminum supplies, the vulnerability of which had not been anticipated by Allied pre-war planning
Four Dutch Personnel were killed when this torpedo exploded as they were trying to disarm it, the 2nd picture was taken by a Lt. Joosse shortly before he was killed, and was retrieved from his heavily damaged camera afterwards
The picture of the tail section of the torpedo, was taken by police inspector Van Driel after the incident

 

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Soviet army and captured finns during liberation of Vyborg

 

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Marshal Konev in action

 

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Two young kids admire a Dutch Army corporal mechanic of the Motorcycle Corps (KMD) during the mobilization. September 1939, Oss, The Netherlands.
On August 28, 1939, when the crisis around Poland tends to escalate and war in Europe seems inevitable, the Dutch government declares a general mobilization.
Placards with the announcement are posted everywhere: all reservists between 1924 and 1939 must report into actual service.
The Dutch army is put on alert. In total, approximately 300,000 men are under arms and school buildings are requisitioned as well as thousands of horses, cars and bicycles.
The threat is now almost tangible. But such a cool soldier, sitting on the fender of a requisitioned Ford Model 74 V8, appearing in the streets also evokes admiration among many, as these two young Oss residents (little brothers of the photographer) show.
In the background the monumental 'Villa Constance' is visible which now houses 'Museum Jan Cunen'.
Colour by Jake
Colourised PIECE of JAKE
Photo: Leo van den Bergh (1912-2009)
Source: City Archives Oss, The Netherlands

 

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Polish artylery tractor C2P and C7P.
C2P was based on modified chassis of TKS tankette. The production began in 1937 and more than 200 (270?) were completed.
In Polish Army C2P tractors were used only for towing 40mm wz.36 Bofors AA-guns and ammunition trailers. Some captured were later used by Germans.
The artillery tractor C7P was based on 7TP tank chassis. The production began in 1935 and about 150 were completed.
C7P tractors were used in heavy artillery for towing 220mm wz.32 Skoda heavy mortars (towed in three units); also in light tank units as recovery vehicles and in engineer units
(From ww2 database)

 

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Polish Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun abandoned after the column was attacked by German Aircraft during a battle near Bzura, Poland, September 1939.

 

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The I-16 was the main fighter plane used by the Chinese Air Force and Soviet volunteers.

 

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Antwerp, 5 April 1943: Allied bombs accidentally kill 963 people.