Picture of the day

So how closely tied with the guys on the ground were the HS129 pilots?

bRiXzxo.jpg


Close enough that some Wiesenheimer stenciled an Infantry Assault Badge on this one. Betcha he pushed hard to have a bayonet mount installed on the gun...

What aircraft is that?
 
Perhaps. But Police Battalions were not part of the SS per se. If I had to guess, I would say these men are with the SS Polizei Division. They retained police rank and insignia (hence the collar badges) but had SS uniforms (eagle on left sleeve).

Everything I found has the SS Polizei division with an SS Polizei cuff title. But I accept this as a possibility.
 
Seriously, what are we looking at here? This pic has me scratching my head... The straight bolt K98, the obscured breast insignia, the SS eagle on the arm, the camera being worn like its a Sunday walk... Whats the scoop with this pic?

These guys saw no combat initially France following as an Army group reserve so it was a Sunday walk for them:

"The division, at this time an infantry formation with horse-drawn transport, was held in reserve with Army Group C in the Rhineland during the Battle of France until 9 June when it first saw combat during the crossing of the Aisne river and the Ardennes Canal.[1] The division was engaged in heavy fighting and after securing its objectives, moved to the Argonne Forest, where it came into contact with the French and fought a number of actions with their rear guard.[1] In late June 1940, the division was pulled out of combat and transferred to the reserve of Army Group North in East Prussia.

In January 1941, administrative responsibility for the division passed from the police to the SS-Führungshauptamt (SS operations office), the materiel and training headquarters for the Waffen-SS;[1] its personnel however, remained policemen, not members of the SS."
 
Everything I found has the SS Polizei division with an SS Polizei cuff title. But I accept this as a possibility.

Technically they were not a SS division until 1942. If the picture was taken prior to 1942, it is unlikely to show cuff titles from what I have read as they were apparently approved for use in April of that year. I believe this to the case as all pictures of the polizei division in the invasion and occupation of France I have seen show no cuff titles.
 
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VERY tight cockpit. The external device out there in the wind and rain is the gunsight.

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Neat idea hampered buy insufficient power. Could have used much better engines, but when you find yourself in possession of a few hundred French radials in a warehouse, one is tempted to violate the Chicken Salad Rule...
 
Actually the two Carriers now in PLANavy are mainly used for testing,training and coast line defending (including military presence in South China Sea and Taiwan Strait).
The Blue ocean fleet(For Pacific and Indian Ocean) will be formed when the 3rd carrier is fisnished. It is now being build in Shanghai and will be more closer to the Kitty Hawk class (CV63)
 
Actually the two Carriers now in PLANavy are mainly used for testing,training and coast line defending (including military presence in South China Sea and Taiwan Strait).

The second carrier isn't being used for much of anything just yet, especially given that she was just launched. ;) But yes, the first boat, Liaoning, is being used to develop a fixed wing naval aviation capability for the PLAN, not a small undertaking.
 
These guys saw no combat initially France following as an Army group reserve so it was a Sunday walk for them:

"The division, at this time an infantry formation with horse-drawn transport, was held in reserve with Army Group C in the Rhineland during the Battle of France until 9 June when it first saw combat during the crossing of the Aisne river and the Ardennes Canal.[1] The division was engaged in heavy fighting and after securing its objectives, moved to the Argonne Forest, where it came into contact with the French and fought a number of actions with their rear guard.[1] In late June 1940, the division was pulled out of combat and transferred to the reserve of Army Group North in East Prussia.

In January 1941, administrative responsibility for the division passed from the police to the SS-Führungshauptamt (SS operations office), the materiel and training headquarters for the Waffen-SS;[1] its personnel however, remained policemen, not members of the SS."

Thanks, much appreciated!
 
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