Images of War
5 total works
The Siege of Malta during World War II was one of the greatest dramas of the conflict. Bereft of vital defending aircraft, guns and ammunition this small island endured a succession of air raids from the Italian and German air forces. Valetta was virtually destroyed, the inhabitants took to living in the hills and caves as their houses lay in ruins. Food was scarce and the islands only salvation and survival depended on the arrival of the Allied convoys which themselves were constantly under attack as they dodged their way across hostile Mediterranean seas. This book contains unseen photographs taken during the siege and dramatically show what life was like for the population and the troops and pilots who so valiantly defended Malta.
The photos in this book are taken from an unpublished album belonged to a member of the crew of famous German Battleship Tirpitz. It is a little known fact that before the start of World War Two the ship went on a shakedown voyage into the Atlantic, travelling north into Arctic waters and south into the more tropical climbs of the Caribbean. There are superb photos of the officers and crew both above and below decks, including some unique shots of the crew during their stint on a magnificent sail training vessel. Other stunning shots show the vessels mighty weapons during gunnery practice during her sea trials. This unique collection gives a close up view of one of the most powerful ships of World War Two, a ship that proved to be a persistent thorn in the side of the Royal Navy until sunk in Norway towards the end of the war.
The photographs are taken from five unpublished albums focussing on the German invasion of Russia in 1941 - Operation Barbarossa. Two of the albums contain shots taken by German infantrymen and include shots of combat, vehicles, knocked-out tanks and prisoners of war. Two of the other albums feature flak and artillery units in the invasion. These include shots of artillery and flak units in action, destroyed Russian aircraft, vehicles and armour as well as Russian prisoners. The final album contains shots taken by a tank destroyer unit. In this set, there are shots of knocked out Russian armour (and abandoned armour), artillery and assault guns in action and a fascinating glimpse into the transition into the first winter. There are many exceptional photographs including rubber boats carrying troops across a river, knocked out monstrous Russian tanks, engineers at work and a range of more casual poses. There are also some interesting studies of uniforms and equipment, abandoned vehicles, vehicles being salvaged and maintained and a host of other subjects.rnrnSome are focussed on the early war months with Russia, so there are huge columns of captured Russian prisoners, fraternisation with the local peasants and a glimpse of the vast distances involved in the advances made by the Germans in the early months of the conflict.