Thread: Destroyed tanks
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Old January 10th, 2008, 05:22 PM
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Default Re: Destroyed tanks

Or even a knocked out StuH?

The caption for that picture from the US national archive says it shows men of the 2nd AD viewing that poor bastard's broken body in Normandy 1944.
What makes anyone think it's staged? The men may have been asked to pose for the camera but I can't see any reason why that crew member wasn't just blown there, it's as likely as any other grim scene from the period where what at first looks like a tattered tarpaulin in a photograph often turns out to be a shredded man hanging from a tree or somesuch.
I can't see any indication that his uniform couldn't be appropriate to a stuG or stuh crewman of that period either? He appears to be wearing the short jacket and perhaps even camo trousers that would be far from uncommon by then.

Despite the awful subject, it is a remarkable quality photograph, even with the interference of digital technology you can make out the criss-cross pattern Zimmerit on the vehicle, but by that time B+W photographic technology had been pretty much perfected for 50 years and 35mm & larger format films common at the time were more than capable of capturing that kind of detail.
I'd assume it was taken by an official photographer rather than a passing squaddie.
I'm certain it's part of a set I've seen that shows more of the grim detritus of the crew scattered around the same vehicle but now can't find the series.
I'll keep digging.

Cheers,
Adam.
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