a strange picture ?

[just]

Hello
what is the reason why those soldiers wear their caps like that ?
thanks for answers
cordially
Didier

[Mark in Cleveland, Tn.]

No idea, but the group looks either pissed off/scared/getting a new a hole/ captured? they do not look happy, do they?

[timkoningskelp]

The two guys standing in the front row wearing black are part of a tankcrew. It could be they put their caps on the wrong way because that makes is possible to use the optics in a tank (otherwise the visor would hinder them). That does not explain why the other are having their caps on this way too. They are not wearing a panzer- or Stug-uniform as far as I can see.

Secondly the uniforms are most definatly not being worn conform regulations. The man on the front row, center, should be wearing his EK1 in the center of his breastpocket, not on the flap. The guy on the front row, closest to the camera, seems to be wearing a ordenspange. That shouldn't be located where he's wearing it either and in fact I'm not even sure he should be wearing it on his panzerwrap to begin with.

Thirdly the guy on the front row, closest to the camera, is standing at attention (look at his left hand). The others are not. That seems strange too.

A very interesting picture! Hope someone who is more knowledgable than I am can explain these things.

edit: the guy on the front row, center, wears an almost square badge on his collar. Could that be SS? Would fit with his beltbuckle which looks like the round aluminium version for SS-officers and he's wearing a Schirmmutze for (SS-?)officers too. But his collartab does not look SS to me (considering his rank is should have three or four silver pips in it, which I can't make out on the photo)..

[history1]

I´m not sure to which branch those soldiers are applied, excludet those black panzer soldiers. But looking at the image my army service came in mind where we have been trained e.g. as airplane spotters of infantry units to wear the caps exactly in this style. More precisely because the visors would not allow a free/full view of the area/sky.
Maybe they are attending a plane spotter course and are from different branches. Just my explanation/guess.
Any thoughts?

[Hecht]

No collar tabs.
Awards re-applied random as joke (medal bar on the pocket?).
Not happy looking.
They are no fighting troops.

IMHO they are bullied POWs, one at least is SS (M44 dot camo tunic).
Possibly going to the hard forced labour or maybe shoot, who knows.

[just]

Hello Gentlemen
thanks for explanations
cordially
Didier

[tom_deba]

Two possibilities (?):

1/ Partisans.
2/ Soldiers during their free time far, far away from the frontline.

[von thoma]

Soldiers prisoners.

[timkoningskelp]

Could well be captured soldiers, but in my understanding prisoners had to give up their paybooks to their captors. Seems like they guy in the center of the front row is still wearing his in his left breastpocket (size seems to fit anyway, as does location).

But honestly I can't think of any other possiblity besides these soldiers being captured when this photo was taken. There seems no good reason why German soldiers would be wearing their uniforms and awards contrary to regulations if they were not forced to do so.

[Svetlana Karlin]

Is there any information where the picture was taken? That could help.

My guess is that those could be captured partisans or stragglers (Red Army?) who tried to masquerade as German troops. That could explain the odd placement of German awards. They might have been ordered to turn their caps so the visors wouldn't hide their faces.

Some partisan units in the Nazi-occupied Soviet territories alleviated their clothing shortage by stealing German uniforms from transports or depots. I've come across an episode in which commanders of a partisan detachment banned German jackets and headgear, while permitting German pants and less visible garments like sweaters or undershirts. It was too easy to confuse a fellow partisan at night or at a distance with a German and shoot him as an enemy. Unfortunately, I don't have the literature at hand to cite it properly.

However, here is a photo taken in 1943 that shows a Soviet partisan wearing a German uniform. Source: http://www.fotosoyuz.ru/ru/catalog/picture/&frnepu=~Q0~OS~Q0~O0~Q1~80~Q1~82~Q0~O8~Q0~O7~Q0~O0~Q0~OQ~Q1~8O&cntvat_pheCntr=1&vqFrnepu=543220882?picid=fs-ignatovich-01/32/Ignat-32-009.jpg&cat=&search=

600x600-fs-ignatovich-01-32-Ignat-32-009.jpg

[hofner]

I saw this pic few years ago, don't remenber where.. These are for sure captured germans soldiers and it i'm not wrong not an happy ending for them...

[John G.]

I too remember seeing this photo before....and these unfortunate POWs are about to meet a tragic ending.....supposedly they were posed with added awards and reversed hats, etc. for the photo....then they were shot. Don't remember where...possibly "Yugoslavia" or somewhere in the Balkans.
John G.

[just]

Hello Gentlemen
thanks for all explanations
cordially
Didier