► Photothread: Graffiti on vehicles of the Wehrmacht

[SIS 5]

Hi ilfil,

thank You very much for Your reply once more. Now I can read all words and can translate all the text. Are You really sure, that the pic was taken in the Nibelungenwerk in Vienna, Austria. The last phrases are in Austrian ("do pack ma unsre Zwetschgen ein und fahrn hoim") and indicate that also Austrian workers were working here and after the work they returned to Vienna (that´s my interpretation).
Interesting would also be the graffiti on the other side of the vehicle. Do You have pics of it?

Now here all phrases and the translation:
"Viel fleissige Hände" - "Many industrious hands"
"schufen ein Werk zu Ende." - "completed a work."
"den 8.5.1943" - "8th May 1943"
"Fahrzeug fertig:" - "Vehicle finished:"
"Frei zur Reparatur für Siemens." - "Free for repair by Siemens." (Siemens - a German company)
"Porsche und Siemens sind auch fertig!" - "Porsche and Siemens are also finished!"
"Donnerwetter!" - "I´ll be damned!"
"Ferdinand, so heißt er." - "Ferdinand, so it is called."
"Wer ihn neckt, den beißt er."" - "It/he will bite the one, who is teasing it/him."
"Das ist der letzte." - "Taht is the last one."
"Die Baras-Nachtschicht ist zu ENDE!!" - "The Baras night shift is at the end!!" (Barras is the synonym for the Wehrmacht)
"Halt die Luft an!" - Hold Your breath!"
"Ferdinand der Bär" - "Ferdinand the bear"
"Du gefällst mir sehr." - "You please me very much."
"Erst wenns "aus" wird sein mit ana Musi und an Wein," - "Only when the music and the wine is over,"
"do pack ma unsre Zwetschgen ein" - "then we will pack our things"
"und fahrn hoim." - "and drive home."

Best regards

Bert

[ilfil]

Hi Bert,
Let's start with the place. Yes, I'm sure all Ferdinands were made in Ni-Werk. I have all good reasons to believe Thomas Jentz who wrote this:



I also believe what Walter Spielberger wrote:



He also mentioned the source of this info: the OKH document D656/1 dated 1 May 1943.

Here is the best I was able to do with the pictures, click on the thumbnails to see them in full size:



Cheers!

Edit: I see Postimage also has the nasty habit to resize big pictures, in other word to render them almost useless. So I've just sent you a PM.

[SIS 5]

Hi ilfil,

thank You very much for Your reply and the added sources. You convinced me. I was believing to Werner Oswald in his book "Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer":
"Die Produktion des Tiger (P) nach Porsches Konstruktion wurde bei den zu Steyr gehörenden Nibelungen-Werken in St. Valentin vorbereitet. Unendliche Schwierigkeiten, die sich aus der komplizierten Technik dieses Modells ergaben, führten dazu, dass nur 2 Stück Panzer-Kampfwagen fertiggestellt wurden, die niemals Frontreife erlangten. Schließlich entschloss man sich 1943, in die 90 inzwischen vorhandenen Fahrgestelle zwei der bewährten Maybach-Vergaser- statt der unfertigen Porsche-Dieselmotoren einzubauen und die Fahrzeuge ohne Rücksicht auf die ursprünglichen Pläne bei der Firma Alkett in Berlin-Spandau mit festen Aufbauten und einer 8,8 cm Pak zu versehen."

Best regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi ilfil,

thank You very much for the pics. I could decipher a part of the words written on the vehicle:
second pic:
"Berlin grüßt die Ostmark." - "Berlin is greeting the Ostmark" (Austria)
"Termin um 5 Tage voraus." - "Deadline 5 days ahead."

third pic:
"Aus Groß-Berlin da kamen wir" - "We came from Great Berlin"
"und reichten der Ostmark die Hände" - "and shook hands with men from the Ostmark"
"zu schaffen diese Bestie hier." - "to create this beast here."
"Jetzt ist das Werk zu Ende." - "Now the work is over."
"Zur Front reist nun der Ferdinand" - "The Ferdinand is leaving now to the font"
"zu schützen unser Vaterland" - "to protect our homeland"
? ? ? ?
"Voran zum Sieg" - "Forwards to victory"
"Das wünscht Berlin! Und auch Wien!" - "That wishes Berlin! And also Vienna!"

fourth pic:
"Der Papast hielt gütig seine Hände über Dir." - "The pope was kindly holding his hands over You ."
"Drum wurde aus dem Tiger auch ein Stier." - "Therefor out of the tiger became also a bull."

"Schön war´s, das ist der letzte." - "It was good, that is the last one."
"Jetzt fahren wir nach Hause und feiern Feste." - "Now we are driving home and will celebrate festivals."

I hope You can understand my translation. Sometimes it is not so easy to find the equivalent word or phrase in English.

Best regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

I´ve got good pics of the last specimen of the Ferdinand from Ilian (ilfil). Here the textes from the back side:
"Der Papast hielt gütig seine Hände über Dir." - "The pope was kindly holding his hands over You ."
"Drum wurde aus dem Tiger auch ein Stier." - "Therefor out of the tiger became also a bull."

"Schön war´s, das ist der letzte." - "It was good, that is the last one."
"Jetzt fahren wir nach Hause und feiern Feste." - "Now we are driving home and will celebrate festivals."

"Nun kommt das Werk auch noch dran" - "Now it´s also the turn of the work"
"auch auch wir werden es schaffen -" - "we will make it, too -"
dann gibt´s mehr zu fragen und zu gaffen." - "then there will be more to ask and to gawk."
Seid´s bald fertig mit dem Affen!" - "Be ready soon with the ape!"

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another graffiti on the back of a bus:
"Fahr mich über Warschau nach Addis Abeba"
"Drive me over Warsaw to Addis Abeba"

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here the next graffiti, this time on a Mercedes truck (source of the pic: an expired ebay auction):
"London. Jetzt kommst Du dran." - "London. Now it´s Your turn."
"Ihr wolltet nach Berlin marschieren." - "You wanted to march to Berlin."
"Wie konntet Ihr die Schlacht sooo... verlieren?" - "How could You lose the battle like that?"

Regards

Bert

[ilfil]

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another graffiti on a captured Polish bus (source of the pic: an expired ebay auction):
"Mutti, wir kommen!" - "Mom, we are coming!"
"Wir grüßen die Heimat." - "We salute the homeland."
I cannot decipher the next sentence.
"Ist sich Polska fleissig," - " Is Polska diligent,"
"verdient sich einen Marsch nach berlin." - "she earns a march to Berlin."
"Lublin - Rechenberg" (Rechenberg is a German village between Ulm and Würzburg).

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here the next pic of a graffiti on a vehicle after the Polish campaign (source of the pic: an expired ebay auction):
"Freut Euch des Lebens" - "Rejoice in life"
"die Fahrt nach Polen war nicht vegebens." - "the trip to Poland was not in vain."
"Polen ist geschlagen," - "Poland is beaten,"
"jetzt geht´s Chamberlain an den Kragen." - "now it´s Chamberlain´s neck."

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another graffiti on a vehicle (source of the pic: an expired ebay auction):
"Salon Kramer" - "Salon Kramer"
"Eintritt frei" - "Entrance free"
"Villa Lustig" - "Villa Funny"
"Bergpalais" - "Mountain Palace"

Regards

Bert

[uncle]

Hi Bert.
new job for you.

[SIS 5]

Hi Slava,

thanks for posting these two interesting pics and sorry for the delay. I noticed my new job very late.
Here the German text with the translation:
first pic, from the left to the right:
"Heimatexpress" - "Home express (train)"
"Es ist vollbracht!" - "It is finished!"
"Reserve hat Ruh!" - "Reserve is at rest!"
Sorry, I cannot decipher the text on the right: only the word "Gruss" (greeting) and "Kind" (child).

second pic:
"Werkstattwagen Nr. 1" - "workshop vehicle number 1"
"Aus diesen Zonen kehren wir heim" - "We return home from these zones"
"dort gab´s kein Bier," - there was no beer,"
" nur schlechten Wein." - "only bad wine."

Best regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another graffiti on a captured Polish truck (source: ebay):
"Ich war ein Pole" - "I was a Pole"

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another pic with a small graffiti. I´m sorry I cannot read the words (I assume other names of towns in France) on the hood.

Regards

Bert