What is going on here?

[sylvieK4]

I found this photo without a caption. Anyone have an idea who is being executed, or what branch of German service is conducting the execution? Lots of witnesses in the photo.

[sylvieK4]

[Scott Smith]

I found this photo without a caption. Anyone have an idea who is being executed, or what branch of German service is conducting the execution? Lots of witnesses in the photo.

The unforms are Wehrmacht. I vaguely recall seeing the photograph before of an execution of either hostages or partisans in the Balkans or Italy, which was hardly any secret. The more publicity the better as far as occupation authorities are concerned. I think the photo came from a German newsreel but I've forgotten any details.

[Starinov]

The soldier on the right (with the cap) seems to have a light point on his sleeve. I don't know if it could be a SS eagle or not. The firing soldier does not have that point... So I am wondering...

[HaEn]

Both "soldiers" seem to have dark collars, denoting an officer's uniform. The one with the cap could be SS (waffen- or algemeine), hard to see if he has a sleeve eagle on his left arm, and definitely is an officer (note the shoulder board) Also note the soldier more in the back standing at attention. Reminds me of an execution we had to attend as a whole company, to show "what would be done with deserters and those who helped them". The military in the distance seem to be standing in formation. The one with the pistol could be a medical officer, giving one, or more executed a "merci shot" . Which would have been his duty if this were an official execution. Just some small observation. HN.

[Richard Murphy]

Both the Officer in peaked cap and the one in the helmet look like they have SS Rank insignia on their collars, and the apparent sleeve diamond on the arm of the one in the Peaked cap could well be SD (It appears to be too small to be an "Eagle").

Regards from the Park,

Rich

[Scott Smith]

Both the Officer in peaked cap and the one in the helmet look like they have SS Rank insignia on their collars, and the apparent sleeve diamond on the arm of the one in the Peaked cap could well be SD (It appears to be too small to be an "Eagle").

The collar insignia looks rectangular rather than square in shape. The one in the cap could even be a general. That's why I said they looked Wehrmacht, although the regular police sometimes wore similar uniforms to the Wehrmacht, even though controlled by Himmler. Also the one with the pistol looks like he has a Brustvogel on his right breast. And the one in the peaked cap definitely does not have an Armvogel. It could be an SD diamond but that should be on his forearm not his upper sleeve if he were SS. It is more likely a Wehrmacht patch like an Arzt or something, as HaEn suggested.

Best Regards,
Scott

[AndyW]

The picture is one of several shot by Wehrmachtsphotograph Gerhard Gronefeld and shows the illigal execution of 18 "reprisal hostages" in Pancovo / Serbia on April 21/22, 1941 by Wehrmacht units. (Another 18 were hung.)

The Officer on the right is the local Wehrmacht Commander of Pancovo, Oberstleutnant Bandelow.

More details in: Walter Manoschek: _Du - Strick! Du - Kugel!. Pancevo, April 1941, Das Protokoll eines Masakers_, in: Die Zeit, issue of Juli 8, 1999


Hope this helps.

[Scott Smith]

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

[Roberto]

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

[An unfriendly - though appropriate - remark was removed.]

[Marcus]

The one reasonable statement that Smith has produced today.

There is no need for such an unfriendly tone.

/Marcus

[reichpapers]

Both "soldiers" seem to have dark collars, denoting an officer's uniform.

Tunics with dark green (bottle green) collars were an early war issue, not solely an officers uniform. Many, many enlisted wore these. Collectors frequently refer to this as the M36 tunic.

[HaEn]

You may be right; however none of the invading German troops in 1940, as far as I can remember had them on their Feldgrau. By the time I came aboard beginning '44 all uniforms already were a hodgepodge of recycled materials from uniform stock of several european countries.
At that time the only dark green collars were indeed Officer's and a haphazard mistake like mine. ( I was slightly smaller than the average bear and received a ???junkerschule outfit for my "A " with darker green collar and silvery insignia, and regular, too big for my "B". (stuck out like a sore thumb). HN. p.s. was one hell of a beautifull soldier though

[sylvieK4]

HaEn, can you post any pictures of yourself in uniform? I'm sure we'd all like to see.

[michael mills]

HaEn wrote:

By the time I came aboard beginning '44 all uniforms already were a hodgepodge of recycled materials from uniform stock of several european countries.

I have read that many German uniforms were made out of Red Army ground-sheets that had been captured in large numbers. These were manufactured from an olive-green, heavy cotton cloth.

Another source of material for German uniforms was provided by stocks of Italian uniform cloth captured in 1943, after the Italian surrender. That material was of a very high quality, much better than the wool-rayon mix used for German uniforms at the beginning of the war. Those German soldiers who received uniforms made from that material must have felt very lucky.

German groundsheets in camouflage material were also cut up and made into unifroms (jackets, trousers, caps and helmet-liners). Italian camouflage cloth was also used.

German fatigue uniforms made of a linen-rayon denim were also converted into field uniforms by dying them reed-green and adding insignia. They made a good lightweight summer uniform, and were used from 1942 onward.