Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
December 18, 2011 at 7:12pm
An American Sherman M4 tank moves past another gun carriage that slid off icy road in the Ardennes Forest during push to halt advancing German troops.
I'm always surprised to see WWII photos in color. In my mind, the entire war was black-and-white.
A fifteen year old German soldier, Hans-Georg Henke, cries being captured by the US 9th Army in Germany on April 3, 1945
Not quite how you think of a Nazi, is it? He's just a terrified kid.
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May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Yes, anything non-fiction in color pre-1962 is just...it just does not compute. Thanks for posting this. But Hitler is still safely in B&W and thus someone from "the distant past."
The related question I've had for some time is what will the ubiquity and near-zero cost of recording and storing high-quality images and sound do to society? It seems like it will significantly reduce notions of "generation gap." It may even make it harder for leftists to foist previously-failed proposals upon young people. The college freshman who I send tweets to likes 80's dance music, and some of my favorite bands; that's like me being into Hank Williams in 1980 instead of Elvis Costello. (In 1981, even the Beatles seemed part of the distant past.)
Edited on December 18, 2011 at 7:49pmFeb '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Amazing, thanks for the link.
Jun '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Thanks for the link. My dad's cousin, Norm, died there in December of '44.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Thanks, Claire.
I don't have any pictures from my grandpa who was a tank commander under Patton in North Africa, nor from my great uncle who fought at Tarawa as a Marine. But I did inherit some pictures from my other grandpa, whose job was to scout restaurants and markets in India for our soldiers there (nice work if you can get it, I imagine). Before I saw those pictures, I didn't even know India was involved in WWII.
Did anyone else inherit photos of the war?
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Aaron Miller: Thanks, Claire.
I don't have any pictures from my grandpa who was a tank commander under Patton in North Africa, nor from my great uncle who fought at Tarawa as a Marine. But I did inherit some pictures from my other grandpa, whose job was to scout restaurants and markets in India for our soldiers there (nice work if you can get it, I imagine). Before I saw those pictures, I didn't even know India was involved in WWII.
Did anyone else inherit photos of the war? · Dec 18 at 10:48am
Those are amazing! Why don't you post them on the member feed, along with whatever you know about the history behind them?
Oct '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Colour film was produced before the war (Kodachrome since 1935 and Ektachrome from the early 1940s), and by the end of the World War II a number of combat film crews were shooting colour film. However, the infrastructure to print this film into mass-distributed newsreels did not exist at the time, so almost everybody saw this footage in monochrome. Subsequent film and television productions relied upon black and white newsreel prints. Film historians have discovered some of the original colour film, and a few years ago a series appeared on Swiss television (I forget who produced it) titled (my translation) “They Filmed the War in Colour” with combat reportage in jarring colour. There is also footage of Hitler in colour, including home movies taken at Berchtesgaden.
I think there is merit in seeing Hitler in colour, as black and white seems to place it in a different age, while colour reminds us that it wasn't all that long ago and that it can happen again.
Feb '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Claire..."I'm always surprised to see WWII photos in color. In my mind, the entire war was black-and-white"
A very moving music video: the war was in color
Feb '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
I own a book by Bill Mauldin with annotation on some of his World War II Willie and Joe cartoons. Except for a few crazies on both sides, everyone was a scared kid.
Even the generals had to be crazy to survive.
Yet I read other non-fiction World War II books about how many came home and led peaceful lives. It makes no sense to me that this was possible.
I know some who still show trauma from serving in Vietnam.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Aaron Miller:
... I did inherit some pictures from my other grandpa, whose job was to scout restaurants and markets in India for our soldiers there (nice work if you can get it, I imagine). ....
Those are amazing! Why don't you post them on the member feed, along with whatever you know about the history behind them?
Sadly, I don't know anything about them. None of my relatives spoke about the war when I was young, and they all died before I was old enough to ask.
But I'll post more of those pictures (half are just of my grandpa and his pals) if y'all can recommend a good site for posting batches of photos for slideshows. ImageShack seems better suited for posting a picture at a time. Or can I load 10 or 15 pictures directly to Ricochet without causing lag on the Member Feed?
Edited on December 18, 2011 at 9:07pmJun '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Aaron Miller:
Did anyone else inherit photos of the war? · Dec 18 at 10:48am
Strangely enough I have a dozen or so original photos from John S. D. Eisenhower's book The Bitter Woods. The collection includes a one-of-a-kind polaroid shot (1966) of Viscount Montgomery with the author's wife. The collection came to me via inheritance from Professor Charles M. Sherover who shared an office in New York with the young Eisenhower.
Jul '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Great Pics.
I want to share a story about Cal. He was a platoon leader during the battle here and trapped in a village took out 3 tanks by himself with bazookas and hand grenades, winning the silver star for his actions.
In the face of overwhelming odds they were able to retreat when a deuce and a half truck stopped to get them. Completely full, Cal piled the last of his platoon on the truck which was towing a howitzer. For 20 miles the old rodeo rider from Elko Nevada rode that weapon like a bull and forever destroyed his back.
Dying off at an alarming pace now, we should never forget those who went above and beyond the call.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Those of us of a certain age remember watching WWII documentaries, like 20th Century and Victory at Sea on our black & white TVs in the 50s & 60s. So we think that color WWII footage is very rare.
Surprise, surprise, there was a LOT of color footage (real color footage, not colorized like you see a lot of nowadays, although they do a pretty good job of it). I think I'm correct that by and large the Navy and Marines in the Pacific used mainly color film.
And sorry Paris, Eva Braun was an amateur cinematographer so you can watch color footage of Adolph Hitler hanging with his homeboys in Berchtesgarten (and color footage of Eva Braun skinny dipping, and she was all there, even if you only get rear views).
Check your public library nonfiction DVDs, you may be surprised at what you can find.
Aug '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
At a restaurant last night, I ran into a 90 yr old friend. We exchanged pleasantries, he was with a couple of other "old guys" having dinner.They were friends of my late dad. One in a wheelchair, another walking slow. My friend flew a recon plane over the Battle of Bulge( 19000 Americans died). It was a Piper Cub (J-3), no guns,little speed.
When asked how "bad" it was,he said it cold. The Hurtgen Forest battle was "bad" according to him, he fought in both. 33,000 American soldiers died. Both these battles took a couple months.
It is impossible for us to imagine the size, the scope ,and the numbers of men involved. The casualties boggle the mind (remember we left Iraq with 4500 dead over 8 years,Afghanistan 1800 over 10 yr).
Our concept of sacrifice , the acts of courage , and the secret conversations each man had with God are all beyond our tiny selves. Give thanks at Christmas for them.
My friend , at 90, is all smiles most of the time when we see each other. He has his family and friends. He has given us our freedom.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Nick Stuart, lest you think otherwise, I was pointing out that still today, WWII is overwhelming depicted in B&W and I wonder why the color footage is so rare; almost like various peoole, consciously or unconsciously, don't want it to seem as recent as it really is...
Apr '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
Steven Zoraster: I own a book by Bill Mauldin with annotation on some of his World War II Willie and Joe cartoons. Except for a few crazies on both sides, everyone was a scared kid.
Even the generals had to be crazy to survive.
Yet I read other non-fiction World War II books about how many came home and led peaceful lives. It makes no sense to me that this was possible.
I know some who still show trauma from serving in Vietnam.
Just a suggestion: read David Drake's Redliners and William Turner Huggett's Body Count.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
- George Orwell
Aug '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
The US Army detained a Child Soldier?!?! WAR CRIME!!!
Jul '11
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
I met another vet who was at this battle at a wedding. He had an accent but I didn't think too much of it. We talked and somehow he mentioned being at the battle of the bulge and I instinctively thanked him for his service. He responded,"I did not fight for zee side you think I fought for." Turns out he was Hitler youth and at 16 was captured at the end of the battle. He settled in Odessa TX which is an odd coincidence for a Nazi and still remained committed to his youth's cause on some level. Forty years after he returned to that forest to see the battlefield and especially a tree that took a giant shrapnel blast saving his life. He worked in the German recovery and had a street named for him just because the man responsible needed a name and asked him his surname. Fascinating talk with someone still brainwashed by an evil that is to be guarded against for all time.
Edited on December 19, 2011 at 2:06amMay '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
DocJay
I met another vet who was at this battle at a wedding. He had an accent but I didn't think too much of it. We talked and somehow he mentioned being at the battle of the bulge and I instinctively thanked him for his service. He responded,"I did not fight for zee side you think I fought for." Turns out he was Hitler youth and at 16 was captured at the end of the battle. ...
In high school, I was part of a rock band and spent most of my free time over at the drummer's house. His German grandfather visited a couple times. I have German ancestry as well, among many others, but my ancestors came over a long time ago. Anyway, his grandfather had apparently fought in the German navy. Mine fought in American army.
So his grandfather and my grandfather would have tried to kill each other many years ago, but there we were as friends. Not only that, but I had no doubt our grandparents would have enjoyed each other's company so long after the war.
War seems all the more tragic when considering such things.
May '10
Re: Battle of the Bulge: Newly-Released Photos
The photo of the captured fifteen year old German soldier caught my eye. I have a fifteen year old son. What must it have been like for these German mothers to send off their young boys to war, a war they were losing? There must be books written, even fictionalized novels, on the subject, but I've never searched for or heard of any.