Leave a comment Posted on Artillery, First World Technical, Gun Bus, Just plain cool, Military History, Weapons, WWII Germany

Is that a gun in your bus or are you just happy to see me?

I don’t remember what I was searching for a picture of when I started running across these, but my fetish for unusual weapon/vehicle combinations  and “gun trucks” in general took over and I went down a different path than what I was intending.

flak_88_cm_auf_vomag_fahrgestell

Flak 8,8 cm auf Vomag Fahrgestell

selbstfahrlafette auf fahrgestell vomag 7 or 660 mit 8,8cm flak in service with i.flak regiment 42

Selbstfahrlafette auf Fahrgestell VOMAG 7 OR 660 mit 8,8cm Flak in service with I.Flak Regiment 42

vomag_88mm_flak_18_waffentrager

Vomag 88mm Flak 18 Waffentrager

VOMAG_targeting_truck

VOMAG targeting truck

8.8 cm FlaK on bus chassis Vomag Omnibus Typ 7. Budapest 1945

8.8 cm FlaK on bus chassis Vomag Omnibus Typ 7. Budapest 1945

8.8 cm FlaK on bus chassis Vomag

8.8 cm FlaK on bus chassis Vomag Omnibus Typ 7. Budapest 1945

 

Turns out there were 21 – 24 of these Selbstfahrlafette auf Fahrgestell VOMAG 7 OR 660 mit 8,8cm Flak probably built for the Führerbegleitbrigade (FBB: Führer escort brigade) which was tasked with protecting Hitler’s military headquarters and accompanying him on those occasions he wanted to tool around the front.

Only assigned to 1. Bataillon of Flak Regiment 42 which appears to have initially served around Dresden, they ended up on the Ostfront and the unit was essentially wiped out in the fighting in and around Budapest in late 1944 with none of the vehicles surviving.

More info and pics here: www.kfzderwehrmacht.de and although I don’t really understand or get reddit, here’s a link with a bunch of pics and .gifs involving 88’s:  https://www.reddit.com/r/88mm

 

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1 Comment Posted on Hero, Holiday, Veterans Day

Veteran’s Day 2018

Thank you to those who served before me and those who served after me, may you never be forgotten.

A US Army detachment leaves Le Havre France for the front

A US Army detachment leaves Le Havre, France, for the front

With goggles atop his head, Ernie Pyle talks to a group of soldiers near Anzio, Italy

With goggles atop his head, Ernie Pyle talks to a group of soldiers near Anzio, Italy

Missouri infantrymen pose for a New Year greeting, 19th Infantry Regiment, Kumsong front, Korea, 14 December 1951
Missouri infantrymen pose for a New Year greeting, 19th Infantry Regiment, Kumsong front, Korea, 14 December 1951
This was the C-130 crew that flew part of the 500 Belgium paratroopers to the Belgium, Congo to quell a native uprising

This was the C-130 “Hercules” crew that flew part of the 500 Belgium paratroopers to the Belgium, Congo to quell a native uprising

My Grandfather at 21 (1943-44)

IMG_1821

 

Leave a comment Posted on Air War over Europe, Airship, Aviation, Early Aircraft, Early Aviation, WWI

Rosebud!

No, not the famous last word of Charles Foster Kane but rather Rosebud’s WWI and Early Aviation Image Archive.

Actually the website of Rod Filan and maintained by “Rosebud”, it was a treasure trove of downloadable early aviation pictures from the early 1900s through the end of WWI.  I hadn’t visited in a while and when I tried to several months ago (I needed new background pics for the work computer) my bookmark didn’t work anymore.  My friend Mr Google couldn’t tell me what happened nor did I find any answers at the next best place I could think of for information The Aerodrome.

I still don’t know why it went away, but archive.org and their Wayback Machine found a version that’s still active: Rosebud’s WWI and Early Aviation Image Archive.

It’s still well worth a visit…

maxmullerdva

Albatros D.V 1154/17 Ltn. Max Ritter von Müller Jasta 28

dh2_flight

de Havilland Airco DH2 in flight