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SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Patreon.com/Military1945 COME AND SEE That’s beautiful private footage from a German soldier taken in the Ukraine in the fall of 1943 that shows a defensive fort made out of logs; I love the tall camouflaged watch tower. That’s something you’d expect to see in an American wild west film. For the Nazi’s that’s what the Ukraine was, a territory to move into, tame and incorporate into the greater German nation. Sort of a German manifest destiny. The film, taken near the Russian city of Shitomir, fits in nicely with our subject for the day. Today We’ll be looking at this special edition of Die Wehrmacht from 1944 and see film footage related to the articles in it. The normal Die Wehrmacht periodicals were intended to be sold in Germany. The Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A - or Edition A - were sold in allied and occupied countries and today are more valuable than the normal editions. Here we can see the prices for the different countries. The cover of the corresponding normal editions can be seen on the second page of the Ausgabe A. The normal editions were published one week earlier. The first article covers the heavy fighting that was going on around the city of Shitomir. About 170 km from Kiew, the city had become an important and secret headquarters of the SS which Himmler called Hegewald. Early in the war after hitler had mentioned that the farmers tilling the land in the area looked very much like German farmers, Himmler had put together a plan to introduce around 10k Volksdeutsche, or settlers of German decent, to the region and to remove the slavic population. Ethnic cleansing was done by the Soviets on a larger scale. They saw those of German decent as fascists and by the end of 1941 had deported around 900,000 that were living within the Soviet Union to the Kazakistan region in cattle cars. There, they where interned in gulags to live with captured German soldiers under terrible living conditions and used for slave labor. This is a clip from Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 697, from January 12 of 1944. It shows a German defensive position situated near Shitomir. It’s especially interesting because it shows how the defenses were built up, and then shows how the position was successfully defended during a Soviet attack. Here we see an artillery spotter positioned in a destroyed soviet tank located in front of the German lines. A heavy Soviet artillery barrage signals the likely begin of a large attack. The soldiers in the trenches prepare for the possibility of close combat. The German artillery receives firing coordinates and begins to open fire. Because of the accuracy of the German artillery, the Soviet tanks and are unable to advance. German Stugs that were lying in wait advance to counter the Soviet attack. They engage the Soviet tanks and anti-tank guns individually. German Grenadiere that have been carried on the advancing Stugs dismount and attack the remaining Soviet pockets of resistance. This is more of the private 1943 footage taken in the Ukraine. As I let it run I’ll take the opportunity to explain the additional material that I offer to Patreon channel member subscribers. Much of the material in the massive film archive can’t be shown publicly because of its violent nature; It’s completely uncensored. I find it unsatisfying and frankly even dangerous to produce historical videos that don’t show the horror of the war. On the other hand, I want to keep historical accuracy as the driving theme and not become a blanket provider of explicitly violent material. This project is about historical accuracy, it’s not about releasing goolish footage to the public. The catchphrase of the video service, Come and See, comes from the 1985 Russian film of the same name. That film effectively portrays the intense violence and the psychological damage that it caused, that took place during the war in a sober manner. This is a project in development that’s evolving and I was unsure how channel subscribers would react to the material. The feedback received so far seems to show that we’re going in the right direction. Here’s an example of a comment made about one private film reel that was recently released … After watching that it's tough to say that this is what I was hoping for. ...Let's just say it’s ”good footage". ....Very heart-wrenching. Of course not all of the exclusive material that channel members gain access to contains explicit violence. The private footage taken by soldiers is made up of a mixture of what you’d expect…locations, scenes of their day-to-day lives, local populations, military themes and even atrocities committed. For those who have already become Patreon channel members thank you for taking part in the development of this ambitious project. If you haven’t yet and think that having access to this kind of material sounds interesting, well, come and see.

Patreon.com/Military1945 COME AND SEE SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A - FOR SALE 1944 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1944-special-editions-normal-p-31786.html 1943 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1943-special-editions-normal-p-31790.html 1942 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1942-special-editions-normal-p-31791.html This nice 1943 footage fits in well with the second part of the video on the Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A periodical Nr. 1 from 1944. As we take a look at the articles we’ll see more related film footage. The second article covers a recon unit deployed far to the north, in Finland, in Karelia. During Winter months, reconnoissance of the enemy to probe their positioning, strength and intention was often only possible on foot or skis. There were no armed forces better skilled at doing this than the Fins. This 1942 Finish footage documents such a reconnoissance mission. ... and now here is a clip from a 1942 German training film which covers the defending of a prepared position in the Winter. Before we move on the the massive Me 323 Gigant, transport plane I’d like to contrast this page from the special edition with the same page in the normal edition. In the normal edition we see photos soldiers wearing masks to camouflage their faces … which reminds me of this 1942 Hungarian footage of camouflaged motorcyclists. I love the sound of the Hungarian language. The advanced spotter of an artillery battery is able to see the encroaching enemy from their lookout, situated in a tall tree. The enemy has managed to advance unseen in some locations all the way up to the outer defenses. This 1942 training film shows the defense of a prepared position in Winter conditions. The weapons are readied to fire. Hand grenades are placed within easy reach. Everything is ready for the enemy’s attack. The heavy MGs have plenty of firepower and are usually placed to the front of the line of defense. They open up first against targets that are distant. Other positions along the line are alerted to the possible danger. With only a limited amount of snow the enemy is easily camouflaged. In deeper snow this kind of white tunics provide better camouflage. As they approach the light MGs are free to open fire. In deep snow an attack is also possible. Here a unit is attacking on skis. They conceal themselves using terrain obstacles during the advance. Where the enemy is able to approach concealed by obstacles, and the flak is unable to be used in direct fire, indirect mortar fire can be effective. The Me 323 Gigant, or Giant, was a massive transport capable of carrying 130 fully equipped soldiers. It had a crew of 5, including 2 pilots, two mechanics and a navigator. It had a length of 28.5 M and a wingspan of 55 meters. The wings had a surface area of 300 m2. The Gigant had 6 engines and its massive landing gear was made up of 10 large wheels. The body structure of the Gigant was comprised of a wooden frame covered with cloth and was quite delicate. The transports are loaded and ready for flight. Before taking off the machine guns are mounted and tested. The six engines power this massive plane into to the air. This is the fastest way to carry heavy payloads over great distances. Landing at a forward airbase. Unloading the transport is done quickly. Thanks for watching and please remember to like the video and subscribe to the channel.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Patreon.com/Military1945 Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A https://filmhauer.net/advanced-search-result.php?keywords=Die+Wehrmacht+Ausgabe+A&search_in_description=1&button=GO That’s a nice clip from a Europa Woche news reel from July of 1944 which shows German fighters scrambling and immediately engaging an encroaching enemy bomber formation. That fits in with today’s article. This is the periodical Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A, from February of 1944. This article covers the organization of German air defences which we’ll take a look at. I’ve integrated rare film footage including training material and part of an American news reel. When enemy bomber formations approach German airspace the technically advanced air defense control center jumps into action. Fleets of fighters and destroyers take off and are guided by the center to intercept the enemy. These photos show scenes of the control center, where the defense against the Anglo American air attacks are organized. An American newspaper has reported that war losses so far in Europe for the 8th American Air Force have amounted to 6000 airmen, 730 heavy bombers, 20 light bombers and 50 fighters. You can see this complete 1941 film if you are a Patreon Channel Member. If you are not yet a member please consider becoming one. www.Patreon.com/Military1945 From the moment an enemy air formation is spotted its location, direction, speed and estimated strength is carefully plotted. During the war about 500,000 German women worked in civil areal defense. That's about 25% more than were nurses. With confirmation that an enemy formation has flown over the coast, the alarm has been sounded in the control center of a fighter commander and the officers go quickly to their stations. As more information comes in the command boards blink indicating the location of the enemy. Telephone calls and radio reports from the network of outposts provide ever more more information to the command station. Everyone concentrates intently, trying to comprehend the situation. Information is relayed to the fighter squadrons to lead them to the enemy planes. In this example at 19.52 hours the enemy formation has crossed over into German airspace. All German night fighters immediately either take off or are prepared to take off at a moments notice. At 20.05 hours first contact has been made and the enemy formation is attack. At 20.20 a majority of the night fighters have successfully found and are engaging the bomber formation. In the vicinity, pilots have to rely on their own senses to actually find the enemy. When the expected target of the bomber formation has been determined the information is passed on quickly to both the civil and military authorities on location so that they can prepare for the attack. Attention, attention, areal report from division headquarters. The lead planes of the reported enemy formation are approaching the German capital of Berlin and an air-raid warning must be alarmed. Update, the enemy formation have entered the city’s airspace from the south and west and are presently above the city. They are currently fully engaged by flak our artillery and fighters. Attention, aerial report from the division headquarters. Enemy bombers have reached the southern flak zone of the city and are being engaged by the flak artillery. Update, the enemy formations have entered the city's airspace from the south and west and are presently above the city. They are currently fully engaged by flak artillery and fighters.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 Original Collections for sale: Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A 1944 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1944-ausgabe-normal-p-31786.html 1943 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1943-ausgabe-normal-p-31790.html 1942 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1942-ausgabe-normal-p-31791.html This nice footage shows Estonians and soldiers of the 3rd. SS Totenkopf division during a break in the fighting in early 1944. At that time there were about 14,000 Estonians soldiers under German control. The Estonian soldiers had been fighting in a number of formations which included the the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking and the Estonian 3rd SS Volunteer Brigade. On January 24 the Brigade was expanded to become the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division which was under the command of Franz Augsberger. With the Soviets advancing quickly west and approaching the Estonian border, at the end of 1943 conscription and mobilization was declared by the German authorities. As a result 30,000 men volunteered and 8,000 were conscripted. The Estonian authorities supported the mobilization under the naive belief that having Estonians under arms when the Soviets took over would be somehow beneficial. Estonian farmers bring their horses to designated collection points to hand them over to the military. The introduction of military training to the new recruits. An Estonian swearing in ceremony for soldiers of the SS Volunteer Battalion Narva and a Luftwaffe unit. Using tree trunks, these Estonian SS volunteers have managed to cross a trench. Heavy mortar teams are connected by an extensive trench system. The radio operator receives coordinates from a forward observer which he passes on to a mortar crew that is homing in on the enemy. With the introduction of the military draft at the end of last year it is evident how strong the baltic population feel associated to the new European order. From their experience during the time of the Bolsheviks occupation they understand the danger of the enemy to the east. Only complete commitment can bring victory. Many Estonian soldiers have proven their worth fighting as members of the Waffen SS. This seems to be a captured Soviet anti-tank gun that the new crew is trying to figure out. It’s not clear that the units were outfitted as well as the German units. This for example is a 50cm so called door knocker that was so underpowered that it was of little use. This is more combat footage from 1944 showing Estonian soldiers in action. If you like the way I combine primary source materials to produce these videos please like this video and subscribe to the channel. If you are already a Patreon channel member there you can see now see more related material that can’t be shown here. If you’re not yet a member please consider being one. You won’t be disappointed, I promise. Two Estonian soldiers help a wounded commrad back to friendly lines. To the left is a gun crew placing branches and grass around their light anti tank guns to camouflage the position. This I believe is a captured 45mm Soviet anti tank gun. The crew is trying to understand how to operate it. This film clip is from a collection that has a total run time of 10 min and 58 seconds Above, Estonian SS men are clearing trees from roads that Soviet partisans have blocked them with. Below, is an MG position in the woods a soldier takes advantage of a lull in the fighting to sleep. Finally we come to the end of the periodical and see this nice color photo that seems to be an old brass shell casing that is being used as an alarm. If you are interested in buying this nice collection of periodicals take a look at the description of this video. Thanks for watching.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A 1944 https://filmhauer.net/wehrmacht-1944-ausgabe-normal-p-31786.html This Norwegian newsreel from 1944 fits in well with the cover of this periodical which shows reconessaince team in Winter conditions. It’s from the series Die Wehrmacht and is an Ausgaba A special edition from February 23, 1944, Nr. 4. Its first article describes the evolution from the rocket launcher to the tracked Panzerwerfer 42. Using the article as a framework and adding photographs and showing rare film footage I’ll introduce the weapon platform’s development and characteristics and we’ll see it in action. This weapon system is effective both on the attack and in defense. The sound of the screaming rocket barrage lets the infantry knows that help is here. That sound alone is also capable of often forcing the enemy to break off its attack. The deciding factor in the use of this weapon system is its maneuverability which is key when positioning the battery so that it can attack the enemy effectively. After firing it must also be capable of quickly moving out of the operational area because the enemy uses all of its resources to find and destroy this feared weapon. The trick is to constantly change locations and continue harassing the enemy relentlessly. Arriving to a new operational location, the process of preparing to fire is extensive. In order to reduce the complication, the rocket system has been mounted on a tracked platform. Now able to master the most difficult of terrain, the German rocket platform is more deadly than ever. That’s not an accurate description of how development of the Panzerwerfer came about. With the invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, the Wehrmacht commanders were impressed by the destructive capability of the Soviet Katyusha which first rolled into battle on July 14 and so began requesting something similar. The endangered breakthrough location is reached. Seconds later the rocket launcher is loaded and ready to fire. A Panzergrenadier manning an MG for short-range defense. A battery of Panzerwerfer drive in the direction of a Soviet breakthrough. Because of the tracks, the vehicles are able to travel over the frozen ground at high speed towards the ordered area of operation. The crew of the Panzerwerfer sit well protected from infantry fire by the vehicles body armor. To say that they were well protected is a bit overstated. Built for lightness and mobility the vehicle’s armor was thick enough to protect against most shrapnel and small arms fire but little else. For close quarters fighting the Panzerwerfer’s only defense was the mounted MG 34 or 42 machine gun and the hand held Panzerschreck anti-tank weapon. As can be seen in this photo, when loading the rock launcher the crew was quite vulnerable. This is the back of the vehicle. A large double hatch in the rear plate was the main entrance to the crew compartment. There were three stowage bins on each side above the tracks. Looking in from the back we see the gunner’s seat and hand crank mechanism that is used for rotating and aiming the launcher. Along both sides of the interior are ammunition racks. Above the racks is space for two Panzerschreck anti-tank weapons to be kept. The operational area near the critical point where the Soviets have broken through is reached. Only seconds later the launcher is loaded and ready to fire. A Panzergrenadier protects the exposed crew that is hard at work with the mounted machine gun. This text of course implies that the Panzerwerfer was not able to travel with its rocket launcher loaded. Although it would supposedly only take a few seconds to prepare for firing, the crew would be exposed, which would otherwise be an unnecessary risk. The Panzerwerfer 42 was certainly an effective weapon but it also had its problems. Namely, they were expensive to build and their ammunition was an unusual size which meant that special ammunition transporters also had to be produced. This made mass production more difficult. In addition the Panzerwerfer 42’s rockets didn’t have fins which made them less accurate than the Soviet Katyusha. By the end of 1943 a new launcher system had been developed in the Czech city of Brno which more closely resembled its Soviet counterpart. The rockets retained the Soviet 8.2cm caliber and were fin-stabilized which, when fired, spun and made them more accurate. The prototype was fitted with 4 rails bearing 96 rockets, but such a construction appeared to be too bulky. The production version retained only 2 rows with 48 rockets. Very few of these machines were built and those that were saw little combat. These photos are from a film reel from mid 1944 that show this hybrid rocket launcher being demonstrated to Guderian. If you are a Patreon Channel Member you have access to see this sensational footage, if not, please consider becoming one.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 Originals for sale: https://filmhauer.net/originale-c-29.html The Panzer 4 was the brainchild of General Heinz Guderian and 8554 of them were built during the war. The tank weighed 22 tons, it was armed with a 75mm main cannon and had 2 machine guns. It had a crew of 5. This is nice footage showing the training of Panzermänner that was shot in occupied Poland in 1943. The film has a runtime of 18:42 seconds. If you’re a Patreon channel member then you have access to the first reel of this film. If not, please consider becoming one. This is the periodical Die Wehrmacht Ausgabe A, from February of 1944. The article covers General Guderian and his role as the Inspector General of Armor. As we talk about his responsibilities in this role we’ll see more of the training film and clips from other sources that are related to the content. The caption of this photo states that the General Inspector is especially interested in the training of the Panzermänner. Here he’s monitoring exercises in the box at a training center. The tankers radio unit is made up of a microphone and a headset. The instructor explains the lay of the land, the units positioning and their objectives. The young commander switches on his radio. He orders the tanks to advance in a wedge formation and the instructor repositions the models based on his instructions. In this photo an instructor demonstrates to the General Inspector a dummy round that is used during the training which allows the tanker to get used to firing the weapon in a realistic manner. This newsreel footage shows General Inspector Guderian visiting a licensing training facility for tank drivers in July of 1943. The tank driver was expected to know his tank both inside and out. Here we see the trainees changing tracks. The General Inspector asks specific questions to the trainees to test the quality of their training. The driving school has specially customized vehicles for the trainees to practice driving in difficult terrain to prepare them for the front. This photo shows General Inspector Guderian watching a demonstration of the damaged caused by new firing methods for different types of tanks. Back to the training, the young tankers are scheduled for time on the shaking firing range. It’s obviously not the chassis of an advanced panzer type but I suppose the idea was simply to get used to firing a weapon in a less than stable environment. In late 1941 the Americans introduced gyro stabilizers to the M3A1 light tank and by 1944 all American tanks had some form of gyro stabilizers. These stabilizers were really only effective at low speeds on level terrain but it was certainly an advantage over the Germans tanks which did’t have stabilizers. With all the trainees gathered and called to attention, our young tankers are called forward. The article states that the General Inspector is responsible for everything that has to do with tanks. Guderian is known for making surprise visits to factories to speak with the workers and is often present when new technologies are being tested. He personally oversees the continual improvement in efficiency of fabrication and is directly involved in the supply of tanks to the front. He is the Führers direct advisor regarding everything that has to do with armor. Guderian often travels from the headquarters to the front in order to speak directly with the leadership involved in the operations, and then returns with up-to-date information.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 Raw "Atlantic Wall 1944" footage https://filmhauer.net/atlantik-wall-1944-p-15529.html This is the correct footage of a Hybrid Panzerwerfer of the 21st PzD being demonstrated to Fieldmarshal Erwin Rommel in the spring of 1944 in France which fits in well with todays video. The footage I showed a few videos back was actually a multiple mortar carriage. If you’re a patreon channel member you have access to more of this exclusive footage. If not, please consider becoming one. This is the cover of the periodical Die Wehrmacht, Nr. 5 from March 1, 1944. The photograph shows a unit leader explaining to an engineer where where the mines he is carrying should be placed in no-mans-land. This article shows an example of the defensive preparations of a probably non existent 5 KM of French Atlantic coastline. Erwin Rommel Speech - In relation to our defenses. In relation to the moral of our soldiers and the new weapons that we have been armed with. We can be completely at ease with the coming events…and… we don’t need to be worried for a moment about whether it goes well or badly. Things will go our way. And I don’t believe that the British will come back and try a second time. n preparing the defenses of the Atlantic coast, Rommel stressed the importance of taking advantage of what was already present. Built upon a platform of protruding rocks and starkly jetting out into the water this Vauben-fort would certainly receive much of the initial attacking strength of the enemy. Sebastian Vauban was a French military engineer who revolutionized defensive structures in the 17th century. Even in the 20th century his fortifications were relevant. In addition, referring to his defensive bulwarks was useful politically as there were built to fend off intrusion by the British. This text states that ever since the British became a world power. the European continent has been under constant danger of being invaded. Ludwig the 14th ordered the military engineer Vauban to build fortifications that would defend the coastline. Vauban developed the concept of the Festungsgürtel, or layered defense which revolutionized military doctrine. Modern technologies which were championed by the German engineer Fritz Todt have been incorporated for example the use of concrete. The article now switches to a macro view of the 5 KM of coastline providing a map and illustration which shows the layers of defense. As we go through the different layers I’ll add film footage which is related to the subject matter. First we’ll look at the Vorpostensicherung, or Forward Security. This would generally be made up of relatively small surface vessels like the fast S-Boots. Although armed with torpedoes, in the event of an invasion their primary responsibility was to raise the alarm in order to prepare the defenses. The next line of defense are the mine fields. The fuzes are set into place. The mines are armed. Based on locations plotted on nautical charts, the mines are dropped into the water in a carefully timed sequence. Here situated high on a bluff is a heavily fortified command and control lookout bunker. Building the Atlantic Wall was officially the responsibility of the Organisation Todt which was not under Rommel's command, but he enthusiastically joined the task, protesting the use of slave labour and suggesting that they should recruit French civilians and pay them good wages. Behind and around the command and control bunker can be seen batteries of artillery of different calibers. Many of the guns from captured warships were removed and placed in fixed defensive positions like this. Because of their range and destructive capability these gun emplacements were targeted heavily by allied bombers. One way that the slave laborers were able to sabotage the works was by adding too much sand to the concrete which made it quite brittle. To counter this the Germans increased the amount of concrete used in each structure. To the east we get a look at some of the obstacles and massive concrete walls that were built on the beaches in order to hinder the enemy’s ability to advance inland after making a landing. Behind that we see the main bunkers of the garrison troops for the area. This rare footage from the spring of 1944 has a runtime of 18 min. It was produced to document the readiness of the defenses of the Atlantic Wall. Finally, in the deepest layer of defense we see an airfield and a massive rail gun.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 Today we’ll be looking at primary source historical material related to the Goliath including films from different countries, photographs and printed material. The final film clip contains the only actual combat footage known to exist. It was 4’ long and 2’ wide and 1’ tall. and could carry between 50 and 100 kg of explosives depending on the model. The first versions were electric but they proved to be too expensive to build. Eventually a motor engine was used which was noisy and often gave away its position. The Goliath had a top speed of 6 mph and was controlled with a joystick. It had 3 attached cables, one to control the steering, one for the throttle and the third to detonate the explosive charge. This material showing testing of the Sdkfz 303 Goliath from March 22, 1944 is not only related to the article I’ll be covering today, it was actually taken by the same camera crew that provided photographs for it. This is the periodical Die Wehrmacht Nr. 7 from March 29, 1944. The cover shows an 88 flak crew member serving on the Arctic Front setting fuzes of the shells to explode at a specified altitude. The crew of 3 engineers, with the team leader wearing a white camoflage tunic, brings the Goliath to the area of operation using a special carriage. Quickly the midget tank is made ready for use. The text states that with a combination of the innovation of its scientists and technicians and the efficiency of its industrial production, the German military complex remains capable of countering the massive storm of men and material that its enemies are throwing at it. An example is the newly developed Goliath. This midget tank that is loaded with an immense charge of explosives, is steered by remote control. Experience has shown that the Goliath is effective at taking out fortified bunkers, and defensively in destroying the heaviest of Soviet tanks. This mobile weapon’s platform brings destructive power to the enemy and therefor is correctly considered to have the characteristics of a land-based torpedo. The first prototype was however made by Adolphe Kégresse, the French inventor of the halftrack, in 1940 in occupied Paris. Learning that the germans were interested in his vehicle he attempted to hide it by throwing it in the Seine river. The occupation authorities were able to recover his prototype. The Goliath is being brought into position here. It looks to me like the image of the team leader in the photograph has been enhanced or possibly completely airbrushed in. It just doesn’t look real. Here is a 1944 American news reel. Often film material can be found in foreign archives that is in better condition than the German footage. This is part of a Norwegian news reel from March of 1945. It shows German Volkssturm which was made up mostly of men usually considered too old to fight receiving modern weapons. I’ll leave the original tone. Please take the time to like the video and subscribe to the channel. If you’d like to have access to additional raw footage that can’t be seen here go to Patreon and become a Channel Member. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL www.Patreon.com/Military1945 DAS MOTORRAD 1942-43 https://filmhauer.net/motorrad-1942-periodicals-p-32052.html That Finnish footage from late 1942 fits in well with the unboxing of this beautifully illustrated collection from the series Das Motorrad or The Motorcycle containing all 26 periodicals from 1942 and the first 4 from 1943. The publication has a history spanning more than 100 years. In 1933 it was subjected to Nazi influence and in March of 1943 the publication was halted and replaced by the series Deutsche Kraftfahrt which covered vehicles in general. Finding late war issues of this series is difficult, finding complete collections like this is nearly impossible. Between 1941 and 43 the Finish military received about 1500 Zündapp K750 motorcycles. At the time the they were considered technologically advanced with 70% of the engine, powering the rear wheel and 30% going to the wheel of the attached sidecar which kept the motorcycle going straight. In addition to normal road gears, it also had off-road and reverse settings. The company Zündapp was also involved in the development and production of the remote controlled Goliath anti tank weapon. This nice 1944 footage show the delivery of Zündapp KS 750 motorcycles to the Finnish army. The crews are literally putting them together. With the relatively undeveloped system of roads and harsh Winter conditions in the region these durable and stable motorcycles proved useful. The unibody type construction of the motorcycle is described here which makes the frame much stronger and motorcycle generally much easier to maintain. With the sidecar three passengers can be carried comfortably, with it removed full power is provided to the rear wheel and the motorcycle regains the high performance of the well known KS Models Lets take a look at a few more of the beautifully illustrated covers. The periodical originally came out weekly but starting in 1942 it became bi-weekly. The numbering system continues on through the year so the last page of the December 26 issue for 1942 is 718. That makes specific content easy to find. In the first periodical for 1943 we get a table of contents for all of 1942. Not only did the Germans make available high quality equipment, they also provided the framework of advanced mechanical and organizational training. Ok, at this time logistics were still relatively primitive. German units, lead by the popular and able general Eduard Dietel were active on the Arctic front. Here we see them crossing over the German Soviet border in June of 1941. Having Finish troops well equipped and competent was certainly advantageous for the Germans. ...and of course help was always needed. This Finish footage shows a German Luftwaffe Kradmelder or motorcycle messenger who has a mechanical problem. Other technological developments came from experience dealing with the intense cold of the Russian Winters on the Eastern front. An important improvement was using the heat generated by the running motor to warm the hand grips and foot rests. With this introduction the incidents of frostbite dropped considerably. Special goggles were also developed that improved vision in heavy rain or driving snow. Depending on the type of weather different lens insets could be placed. The band was also designed to fit around the outside of the riders helmet. There turned out to be much overlap in the use of such specialized equipment. This footage from 1942 shows Finnish volunteers connected to the 5th SS PzD Wiking. I can’t show more of this footage here because of YouTube’s policies. If you are a Patreon channel member I’ll be send you a link to further exclusive footage shortly. If you’re not yet a member please consider becoming one. Here’s another example of footage that I’m giving my Patreon Channel members access to this week. Thanks for watching.