reasearching SS license plate # 2396, "Deutschland"

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:37 am

I just received a photo album, of an army unit, in which almost all of the photos are taken in Germany or France. the 2nd SS Division Das Reich, 3rd regiment "Deutschland", was formed October 22, '42, and was in Rennes, France, at that time. It then went to Kiev. I do not think any of the photos in the album (the SS vehicle photo is about 3/4 of the way through it) were taken in Russia, so I am assuming that the photo was taken when the unit was stationed in France still. The vehicle is a knocked out armored car/scout car, and is in the middle of a field.
Are there any statistics or info on knocked out vehicles during training in France for these guys, or maybe it was sabotaged by the French resistance???
There are two round metal looking water towers, with a cone type roof on them, which makes me fairly certain they are located in France.
Any ideas??
Thanks!

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:54 am

or so,..............not '44, but could be i guess. the owner of the album was in a horse drawn supply unit, regular army.

Paddy Keating · Post by **Paddy Keating** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:54 am

I know Rennes fairly well but you'll need to show the photos.

PK

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:35 am

it is kind of hard to see, due to all the guys climbing around on it.........
it is saved at 300 dots per inch, so if you right click on it, save it, and then blow it up on your computer, you can see it easily. i'm not an armor expert...........so if you know what kind of armor it is, add to the thread!
thanks guys!
https://publish.insightbb.com/personalf ... es/ss1.jpg

Jock · Post by **Jock** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:08 pm

Jock · Post by **Jock** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:11 pm

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:05 pm

http://hsfeatures.com/sdkfz231gp_1.htm
sure looks like it could be to me. has the back hatch open, which looks like the same one on the model above.
let me know what you guys think!
thanks!

Simon H · Post by **Simon H** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:03 am

Agree it's an Sdkfz231. It appears to be missing some wheels, not uncommon for these to be recovered by soldiers or civilians for re-use (or selling on black market). A pity the soldiers cover it...

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:32 am

i think it took a hit on the right side...............some guys look like they are looking inside. they are all army. naturally, someone yanked a few pictures out of the album,...........and one of the ones they jerked,.........was off this same page. bet it was a side view of this vehicle. always makes me wonder more what is missing, then what is there, when i get an album that has been plundered......................
i saw an album last night, on ebay, cant remember if it sold already or not, but it had a side view of a simular vehicle knocked out. some of the photo dealers on there "mix and match",................makes two albums sell for good money, vs. only selling one. well, such is life i guess,.......................

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:01 pm

looks like tires/rubber, goes pretty quickly off of these...........probably burns off i would guess..........
https://publish.insightbb.com/personalf ... oto-98.jpg
this image just sold in an album, on ebay.
ouch,...........

tigre · Post by **tigre** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:04 pm

Hello mightythor99; indeed the SS "Deutschland"'s life started long time before October 22 1942; actually was formed 1934 as SS-Standarte 2 / VT from Politische Bereitschaft Würtemberg.

It was motorized after the Anschluss and took part in the annexation of Bohemia and Moravia Mar 1939. It was ordered by Hitler that it should be expanded to a division but this was postponed due to the outbreak of war. It took part in the invasion of Poland attached to Panzer-Division Kempf and following that campaign it was used to form SS-Division Verfügungstruppe (later renamed Das Reich), which in turn took part in the Westfeldzug.
See: http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2190

Talking about ideas

, why not a disable vehicle acting as a target in a training ground (see the grass under the vehicle or nearby while it became flat just around it); those guys could be either checking their shots or looking the effect of some kind of ammo (one of them was looking something on his palm).

"There are two round metal looking water towers, with a cone type roof on them", barracks??

Cheers. Tigre

[/quote]

tigre · Post by **tigre** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:10 pm

double.

mightythor99 · Post by **mightythor99** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:26 am

around the vehicle. i think it's a fairly "fresh" kill, i dont think it's a training target. could be, but i dont think so. i think the water tower is a good clue,.............they are in different styles across europe,..........kind of hoping someone will recognize the building style of it, and know "where" it is located,..........ie, southern france, etc. the album the photo is in, is pretty much french campaign/occupation, so that is what i am thinking it is also. the dealer i got it from, said it had 79 photos in it, when it arrived, it had over 90 photos,..............but there are some "missing" photos,......one was cut out of the center of a page, others torn out. of course, one was missing from the same page as this photo,........probably a nice side view....... bastard,.........
i hate album looters!! he he

Feldgrau.net

reasearching SS license plate # 2396, "Deutschland"

reasearching SS license plate # 2396, "Deutschland"

also, these photos all look like they were taken from '39-42

here is the photo of the SS vehicle

do you guys think this is what this vehicle is??

missing wheels

another picture of one of these, knocked out

3rd regiment "Deutschland"

fire would keep teh grass down