World War II United States Army Pictorials

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World War II
United States Army Pictorials

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World War II United States Army Pictorials

1,534 World War II photographs combined by United States Army historians of the Office of the Chief of Military History of the United States Army, into three pictorial volumes.

The photographs in these three volumes were picked by United States Army historians to show in greater detail the conditions under which the combat forces lived, the methods by which they were trained, the weapons they and their opponents used, the terrain over which they fought, and the support they received from the technical branches of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Air Forces, and the U.S. Navy. An appreciation not only of the terrain upon which actions were fought, but also of its influence on the capabilities and limitations of weapons in the hands of both our troops and those of the enemy, can be gained through a careful study of the pictures. The photographs have been especially selected to show important terrain features, types of equipment and weapons, living and weather conditions, military operations, and matters of human interest.

Two volumes deal with the war against the European Axis and the third covers the war in the Pacific and in the China-Burma-India Theater. Each volume is arranged in sections that follow the course of the war chronologically; each section has a brief introduction recounting the major events covered therein. The three volumes together give a comprehensive pictorial survey of the U.S. Army's operations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Far East, and the Pacific.

Each picture has captioned information. Each volumes has a list of abbreviations and an index. Each page of the volumes are graphically reproduced on the disc. The disc contain a text transcript of all text embedded into the graphic image of each page of each document, creating a searchable finding aid.

The three volumes include:

THE WAR AGAINST GERMANY AND ITALY: MEDITERRANEAN AND ADJACENT AREAS

This volume deals with operations in North Africa, the Middle East, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, the Italian mainland, and southern France.

This volume, compiled by Lt. Col. John C. Hatlem, USAF, and Capt. Kenneth E. Hunter deals with the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and the Middle East. It is divided into five sections: (1) North Africa and the Middle East; (2) Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia; (3) Italy: 9 September 1943-4 June 1944; (4) Southern France; and (5) Italy: 5 June 1944-2 May 1945. Each section is arranged in chronological order.

THE WAR AGAINST GERMANY: EUROPE AND ADJACENT AREAS

Covered in this volume are the buildup in the United Kingdom, the air offensive in Europe, and the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe Campaigns.

This book deals with the European Theater of Operations, covering the period from the build-up in the United Kingdom through V-E Day. Its seven sections are arranged chronologically. The photographs were selected and the text written by Capt. Kenneth E. Hunter.

This volume is in six sections: 1. The Build-up in the United Kingdom and the Air Offensive, Europe, 2. Normandy Campaign, 3. Northern France Campaign, 4. Rhineland Campaign: 15 September 1944-15 December 1944, 5. Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, 6. Rhineland Campaign: 26 January 1945-21 March 1945

THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN.

In this volume is depicted training in Hawaii, Australia, and New Caledonia; defeat in the Philippines; the campaigns in the Solomons, New Guinea, New Britain, the Admiralties, the Aleutians, the Gilberts, the Marshalls, and the Marianas; the return to the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa; and the operation of the supply line to China through Burma and India.

This volume is in six sections: (1) The Allied Defensive; (2) The Strategic Defensive and Tactical Offensive; (3) The Offensive 1944; (4) The Final Phase; (5) The China Burma India Theater; and (6) The Collapse of Japan and the End of the War in the Pacific. Each section is arranged in chronological order. All dates used are local dates, and it should be remembered that all dates west of the International Date Line are one day ahead of those east of the line. For example, 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor is the same day as 8 December 1941 in the Philippines.

The collection contains a text transcript of all recognizable text embedded into the graphic image of each page of each document, creating a searchable finding aid. Text searches can be done across all in the collection.

U.S. CASUALTY RECEIVING PLASMA at the front lines near Damortis. The Japanese were well emplaced in the mountain areas beyond the beaches and the U.S. artillery and armor were greatly limited in their effectiveness by the rugged terrain. The enemy put up his first strong opposition along the Rosario/Pozorrubio/Binalonan line, where he had built pillboxes and dugouts of every description with artillery and automatic weapons well hidden and camouflaged. This fighting was not a part of the drive on Manila. The enemy casualties during the latter part of January 1945 were much greater than those suffered by the U.S. forces.

FRENCH TROOPS TAKE OVER A GERMAN GUN IN TOULON. At 2000 on D plus 1 a French army, consisting of seven divisions, began landing on the beaches in the Saint-Tropez area, with the initial mission of capturing the port cities of Toulon and Marseille. The divisions assigned the taking of Toulon began the encirclement of the city on 20 August. Because of formidable enemy defenses, the combined efforts of the French army, the tactical air command, and the Allied naval task force were required before complete occupation of the city was accomplished. The German garrison surrendered to the French army on 28 August 1944. (German gun, 7.5-cm. Pak. 40.)

INFANTRYMEN RESTING IN THEIR FOXHOLE. Rain, which continued for 6 days, delayed the air bombardment and in turn the advance of the First Army which had scheduled an attack for 19 July 1944. During this period the men were compelled to huddle in their foxholes under the dripping hedgerows in conditions of extreme discomfort, while the enemy, also entrenched behind the natural defenses of the country, was alert to every movement. The low-lying country became a sea of mud, stopping further tank operations during this period.

FIFTH ARMY ENTERING ROME on 5 June only to continue through the city in pursuit of the enemy retreating along the roads north of Rome. During this retreat the Germans were under constant bombing and strafing attacks by Allied air forces. The roads of retreat were littered with vehicles of all kinds. (3-inch gun motor carriage M10.)

CAPTURED FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOYS who were members of the "Air Guard." On 28 March First Army troops were closing up along the upper Lahn River. Infantry divisions quickly followed the armored spearheads to mop up enemy pockets of bypassed troops and to clear the areas which had been taken in the rapid advances. In six days the shallow Remagen foothold had been expanded to a lodgement area sixty-five miles deep. The advance to Kassel continued.

TANK DESTROYERS moving through the destroyed town of Magdeburg. Scenes such as this were found in many German cities by the advancing Allied forces. Most of the buildings were reduced to rubble by aerial attacks and artillery shelling, and many streets had to be cleared before the troops and vehicles could pass.

SPRING CLEAN-UP. An artilleryman takes time out for a bath during a warm spring afternoon while other members of the 105-mm. howitzer crew remain near their piece.

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