• Tank Type       :           Sturmgeschutz Ausfuhrung G “Early”
• Writing             :           stamped: “58”
• Info                  :           From album of Grenadier Regiment 308 soldier, Teil (photo) 20
• D.U.P.              :           Summer 1943, Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 282, Kursk
• Paper               :           Agfa-Lupex, double underlining – with traces of glue

This is a most interesting photo lot. Prices of the photographs of this lot should have been higher. Biddings stopped because of the unlikely authenticity. The photographs were simply too nice and too perfect. Depicted were panzers which normally sell for high prices (€ 80,00 - € 120,00).

After having ‘won’ these three photographs I noticed a StuG photograph being published in the book “Five Years, Four Fronts” – page 106. This normally means this is a copied/ fake photograph.

However: having contacted the seller and also other experts they stated these photographs to be real wartime produced… The photographs most likely were of the same lot ordered by the original photographer. The before mentioned StuG photograph from the same lot, which was published in a book, had a small difference: it missed a photo damaging scratch compared to the published photograph!

So by coincidence and luck this is a superb buy. The published photograph in the well-known book is a sister-copy of the photograph above. With the difference that my photograph is undamaged! It was not uncommon for soldiers to produce multiple copies of their photographs - either for their fellow soldiers or to have spares.

Note about the published photograph:

There can be found two published photographs: one in the book “Five Years, Four Fronts” and one on the website worldwarphotos. Both have small scratches which are not visible on my photograph; this states that there must be at least 3 prints of this photograph.

The rear picture reveals much more. Again the same vehicle number ‘305’ is visible.

On the rear deck stowage beneath is visible a spare roadwheel and spare tracks covering the back. A large bin rests on top of the rear deck and a sack can be seen to the left of the commanders cupola, in front of it another bin. In the opened commanders cupola hatch is a small opening visible through which the binoculars can be positioned in order to be able to still use them even when the hatch is closed. The rear side of the vehicle wear the German cross with next to it the (Kursk) unit symbol.

• Tank Type       :           Panzer IV Ausfuhrung H
• Info                  :           3rd Panzer Division, Ukraine
• Paper               :           Agfa Lupex, double underlining – with glue traces

The photo lot was from a solider fighting in the Grenadier Regiment 308. This regiment was active in Southern Russia: the Ukraine. Charkov, river Mius and Cherkassy pocket were some important places. This Panzer IV stands on a square in a typical Ukrainian city/town. The building are very specific for this region.

Behind this Panzer IV another Panzer IV is visible and to the utmost right another panzer IV –all of the same Ausfuhrung. In between, just to the right backside of the foremost panzer IV, can be seen another panzer – type not exactly visible – could be a panzer IV or maybe a panzer III. Several trucks are visible in the background.

On the left side frontal hull can be seen a unit marking: two long bars with a short bar. This stands for the 3^rd Panzer Division. Particular marking was temporarily used during the Kursk offensive of 1943 in which the 3^rd Panzer Division attacked from the South using the Ukraine as staging area. During the advance it covered, together with the 11^th Panzer Division and Grossdeutschland Panzer Division, the left flank of the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd SS Panzer Divisions which attacked Prokhorovka – the famous battle within the Kursk offensive.

This specific panzer IV is of the Ausfuhrung H type – most latest panzer IV model. Besides the commanders cupola, turret ‘schurzen’, round ball shaped hull MG and long barrel type canon; it also is missing the right hand front turret visor. Which is distinctive for the H type in comparison to the other late types F2 and G.