Don´t ask me, I just work here...

2012-02-13T06:09:00.002+01:00

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Yes, you guessed it...another week here at DAMIJWH dedicated to Catherine Deneuve, this time photographed while filming Belle de Jour

*****
Panzer: Sd. Kfz. 138/1, Ausf H "Bison"
looks like the un-armed munitions carrier version of the Bison, without the main gun (a 150 mm sIG 33) which should be visible from this angle.
If needed, the munitions carrier could be converted back to an ordinary Bison in the field. Note that the vehicle is in fact placed on a railway flatcar as the Sdkfz 251 parked in front of it. The high (900) numbers seen on both vehicles were often reserved for specialist support vehicles serving with Panzer divisions, like armoured, self propelled artillery, recon vehicles etc.
The Russian T-34/85's in the background would be placing this photo within a summer of 1944 time frame .
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2012-02-06T06:11:00.002+01:00

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Sorry, nothing to bother you with this week...down with a cold for the last couple of days...but you do get this nice photo of Catherine Deneuve...

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw V "Panther", Ausf D
The lack of any markings on the Panther could suggest the photo was taken at a training facility far from the front. Perhaps at a gunnery range, explaining the extreme tilting of the gun. Note the wearing of standard German Army greatcoats over the black panzer uniform.
A black "panzer" version of the greatcoat was never issued, probably because panzer troops were part of the Army (Heer) instead of belonging to a separate branch like Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine (Navy) personnel, who received greatcoats in their respective uniform colours (grey blue and dark blue)
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2012-01-30T07:00:00.001+01:00

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Yes, we've all heard about "man and machine"...usually associated with images of smiling, grease-stained factory workers of the heavy industries, but what about "woman and machine"?...beautifully complementing each other in these vintage ads...

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw VI Tiger, Ausf B "Königstiger" (Tiger II)
A couple of abandoned Tiger II's after making their last stand in the Battle of Königsberg, April 1945. Note the pile of spent 88 mm shell cases on the ground.
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2012-01-23T07:32:00.003+01:00

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Watch on YouTube

Interesting YouTube film project by Prairie Lion Moving Stories, recreating the battles on the Eastern front at the end of WWII with a great deal of realism: Der Endsieg

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw III, Ausf E
Trundling down a road in France or Belgium, a shop sign written in French is visible in the background. A bolted on steel plate is partially obscuring the MG mount in the front armour plate, perhaps to cover a penetration hole.
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2012-01-16T07:19:00.002+01:00

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Interesting photos by an unknown Russian photographer depicting Moscow during the Soviet era ca. 1920 -60.
Judging from the high quality and motifs of some of the photos I think the photographer might have worked for at press agency, while others look more "vernacular".

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf B
Damaged/ destroyed Panzer IV and II on the battlefield, most likely in Russia. Note the upturned Sdkfz 10 in the foreground with a Pak 36 it was towing lying on top of it. This destruction was probably the result of heavy artillery bombardment or maybe an aerial attack.
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2012-01-09T07:32:00.016+01:00

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I spent a night down there, in the cold winter of 1982.

I had been to my first Rock concert, The Dead Kennedys playing in Saltlageret Copenhagen, December 20, 1982.

After a tumultuous but power filled gig (skinheads fighting, the DK giving encore after encore) I was full of energy and with a great lust, for adventure!
I had arrived in the company of a friend, and two of his friends, all of us travelling from my hometown, thirty kilometers from Copenhagen. Now I told them I was going out to locate another friend, from my High school class. I've met him at the gig, a really cool Punk rocker type! Maybe I'd check out some squatted houses, find a party - go crazy man!

They didn't quite agree. They wanted to go to the Central Railway Station where a dad would come and pick them up by car. As I mentioned, we all lived in a small town thirty Kilometers from Copenhagen. The last train going back had left a long time ago. Daddy's car was the only ticket home. I didn' find my cool, punk rocking friend...or directions for the nearest exciting after party in a squatted house. It fact, It seemed like everybody had just vanished after the gig...
Frustrated, I meekly walked over to the Central Railway Station to sheepishly join the three other guys and wait for that car. Unfortunately, I was informed that the car didn't have room for all of us. I also sensed that "us" didn't include me. Betraying the group had repercushions I now realised.

So I walked off. I had some relatives living in Copenhagen, but I didn't know how to reach them from where I was, and I didn't carry their phone numbers. Besides, it was now early Monday morning and I reasoned that the last thing these people wanted was some distant weirdo cousin waking them up. Instead, I walked a couple of kilometers along the frozen lakes of central Copenhagen, to the Danish State Hospital - Rigshospitalet, a place I knew well because I had been treated for Crohn's disease there. Along the way I needed to dump a nice load of blood-filled diarrhea under a bush in a nearby park - Fælledparken. My Crohn's disease was breaking out again, and I had caught me a pretty bad case (but that's another story)

I eventually reached the Hospital and placed myself in the completely deserted lobby. It was nice and warm and cosy there, but after a while a security guard told me to get up and leave if I had no business at the hospital. Two months ago, I was a patient there, cared for night and day by highly esteemed doctors and friendly nurses.
Now I was unwanted.

Back on the streets, I began circling the area outside the Hospital, found the staircase you see in the photo and went down. The door at the bottom was closed, but there was shelter from the icy wind. I stayed there until 5 am, when the trains started going and I could go home.

My parents were nice and sweet people but didn't own a car.

My cool punk rocking friend from high school dropped out a couple of months later and is today a writer of poetry. I ran into him a few years back. He didn't remember me.

My other friend, (the one who's dad had such a small car..) later picked up guitar playing, wind surfing, dating tall beautiful blondes and took a degree in economics.

I repeated my pattern of betraying friends to try and join up with cooler people several times after that. Each time with more disastrous results. I could have learned a lot that night, but needed to have it repeated I suppose...

The Dead Kennedys were an awesome band on record and when performing live, and unlike one of those guys from my home town (who got a nice ride home in a warm automobile) I didn't think Jello Biafra looked gay. I thought he looked cool.

Fun fact: Dan O'Bannon suffered from Crohn's disease..

He wrote the original story for Alien.

And I wrote this.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 263 Fu (8 rad)
Another Sdkfz 263, this time most likely photographed during the invasion of France, 1940.
African soldiers serving with European colonial troops were often made to pose in photos when captured by the Germans. If this was rooted in racism, or just plain curiosity is not for me to decide. Note that the panzer men are all wearing the standard field grey German Army service cap, except for the last man in the Sdkfz 263 who has been issued the regulation black "panzer" version.
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2012-01-02T07:20:00.002+01:00

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Sorry, I have to extend the DAMIJWH vacation for one more week...but for comfort you get this lovely smiling woman :-)
*****

2011-12-19T07:03:00.001+01:00

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I have three words for you this week: Panzer! - Pinup! - Poser! and it's all happening at Riguel 3D

And with this, I wish you all a Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year, see you again Monday, 2 January, 2012.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 263 Fu (8 rad)
Serving with the Africa Korps, this vehicle has lost the prominent "bedstead" aerial normally hovering over the main superstructure (the supporting steel tubes are still in place) Rolls of telephone wire are visible to the left of the crewman poking his head out, and a sternantenne (star aerial) has been put in as replacement for the missing aerial. A vehicle typical of Rommels's troops who had to rely on makeshift conversions and captured equipment instead of factory fresh replacements if they wanted to keep fighting.
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2011-12-12T07:09:00.006+01:00

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A photo taken out of the window of my old apartment, Abel Cathrinesgade 21B on Vesterbro.

This was just before the city-renewal of this part of Vesterbro began. The buildings are abandoned. The large building on your right is the old Saga Bio, a former XXX-cinema (before my time) and after that, it served as a music venue. I saw New Order play there back in 83' and later on, The Ramones.
The apartment block on the left side housed an artist's collective which took up several floors of that buliding. They gave great parties, and took an entrance fee when they needed money for the phone bill (or maybe their drug habits...)

Artist living and playing in freedom, such was the world of ole Vesterbro. Before money took over...

(I choose not to mention the drug dealers, the drug users, the prostitutes, the alcoholics, the bikers, the worn down, damp and cold, apartments, the alley cats fighting and ripping each other to shreds during the night - I'm being unbearably nostalgic, please stop me!)

*****
Panzer: Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf.C mit Wurfrahmen 40
Designed for laying down smoke screens or heavy bombardments it carried six 280-320 mm rockets on the superstructure sides. A rare photo showing a rocket being fired.
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2011-12-05T06:27:00.006+01:00

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Do you answer simple inquiries from your boss, fiancee or family with the words: CRASH! BANG! POW!.?..if the answer is "yes, and take THAT!" you are insane, but also very likely to dig this excellent place for downloading thousands of scanned Golden Age comic books: http://digitalcomicmuseum.com
(and it's even legal, bwana!..because all of the available comics are in the public domain)

*****
Panzer: Sturmgeschütz III, Ausf C
A couple of troopers relaxing in front of a Stug. Note the mountain hiking boots with steel cleats worn by the men, placing them with a Gebirgsjäger unit.
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2011-11-28T07:15:00.004+01:00

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Get your nerdy nostalgia at www.Wartimepress.com, a website specializing in WWII service personnel magazines and other publications, from both Allied and Axis nations.

*****
Panzer: Panzerkampfwagen V, "Panther" Ausf D
A very early production Panther. It lacks some features found on mass production Panther D's, such as tool racks on the hull sides and could perhaps be from the first pre-production run made in order to root out teething trouble, etc. Most likely photographed at a testing facility in Germany.
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2011-11-21T06:43:00.002+01:00

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Abendland ho!

*****
Panzer: Pantherstellung
After WWII, German workers excavate the remains of a dug-in Panther used as a stationary gun platform during the Battle of Berlin. Worn-out Panthers with their guns intact but their wheels and engines removed, were dug into the streets of several German cities as a stop-gap measure during the last days of the Third Reich. A more elaborate version of the concept was the Pantherturm which consisted of a Panther turret mounted on a pre-fabricated steel or concrete hull which was used extensively in fortifications like the Gothic Line
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2011-11-14T07:13:00.000+01:00

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And after these words from our sponsor, the Panzers:

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw II, Ausf C
No doubt a typical spectacle during the early days of the Barbarossa campaign when Hitler's armies were sweeping across western Russia. Note the capital "G" on the rear end of the Panzer II, placing it with Panzergruppe 2 commanded by Heinz Guderian
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2011-11-07T07:00:00.000+01:00

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War of the Worlds no doubt...

Funny webpage where a very talented (presumably Russian) artist has taken the seventeenth century Russian tradition of making satirical woodcuts: Lubok, and applied the technique to present day Hollywood films.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/7 Ausf C Pionierwagen
Designed for Panzer division sapper units, this 251/7 is acting as tow-vehicle for a disabled Sdkfz 250 with a missing front wheel. Note the wooden bridge section carried on the side of the Pionierwagens's hull (another section was carried on the opposite side) and the divisional marking of the 2'nd Panzer Division - a trident, just visible between the men standing in front of the Pionierwagen.
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2011-10-31T05:46:00.017+01:00

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I briefly explored this establishment back in the early nineties.

A trip to old London town when I was an art student had brought me on the trail of SOHO and its many peculiar, but interesting places. Slightly drunk after visiting the famous Marquee Club, me and a fellow student passed by the Compton Club which advertised "Peep Show". Intrigued, we went down a staircase and found ourselves in a tiny basement room where a heavily make-upped young girl dressed in suspenders and high heels asked us to join her at a table in the corner and buy her a drink. After two- or three minutes of meaningless conversation (the girl claimed to be a design student), a bearded leather-west clad character acting as the club's bouncer entered a small stage and told a rude joke (I can't remember how it went) Then we were presented with our bill: "drink plus company - £ 129" Apparently the "peep show" was our skinny friend at the table in her suspenders and despite our drinks and entry to the club being free, HER drink and company was NOT.

Screwed...

We were informed that we'd better pay or deal with the bouncer and that we should have realised what we were doing before we entered the place "- this is SOHO!" the design student/ peepshow attraction explained. Since I was the only one carrying any real money I sheepishly gave in to their threaths and paid... which meant giving up ALL the money I had for a five day stay in London, and this was our second day in town...

Luckily, I could borrow some money from another student and pay him back when we returned our non-worldly art student's arses to Denmark.

If you look at the area today on Google's Street View, you can tell how it has changed through gentrification. Who knows, maybe that tantalizing design student married the bouncer and started a profitable liposuction clinic a few streets away.

That was SOHO!

*****
Panzer: Tiger I, late production
Crossing local bridges was often a problem for Tiger-equipped units since few constructions could handle the 52 ton weight of the vehicle. Note the non standard two-digit turret number
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2011-10-24T07:01:00.035+02:00

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Posting an entire Lady Luck comic book story this week, (Lady Luck no. 87, February 1950)
An amusing look at the world of modern art as seen from the world of comic books.

Created by Klaus Nordling the story takes the often seen comic book world stance that modern art is bogus ineptness created by eccentric loons in liaison with money-hungry gallery owners and corrupt art critics.

Considering that many of the top-level comic book artists of the day ended up living comfortably (and hard working...) with wifes, kids and upper middle class incomes while many modern artistes struggled in squalid basement apartments or lofts on New York's Lower East side, this sort of criticism can sometimes come out a bit shallow in my opinion. Of course what the comic book artists didn't get was recognition as artists...those precious pages in the Art history book down at the local library. These speculations of ego battling apart, it's obvious that Nordling has really pinned some comical aspects of the 1950's modern art "scene"...

like this...the animal skin wearing "primitive painter" - a caricature of a very well known Modern Maestro?..

Today, of course, things have changed...comic books are no longer the profitable mass media they once were, but instead have themselves evolved into the highly artistic (and expensive...) graphic novels, complete with gallery exhibits and reviews by art critics.

Hmmm, I wonder what all those hard working creative people in the computer gaming industry has to day about that?...

Click the images for larger (readable...) version

*****
Panzer: Befehlstiger I, late production
A disabled commander's version of the Tiger I (note the extra "star" aerial next to the turret) while being examined by troopers in reed green denim work uniforms. Most likely placing these men with the Tiger unit's workshop company. Looks like the Tiger is missing a track, perhaps blown off by anti-tank mines or attacks by ground attack planes when you consider the holes in the ground surrounding it.
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2011-10-17T06:26:00.006+02:00

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I've always been a big fan of "funny photos" and you can get your fill at this idiosyncratic site: spacereptilesareyourfriend
Note: Most of the photos here are BIG making the pages slow loaders..
Note2: Scarlett Johansson fans are in for a treat...check out page 2!

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw III, Ausf L
Refueling some Panzer III's probably summer of 1943. Note the troopers wearing reed green denim work uniforms and the steel drum marked with a "+" which meant it contained water (for engine coolant) and not petrol.
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2011-10-10T06:53:00.003+02:00

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Marvel at the beautiful (if eccentric...) futurism of: 25 Abandoned Yugoslavia Monuments that look like they're from the Future

*****
Panzer: Tiger I, early production
You get a real impression of the massive weight and "presence" of a Tiger in this photo, most likely taken in the summer of 1943. Note the troopers wearing white denim work fatigues.
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2011-10-06T08:45:00.001+02:00

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Thanks Steve.
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2011-10-03T07:00:00.000+02:00

Longeth ye back to the days before "Decaf Copenhagen"?.. the time when the city was full of drafty, dank slum-apartments inhabited by ordinary people (instead of businesses) plus a handful of middle-aged alcoholics and/ or weirdo's?...(OK, maybe more than just a handful...)
Well, maybe nobody misses those days...but for a nostalgic fool like me (who actually lived in two cold water flats in the 1990's) it does look very romantic in photos. ..and you can get yourself an eye full at this website dedicated to the memories and private photos from one of the old streets in central Copenhagen: www.rosengade.dk (look under "Private billeder")

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Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf F2
Looks like the panzer is providing cover for a patrol, looking out for enemy activity to the left while mowing forward. Note the machine gunner immediately behind the Pz IV still with his MG 34 shouldered which in my opinion rules out the probability of the troops being under fire.
The divisional marking of the 12'th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) is visible next to the balkenkreuz national marking.
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2011-09-26T06:52:00.001+02:00

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It had to happen...

A fine row of beautiful tall Poplar's used to grow here, which I have photographed several times. There was also a long wooden fence, overgrown with Ivy. All of it besides an old rusty railroad track.

Until "they" had it removed...

And who are "they", Lennard...Aliens in flying saucers?...

No, "other voice" speaking inside my head..."They" are the people who are erasing everything that's old or organic around Copenhagen...and replacing it with a uniform type of bland, vulgar, expensive glossiness.

Whenever I see something around the greater Copenhagen area that I find interesting or aesthetically appealing, I just gently kiss it goodbye, because I've realised it's most likely gone when I come back a few months later.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 10
Technically not a "Panzer" since it was neither armed nor armoured, but this medium-sized half track served extensively as a transport and tow vehicle with panzer and motorized Divisions.
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2011-09-19T07:35:00.010+02:00

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From Mr.Waterslide's photo stream

Yes. I'll admit it...I'm a nostalgic person.
And one of the great things about photography is that so far it's the only kind of time machine available to us. When you look at a photograph like the above, you're in the past. But only to look at its shadows, from a distance and through a tiny, time-frozen window...but those people were there, on that street, on that day.

A bit like looking at the stars through a telescope, I suppose.

*****
Panzer: Kfz 13 "Adler"
One of the earliest additions to the newly formed Panzerwaffe was the Kfz 13 armoured scout car carrying an MG 34. Of note is the licence plate with the old Reichswehr prefix "RW"
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2011-09-12T07:11:00.002+02:00

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Since my late teens, when I would travel by bus to go to school, I've enjoyed listening to music through various portable devices. Starting in the mid-eighties with a Walkman, then moving on in the nineties to the Discman, I now operate the iPod shuffle. Today I can travel to work by bicycle, so when I board a bus or train it's because I enjoy riding around listening to music and gazing out the window. When I reach my destination I get off, walk around. Sometimes take photos. Find a ride back.

*****
Panzer: Holzpanzer
"Wooden panzers" like these, made by mounting plywood and canvas structures on standard cars were used for training basic tactics in the early days of the Panzerwaffe
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2011-09-05T06:37:00.000+02:00

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Intriguing work by Russian photographer Sergey Larenko : The Ghost's of World War II
Larenko is accurately combining photos taken today, placed underneath well-known WWII photos shot at the same locations, creating a disturbing vision of a brutal past vs. a more carefree present. An interview here and Larenkov's site

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 250 & 251
Photo probably taken in the summer of 1945, in front of Berlin's Reichstag. These burned out, and scavenged, hulks was what remained of the Panzerwaffe units who had been handed the ungrateful task of defending the Reichshaupstadt.

2011-08-29T07:09:00.001+02:00

For those with an interest in vernacular photography, a remarkable collection of 2500+ private photos of Estonian WW II servicemen (and women) can be viewed on this Facebook profile

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw II, Ausf C
A photo displaying the grim realities of war. Since a Panzer II, like the one seen in the background only held a crew of three, these five (or six?) fallen Panzermänner must have been casualties from several destroyed vehicles. Note the swastika flag (below the cross on the far right) and track links decorating the graves.
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2011-08-22T07:53:00.002+02:00

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Photo taken a few seconds before the security people confiscated my camera...but what about all those people taking pictures with their cellphones? I asked them - can't do a thing about it!, they replied and led me to the wardrobe where I had to deposit my camera untill the show was over

Blaasted... seeing techno legend Aphex Twin play in Copenhagen. With six thousand people assembled in the new venue at TAP 1 (formerly, the Carlsberg Breweries) it became a celebration of the power of Rave-culture.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw V, "Panther", Ausf D
Parked at what looks like the barracks of a training unit or maybe some factory grounds. Note the open pistol port on the top side of the turret, just below the early style "dustbin" cupola. The port enabled the Panther's crew to fire pistols or sub machine guns against attacking infantry. A round "plug" suspended from a chain covered it when not in use. The pistol port was omitted on later versions of the Panther since it was deemed unnecessary and weakened the armour plate.
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2011-08-15T07:42:00.002+02:00

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“King Chrome” © Winston Smith, 2011

Connoisseurs of Punk Paraphernalia would be familiar with the collage-art of the artist hiding under the pseudonym of Winston Smith, perhaps best know for his contributions to the cover art of The Dead Kennedy's

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/3, Ausf B
Fitted with varying types of long-range radios this vehicle was often used as the personal "mount" for high ranking Wehrmacht officers on the level of Divisional- or corps command. Technology like this enabled them to communicate directly with sub-unit commanders, including Luftwaffe and artillery units, and move with the shifting front lines on the modern mechanized battlefield. Note the lack of national markings and the self made tarpaulin fitted to the aerial to provide some protection from strong sunlight and harsh weather. I believe a capital "G" can be made out on the rear end of the car in front of the 251, most likely placing this vehicle with Panzergruppe 2 under the command of Heinz Guderian during the early stages of the invasion of Soviet-Russia, 1941.
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2011-08-08T06:57:00.009+02:00

*****

Back in younger days, I worked as a cleaning attendant at the big state hospital in Copenhagen - Rigshospitalet. During the summer holidays, when there was less activity at the hospital, we were put to work in small teams cleaning up entire wards that had been closed down temporarily for this purpose. We had plenty of time to do the work, which meant we also had plenty of time to do nothing. In one of the wards we found a huge stack of large boards made from cardboard, used by the hospital staff for organizing their work schedule. The hospital was one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen, sixteen stories high, so we folded the boards into big paper airplanes and went out on the balcony to fly them. Unfortunately, there was draft and turbulence surrounding the building, so our paper planes could never fly more than a few feet off the building before they did a nosedive and spiraled to the ground, looking pathetic. One very hot and dull day I was alone in the ward. The others had probably gone down to the Cafeteria to buy cigarettes and ogle some nurses. Being bored, I made a paper airplane from one of the boards and let it go from the balcony. And to my surprise, it just kept going...and going - and going! Without any trouble, and in a straight line, it flew away from the hospital, across the large parking lot in front of the hospital, across the street and over the apartment blocks on the other side of the street, heading for central Copenhagen. I lost sight of it, but it was still flying. "Crazy!" I thought...it must have been the warm winds creating some up drift... or maybe it was just a freak incident. I was ecstatic, Lennard Grahn - master paper planeer! But then I thought: "nobody is going to believe me if I tell them..."

So I didn't.

(but now I've told you, dear reader - perhaps you believe me?..)

Panzer: Sdkfz 263 Panzerfunkwagen 8 rad
A specialist long-range radio car used extensively by the Panzerwaffe 1939-43. The excessive amount of stovage carried on the outside of the vehicle suggests the photo was taken during the early part of the invasion of Soviet-Russia when armoured units progressed quickly along the fronts, and moved far away from service and supply facilities. Of note is the on-board motorcycle, visible just above the trooper on the far right.

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2011-08-01T07:22:00.000+02:00

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Back again, rainiest summer I ever did see...but in a strange way it's been a nice holiday because I actually enjoy rainy weather. It's so cosy.

*****
Panzer: Sturmgeschutz III, Ausf G
A nice clean looking Stug in overall dark yellow colour, possibly a new delivery to the unit or perhaps photographed at some barracks far behind the front. Judging from their lack of decorations and the shirt-and-tie attire, the four troopers have probably just finished their training and are heading for the first posting at the front. A crew member who mastered the accordion and could entertain during leisure with the popular tunes of the day (perhaps along with more "official" material like Der Panzerlied) was not uncommon in German WWII units. On close examination of the photo you can make out that the men wear collar and sleeve insignia placing them with the Waffen SS

2011-07-04T07:13:00.001+02:00

Holiday time here at DAMIJWH, see you again in August and as a farewell gift I give you a little story I wrote some time ago.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known was an old man living in a big city.

He had a tiny room with naked wooden walls up under the roof of an anonymous tenement block. Here he went each day after work and made little sculptures, carved out of wood. He had been doing this ever since he was a child. Each of the little wooden sculptures caught the timeless essence of life transformed into Art; Peace and war, love and death, mother and child, lovers at play, men fighting, animals in motion. Masterpieces you would say.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known never took a wife, never had children.
He occupied a menial job and worked all his life at the same place. His changing superiors treated him with slightly condescending respect as a person you can't bother to sack because he fills a position that's hard to replace, but otherwise left him to his duties.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known didn't care about all of that. He went to his little room with the naked wooden walls, put on a brown apron hanging on a nail behind the door and sat down and did his sculptures. A small window in the roof above his head - just big enough for him to see the stars. At exactly ten o'clock he stopped, put the apron back on the nail, walked down the back staircase and passed through a dark, asphalt-paved backyard filled with rusting bicycles and useless TV sets. He walked across a small park, enjoying the darkness, and the coolness of the evening air mixed with the scent of pine trees lining the park. He reached his own tenement block, walked to his one room apartment on the second floor and went to sleep, thinking about his late mother and a girl in a blue dress on a dusty road besides a river. All of it in another world, a very long time ago.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known never did an exhibition, never showed the sculptures to anyone. They were just a game he was enjoying, him and God.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known died one evening alone in his bed and his few belongings were disposed of and his one room apartment cleaned and rented to a nice biology student (at twice the rent as previously paid) The janitor of the building across the park cleared the little room with the wooden walls. He found some funny wooden dolls and gave them to his children to play with. When the children had partially destroyed the dolls, they got bored with them and gave them to the family dog. The dog chewed on the dolls until they were shapeless pieces of wood and then buried them in various places known only to the dog.

The Greatest artist the world has ever known had died a reasonably happy man and God soon found a new playmate.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw V "Panther", Ausf D
Parked at a factory or barracks in Germany this very early model Panther was probably undergoing trials during the winter 1942-43 when it was photographed.
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2011-06-27T06:32:00.010+02:00

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Click image for larger version

A photo of a drawing I made back in ye year 1981.

I was never myself a fan of the Rock group KISS but I had a friend from school who was (at that time, I was switching between listening to Danish fun-rockers Shu-Bi-Dua or post punk art rockers Sort Sol)
I made several KISS - themed drawings for this friend, he lent me record covers I could use for reference. When finished, the drawings were coloured with plastic modeling enamels because I didn't have any real drawing inks.
I remember creating some pretty freaked out "pseudo-surrealist" images, incorporating the spectacular face make-up worn by the members of KISS. Maybe those thinners used for the enamels did something for inspiration...I once supplied that same friend with a small bottle of the stuff because he wanted to have a try at "sniffing"...
Yes, the other kids at school dug my drawings skills. For the girls I would draw fancy lettering, writing the names of boys they liked. Long into the evening I would sit crouched over a desk in my room, writing "Claus" or "Jesper" or some other name with a 0.5 mm lead pencil working in an elaborately ornamented nineteenth-century style I had picked up from stamp collecting.
Later on I would be "commissioned" to design the image of a fox for an aspiring moped gang, and paint the design on their jackets. I got DKR 100 pr. jacket and this was the first money I had ever earned.

"The kid who could draw" can be a popular kid. But as I sat late at night drawing the names of local boys in elaborate nineteenth century lettering, for the girls who adored them, didn't it ever occur to me that there was one name I was never asked to draw?..

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw II, Ausf L panzerspähwagen "Luchs"
Last of the line of the Panzer II's. This light reconnaissance tank was designed for the mud and snow on the Eastern front where armoured scout cars and half tracks could easily get bogged down. Produced from late 1943 to early 1944 only 104 were made.
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2011-06-20T07:00:00.012+02:00

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Big boy - big beer...

Not one of the photos I'm the most proud of presenting...this was my "Ninety plus kilograms - and what's it to you!?!!??!" -period when I quit smoking, cold turkey and spent most of my time in front of a computer screen.

I'm on Islands Brygge attending an electronic music event I can't remember the name of...it went on for a couple of years at the beginning of the 00s, was really cool and the Hipster crowd I liked to imagine I was part of back then showed up in great numbers. That was when playing a bit of chill out ambient music outdoors in Copenhagen would get you cancelled the following year by the city council "too many people complaining over the noise..." Today it seems like we're having non-stop street parties going on all the time - and nobody does anything!..

Hmm, I think I've still got that t-shirt lying around somewhere.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf H
A Panzer officer poses in front of his "mount".
Note the wide "Ostketten" fitted which suggest the photo was taken in the East during spring when thawing snows turned the dirt roads into quagmires of mud.
Using Ostketten meant the panzer unit's workshop had to add extensions to the supports holding the Schürtzen armour plates (the "scaffolding" on the sides of the PzIV)
The officer, a seasoned veteran wearing the Iron Cross, first class, the Panzer Assault Badge and the Wound Badge in Silver (my interpretation of this blurry scan), presents a casual appearance wearing the reed green denim fatigue uniform often preferred by panzer crews in warm weather and the "old style" crusher cap which was popular with officers at the front since it didn't have the hard lining and visor of the full dress version making it more comfortable, especially if you were in a tank wearing a headset.
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2011-06-13T07:07:00.003+02:00

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A newspaper clipping from the mid-1970s. Me (far right) and my dad (next to me, note camera on chest/belly...) We're attending the annual town fair called Ålefesten ("Eeelfest", the town was by a Danish fjord and eating fried eels was one of the fair's attractions) I remember the prize wheel in the background, me and a friend went there to place bets and hopefully win some of the giant toys on display. Of course we didn't win anything but decided to "hang out", leaning against the counter. The fat guy behind the counter disagreed, simultaneously he placed both his index fingers on each of our chests and pushed us away with firm professionalism. His stand was a place of business, not a nursery ward. Later on we encountered a girl our age travelling with the funfair. We tried to start up some conversation with her but she was unbelievably aggressive, calling us all kinds of ugly names until we walked away. I had met "The Circus People".

I remember really liking that jacket I'm wearing.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 250
"Sons of the dessert" members of Rommel's Afrikakorps during a pause in the fighting. Of note are the extra racks welded to the side of the hull for carrying water, fuel and other supplies, and the improvised tarpaulin on the Sdkfz 250.
Many of the famous Jerrycan's are seen. Canisters reserved for carrying water instead of petrol were marked with a large white cross, one is visible on the side of the Sdkfz 251 in the background.
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2011-06-06T07:00:00.003+02:00

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A couple of kids with their bicycles during those endless summers we had back when I was a child. It's me on the left and on the right is a girl named Jaana. My parents had a summer cottage in a town by a fjord (later exchanged for an all-year-round residence in the same town) and Jaana's family, who were from Finland, lived in the house opposite ours. In the background of the photo (probably taken by my dad who was an avid amateur photographer) you can make out a field of crops, and behind that...?
I remember standing on this road and looking at that horizon, wanting desperately to know what was behind that field of crops.
You couldn't just go (or bicycle) there, it was private property and a small stream ran at the foot of the hill, with no bridge for easy crossing. Many years later (I had long since moved away to start my own life in Copenhagen), a bridge over the stream was build by the town council and space cleared for a public footpath.
Now I could go there, see what was behind that field of crops. And it was quite exciting, a footpath going through crop fields with an old farmhouse on the right and a beautiful view of the fjord on the left.
Jaana emigrated to America when she grew up, her family relocated to Finland.
If you look closely at the photo, you can see how she has picked flowers, holding them in her tiny little hand.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 250
Designed as a light recon-vehicle for motorized units it was capable of carrying half a platoon of troops (four men, by German WWII standards) plus the driver and gunner/radio operator.
Judging form the overall dark grey colour scheme and the MG 42 mounted at the forward firing position, the photo was probably taken in summer of 1942.
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2011-05-30T07:00:00.002+02:00

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...blogging...nobody blogs any more, Lennard - why do YOU still blog?...

well...like...you...know...why not?

And now:

*****
Panzer: SdKfz 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Ausf. B

A Panzermann poses proudly for a photo in front of the monster on a railway loading ramp. Note the factory's fahrgestell number (chassis production number) painted on the glacis and the narrow "transportation" tracks fitted for rail transport instead of the wide "combat" tracks used in the field. This Jagdtiger is one of the few (11) produced with the simpler and cheaper "Porsche" type suspension, identified by having the same type of roadwheels as used on the Panzerjaeger "Elefant".
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2011-05-23T07:20:00.001+02:00

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Montmartre, Paris ca. 1900

If images like the above is to your taste maybe www.parisenimages.fr is worth a peek.

If you prefer the glossy, staged and photo shopped photographic crapola popular with today's brethren of cretinous brain dead philistines (along with designer sunglasses, city renewal, capitalism, and Justin Bieber) forget about these outstanding historic photos - they don't even have colour! you are not getting your moneys worth! black and white gives you cancer! - just like old buildings! stay away!

And after this: old metal

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf J
Abandoned at the end of WWII, this late model Panzer IV has obviously fallen victim to scrap metal hunters. The Ausf J can be identified by the omission of the observation ports on the left and right sides of the hull, where the driver and radio operator was positioned. This was done to simplify production and save materials.
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2011-05-16T07:30:00.000+02:00

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Click image for larger version

Panzers only this week - with the Sdkfz 253 armoured artillery observation vehicle.

We see it here with a couple of Sturmgeschütz III, Ausf B's (or A's...) and a motorcycle dispatch rider. Probably a typical combination for the Stug III's early war role as mobile artillery support for the infantry.
The open flat landscape could suggest the photo was taken in Russia, but judging from the headlights on the 253 and Stug lacking the low-visibility covers usually required at the front lines, we could also be looking at a unit training in Germany.

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2011-05-09T07:20:00.011+02:00

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Female recruits of the Soviet Red Army pose for a photograph with their commanding officer during WWII.

800.000 Soviet women joined the armed forces to fight in The Great Patriotic War as World War II was known to them.

Unlike the Axis and western allied armies, The Red army deployed women in front line units where they served as medical attendants, snipers, tank drivers or tank machine gunners. Many women also served unofficially as partisans.

I like the "ordinariness" of the women in the photo. They would probably have felt better nursing their children, bringing in the harvest or working as school teachers or tram conductors, or studying at the poly technical school. History decided they had to defend their homeland against foreign invaders, so here they are.

May 9 is traditionally celebrated as Victory Day

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw V, Ausf G "Panther"
Soviet officers inspecting wrecked panzers at a vehicle dump in Germany, April 1945. The swastika on the Panther was most likely added by the Soviets after the vehicle was captured.
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2011-05-02T07:30:00.001+02:00

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Looking for some relaxing tunes while recovering from that "experimental" sauna party on the all-senior cruise ship?... why not tryeth ye the music of Autobunny

*****
Panzer: PANZER commander
A nice amateur photo of maneuvers in summmer 1943, Colonel Adelbert SCHULZ (in center wearing his Knight's Cross with oakleaves) is handing out directions.
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2011-04-25T07:36:00.003+02:00

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This upcoming Thursday I will be participating in BYOB - Bring Your Own Beamer, the worldwide event for using the video beamer as an instrument of art!

I plan to show my photographs as a digital sideshow, so check it out if you're in Copenhagen:

BYOB Copenhagen, April 28, 2011 17:00 - 22:00
Fabrikken for Kunst og Design
Sundholmsvej 46
2300 København S

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw II, Ausf A
Scaling in at 9500 Kg the panzer II was light enough to travel over wooden bridges. Judging from the lack of national markings on the Panzer and the commander wearing the Panzer beret, my guess is the photo was taken during pre-WWII manoeuvres.
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2011-04-18T07:43:00.003+02:00

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A fine collection of American realist art from the time of the Great depression can be seen at weimarart.blogspot.com

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf G
A group of Panzer IV's moving through a bleak Russian landscape during winter.
Note the front Panzer IV fitted with Ostketten, special wide tracks developped for the mud and snow of the eastern front. Judging from the protective covers on the maingun and MG 34 machinegun the photo was taken in a rear area far away from partisan and Red Army activity.
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2011-04-11T07:50:00.002+02:00

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Saw Inside Job, the Academy Award winning documentary about what really happened when world economy broke down in 2008, watch it and scream in terror over both the moral and financial bankruptcy of the most powerful money handlers of this world and their willing helpers: Academia and President Obama...

*****
Panzer: Tiger I
Abandoned and damaged in a Polish town, early 1945.
This is one of the so -called "hybrid" Tigers where an early production turret has been retro-fitted to a late production hull with all steel road wheels.
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2011-04-06T07:20:00.013+02:00

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I went to the big central library in Copenhagen City.
I was looking for a book about a photographer, I remembered what the cover of the book looked like but not the name of the photographer...

I had to give it up. So I went down to the Danish literature section, just to check...

Sure, same as always...his books weren't on the shelves. Always borrowed, really long waiting list. I can't make myself go and buy them, books are ridiculously expensive in this country, and he had to write a thirteen hundred page trilogy...

Can't get your books, Jakob Ejersbo, they're too busy being read.

Happy Birthday.

(newsflash: A close friend of Jakob's gave me a full set for free, how about that!)

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2011-04-04T07:33:00.007+02:00

German artist Hans Bellmer came from the good ol' days when artists received a thorough academic training at an esteemed institution before they went out and attacked bourgouis society.

They say art has lost the ability to chock and provoke - at least when it comes to sexual imagery...but here on the Internet you can check out some of the "Stars of chock" from days gone by at Gallery Lucifer (text mostly in Japanese)

*****
Panzer: Tiger I, late production
Abandoned in the hills of Italy where sPzAbt 508 served as the only Tiger equipped unit. Note the open engine hatch and the two jerrycans on the ground.
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2011-03-28T07:42:00.005+02:00

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What I like most about digital photography is the ease of doing it.
I've tried my hand at most artistic disciplines and they all require large amounts of work.

But work is not fun, and creativity should be fun.

What digital photography has given to me as a creative person is the lack of work...

All I really have to do is to go out into the world (or stay home), point the camera and press the button.

Good!

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/16 Flammpanzerwagen, Ausf C
One of the many specialist vehicles build around the Sdkfz 251 (23 in all by 1945), in this case mounting two flamethrowers, one on each side of the vehicle.
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2011-03-21T07:21:00.002+01:00

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I always bring my camera when I leave my home.
Sometimes, I like to take a short stroll around the neighbourhood,
and don't bring the camera.
It's nice to be "free", to relax and not think about taking photos.
But, usually I bring the camera when I leave my home.
Seeing something you really want to photograph, and missing the chance to do it.
That can really eat at you.

*****
Panzer: Panzers
Groups of vehicles during manoeuvres in summer 1943, mainly Panzer III's and Wespe SP artillery. Note the platoon of Tigers in the background.
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2011-03-14T07:38:00.005+01:00

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If you read Danish and like comicbooks, you are much like me.

I love you.

Find others like you (and me, the one who loves you and others like you) at Nummer9.dk

*****
Panzer: Tiger I (early production)
Oustanding photo of a Tiger on the Eastern front in summer 1943.
The style of the turret numbers suggests the Tiger belonged to S.pz.abt 503.
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2011-03-07T07:16:00.005+01:00

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Checketh ye out the blog of Husk Mit Navn - the renowed Danish artist who started out doing grafitti and street art and now show in prestigious galleries when he is not designing übercool decor for trendy cafes and bars...and to top it off, his real name and identity is UNKNOWN to the public - he could be HKHK for all we know!

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 250/1
Participating in the same maneuvres as the photo posted last week. Note that the crew are wearing the field grey "sturmartellerie" wrapper and not the black panzer version worn by the crew in the previous photo.
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2011-02-28T07:23:00.006+01:00

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Photo courtesy of Crumb newsletter

Robert Crumb will be showing his work at the Danish pavillion for the 2011 Venice Biennale (page in Danish)

Yes, unbelievable! but Crumb's inclusion (along with Danish and international artists) was decided upon by the biennale's curator Katerina Gregos and probably has something to do with the freedom of speech issues raised by the Muhammad cartoons controversy

Newsflash: Crump supports the Muhammad drawings (in Danish)

Well, concrats to Crump for joining the winning team after all these years... who's next on the band wagon - Bob Dylan?...

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/3, Ausf C
A signals/ communication crew during maneuvres in the summer of 1943 (note the white umpire's armband worn by the trooper on the far right)
The triangular three-colour tactical marking places the vehicle with the staff of a Panzer Division.
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2011-02-21T07:52:00.007+01:00

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A Panzer is the main feature today, an amateur photo of rare tracks - the Sdkfz 140/1 Aufklärungspanzer 38 (t)

With 68 vehicles produced in 1943-44, only a handfull of photos exist of this recon panzer...and most of these were taken for documentation at the production plant or show damaged vehicles after capture.

With the emergence of E-bay and similar websites, treasures like this - a private photo taken by a Wehrmacht soldier, are available to collectors and WWII enthusiasts who sometimes bid from a collective pool of money, to make sure they are the highest bidders and get the most precious items.

This 9 X 6 cm original photo sold for 489 Euros.

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2011-02-14T06:58:00.001+01:00

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Interesting blog post about the standardization of graphic design in the Third Reich: The Master Race’s Graphic Masterpiece

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf E.
End of the line for this Panzer, most likely knocked out in the Balkans or Soviet Russia (Ausf E production began in September 1940)
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2011-02-07T07:42:00.000+01:00

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"Tessyleia 2.o" a promising project that apparently didn't evolve..

Yes...I'll admit it...I AM a sucker for stylish, dynamic, "Joe-pro", Marvel type comic book art! like that of Marc Borstel

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 263 (8 rad) Panzerfunkwagen
A nice photo showing a couple of the indispensable, but unsung, heroes of every modern war machine - the mechanic and maintenance crews.
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2011-01-31T07:14:00.001+01:00

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The photobubble

Far out idea, but seems to work...

*****Panzer: Panzerjäger Tiger (P) "Ferdinand"
On their way from Germany for deployment in the Battle of Kursk, 1943.
The "Ferdinand" was nicknamed after its chief designer Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and can be distinguished from the later version of the Panzerjäger Tiger (P) - the "Elefant", by the Ferdinand's lack of a close-in defense machinegun mounted on the right hand side of the front armour plate.

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2011-01-24T20:21:00.003+01:00

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Lennard Grahn - keeps a low profile while waiting for better times.

Thank you.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 263 Fu (8 rad) Panzerfunkwagen
Some Panzermänner catching a quick snack, most likely during the battle of France or the occupation of the Low contries, 1940.
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2011-01-17T07:03:00.002+01:00

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Highly interesting blog at LICHTENSTEINPROJECT
aimed at digging up the actual comic book panels that formed the basis for Roy Lichtenstein's famous paintings...

What surprised me the most is how closely he stayed to the original images, even the speech bubble texts were sometimes copied directly...of course, when you appropriate/steal/borrow/find inspiration from trained professionals, you don't have to worry about unbalanced compositions or spelling errors!

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 231 (8-rad)
Speeding down a road during the Polish campaign. Note the white national crosses and tactical marking of a Panzer unit - a rhomboid.
Sdkfz 231's were still serving with armoured recon detachments when WWII ended in 1945, some of the very few vehicles in the Panzerwaffe's inventory to survive unchanged except for upgraded radio equipment.
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2011-01-13T09:54:00.006+01:00

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...wanna go Toky-o?..

My birthday today...fourty-five years of heckling from the backseat nearest to the exit!

*****
Panzer: Tiger I, mid production
Note that the outermost wheel, immediately after the drive sprocket, has been removed. This was often done in the field by Tiger crews to prevent ice and mud from packing between the wheels and jamming the tracks.
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2011-01-10T07:11:00.007+01:00

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Dear reader:

Have you ever speculated if the drugs and drink that you let pass through your body over the years did serious, irreversible, and personality altering damage? - along with the short lived but unquestionable good...

I have.

Of course it did.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw III, Ausf M
Introduced in 1942 with the long barreled 50mm KwK 39 as the potent main armament.
There can be little doubt as to what organization this particular vehicle belonged too.
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2011-01-03T09:04:00.004+01:00

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Yeah, a new year-sie coming up...must now do all the things I didn't do last year and stuff...uh...hmm...yes.

*****
Panzer: Panzer
Wrecked panzers assembled after the Battle of Vienna, spring 1945. Note the Flaktower in the background.
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2010-12-31T07:45:00.008+01:00

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No New Year without fireworks.

I wish a Happy (Gregorian calender) New Year to all who stop by here.

For 2011, I plan to be rich, famous, successful, sporty, and partying with celebrities.

The little time I have left over from that, I will spend at work (I polish shoes for art students) or at home making drawings, surfing porn on the Internet, write obnoxious comments on other peoples websites, or ride the Copenhagen public transport into the suburbs to take photographs of dull and insignificant buildings in near darkness.

So,

to all of you:

be the magic you are.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw III, Ausf H
Scruffy winter whitewash seems to be the overall colour here. Note the practice of placing a strip of spare track on the turret roof.This was done not just to have it handy for battlefield repairs, but also for extra protection against enemy ground attack planes like the Il-2 Sturmovik
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2010-12-27T15:07:00.005+01:00

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I guess I forgot to wish everybody reading this a merry Christmas
- but It's all because I was paralyzed by the fact that we've had White Christmas in Denmark for two consecutive years now and the last time that happened here was a hundred years ago...

*****
Panzer: Sturmgeschütz III - "Fahrschule"
With the entire gun mount removed, this Stug served at a Panzer training facility, note the word Fahrschule (driver's school) painted on the front.
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2010-12-20T07:08:00.003+01:00

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My upstairs neighbour has a computer with a car racing game on it.

He really likes to play this thing (especially after he comes home late at night...) and with the sound amplified over his stereo speakers.

This means that I'm essentially exposed to what you would call "severe traffic noise"

only, it's virtual traffic noise...

Weird.

*****
Panzer: Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B "Jagdtiger"
Quite a small sensation, this colourslide of a Jagdtiger belonging to Schweres Panzer Jäger Abteilung 653 was published recently on an internet forum.
A unique opportunity to study the hard edge three colour camouflage scheme applied to late-war panzers.
The story goes that the poster's granddad had left him a box of colour slides from his service in WWII (read it here), the Jagdtiger in the photo "331" was transported to the US and today resides at the US Army ordnance museum, Maryland.
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2010-12-13T07:03:00.004+01:00

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Winter and x-mas depression nibbling away at your soul?...then why not chaseth it away with some dubstep by SCUBA

Listen to SCUBA on Youtube

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/1, Ausf A
Obviously photographed immediately after a combat engagement.
Most of the men seems to wear the silver Panzerkampfabzeichen, which was sometimes awarded to the Panzergrenadiere infantry units supporting the panzers during attacks.
A special version of the badge (in bronze) was created for panzergrenadiers in June 1940, which suggests the photo could have been taken before that date. During the invasion of the Low countries is my guess.
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2010-12-06T07:41:00.003+01:00

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Funny photos from down the ages (1920s-60s) at: The Invisible Edge

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw IV, Ausf D
The "G" marking on the front armour would place this Panzer IV with Panzergruppe 2, (commanded by Heinz Guderian) on the move during the opening phases of the attack on Soviet Russia, summer 1941.
Of note are the infantry men by the roadside equipped with much less advanced machinery...
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2010-11-29T07:35:00.005+01:00

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A 1905 photo of Dreamland, Coney Island at night, click to see the full size

Vintage (1800s to 1970s) photos, both amateur and professional, at Shorpy.com
Presented are many high-quality photos from the dawn of photography when big negatives ruled.

*****
Panzer: Pzkpfw II, Ausf C
Some new recruits, probably at a training facility in Germany ca. 1940-42.
Note that the trooper sitting on the Panzer II (likely to be the drill instructor) is wearing the black panzer sidecap, introduced in 1940, while the recruits have to make do with the old style panzer beret as well as wearing denim fatigue work wear.
Maybe this was "now try and dig up a panzer stuck in the mud" day...
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2010-11-22T09:19:00.003+01:00

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Yes, another "panzers only" week here at DAMIJWH!

hmmm... I'm almost beginning to like it...

*****
Panzer: Panzerjäger 38(t) für 7.62 cm PaK 36(r) Marder
Quite a long name for what was basically the fitting of some of the thousands of captured Russian 7.62 mm anti-tank guns in German inventory onto the equally captured (from the Czech) Pzkpfw 38 (t) chassis.
Judging from the dark grey surfaces on the Marders, the photo was taken in spring/summer 1942 when the first Marder III' s reached units on the eastern front. With the Marder series, the German forces finally had a mobile platform capable of stopping the Soviet T-34's facing them in the East, which might account for the happy smile on this private's face.
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2010-11-15T08:30:00.000+01:00

Highly interesting blog for the comics "archaeologist": Topfferiana, it deals with early representations of sequential storytelling, many dating back to the mid- to late nineteenth century (site is in French)

*****
Panzer: Befehlspanzer 1
Most likely seen during training/ maneuvers before WWII. Note the housing for the "fold-down" radio aerial on the left side of the Befehlspnzer. A group of Pzkpfw II's moving up in the background.
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2010-11-08T07:22:00.003+01:00

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Tomorrow will be Art time here in Copenhagen when legendary The Residents play at VEGA

I remember trying hard to listen to their album Third Reich'n Roll back in the eighties. Too avantgarde for my ears then, but many years later I cought their amazing CD-ROM project FREAK SHOW, with 3D animations by Jim Ludtke (who passed away in 2004)

Remember to search YouTube for their many outrageous music videos, and drop by the official website at Residents.com

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/1, Ausf A
Seems to have run over a mine. Note the absence of markings of any kind.
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2010-11-01T12:06:00.003+01:00

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Interesting photo library from Dresden, Germany at www.deutschefotothek.de

You can find many interesting photos from life in Germany, like this fine series of colour slides from WWII.

*****
Panzer: Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK L/42
A unique colour slide taken in spring 1943 in the Belgorod area, Russia.
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2010-10-25T07:09:00.002+02:00

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What can I tell you : A classic.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 250
A couple of troopers relaxing in front of a 250, most likely at a training facility or driving school in Germany.
On the left we have a veteran Obergefreiter (corporal) with combat awards on his uniform, while his friend on the right looks more like a fresh recruit.
The ribbons in the buttonhole of the corporal are the Iron Cross, II class and the Ostmedailje. This combined with the dark grey colouring of the Sdkfz 250 would place the photo somewhere in 1942 since the Ostmedaille was awarded to qualifying personnel who had seen service during the invasion of Soviet-Russia from November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942 (German soldiers sarcastically referred to it as "the frozen meat order") Also of note is the wound badge in silver (awarded for three or four wounds) and the bronze version of The Infantry assault badge, awarded only to personnel from motorized units.
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2010-10-18T07:48:00.003+02:00

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"The Father of Fractals" Professor of Mathematics Benoît Mandelbrot has passed away.

A great scientist no doubt but in a way partially responsible for all those ghastly Techno club flyers from the nineties!

Well, fractals really blew my mind when they became popularized in the 1990's, the way I saw it, science had discovered the "algorithm of nature" the one basic concept that could create anything - mountains, clouds, planets.

Those trippy graphics did a lot too...

Apparantly Mandelbrot was also slightly eccentric, he began calling himself Benoît B. Mandelbrot but never had a middle name.

*****
Tiger I E (early production)
A badly mauled Tiger, the many missing road wheels most likely the result of anti-tank mines. Despite the sorry looking state of the Tiger, damage like this could be quickly repaired by the unit's workshop since no vital parts like the armour plates, gun mount or engine compartment seems to have received hits.
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2010-10-11T07:28:00.002+02:00

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Where did it go...this need to communicate?..this need for expressing myself on the internet information highway?...

Gone, gone...like smegma under a well-aimed shower head.

*****
Panzer : Pzkpfw IV, Ausf F2
First to feature the long barreled 75 mm main gun, the F-series started out with the shorter gun, but as production switched to KwK 40 L/43 armament, the later vehicles were simply designated "F2".
It entered service on the battle fields of North Africa and the Soviet Union in spring/ summer 1942 and finally provided the Panzerwaffe with a much needed main battle tank capable of meeting the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 on equal terms. It also gave the Afrikakorps the upper hand against Western allied armour in the desert, but fortunately for the course of WWII they received far too few of them. The F2 was quickly superseded by the Ausf G, which was almost identical to it , except for a few minor changes. The ball shaped muzzle brake (on the F2) is the most distinguishing difference between them.

2010-10-04T07:04:00.003+02:00

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(hmm, no, nothing to say...)

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 251/9, Ausf C "Stummel"
A fine photo of this fire support half track in wintry surroundings.
The 251/9 mounted a short 75 mm gun (initially leftovers from Stug III and Panzer IV production when it switched to the long barreled version)
The "Stummel" (stumb) provided some extra "bite" to reconnaissance units if they encountered strong enemy forces. Note the tactical and unit markings on the front armour plate (the unit symbol is unknown to me) and the troopers wearing the reversible winter hood for extra warmth and protection, a Sdkfz 250 is also visible to the right.
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2010-09-27T06:56:00.001+02:00

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(empty)

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 232 6 rad (Fu)
Judging by the crew all wearing the panzer beret and the solid white cross markings on the 231, this photo was most likely taken immediately before (or after) the invasion of Poland, 1939. Note that for some reason the main armament - normally a 20 mm KwK 30, has been removed.
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2010-09-20T07:02:00.007+02:00

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Drooleth ye over (but not ON, because you are viewing them on a computer screen) the classic modernist-expressionist woodcuts of Frans Masereel, published in Berlin, 1925 as:

The City

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz. 8
Not armoured, so technically not a "Panzer", but this fourteen ton behemoth served along with them in mechanized units, mainly towing heavy artillery pieces. It should of course not be confused with its much more commonly seen "little brother" the Sdkfz. 7 which towed the legendary "88"anti-aircraft/ anti-tank guns and formed the basis for a number of specialist half-tracks.
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2010-09-13T07:20:00.002+02:00

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Depressed?..disillusioned?..lonely

confused, terrified

sad?..

Sounds like your life really sucks.

I, however avoid that sort of thing by going to phunn places on the web, like:

Panzerpixel.de

The creation of freelance author Thomas Anderson who collects original WWII photos of - yes you've guessed it: The Panzers!
He has quite an interesting collection with some very rare vehicles.

*****
Panzer: Sdkfz 252
Found on Panzerpixel.de, this Sdkfz 252 munitions carrier dating back to the early days of WWII was converted into a radio vehicle (note the "star" aerial) by a Sturmgeschütz unit and still served in 1944.
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2010-09-06T07:12:00.006+02:00

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Harvey Pekar did not like airports...Illustration from: Muncie, Indiana

RIP Harvey Pekar (died July 12)

Pekar brought literature and the graphic novel closer to each other, mainly known for his American Splendor, I can highly recommend one of his collaborations with cartoonist Gary Dumm :

Ego and Hubris: The Michael Malice story

Well-crafted storytelling, with the graphics perfectly fitting the Ayn Rand fueled, cubicle-and-coffee computer worker world of the protagonist.

*****
Panzer : Tiger I, Ausf E (early production)
Damaged during transport, possibly the work of local partisans.
Note the narrow "transportation" tracks used on the Tiger, to make it fit the standard Deutsche Reichsbahn flatcars. The wide "combat" tracks were stored under the Tiger for the train ride (just visible under the bow armour plate) and had to be fitted by a workshop crew before it was ready for action.
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2010-08-30T07:00:00.014+02:00

*****

The Martin Rev setup

Synth-punk-rock-performance-art-legends SUICIDE played Copenhagen this Friday.

Performing at the Danish National Gallery (courtesy of glorious Art Freq) I was there with my camera and have uploaded a few lucky shots.

The sound was a bit murky from where I was standing, but definitely LOUD and I'll agree that musically this was perhaps not one of the duo's peak performances, but I had the pleasant memory of seeing them play at the Roskilde Festival in 2003 in a much larger room (tent actually) which improved the aural experience a great deal.

As a nostalgia, and sort of "lifetime achievement-" event it was unsurpassed.
Suicide belong to the few who have created something unique in music, and one of the VERY few (only?) acts who have created electronic music with the same raw edge and driving rhythm you find in rock. You sometimes get the feeling that all electronic musicians wants to be the next Mozart, and never the next Chuck Berry... but not so for Messrs. Vega & Rev - they came to caress behinds with the army boot sole. On top of that, there is something very joyful about two gentlemen aged seventy plus still being creative, menacing and crazy. Martin Rev must be the scariest looking septuagenarian not in a holding facility.

As usual, Alan Vega got slagged (by the reviewers) for, well... being Alan Vega.
These days the criticism directed at him is not about his screaming into the microphone (people do that all the time to pass their art-school exams) or for swinging a motorcycle chain on stage (teenage girls do that all the time in schoolyards to mark their territories), no - he was:

"messing up his lyrics and needed help with his sheets of text..."

the horror!

You've got to hand it to Vega: Forty years ago he pissed off even the Pope of Beat: Allen Ginsberg, by playing in a band called Suicide (too offensive a name for the author of HOWL...), ten years later Suicide alienated the punk generation by using synths instead of guitars (this coming from a group of people who hated guitar solos...) and now reviewers, who were just being born when the duo's first album came out, can be provoked, soured, disappointed, because he,

FORGOT HIS LINES...

In my recollection of the punk scene, you were lucky if the announced bands turned up and were capable of entering the stage (and didn't begin demolishing it) so it's just tooooo baaaaad these condescending concert consumers couldn't have Alan Vega returned to the store where he was bought and replaced with a fresh copy.

In my view: A primo night, it's good to see trail blazing pioneers get the credit they deserve, even if you wondered if they wouldn't have been more comfortable playing in an abandoned XXX-movie theater instead of a state-sponsored art museum.

Walking home alone in the streets of Copenhagen after the show was the perfect way for me to celebrate it. The magic in your head. The ringing in your ears. Descending from the high (no, I gave up drugs years ago... I was high on LIFE man!)

Too bad it didn't snow.

(it always snowed back in the eighties, even during summer...and by "snow" I mean those tiny frozen water thingies floating in air)

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Sturmgeschütz III, Ausf F8
A companion photo to the one shown last week.
A very beat-up StuG, either waiting for repairs or maybe "cannibalized" for useful parts by the unit's workshop company and then left for later transport to one of the refurbishing plants far behind the front lines or back in Germany. If this was not possible, the panzer would be blown up to avoid any future use by the enemy.
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2010-08-23T07:23:00.007+02:00

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Autumn seems to hit Copenhagen early this year. We've had monsoon-like showers for about a month now, and more on the way.

I like autumn, and welcome this.

But.

For those who do not, why not catched ye some cheer-up time by clicking ye way over to vintage florida beach babe postcards

*****
Sturmgeschutz III, Ausf F8
As the written message on the back of this photo says it was taken in the Russian city of Rostow (German spelling) in 1943.
Rostov (on the Southern front) changed hands between German and Soviet forces no less than three times in 1941-43.
Note the "Winterketten" tracks fitted. Wider than normal tracks, they were specially designed for the deep snow encountered on the Eastern front.
Of special interest is the colouring of the StuG. It was part of a batch produced in december 1942 and earmarked for the battles in Northern Africa and thus finished in overall desert brown. Some of these StuGs were instead dispatched for urgent service on the Eastern front, where it would normally have received a coating of whitewash for winter camouflage. Why this has not been done is hard to determine but it's most likely a case of the troopers having more important things to do, like fighting the Soviets. As can be seen by the powderdust on the gun's muzzlebrake, the StuG has been in use for some time when the photo was taken. Also note the crew wearing the early version of the German Army reversible winter uniform, colored mouse grey on the "spring-autumn side" (the other side was of course white) These were introduced in autumn 1942 after the Wehrmacht's disastrous experiences with the Russian winter in 1941-42. It looks like brand new uniforms being worn (they would be returned to Germany when winter was over for repairs and cleaning and then re-issued the next autumn)The trooper in the middle of the group is also wearing the special heavy winter boots made from felt. Later versions of the reversible winter uniform were made from various types of camouflage material on the non-white side

2010-08-16T07:05:00.013+02:00

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American writer Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) photographed in the 1990's when he began using a Macintosh IIsi computer instead of a typer.

Unlike some of his contemporaries on the artistic circuit, Bukowski did not see the computer as "the devil's tool", a threath to the true magic of creativity. Instead, he praises his Mac in several poems, explaining how it made it much easyer for him to do the writing, and also gave him a new perception of the word.

Too bad he wasn't considered for Apple's "Think Different" campaign.

If your recollection of Charles Bukowski is that of a raving boozehound copulating with overweight prostitutes on the dirty floors of skid row hotels you are talking about the early Bukowski (of his prose writing), but I can highly recommend giving his collections of poetry a try, like this one. One of his best.

For me, his down to earth observations and simple style often touch something deep, like one of my favourite lines of his:

"Poetry is what happens when nothing else can."

Charles Bukowski would have been ninety years old today.

*****
Pzkpfw III, Ausf H
A group of Panzer III's parked for a staff meeting during the invasion of Soviet Russia, summer of 1941.
Note the "bedstead" aerial of a Befehlspanzer III in the foreground and the "30.." numbering on the middle Panzer III.
"Zero" numbers (300, 301, etc) were usually reserved for vehicles serving with the staff of panzer units . Also note the two officers sitting on the turret of the middle panzer III holding some white boards, presumably map tables. All the men have their attention directed at the same point in the distance, most likely at a battle going on. Also note the non-standard wooden stowage boxes fitted to the read ends of all three Panzers, and the swastika flags draped over them. The flags were used for air-recognition during the first stages of this campaign when the Luftwaffe had almost complete command of the skies.
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2010-08-09T07:09:00.007+02:00

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????????????????????????????

Chasing away summertime weariness with a thrilling questionaire for you readers here at DAMIJWH!

A: Is this blog getting boring, or has it always been boring?
B: When visiting DAMIJWH, would you rather be doing something else?
C: If DAMIJWH was a horse, would you bet on it?
D: If DAMIJWH was a woman, would you have sex with it in a cheap hotel room and include that scene in a script you were writing for television? (your part grossly exaggerated and with unrealistic dialogue, mainly because it never happened in real life)

Your answers in the comments!

*****
Befehlspanzer III
A fine photo from 1942 when the German Panzerwaffe was enjoying the last successes of the Blitzkrieg-era during their drive into Southern Russia. Beyond lay Stalingrad and the long hard retreat that took up the remainder of WWII for the Panzers. The divisional symbol of the 24'th Panzer Division can be seen on the front armour of the Sdkfz 251 immediately behind the Befehlspanzer, one of three Panzer Divisions destroyed at Stalingrad. Note the "bedstead" aerial of this command version of the Pzkpfw III, visible behind the commander, and the manner of wearing the headphones so the commander (strangely, only with the rank of private) can hear both the communication over the radio and vocal information.
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2010-08-02T07:12:00.008+02:00

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Yes, right...back...hmmm... but not much going on...
Due to illness in my family I've spend quite some time this summer in the small town where I grew up.

Interesting in many ways - did you know that out in the country, if you are late for the bus and running towards it, the bus driver will WAIT FOR YOU (!!!)

My father also claims his neighbors sometimes "helps him"...

Strange people out there, and so different from us city folk.

*****
Pzkpfw V "Panther", Ausf D
Badly shot up, this Panther belonged to the 1'st SS-Panzer division while fighting in Normandy, France 1944. Note the "I03" marking denoting a vehicle belonging to the staff of the Panzer regiment.
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2010-07-02T06:39:00.008+02:00

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Art by Basil Wolverton

And for today: last day at the job.

See you in August.

*****
Sdkfz 251/1, Ausf A
National markings seems to be entirely missing from this 251 which could suggest the photo was taken during pre-WWII maneuvers. Still, when looking closely at the car on the right side of the photo you can just make out a swastica flag draped over the front end (hidden under the "antikfuchs1" label) this was a common practise during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Soviet-Russia in the summer of 1941. It was not meant as a demonstration of fervent Nazism, but done to make sure the German forces could be recognised from the air. Advances in the early stages of this campaign were so swift that Wehrmach mobile units sometimes arrived at objectives before the Luftwaffe planes sent out to perform pre-attack bombings.

2010-06-28T07:18:00.007+02:00

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Checketh ye out! - the design so new and most cooleth for my personal webpage at www.lennardgrahn.dk

(and if you're the hip, up-to-the-moment type of person who consider the personal web page an outdated relic of the nineteen nineties, you're right!)

*****
Panzerkampfwagen V, "Panther", Ausf G
A highly interesting photo, taken some time after the end of WWII. The Panther seems to have the early to mid production exhaust pipes (without the flame dampers mounted on late production vehicles) It also lacks "Zimmerit" anti-magnetic coating, which would place it within a very small batch of Panthers manufactured in late 1944.
One of the two boys seen playing on the roof of the turret is holding some sort of disc-shaped device. This could be an infrared searchlight, fitted to a very small number of Panthers in early 1945, giving them the ability to fight at night. Several photos exist of Panthers fitted with the special stowage box housing the IR devices when they were not in use (the box a bit larger, and replacing the standard right hand stowage box mounted on the rear armour plate)
Whether these advanced devices were used operationally or not is still the subject of debate.

2010-06-21T07:13:00.001+02:00

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My video masterpieces now viewable at beautiful and glorius www.Vimeo.com

(this site offers better quality online video than YouTube.com)

******
Panzer Pzkpfw Tiger, Ausf E
Found abandoned in the streets of a Sicilian town. Note that the commanders cupola is missing.
^^^^^^

2010-06-14T07:13:00.002+02:00

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Dig that classic Interview Magazine cover art made by Richard Bernstein (1939-2002)

Many more (small size...) in the Interview Magazine archives, go to the late 1970s and 1980s sections for the best stuff

******
Panzer Pzkpfw III, Ausf M
Judging from the landscape, this photo could have been taken just before or during the Battle of Kursk, 1943.On the nearest Panzer III you can clearly see the loose manner of spraying camouflage colours onto vehicles. This was done by the units themselves, which were supplied with standardized paints, enabling them to create camouflage fitting the terrains they operated in.
^^^^^^

2010-06-07T07:13:00.002+02:00

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A "Ruinophiliac" - you?.. then please take note that you haven't seen ruins until you've visited Japan's Battleship Island

*****
Panzer Pzkpfw V "Panther" Ausf A
Judging from the dot-pattern camouflage uniforms worn by the crews, this Panther served with a Waffen-SS unit in the summer of 1944.
^^^^^

2010-05-31T07:41:00.004+02:00

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Photo by Mary Ellen Mark

R.I.P Dennis Hopper, 1936-2010

*****
Panzer Pzkpfw IV, Ausf H
A photo taken in my native land Denmark, where Panzer-Abteilung 55/233 Panzer-Division was stationed in 1944. A row of Panzers rolling down cobblestone roads early in the morning must have made the locals happy...
Photo courtesy of www.panzerphotos.dk by Christian Ankerstjerne
^^^^^^

2010-05-24T07:36:00.002+02:00

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Hmm, yes, winter has left us and now we have spring.
and after that we get summer.

hmm, yes...hmm.

******
Panzer Sdkfz 250/10 "Neuer art"
In late 1943 the design of the Sdkfz 250 was changed to simplify production and the number of armour plates making up the hull was reduced from nineteen to just nine.This new line of vehicles were known as the "neuer art" or just "neu". The Pak 37 mounted on the roof was hardly a potent anti tank weapon by 1943, but it could still deliver some extra bite against armored cars and light skinned vehicles and this version of the 250 was often used by unit commanders.Note the tactical sign of a motorized (but not half-tracked) unit painted on the front armourplate.
^^^^^^

2010-05-17T07:58:00.002+02:00

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Oh,yes, spring!..almost forgot about that...well, it was kind of "2009" and boring anyway...

******
Panzer Sdkfz 250/9
Usually deployed by an Aufklarungs Abteilung (forward recon units) this example had its armament removed and the trooper is either US or from the Free French Forces.
^^^^^^

2010-05-09T07:02:00.002+02:00

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Russian sniper Roza Shanina (1924-45)

A kindergarden teacher, she joined the Red Army in 1943 and had 54 kills to her name before she died in the battles in East Prussia, january 1945.
Her diaries and letters were published after the war, making her one of the most famous heroes of The Great Patriotic War.
Three of her four brothers were also killed in the war.

******
Panzer Sdkfz 250/3
Looks like a brand new vehicle.
^^^^^^

2010-05-03T07:23:00.003+02:00

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American photographer Todd Hido, is - just like Moi, drawn to the lure of the suburbs at night...

******
Panzer Sdkfz 250
A highly dramatic photo, possibly posed for propaganda use. The official German Propaganda Kompanie photographers usually worked in teams and sometimes posed as "ordinary soldiers" in each others photos. The Sdkfz 250 was the "little brother" of the Sdkfz 251 personnel carrier series and was often used by front line commanders as a sort of "battlefield taxi". It could handle difficult terrain, was armoured, small in size - which meant it could hide better from ground attack aircraft, but large enough to carry the commander, radio equipment and a couple of trusted men as body guards. Judging from the rabbit fur lined winter parkas and camouflage caps worn by the soldiers, they served with a Waffen-SS unit since these garments were issued only to SS personnel.
^^^^^^

2010-04-26T07:21:00.009+02:00

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Anyone who has seen Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A space Odyssey" will remember the torus shaped space station, elegantly spinning to the waltzes of Johan Strauss.

The concept of the spinning torus (which creates artificial gravity in space) was the brain child of Wernher von Braun, dating back to january 1946 when von Braun - now in the custody of the USA, was outlining the future uses for rocket science and space technology.

Much to the dismay of von Braun and his colleagues, the pragmatic Americans were not interested in the fantasy world of space travel. Instead they had the team work on the Redstone Rocket which was to be the first nuclear armed balistic missile developed for the US military.

Although happy to be working in the US, Von Braun's lifelong dream of putting man into space was still unfulfilled by the early 1950's, causing him a great deal of frustration.

This would change dramatically when he teamed up with America's romantic dreamer supreme - Walt Disney.

Together they collaborated on "the selling of space" where Disney Studios produced a series of short films showcasing the fantastic drama of space travel while pointing out that this was not just fantasy, but within the reaches of science. The first film was Man in Space

By populizing space travel outside the circles of science and the military, von Braun gained the support and funding he needed. On July 29, 1958 NASA was established with von Braun as director and work could begin on his masterpiece, which would eventually put man on the Moon: the Saturn V rocket.

******
Panzer Jagdpanzer IV (L70)
The Jpz IV series introduced in 1944 was intended to be the principal Wehrmacht "tank hunter" replacing stop-gap vehicles like the "Marder" series and the obsolete Sturmgeschütz III. The lack of a revolving turret created a low silhuette vehicle, ideal for hiding in ambush and also reduced production time and costs. Unfortunately the long Kwk 42 main gun made the vehicle slow and nose heavy and since it was the same gun used for the "Panther" tanks they were also in short supply. A later variant - Jpz IV (L48) was fitted with the same armament as the Panzer IV. Note the factory applied hard edge camouflage, and the amusing fact that the workers at the paint shop forgot to paint under the gun support - a triangular piece of the dark yellow underpainting is clearly visible on the armour plate below the support.
^^^^^^

2010-04-16T10:37:00.005+02:00

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Checketh ye out! - my photos showing on the photo blog of Danish newspaper Information

******
Panzer Sdkfz 234/2 "Puma"
Also the legendary Puma armoured car ended up at the Aberdeen Proving ground, but was regrettably one of the vehicles scrapped in the 1950's. A notable feature of German eight-wheeled armoured cars was their ability to drive in both directions (the rear set of wheels could also be steered) which might explain why the turret has been turned 180 degrees on this Puma.
^^^^^^

2010-04-12T07:41:00.004+02:00

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Discovered the life of american author Robert E. Howard

Born a Texan in 1906, Howard wrote stories from the age of nine and was on the verge of publishing his first novel when he committed suicide in 1936.

Before this tragic event, he had for many years built himself a reputation as a prolific writer for Pulp magazines and here he created the character Conan the Barbarian

(or Conan The Cimmerian as he was originally called)

******
Panzer Bergepanzer 38 (t) "Bergehetzer"
A recovery version of the "Hetzer" also turned up at the US Army test facility Aberdeen Proving Ground. Unfortunately for post war panzer fans, many of the most rare vehicles were scrapped after testing, while the majority of the remaining collection was stored outdoors, subjecting it to the European climate of Maryland.
^^^^^^

2010-04-05T07:54:00.005+02:00

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Don Dixon cover art from "The Best of Isaac Asimov" (Sphere Science Fiction, 1977)

Tripping out with Don Dixon space art

******
Panzer Munitionsschlepper
A specially made munitions carrier, used for the 2 Ton shells fired by the Karl Gerät

2010-03-29T07:25:00.003+02:00

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Amazingly Cool Looking Architecture Day here today, with:

The Johnson Wax Building by Frank Lloyd Wright

******
Panzer Sdkfz 250/9
Designed as a recon vehicle for Panzer Divisions, this specimen was brought to the US and tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground after WWII.
^^^^^^

2010-03-22T07:26:00.003+01:00

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Rediscovering one of my old favourites, Italian artist Valerio Adami

Lot's of pics on This Blog

******
Panzer Bergepanther, Ausf A
Photo from the Aberdeen Proving Ground where the US Army tested a wide range of captured German equipment after WWII.
^^^^^^

2010-03-15T09:19:00.003+01:00

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Actor Peter Graves dies at 83, known for Mission Impossible's Agent Phelps and Airplane! 's Captain Oveur

^^^^^^

2010-03-15T07:44:00.005+01:00

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Downtown Timbuktu

Timbuktu Chronicles
- New York based entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Emeka Okafor, blogs about the impact of paradigm breaking technologies in Africa.

Timbuktu - city of legends

******
Panzer Kätchen
A prototype design for a fully tracked armoured personnel carrier based on the Pzkpfw 38(t) chassis. Intended as a replacement for the Sdkfz 251 and 250 half tracks.It was in stages of advanced development at the end of WWII, but did not see service.
^^^^^^

2010-03-08T07:17:00.007+01:00

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Yes, spring is on its way!

It just doesn't know it yet.

And also, today is International Woman's Day

******
Panzer Pzkpfw II "Luchs" prototype
Two nice photos of the prototype which later became the light scout/ recon panzer.
^^^^^^