Soldaten der deutschen Wehrmacht machen eine Ruhepause während der Eröffnungsphase der Operation Barbarossa in der Westukraine im Juni 1941. Deutscher Pz.Kpf 38(t) Ausf. B, Slowakische Expeditionsgruppe. And Competition. Win a Prize!

A busy scene!

The title of this diorama means ‘German soldiers of the Wehrmacht are having a rest during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa in Western Ukraine June 1941’. The tank is part of the Slovak Expeditionary Group.

The tank is by Hobby Boss. It is part of 1 Platoon, 3 Company Mobile Group, Slovakia 1941
Der Schweinehund hat mein Schwein gestohlen! This model is based on a real incident.
Das ist der Weg nach Kiew, Dummkopf! Both motorbikes are by Zvezda (Russia) and are BMW R-12s. Between 1935-1942, over 36,000 were manufactured for civilian and military use. It was the standard sidecar motorcycle for the German Army and used for supply of food, ammunition, reconnaissance, ambulance and many other purposes. They were also used for combat with an MG on the sidecar.
Ich bin erschöpft! Or roughly translated, ‘ I’m knackered!’
Oh nein, er liest dieses verdammte Buch nicht wieder! Not reading that damned book again! Actually, it’s a good read but what is it? The sitting soldier is armed with the famous MG 34, 800-900 rounds per minute! Machine gun of choice for the Axis at that time.

Now for the competition! The person who answers all the following questions correctly gets 50p plus a FREE biography of Adolf Hitler!!

QUESTIONS:

  1. What book is the officer in the diorama reading? Choose from one of the following: a) Vom Kriege b) Der Untergang des Abendlandes c) Geschichte der Kriegskunst im Rahmen der politischen Geschichte.

2. Which of these European Great Powers had the most aircraft in August, 1914: a) Russia b) Germany c) France d) UK?

3. Which branch of the military is sometimes referred to as the ‘learned arm’?

4. In the First World War, air raid warning systems were extremely primitive. What kind of people did the British sometimes use to warn of the Zeppelin raids?

5. In 1914, which European Great Power had the largest aviation industry?

6. How many helicopters did the US lose during the Vietnam conflict? Choose one of the following: a) 5,000 b) 4,000 c) 3,000

7. Which group of foreign soldiers taken prisoner and serving in the Tsarist Army in the FWW attempted to save the Tsar and his family during the ensuing Civil War but failed?

8. How long could a German U-boat stay submerged in the FWW? Choose one of the following: 1) 3 hours 2) 8 hours 3) 5 hours 4) 2 hours

9. During the Vietnam war, what type of weapon did the Americans nickname the ‘Blooper’?

10. How many rats are in the above diorama?

Good luck!!