A German corporal armed with an MP40 and some M24 stielhandgranates, moves cautiously through a narrow trench on the Eastern Front.

Ready for anything

German coastal fortification; part of the Atlantic Wall, to protect against seaborne invasion.

Coastal battery

The 1st SS Panzer ( Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler ) was an elite branch of the Waffen SS.  Initially formed as an armed bodyguard for Hitler, it later stood out as an outstanding armored unit.  Besides undergoing a very rigorous military training program, the men were also subject to political indoctrination training.