Former boxing champion Max Schmeling and a moustached squaddie. Hamburg/Germany, 1945.

Squaddie & Max Schmeling

Off Salerno, Italy, Operation Avalanche, 9 September 1943. The anti-aircraft fire from Allied warships in response to low level German aerial torpedo attack, photo taken by the British battleship HMS Warspite. According the official source this latter successfully dodged two torpedo while the destroyer Inglefield shot down one of the raiders. Victor Sierra

In front to Salerno

Malta: the remains of a Gloster Sea Gladiator, perhaps “Hope” destroyed in an air raid on 4 February 1941, which formerly flew with the Malta Fighter Flight. In the background is a parked Hawker Hurricane Mark I, W9133, of No. 261 Squadron. The first four Hurricanes joined the Sea Gladiators at the end of June 1940 and the Flight raised to Squadron status when the No. 261 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 August 1940. On 2 August twelve Hurricanes was delivered by the aircraft air carrier HMS Argus. With the arrival of the first Hurricanes the Italian biplane fighter Fiat CR.42 was immediately outdated and the S.79 bombers met a very dangerous enemy. Victor Sierra