In the orchard of the Ardenne Abbey, near Caen, HQ of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25. Soldiers being awarded with the Iron Cross 2nd Class for their actions in June 9th, 1944. The photo was taken in June 12th, 1944.

Left to right: Sepp Bund (KIA 26.06.1944 near Cheux), SS-Unterscharführer Koslowski, Klaus Schuh  (KIA 26.06.1944 near Cheux) and Günther Hamel.

Band of Brothers 1

Winter of 1942/43. Colonel-General Model, C in C of the 9th Army and his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Krebs engage 2nd Panzer officers in a snowball fight during an inspection.

texag57

Krebs &amp; Model

Two soldiers, Otto Funk and Klaus Schuh company of the 1st Grenadiers Regiment 25 of Division "Hitlerjugend" stationed on the RN13 road linking Rots Bretteville spotted at mid-afternoon, a British tank moving towards their position. The only weapon at their disposal is an MG42 machine gun, the enemy is probably a Churchill, is one of the most durable allies tank.
Noting the presence of jerry cans attached to the rear of the turret, and hoping whether it's fuel, which Churchill was very fond, the two young soldiers decide to shoot, using tracer ammunition on such cans. The shot is triggered when the vehicle is 50 meters from their position: the result is immediate, the flames invade the tank that stops cell. Two members of the crew of the armored vehicle arriving to escape the flaming carcass to be referred immediately to the heavy fire of the MG42. One falls under the balls the other disappears before the armored ammunition begin to turn to detonate. The two German soldiers and their comrades rejoice before the car ignited. This small victory will have only a relatively small impact on the progression of Brittan and Canadian forces move up the valley of the Mue.

As fighting raged in the area, the Hitler organized a medals ceremony in the Abbey d'Ardenne reward, among others, the courage of two gunners came to the end of a British tank using MG42 their only yesterday.
They each receive under the watchful eye of the Reich's propaganda, the Iron Cross second class.

It is around this abbey that are buried many of their comrades who fell in the fierce battles that lasted for nearly a week.

The small ceremony Hitler is clearly not gone unnoticed, since shortly after the medal ceremony shells allies fall out over the congregation. The soldiers, some of which have celebrated the event at Calva, rush to the foxholes where they will await the end of the bombing. No victim will cast a pall over the party, even if it is worth noting that many players will not see the end of the conflict.

Left to right: Sepp Bund (KIA 26.06.1944 near Cheux), Klaus Schuh (KIA 26.06.1944 near Cheux) and Günther Hamel.

In the background Klaus Schuh´s ammo-carrier SS-Sturmmann Otto Funk. They were all born in 1926, both Bund and Schuh were killed in action on June 26 near Cheux. Funk is wounded the same day but will continue fight till the bitter end (May 8 1945). Photo taken at Ardenne Abbey, near caen at June 12th, 1944.

Otto Funk survived the war.