PzKpfw IV Ausf.D tank of 65th Panzer Battalion photographed in East
Prussia in May 1941 shortly before the invasion of Russia. The small turret number '421' identifies the battalion by its yellow color, the company- '4', the platoon-'2', and the platoon leader's tank- ' 1 '. The two yellow 'Xs' on the front plate beside the driver's visor are the divisional sign of 6th Panzer ; this device replaced the original ' reversed Y' rune and two dots
shortly before Operation 'Barbarossa'. The national cross is in plain white outline on the 'Panzer gray' paintwork. On the nearside trackguard may be seen the shielded driving- and head-lights, the fire extinguisher, a jacking block of thick timber, barrel cleaning rods, and four jerrycans held by a retaining bar marked with the divisional sign . Note open flap of ventilation port in turret roof: ventilator fans were not yet fitted.

PzKpfw IV (2)

PzKpfw IV Ausf.D tanks of 65th Panzer Battalion (in effect, 3rd Bn., 11 th Pz.Regt.) photographed in East Prussia in May 1941 shortly before the invasion of Russia. The division had only three companies of these heavy support tanks at the time of the invasion of the USSR, the great bulk of the three tank battalions being made up of Skoda-huilt PzKpfw35(t) tanks, with a few light PzKpfw lis and some PzBefw .IIl command tanks. 
The colour photographs on these pages are a small selection from a remarkable- perhaps literally unique - collection taken in 194o-44 by Colonel Ritgen during his front-line service. 
The camera was a Leica III (Summitar f 1.2 lens). Col.Ritgen's wife, at that time a nurse at the Paderborn military hospital, was a former employee of the Agfa company, and as a keen
photographer herself was able to obtain through a personal contact with the firm a supply of the new and very rare Agfa 35mm colour film. The exposed films were sent back from Russia to Agfa through the Army mail service, and the processed pictures were kept in Germany by Frau Ritgen.

PzKpfw IV

German soliders having a good times in the barricks, 