German 8.8 cm Flak 18 in full recoil after firing. Originally developed as an anti-aircraft gun, it became one of the most feared anti-tank weapons of the Second World War.
A German soldier carries an MG-42 machine gun on his shoulder.
A German soldier shows two children a BMW R-12 motorcycle with sidecar.
A parade of German tanks on the Zeppelin meadow in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1940.
The photo shows an air force soldier next to a BMW R-12 motorcycle with sidecar.
The photo shows Panzergrenadiers next to an MG-42 machine gun.
The photo shows German soldiers performing an acrobatic demonstration with a BSA G14 motorcycle with sidecar.
The photo shows air force soldiers next to a BMW R-75 motorcycle with a sidecar.
A German soldier next to an assault rifle 44 (StG-44).
A German soldier stands next to a Panzerkampfwagen IV (Panzer IV), the most produced German battle tank of the Second World War.
The photo shows Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
Loved by his men, respected by his enemies , and in the words of Winston Churchill: A great general.
The photo shows a young German paratrooper.
The photo shows Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
The photo shows two Spanish soldiers of the Blue Division with their MP-40 submachine guns (1942).
In the photo: German soldier Fritz Reidel returns to his wife and three children on May 21, 1945.
According to German statistics, most prisoners of war were released more quickly than the Allied soldiers: Of the 2 million prisoners held by the Soviets, 900,000 were released in 1946, 300,000 in 1947 and 1948, and another 400,000 in 1949. Thus, 45% returned within one year, 60% within two years, and 75% within three years. Only 5% remained prisoners of war until the 1950s.
In the photo: A German soldier digs out a Zündapp KS-600 motorcycle with sidecar that was stuck in the mud (1943).
In the photo: German soldiers next to an MG-34 machine gun during a training exercise.
In the photo: A German soldier reports the number of received wooden hand grenades of model M-24 (1943).
In the photo: Sailors of the Kriegsmarine next to a 20 mm MG FF cannon at an observation post.
In the photo: German soldiers marching to the Eastern Front (1942).
It can be seen that they are armed with the Karabiner 98k.
In the photo: A Panzer III on a test site (May 1937).
In the photo: Air Force soldiers next to an 88mm anti-aircraft gun.
The enormous 88mm projectiles are clearly visible.
In the photo: German soldiers next to a 50mm PaK-38 anti-tank gun.
In the photo: German soldiers, exhausted from the intense fighting on the Eastern Front, await new orders to launch Operation Spring Awakening (1945).
It can be seen that the soldier in the foreground is armed with an MG-42 machine gun.
In the photo: A German soldier next to a 5-cm grenade launcher 36 on the outskirts of Leningrad (1943).
In the photo: A German soldier in the “Presenting the Rifle” pose (1939).
It can be seen that he is armed with a Karabiner 98k.
In the photo: German soldiers next to a 15-cm Nebelwerfer 41 multiple rocket launcher.
This powerful weapon was primarily used to support infantry and was known for its characteristic howling sound when fired, which often caused panic among opponents.
In the photo: German soldiers with an MG-34 machine gun in firing position.
This reliable weapon was used by both infantry and as onboard armament in vehicles and was considered one of the most advanced machine guns of its time.
In the photo: German soldiers cross a bridge in Polish territory that was bombed by Polish troops to stop the German advance (September 8, 1939).
Such scenes were part of the early phase of World War II, when the Wehrmacht implemented its Blitzkrieg strategy, which relied on speed and surprise, and occupied Poland within a few weeks.
Fallen German soldiers are buried under US supervision by German prisoners of war in Manche, Normandy – July 1944. LIFE Magazine Archives – Photographer: Ralph Morse – WWP-PD
Berlin, mid-1940s: On the roof of the massive Zoo bunker rises one of the most impressive anti-aircraft installations of the Second World War – the 12.8 cm twin flak gun. The photograph, taken by British photographer Cecil F.S. Newman, shows the view to the northwest, with the Charlottenburg Gate clearly visible in the foreground. This image is not only a technical document of its time, but also a silent witness to a city in a state of emergency.
The Zoo Bunker, officially called the Tiergarten Flak Tower, was built between 1940 and 1941 in response to the increasingly intense Allied air raids on the German Reich. It was part of a system of three flak towers in Berlin (Tiergarten, Friedrichshain, and Humboldthain) that played a central role in the air defense of the Reich capital. The 12.8 cm anti-aircraft guns installed here were among the largest and most powerful of their kind in the world. Each twin-barreled gun could fire up to 14 rounds per minute and engage targets at altitudes of over 14 kilometers.
The photograph conveys a mixture of technical fascination and historical gravity. As the massive barrels of the anti-aircraft guns reach towards the sky, one can sense the purpose of these weapons: to defend the skies over Berlin – a task that became increasingly hopeless in the face of the overwhelming superiority of the Allied bomber formations. From 1943 onwards, the air raids intensified; night after night, the city was transformed into an inferno of firestorms.
The surroundings of the photograph are also noteworthy. On the left in the foreground, one can see the Charlottenburg Gate, a neoclassical structure that once marked the western entrance to Berlin’s city center. These peaceful architectural elements contrast sharply with the brutal function of the flak tower. The photograph serves as a reminder of how closely war and everyday life coexisted at that time: while people waited in shelters below the bunker, the guns thundered above against the approaching bombers.
The Zoo bunker itself was not only a military installation but also a refuge for tens of thousands of Berliners. Its massive walls offered protection to civilians, hospitals, and even art treasures, safeguarding them from bombing raids. Eyewitnesses recount harrowing scenes: children playing among pipes and ammunition crates while sirens wailed outside; elderly people huddled in the stuffy air-raid shelters, feeling the roar of artillery overhead.
When the Red Army marched into Berlin in April 1945, the Zoo Bunker became the scene of heavy fighting. The 12.8 cm anti-aircraft guns eventually turned their barrels not only against aircraft, but also against tanks and infantry on the ground. The bunker was long considered impregnable and only surrendered after intense fighting. For many Berliners, it remained a symbol of destruction – a memorial to the madness of war.
Today, the Zoo Bunker no longer exists. After the war, the Allies demolished most of the flak towers in Berlin, as they were neither suitable for civilian use nor compatible with urban planning. What remains are historical photographs like this one, which offer us a rare glimpse into the reality of those years. Newman’s photograph not only documents military technology but also tells the story of an entire era—of fear, destruction, and also of a city’s will to survive.
Looking at this image today, we see more than just steel and concrete. We see the traces of a time when Berlin was one of the most fiercely contested cities in the world. We recognize how closely intertwined history and the present are: the Charlottenburg Gate still stands, but the flak tower is gone – a silent reminder of how much the city has changed.
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