Photo Identification

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José M. Rico
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Photo Identification

Post by José M. Rico »

What can you guys tell about this photo? When was it taken?

Image
(Photo negative property of Thomas Schmid).
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Matthias
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Post by Matthias »

I don't want to make easy suppositions, but the officer standing in front of the microphone seems Captain Lindemann to me... :think:
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

Günther Lütjens
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Post by José M. Rico »

Yes, it is indeed Captain Lindemann delivering a speech to the ship's crew. :ok:
Do you want to guess the date?
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Matthias
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Post by Matthias »

Well...

Lindemann is standing on a wood sit, and on the bridge under him we could see the great painted svastika.But there's not trace of the anchors chains, so it should be the one painted at Bismarck's bow.
We know the two great svastikas were painted, if I am not mistaken, in the March 1941.So the pics should have been taken during or after March 1941, between March and May, surely before May 18th because those kind of meeting are usually performed while ships are on harbor, like the pics of Lütjens inspecting Prinz Eugen's crew.
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

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Ulrich Rudofsky
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Post by Ulrich Rudofsky »

Is that were he says the Bismarck is a "he"? (Der not Die).
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Matthias
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Post by Matthias »

Yeah, it could be that speech... :think:
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

Günther Lütjens
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José M. Rico
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Post by José M. Rico »

I really don't know when exactly was the photo taken, but it is for sure 1941 since the Swastika is painted over the deck. Since there is a music band in the background maybe they are celebrating Hitler's birthday on 20 April 1941? :think: In any case it seems to be a big occasion.

On this other photo of Lindemann delivering the commissioning speech on 24 August 1940, the Swastika is of course not there yet, and the chain stopper is just in front of Lindemann whereas in the other photo is a few meters behind.

Image

Both these photos were certainly not taken on the same day.
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Matthias
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Post by Matthias »

Should have been a speech in occasion of Hitler's visit May 1st 1941?
I don't know, Hitler would have been surely after Lindemann in such an event... :think:
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

Günther Lütjens
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pdfox99
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Post by pdfox99 »

Could it possibly be February 14th. The comissioning day? Also, wasn't Lindemann a heavy smoker and coffee drinker? I had heard that somewhere.
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Matthias
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Post by Matthias »

No.It's evident the svastika painted on the teak bridge under Lindemann.Svastikas weren't painted until april.;)
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

Günther Lütjens
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Antonio Bonomi
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Photo enigma

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Ciao all,

just my little help ....

The swastika's were painted earlier than April, .. together with the Baltic camouflage, ..... so after middle/end of January I think we should assume they were there .....

The key is the presence of the band behind Lindemann and the sailors alignement on the stern, .. different among this photo, the commissioning and the May 5th review one's when Hitler went on board.

My option will be something related to Bismarck ( Chancellor key date's ?? ), .. Adm Reeder or Adm Lutjens coming on board,... as the band and the second microphone on the side of Lindemann let me assume somebody else in going to come and talk,... so not only Lindemann will talk on this occasion, .. and it was not Hitler, .. because he did not talk on board Bismarck on May 5th, .. he had different type of problems and something to remember about a battleship on that exact area :wink:

Talking incidents, .. does anybody knows how many 'crashes' did Bismarck had ??

Another trivial quiz, ... for later .... :wink:

Ciao Antonio :D
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Antonio Bonomi
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Photo quiz

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Ciao all,

Otto von Bismarck important dates ....

Born : April 1st, 1815 ..

Died : July 30, 1898 .. age of 83.

... so based on the above my take goes for April 1st, 1940 ... it can be either in Kiel or in Gotenhafen ( Gdynia ) as Bismarck was on the baltic sea on training .. with Tirpitz :wink:

.. and by the way April 1st, .. is Tirpitz launch date too .. on 1939 :wink:

Ciao Antonio :D
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José M. Rico
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Re: Photo enigma

Post by José M. Rico »

Hello,

Here is a photo that may bring a new light to this issue.

Image

It has been sometimes erroneously described as being taken on the day of commissioning, 24 August 1940, but that is not the case since the top of turret "Dora" is dark. I would bet it is from the same day as the one above. Here is a close up of the afterdeck where both microphones(??) can be seen.

Image

By the way, the adjutant officer with the aiguillette behind Lindemann is most likely, Leutnant zur See Wolfgang Reiner, and not Müllenheim-Rechberg. The Baron ceased being Lindemann's personal adjutant in November 1940. Quote from Müllenheim-Rechberg's book:

"At an "all men aft" assembly held for some special reason at the beginning of November [1940], Lindemann remarked that on account of my "valuable" professional training I would henceforth serve in gunnery only. My place as adjutant was taken by Leutnant zur See Wolfgang Reiner."
Antonio Bonomi wrote:Talking incidents, .. does anybody knows how many 'crashes' did Bismarck had ??
Two as far as I know. The first one with the Vaterland at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in August 1940, and the other with the tug Atlantik in the Elbe on 15 September.

José
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Antonio Bonomi
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Photo BS

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Ciao Jose' and all,


WHOW !! another unknown photo, .. very good :shock:

@ Jose',

your answers are correct, .. 2 incidents, one with Vaterland on Hamburg at Blohm & Voss going backwards, .. and another with the Atlantic tug on the Elbe river,...

...than the one on May 5th I see still remain a mistery, ..

Back on the original photo question, .. looking at the full dark colour of the turrets now April 1941 ( I wrote 1940 but was wrong of course ) timeframe is increasing as far as possible period, .. so my vote is confirmed.

Ciao Antonio :D
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Matthias
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Re: Photo BS

Post by Matthias »

Antonio Bonomi wrote: ...than the one on May 5th I see still remain a mistery, ..
Well, if I am not mistaken, the ship wasn't involved...or better, it was the cause of the incident, but still... :lol:

Am I correct?Was it THAT incident?
"Wir kämpfen bis zur letzten Granate."

Günther Lütjens
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