RARE WAFFEN-SS KRIEGSBERICHTER PHOTOGRAPHERS propaganda ring
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RARE WAFFEN-SS KRIEGSBERICHTER PHOTOGRAPHERS propaganda ring
In January of 1940, an SS-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie (Waffen-SS war reporters company) was established, and its züge (platoons) were attached to the four main Waffen-SS combat formations that fought in the Western Campaign of May and June 1940. These platoons remained with their respective divisions for the Balkans Campaign in the spring of 1941.
By August of 1941, many additional units were fighting as part of the Waffen-SS. As a result, also during August of 1941, the SS-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie was expanded to Abteilung (battalion) strength. Waffen-SS expansion continued to grow throughout the war, and in December 1943 the reporters unit again expanded, this time to regimental size. It also received an honorary title at this point, becoming known as SS-Standarte “Kurt Eggers”. It also received a cuff-title bearing the same name. Kurt Eggers was the former editor of the SS magazine Das Schwarz Korps. He was killed in action west of Kharkov while serving with the 5.SS-Division on August 13, 1943.
Gunter d’Alquen commanded the SS-Kriegsberichter unit for its entire existence. He held the Allgemeine-SS rank of Standartenführer and began his Waffen-SS command in 1940 as a Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer der Reserve. During the course of the war, he was gradually promoted until he became a Waffen-SS Standartenführer der Reserve at his regimental command.
Under d’Alquen was a staff that processed the incoming material, as well as photographers, movie cameramen, writers, broadcaster, and recorders, all who served in the field. The men in the field did their service with the various platoons assigned to the assorted Waffen-SS formations. The reporters generally served with several different platoons during the war, and many news reporters joined during the war’s course. Non-Germans most often served with their own national formations but were sometimes detached to cover a particular campaign and report on it for their home press.
The list below of SS-Kriegsberichter is exclusively photographers. The basis of the list is wartime captions. The photos of the SS-Kriegsberichterwere reproduced in Das Schwarz Korps and in many German newspapers and were usually released to the foreign press as well. The photos used in German newspapers were printed with the photographer’s name somewhere in the article, usually directly below the photo. Many books reproduce these photos, and much knowledge of photographers stems from this.
