Let's do some community photo analysis.

The question, Brad - is what might the significance of your observations be?

1. Battle's passed on. Was recent engagement, maybe within 1 day or less, but no smoke, no soldiers, this was a fair bit after the action, but before the body clean-up crews or the civilians go for the clothes (his coat would be gone, those folks standing in the archway off to the right rear). 2. Gun is inop. (Is that an American gun, I don't have time to look it up). Must have taken a big hit, possibly from a airplane, or maybe a direct hit from another smaller gun: The shield is torn apart, one of the handwheels is busted, there are holes all over the thing.. It also looks like the breach-end was removed or was blown off. I don't think this was a cook-off, but I can't see the other side. From the damage, it could have been. Note the tires are not blown, which leaves me to think this was the result of an aerial attack or less likely a cook-off because the tires didn't explode from shrapnel. 3. Not sure about the gun on the ground, but even money it's inop too, 1) because it's there & 2) the rest of the crew took the time to remove the guys boots, they would not have left a gun. Not sure what's on the ground in that wooden frame next to the canvas. Extra rounds for another gun? Hard to see. 4. The truck is all shot to crap too and looks like it was cleaned out too (door left open, not human nature on something we're planning to return to). It looks like a 'between-the-wars' vintage vehicle, that does not match the gun, but I'd have to look to see if they go together. 5. The dead guy is a Slav, possibly Russian or Russian affiliate. They don't wear socks, even today (though that is changing). They wear wraps inside canvas boots. Those look like wraps on his feet. The Germans wore socks. 6. Not sure where, but that building in the back with the people in the archway, looks a thousand different buildings I've got pictures of from Germany. That looks like old German architecture, possible east German. I could do more, but that's the surface scan.

76-mm divisional gun model 1939 (F-22 USV or USV) which ceased production in 1941, replaced by the ZIS-3. Evidently many were captured in 1941 and re-employed as AT guns. Cheers

1) the truck is not damaged or is not apparently damaged. the windows are intact. The tires are not blown. It does not appear to have anything beyond dings and dents of normal use. 2) That is a shadow under the front and the middle of the gun, not a blast mark. However, the breach mechanism is gone and the front shield is damaged. There does appear to be a large amount of shadowing black stuff on the first third of the stabilizers. Could be general use. The blast shield is pushed out and forward. However, I do not see any of the pieces, particularly the larger piece that is missing from the left. I also do not see any damage to the ground or pieces of the breach. 3) person on the ground is "laid out" and his boots are missing. His weapon is also "laid out" along with some sort of ammo box for small arms, a small bag and something that looks like a mess kit in the bottom right hand corner. This person does not appear to be severely damaged, although, I can't see his face clearly. He is not missing arms or full of jagged holes which I would have expected from a direct hit from tank, air or other artillery as well as the damage that should have existed if the breach blew. My analysis: Post engagement Person on the ground most likely killed by weather or small arms fire. He is laid out with his arms crossed and his boots removed. This was not natural due to blast or even death by small arms. Someone took the time to pull him into position and lay out his supplies in order to be photographed with the captured artillery. The breach on the gun was removed to make it inoperable. The blast shield damage came from a different engagement. The mess kit in the bottom right hand corner looks interesting. either this man was surprised in the middle of his dinner or the photographer or passing troops had rifled through it looking at items the same as they did for the ammo, gun, etc. this is a captured position and an "arranged" trophy photo. **************** If I could tell how damaged the breach was, I would say this is a photo for the Red Army Artillery School: What happens when you don't clean your weapon.

Depression just in front of the cannon. Impact crater? Truck shot up? Windshield and door window intact and tires not punctured. If the crewman was standing there when the cannon was hit, the body is in remarkably good condtion. No evidence of flash burns, traumatic injuries, or blood and clothing still intact. All the building in the background are boarded up. Either to protect the glass or possibly it's already been blown out thought the structures show no sign of damage. People in the doorway of building on right appear to be civilians. Curious but keeping their distance from the photographer for whatever reason. In the lower right hand corner of picture what appears to be part of a mess kit. Just observations. Mock me mercilessly!

I'm with kat on the trophy photo thing... the SVT40 was not typically issued to artillery troops; they had Moisin Nagant carbines of the M1938 variety. If the Tokarev belonged to this guy he probably wasn't crewing the arty piece when he was killed, more likely he was dragged over for the photo op by Deutscher soldaten. The SVT was a weapon prized by both sides; if this one is functional (and it *looks* OK) I'll bet it left the scene on a German shoulder... my own example was captured by the Finns and re-issued to their own forces.

Not much to add. Post-Engagement photo, my assessment is a soviet infantryman killed sometime after the gun was knocked out. Damage to the wheel corresponds to a flat trajectory, its hard to determine by where the truck is to know if it would have blocked a shot like that. I'd like to see what is under the right front tire. The barrel is elevated for a long fight (but I'm no redleg) Perhaps they were firing on rear areas when surprised by a panzer or AT gun. Maybe the dead man was part of the team that took out the tank. If the wooden box is extra clips or grenades, it looks like a defensive fight. He was clearly expecting to be there for a while. Soviet picture, maybe Kiev, probably not Stalingrad, Leningrad or Moscow.

I don't see the arms crossed, looks more like gloves laid on his chest. Other than that it looks like someone had a real bad day.

Oh, on the obviously inflated tires on the gun carriage; I wouldn't put it past the Russkis back then to change wheels on a busted-up piece so they could tow it in quickly and pose the pic. They were *famous* for crude foto-forgeries. They were not alone, though. Thomas Sowell tells a story about his days as a photographer in the USMC. He was right proud of the images he captured, showing Marines earnestly exerting and, yes, sweating, while accomplishing great kewl&manly Marine tasks. He was right surprised to be called on the carpet a bit later and told that his photos were no good, because they showed Marines (horrors!) actually sweating. Apparently it was "No Sweat, and That's an Order!" back then and ther