Description
Illustrierter Beobachter
Donnerstag, 12. Dezember 1940 • 15. Jahrgang • Folge 50
Zentralverlag der NSDAP, Franz Eher Nachf. G.m.b.H., München 22
32 pages scanned
Cover Page
Caption: “Front und Heimat wetteifern — England spürt’s!” (“Front and home front compete — England feels it!”)
Subject: An aircraft engineer in white overalls in conversation with a Luftwaffe pilot in flying gear, shortly before take-off. The pilot wears the Iron Cross.
Photo credit: Aufnahme Pahel
Major Headlines & Content
Frankreich in Vichy (France in Vichy) — French cabinet council meets at Vichy. Marschall Pétain (head of state) seated left of centre, opposite Pierre Laval; General Huntzinger visible front left. Separate photograph shows Marschall Pétain inaugurating a stadium alongside Jean Borotra (tennis champion). Third photograph shows a police inspector approaching Château Chazeron, formerly used as a prison by the ousted Prime Ministers Daladier and Reynaud and Generalissimus Gamelin before their arrests. Photo credit: Associated Press.
London ohne Pause unter den schweren Schlägen der deutschen Vergeltungsangriffe (London Without Pause Under the Heavy Blows of the German Reprisal Attacks) — Photo spread showing bomb damage in London: the Tower hit, an automobile column destroyed in a street, ARP workers clearing rubble, and destruction in Leicester Square. Duff Cooper named in caption. Photo credit: Associated Press.
Ein Kampfflugzeug macht seine Reifeprüfung (A Combat Aircraft Passes Its Final Examination) — Technical photo feature on quality control and pre-flight inspection of a German bomber. Shows X-ray of components, cockpit instrument panel inspection, and landing gear check. Dr. Dornier (aircraft designer, creator of the Do 215) photographed in conversation with the works chief pilot. Photo credit: H. Pahel.
Deutsche Arbeiter vom Führer geehrt (German Workers Honoured by the Führer) — Photo spread on the award of the Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse to munitions workers. Named recipients: Werkzeugdreher Hans Reiche (machinist, First World War NCO, EK I and II); Kolonnenführer Faltenburg (column leader); Montagearbeiter Bulla (assembly worker, 66 years old, the oldest); Montagearbeiter Burtowski; Otto Pinkel (Vorarbeiter/foreman); Mechaniker Werner Kal (up to 110 hours weekly); Gruppenführer Otto Häßlich (assembly department). Award certificate signed by the Führer; photograph of presentation ceremony. Photo credit: H. Adrian.
Renntierfang als Schulfach (Reindeer Catching as a School Subject) — Photo feature on a Sami school in Lappland. Children sit on birch logs in the classroom; drawings hang on the walls. A Sami boy shown in traditional dress. Reindeer-herding textbook and children’s drawing depicted. Children shown practising lasso-throwing. Photo credit: Paula Wehr.
Kampf gegen Flecktyphus (The Fight Against Typhus) — Two-page illustrated report on typhus research at the German-led microbiological institute of Fu Jen University in Peking, the only institute in the world producing a continuous typhus vaccine supply. Shows street scenes of typhus victims in China, Chinese Red Cross workers, guinea pigs used in research, louse infection experiments, and Japanese troops receiving disinfection injections at a barracks gate. Bildbericht by K. Raimund (Peking).
Köpfe der Woche (Faces of the Week) — Nine portrait photographs with biographies: Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring (55 years old, birthday 30 November; promoted Commanding General 1937, Generalfeldmarschall 19 July 1940); Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (65 years old, 12 December; from Aschersleben, Provinz Sachsen; commanded Army Groups IV and I in the Polenfeldzug); Admiral Bastian (appointed Reichskriegsgerichts-Präsident by the Führer, 28 November 1940); Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg (spoke at the French Abgeordnetenkammer in Paris, 28 November); SS-Oberfüher Hans Baur (Flugkapitän des Führers, 25-year flying jubilee, member of NSDAP since 1921, holder of the Golden Party Badge); NSFK-Obergruppenführer Saure (Corps commander, appointed permanent representative of the Wehrmacht commander in the Netherlands by General der Flieger Christiansen); Botschafter Dekanosow (new Soviet ambassador to Berlin, replacing Molotow; arrived 28 November); Jean Chiappe (newly appointed French Préfet de Syrie, killed by the English); Fürst Saionji (last Genro of Japan, died 24 November, aged 92). Photo credits: Weltbild (6), H. Hoffmann (3)
Sprechende Boxsport-Bilder (Eloquent Boxing Photographs) — Photo analysis spread on boxing technique: three-image “box drama” sequence showing a knockdown and count; separate photographs analyzing attacking and defensive stances. Bildbericht by L. u. E. Haymann.
Other Content
Fiction serial — Die drei Hellwang-Kinder (The Three Hellwang Children) by Horst Biernath (8th instalment). Kathi (housekeeper) and Fräulein Zögling (governess) at odds in the Hellwang household; Söhnchen and his sisters Britta and Lodia. Copyright by Franz Eher Nachf. G.m.b.H., München 22.
Short story — Der Betrug (The Fraud) by Hans Breiteneicher. First-person narrative by Frau Georgas about a coat-theft deception in a laundry and dry-cleaner’s, exploring questions of culpability.
Prose feature — Feldpost an ein Mädchen (Field Post to a Girl) — Unsigned lyrical prose piece describing the exchange of field post letters between a soldier at the front and a girl at home, from first postcard to recovery from wounds.
Cartoon spread — Weihnachtsfeldpost (Christmas Field Post) — Six-panel cartoon strip on the theme of sending Christmas parcels to soldiers in time. Deadline reminder: post by 15 December at the latest. Artist: Emerich Huber.
Humour column — Humor — Short jokes and anecdotes. Single cartoon of an enquiry office scene. Artist: Kossatz
Advertisements — Haus Neuerburg (Güldenring, Overstolz cigarettes), R6 tobacco, Matheus Müller Sekt (Eltville), Cutex, Kaloderma, Montblanc, 4711 Parfums, Lokse Uralt Lavendel, Kyriazi Apis cigarettes, Capama (Vorsteher & Bünger, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen), Henkell Trocken (Wiesbaden-Biebrich), Blendax Zahnpasta, Vasenol, Underberg, Crem-Ellocar (Nachtcreme), Oetker (Christmas Stollen recipe), Dralle, Junghans Uhren, Kaliklora Zahnpflege (Queisser & Co., Hamburg), Dr. Scholl’s Badesalz, Pilo Schuhpflege, Saltrat Fußbad, Darmol, Volksversicherung Hamburg, Palliativ-Cream (Köln-Nippes), Hansaplast-elastisch, Pitralon, Camelia, Vauen Pfeifen (Nürnberg), Herbin-Stodin, Blendax, Khaus Neuerburg (Güldenring).