American soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division rest beside a captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen in Carentan, France, during the Normandy Campaign, June 1944.
This photograph shows soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division resting in Carentan, Normandy, after the fighting for the town in June 1944. According to the original identification, the men belonged to the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (327th GIR), one of the division's infantry units that participated in securing Carentan following the Allied landings in Normandy.
Parked nearby is a captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen, the standard light utility vehicle widely used by the German armed forces. Simple, reliable, and highly mobile, the Kübelwagen served in almost every theater of the war and frequently appeared among equipment captured by Allied troops during the campaign in France.
Carentan was an important road and communications center linking the American landing beaches of Utah and Omaha. Its capture between 12 and 14 June 1944 helped establish a continuous Allied bridgehead in Normandy and became one of the early successes of the campaign following D-Day.
Technical Photo Data
- 📍 Location: Carentan, Manche, Normandy, France.
- 📅 Date: June 12–14, 1944.
- 👥 Unit: 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
- 🚗 Vehicle: Captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen.
- 📷 Photographer: Unknown.
- 📝 Source of information: Unknown.
Recommended literature
- Mark Bando — 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles at Normandy.
- Stephen E. Ambrose — D-Day: June 6, 1944.
- Steven J. Zaloga — Volkswagen Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen.
- "101st Airborne Division Carentan photos"
- "327th Glider Infantry Regiment Normandy"
- "Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen WWII"