Volkswagen Type 82 in the 101st Airborne Division — Carentan, France, June 1944

July 20, 2025 - Reading time: 7 minutes

American soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division relax in Carentan, France, near a captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen during the Liberation of France, June 1944

American soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division resting near a captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen

This vivid photograph shows American soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division resting on the streets of Carentan, France, during the Liberation of France in June 1944. The soldiers are part of the 327th GIR, a glider infantry unit, who had been crucial in the fight to free Carentan from German occupation. In the background, the captured Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen, a highly versatile and rugged vehicle used by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe, sits as a symbol of the changing tides of war.

The Kübelwagen, with its 1,131 cc engine and 25 horsepower, was Germany's answer to the jeep — a vehicle designed for maximum mobility and toughness in harsh conditions. In this image, it has become a trophy of the victorious Allied forces after the German retreat. Carentan, located in the Manche department, had seen fierce fighting during the Normandy Invasion, and its liberation was a crucial step in securing the Western Front.

In the photograph, the American soldiers, adorned with distinctive cloverleaf insignia on their helmets, are taking a brief respite after fierce fighting. The photo encapsulates the mix of exhaustion and triumph that characterized the Allied advance in France during the summer of 1944.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: Carentan, Manche department, France
📅 Date of photo: June 12-14, 1944
📷 Photographer: Unknown

  • 101st Airborne Division

  • Volkswagen Type 82

  • Kübelwagen

  • Liberation of France

  • Carentan

  • Normandy Invasion

  • WWII vehicles

  • Captured vehicles WWII

  • Allied forces Normandy

  • American soldiers

  • German retreat

  • Trophy vehicles WWII

  • Western Front

  • Allied victory WWII