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Destruction of War

Photographs illustrating the damage caused by war in France, including ruined buildings and soldiers navigating through debris, conveying the impact of conflict.

The image shows Sergeant 1st Class C. White of 150th Field Artillery, Subiect 8313, from the 17th Engineering Battalion of the 42nd Division. The photograph was taken on March 14, 1918. It depicts Battery D of the 150th Field Artillery camouflaging and building dugouts in Rehrrey. The purpose was to hide their artillery positions and make them more secure. Note: The image was not meant for publication.
The image shows Sergeant 1st Class C. White of 150th Field Artillery, Subiect 8313, from the 17th Engineering Battalion of the 42nd Division. The photograph was taken on March 14, 1918. It depicts Battery D of the 150th Field Artillery camouflaging and building dugouts in Rehrrey. The purpose was to hide their artillery positions and make them more secure. Note: The image was not meant for publication.
343 assets in this story
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A motorcylce fitted with a machine gun for active service during World War One. This photograph is part of the collection from the Photographs of American Military Activities. It was received from C.P.I. Inter.Film Ser. with subject code 21230 and description code 111-SC-21230. The image was taken and issued for official use only.
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This image from "Photographs of American Military Activities during World War One" shows a poster advertising the Belgian Canal Boat Fund for Relief of the Civil Population behind the firing lines. The poster urges people to send something to help support the cause. The address and contact details for the fund are mentioned as well.
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Battery "C" of the Sixth Field Artillery during World War One, en route to American lines. This photograph is numbered 5776 and was taken by S.C., U.S.A. on March 1, 1918. It has been released by W. G. D to the Photo Division and labeled as image number 05276 QEA- 115b-№.
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"203 soldiers from the 26th Division entering the Toul Sector in France to replace the 1st Division. Taken on April 1, 1918. This photograph was censored and released on June 10, 1918, by the M.I.B. Censor."
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Soldiers participating in physical drill at the Signal Corps School in Camp Meade, Admiral, MD, during World War One. The photograph was taken on December 23, 1918, and it was assigned the number 31,592. It was taken by Sgt. J.L. McGarrigle. The image was approved by the M.I.D. Censor on December 30th, 1918.
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Soldier standing in a trench in "No Man's Land" during World War I. Image taken by official American military artist Captain Harvey Dunn. Private Berhens from the South Carolina regiment is featured. Photograph was taken on February 10, 1919 and released with the serial number 37856.
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Lieutenant Fox captured this photograph on November 21, 1918, while positioned on the west bank of the Meuse River at Dun-sur-Meuse, in Meuse, France. The image depicts a southeastern view from this vantage point. This photograph is labeled as number 1, and it was issued with the designation M MO.E.n.6.
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A tank emerges from a hiding hole at the Tank Corps Training School in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This photograph, taken by Cpl. James L. McBarrigle on August 8, 1918, captures a training exercise during World War I. This image, labeled 111-SC-15525, was issued on August 15, 1918. (Factual caption)
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A photograph showing the 25th and 29th consolidated field hospitals in Bethincourt, Meuse, France during World War One. The commanding officers of the hospitals were Major S. Hamilton for the 25th and Major A.T. Priefer for the 29th. The photo was taken on October 22, 1918 and was approved by the A.E.F. censor.
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Grave of Lieutenant Wooten, from the 1st Aero Squadron, who was killed in action on August 1, 1918. This photograph, taken on June 26, 1919, bears the identification number 64285. It is an official photograph showing the issued grave of Lieutenant Wooten.
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This photograph depicts the aftermath of a successful attack on German entrenchments during World War One. Allied casualties are visible in the foreground, waiting to be buried or recovered. The area is cluttered with discarded equipment left behind by both sides. The field between the combatants would have witnessed intense enemy fire during the crossing. The photograph was taken by Pvt. Gibbon on November 20, 1918, near Exermont, Ardennes, France. Censorship information and release details were not provided.
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National Army soldiers at Camp Lewis in American Lake, Washington, are being trained on how to use gas masks and prepare for potential German gas attacks during World War I. The photograph, taken in January 1918 by SE N. Jackson, Sig REC, depicts soldiers undergoing training.
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Soldier wearing a smoke knapsack subject 54824, as seen in this photograph taken on April 2, 1919. The smoke knapsack was issued by the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I. The specific identification number of the soldier is AU, with additional notes available.
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"Pvt. J.E. Gibbon leads a procession of American troops through Bois de Very during the major drive on Montfaucon. The image captures the path taken by the American forces in Meuse, France, on November 23, 1918. The photograph was taken on January 20, 1919, by an unidentified photographer and approved by the A.E.F. censor."
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"Soldiers from the 28th Division (N.G.) performing bayonet practice at Camp Hancock, Augusta, GA using British Army methods. Photograph taken by SH.P.Kingsmore on January 18, 1918. The image was released by W.O.D. to the Photo Division and labeled as 111-SC-2440. Lab notes indicate KAH."
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Photograph depicting a test box showing the termination of Gavaneaux and the beginning of communication trench wiring. Taken on August 7th, 1918 at Signal School, 1st Depot Division in St. Aignon, France. The photograph was received on October 19th, 1918 and was approved by the A.E.F. Censor.
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Soldier Sgt. Gray working in the Signal Corps field laboratory in Washington D.C. on March 3, 1919. The photo features a pine tree. The image is marked as not being for publication and has an official issue number of 90999595.
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Detailed Shot of American Vessels Entering Brest Harbor, France. Photograph taken on June 28, 1918, by photographer RECIO. Image received from C.P.I., assigned as SUBJECT 13267. Marked for official use only. Depicts the arrival of EU convoyed American vessels during World War One.
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Image 111-SC-1074 shows the aftermath of an explosion caused by a 240 mm shell during World War One. The photograph, taken in 1919 by photographer Weed, captures the devastating impact as the tank of a chateau is hurled onto the rubble. The image is marked with the description TACES 188, symbolized by EU and C Nares, and classified as F.047.
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Aerial map showing trenches in France during World War One. Photograph taken by the 246 Signal Company. The map is detailed with symbols, with a note indicating a specific position with N:823 as the coordinates.
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Sir Frederick Smith, the Attorney General of Great Britain, and his party are seen during their tour of the U.S. and Canada. Colonel Meriwether C.V.E. and Brigadier General Gunning of Canada are also present in the cutter. This photograph was taken in January 1917.
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Soldiers of the Chemical Warfare Service cleaning out gas from a trench in 1919. This photograph, labeled as 111-SC-651 and taken by photographer OD, shows a significant step in maintaining the safety of military personnel during World War One, as they worked to remove the potentially dangerous residue of a gas attack.
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Explosion of a quarter stick of dynamite under loose dry sand stemming clay during war work and the Bureau of Mines. The explosion could be heard up to 2060 feet with certain types of microphones and even further with geophones. Captured on November 14, 1918.
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Sergeant C.H. Jackson of the Signal Corps captured this image on October 10, 1918, near Brabant in the Meuse, France. It depicts the width of the Meuse River and the type of terrain where American troops of the 33rd Division fought during World War One. This photograph was cleared by the A.E.F. Censor.
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American soldiers taking cover in a frontline trench alongside French soldiers during World War I. The soldiers are wearing gas masks for protection against chemical attacks. Photo taken in January 1918. Label: 111-SC-5727.
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American soldier Lt. Allen F. Winslow shooting down the first German plane during World War I. This photo was taken in 1918 in Toul, France. Lt. Winslow was later captured and wounded, resulting in the amputation of his arm. The photograph is numbered 64303 and was taken by the Air Service Photographer Squadron.
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A naval aviation training station in Warrington Beach, Pensacola, Fla. A plane is seen landing on the water. This photograph was taken on January 26, 1918, and is numbered 2941 in the series by the Signal Corps, U.S.A. The photograph was released by the War Office Department to the Photo Division on February 2, 1918.
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Tactical map of the St. Mihiel operation on September 11, 1918. The map was prepared under the direction of Brig. Gen. Hugh Drum, Chief of Staff, 1st Army, U.S.A. in Vincennes, Seine, France. This photograph was taken by Cpl. Bhrene, S. C. on March 27, 1919.
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Italian observation post during World War One.
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S.C. Pvt. Berhens, an official American military artist, is seen here in this photograph taken by photographer J. Duncan on Feb. 10, 1919. The image shows Pvt. Berhens in the process of creating a drawing of a monument dedicated to the memory of the German occupation. The photo is also identified with the number 37861, and there is a note indicating that it is the same as photograph 57070.
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Soldiers bathing horses and washing motorcycles in the same water source in Sommedieue, France on April 30, 1918. This photograph was taken by Sgt. A. C. Duff and is part of the collection titled "Photographs of American Military Activities during World War One."
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Italian soldiers stationed in the mountains during World War One. The photograph was taken in 1919 and is classified under the symbol 111-SC-18062.
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School children in Holland help cut nettles, which are being used as a substitute for cotton. This German propaganda image aims to showcase German economy and resourcefulness during World War One. Official use only.
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Lieutenant Chas R. Darwin, a photographer with the Signal Corps, captured this image on November 21, 1918, during World War I. It shows Lieutenant F.B. Stienkolk from Cincinnati, Ohio, examining sick horses near Woinville, in the Department of the Meuse, France. The photograph is part of the American Veterinary Corps' evacuation efforts.
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Image of an unidentified smoke candle being utilized during World War One. The photograph was taken by a Chemical Warfare Service photographer on April 2, 1919. The specific purpose, as noted, was to demonstrate the functionality and effectiveness of the smoke candle. Further information or details can be found through AU issued notes numbered 2192.
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An explosion caused by a large shell on the Belgian front during World War One. The photograph, numbered 19455, was taken by CPI photographer REC on October 3, 1919. The image, labeled as "Sumber Bit Explosion of a Big Shell on the Belgian Front," was issued with M notes and classified as no-1006. It is intended for official use only. B.022.
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Soldiers gather for a Sunday morning activity at Cunel, a location in France during World War I. The photograph was taken and described by Captain Harvey Dunn, with its symbol being "E." It was issued as an official photo of a Sunday morning scene at Cunel, with additional notes on file as "57090 H Dage."
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Artillery officers at the School of Fire for Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, are seen with a variety of projectiles used for training during World War I. The projectiles shown include the 6" American, 155-long French, 155-D-French (4.7" shell), 4.7" shrapnel, 75 m/m shell French, 75 shrapnel French, 75 shrapnel American, 3 inch shell American, and 3 inch shrapnel American. The photograph, numbered 111-SC-13298, was taken on June 23, 1918, and released by the military on July 12, 1918.
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A photograph featuring the headquarters balloon bed of the Balloon Detachment at Post Field, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The image was received from the commanding officer of Fort Sill on June 6, 1918, and taken on May 20, 1918. The photo is designated as G-229 and was issued for official use only.
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Camp Lewis in American Lake, Washington. This photograph shows the N.A. Intelligence School in training. The exact date of the image is unknown, but it was taken in January 1918. The photograph is labeled A62 in the collection. It was released by W.O.D. to the Photo Division on January 25, 1918.
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Soldiers from the American military engaging in routine activities on the battlefield during World War One. The image is taken by the photographer from Post Field, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1918. The caption is missing in the original photograph.
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Image captures American soldiers uncovering German propaganda materials in Mexico during World War One. This discovery was a significant event as it highlighted German attempts to spread their message in the region. The memo attached to the image provides further information regarding this incident.
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Anefo photo collection. Destruction. Walcheren + 2nd breakthrough. November 8, 1944. Walcheren, Zeeland