First Blood

M/Sgt. Clifford Stoner and his lucky .50-cal.  A ground man in New Guinea, he brought down a Zero first time he ever fired a machine gun.
YANK 1 Sept 1944



Cover 1 Sept 1944

His carbine resting within easy grabbing distance, Pfc. Russell Smith of my Monona, Iowa, toys with a light lunch of K rations in his foxhole near La Haye du Puits, better known as Hooey La Pooey, France. The cigar and the battered topper were found by Smith in an abandoned Nazi dugout. The picture was taken by Yank photographer Sgt. Reg Kenny.

Posted with Blogsy

Running Away

These are Germans evacuating Rome. Before any Allied troops entered the capital city, and Italian took these pictures of the withdrawing Germans from the upper story window of the house were he had concealed himself. Later he gave them to YANKs Sgt. George Aarons, who reached Rome with the first Allied patrols.

Captured

These German paratroopers are young and have not fought long. Now they are prisoners, captured after fierce action outside Velletri, below Rome.

YANK 7 July 1944

Ride of His Life

German sniper has grandstand seat in a jeep procession in France. Vehicle mounts two machine guns, one .50 caliber and one. 30 light.

Rangers Climb into Hell

Rangers climbed up this rope ladder to surprise and silence a Jerry gun crew at the cliff's top. 
Part of D-Day operations.

YANK 7 July 1944

Cover 7 July 1944

When in Rome, hold a Roman baby and be popular with the populace, says Pvt. Ben Pollack who was among the first American soldiers to enter the former Axis capital.  YANK's Sgt. George Aarons photographed Pvt. Pollack standing on a motorcycle surrounded by a happy, well-dressed crowd.

Scoreboard

Pvt. James O'Banner of Memphis Tennessee, first Negro infantryman to kill a Jap, notches his carbine. He scored the kill on a patrol at Bougainville where the 93rd division saw its first action.

Photo by Sgt. Dillon Ferris