20 photos that reveal the humanity and horror of World War II like never before

Photo Credits: Bettmann / Getty Images (colorized by Palette.FM and cropped).
Photo Credits: Bettmann / Getty Images (colorized by Palette.FM and cropped).

The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” resonates deeply in times of war. Photographs uniquely capture the essence of a moment or individual, offering a fleeting yet powerful glimpse into historic events. This article gathers some of the most impactful images from World War II, showcasing intense battlefield scenes and poignant moments of devastation, reflecting a broad spectrum of human emotions and wartime experiences.

Charge!

Cavalrymen charging forward through smoke grenades
Photo Credit: Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS / Getty Images

During World War II, although the importance of cavalry had waned, horses continued to be used throughout the North African Campaign, as shown in this photograph. What makes this image particularly noteworthy is the uncommon sight of soldiers wielding handguns instead of the traditional swords.

Bombers in actions

Consolidated B-24 Liberators in flight
Photo Credit: Mondadori / Getty Images

This aerial image showcases Consolidated B-24 Liberators from the Fifteenth Air Force on a mission above Ploești, Romania, in August 1944. Their objective was an oil refinery, and the thick columns of smoke indicate that they accomplished their goal.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…

Paratroopers floating to the ground after jumping out of a Douglas C-47 Dakota
Photo Credit: Photo 12 / Universal Images Group / Getty Images

This image shows American paratroopers being deployed as part of Operation Market Garden. It was snapped from an aircraft responsible for dropping the soldiers into the Netherlands. Despite the Allies’ hopeful outlook on the mission’s outcome, they faced many obstacles leading to heavy casualties and losses.

Dogfight over London

Aircraft exhaust clouds over multiple buildings
Photo Credit: Daily Herald Archive / National Science & Media Museum / SSPL / Getty Images

On October 8, 1940, during the height of the Blitz, the Germans launched a daylight raid. The image above shows smoke trails left by British and German planes engaged in dogfights over the city.

Over the course of the eight-month bombing campaign targeting London and crucial industrial areas across the United Kingdom, around 43,000 civilians were killed, with many tens of thousands more wounded.

Up in flames

USS Shaw (DD-373) exploding during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Photo Credit: Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Our third photograph from the Second World War features the American destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373) after sustaining multiple bomb hits during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The image vividly captures the explosion of the vessel’s forward magazine, becoming one of the most iconic photos to emerge in the aftermath of the attack.

Remarkably, Shaw underwent repairs and went on to serve for the remainder of the war, providing escort duties for vessels traversing the Pacific.

Rescue mission

British pilot waving at a descending Supermarine Walrus as it comes in to land on the water
Photo Credit: Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS / Getty Images

In 1942, a British pilot is stranded in the open sea, anxiously waiting for rescue while taking refuge on an inflatable raft. His salvation comes in the form of a Supermarine Walrus aircraft, swiftly dispatched by the Air-Sea Rescue Service.

Utah Beach

Aerial view of US troops landing on Utah Beach
Photo Credit: Galerie Bilderwelt / Getty Images

This photograph from the Second World War era provides an aerial view of a landing during D-Day. It shows the arrival of American forces at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, predominantly consisting of troops from the 4th Infantry Division and the 70th Tank Battalion. They were reinforced by the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, which had been dropped earlier in the day.

Spotted on the horizon

View of the Buyo Maru sinking through the lens of a periscope
Photo Credit: CORBIS / Getty Images
Seen through the periscope of the USS Wahoo (SS-238), this photograph shows the Japanese transport ship Buyo Maru as it is hit by a torpedo launched from Wahoo, causing it to sink below the ocean’s surface. This event took place in the Pacific Ocean in 1942, led by Lt. Cmdr. D.W. Morton.

Bombing of Nagasaki

Mushroom cloud rising into the sky
Photo Credit: Charles Levy / Pierce Archive LLC / Buyenlarge / Getty Images

A colossal mushroom cloud ascends over Nagasaki, Japan, marking the fateful day of August 9, 1945, when the American forces released the atomic bomb known as Fat Man. This iconic photo, taken during the waning weeks of the Second World War, is the work of 1st Lt. Charles Levy, a member of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, 509th Composite Group. With his personal camera in hand, he captured this image while soaring in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki served as the pivotal events that precipitated the surrender of the Japanese Empire. In addition to causing extensive destruction, both detonations tragically claimed the lives of over 200,000 Japanese civilians, comprising 140,000 in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki.

Head first

Douglas SBD Dauntless positioned nose first on the deck of an aircraft carrier
Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images

A Douglas SBD Dauntless “noses over” after landing on the deck of an American aircraft carrier following a test flight in 1943. Despite what it looks like, neither the pilot nor the gunner were injured.

A deadly fall

Aerial view of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress with its wing shot off
Photo Credit: PhotoQuest / Getty Images

On April 10, 1945, the 322nd Bombardment Group (Medium), Eighth Air Force was sent to strike numerous aerodromes and ordnance depots north of Berlin, Germany. Struck by an 88 mm flak burst, one of the bombers, the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Wee Willie, lost its wing. Despite the disastrous hit, the overall mission is said to have been successful.

Don’t look up

Soldiers hunker down in a trench while a tank rolls over top
Photo Credit: Sovfoto / Universal Images Group / Getty Images

In this photo taken during the Battle of Kursk in 1943, Red Army soldiers hunker down in a trench. Over top of them is a T-34 tank, which is moving in to fight the German forces. One of the major offensives to occur on the Eastern Front during World War II, the over-one month battle ended in a Soviet victory.

Attacking from all fronts

Aerial view of the Allied landings on D-Day
Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images

This aerial view captures the Allied landings on D-Day.

While reading about the immense scale of the operation is one thing, seeing it in an image emphasizes its magnitude. As well, the land, sea and aerial forces depicted here represent only a fraction of those engaged in the Second World War’s largest amphibious invasion.

Watching her go down

Sailors watching U-175 explode beneath the water
Photo Credit: CORBIS / Getty Images

Members of the US Coast Guard watch from the deck of the USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) while a depth charge explodes in front of them. It was laid against German U-boats and was very successful at taking out the U-175 on April 17, 1943. Prior to being taken out by the Americans, U-175 had participated in three war patrols and sunk 10 merchant ships.

Is that a bus?

Double-decker bus stuck in a bomb crater in the middle of a street
Photo Credit: J.A. Hampton / Getty Images

During a nighttime air raid on London during the Blitz, an entire bus wound up stuck in one of the bomb craters. Over the course of the operation, the Luftwaffe dropped over 100 tons of explosives over the UK.

A crater or two

Aerial view of bomb craters in Siracourt, France
Photo Credit: No. 542 Squadron RAF / Imperial War Museums / Getty Images

A reconnaissance photo taken by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command shows a bomb assembly and launch bunker in Siracourt, France. This intelligence supported an attack coordinated with the US Army Air Forces on June 25, 1944.

This site was struck multiple times during the Second World War, evident from the large number of bomb craters visible in the photo.

‘Fire-ing’ squad

Italian soldiers dressed in gas masks and equipped with flamethrowers
Photo Credit: ullstein bild / Getty Images

In the spring of 1940, a unit of Italian soldiers armed with flamethrowers was stationed near the Egyptian border. These weapons proved highly effective and served various purposes. Notably, they were used as a tactical siege weapon.

Better than horsepower

Two elephants pulling a car out of a wrecked building
Photo Credit: WATFORD / Mirrorpix / Getty Images

What do you do when you need to clean up the destruction caused by an aerial bombing? You enlist the help of local elephants, of course. Mary and Kieri are shown here helping to move a bombed vehicle in Hamburg, Germany in November 1945, just a few months after the end of the Second World War.

Into the spotlight

Douglas C-47 Dakota parked on a runway at night
Photo Credit: Royal Air Force Official Photographer / Imperial War Museums / Getty Images

A Douglas C-47 Dakota with the British Overseas Airways Corporation silhouetted by searchlights on the island of Gibraltar while it prepares for a flight to the UK in 1943. Gibraltar was of crucial importance to the Allies and their fight in the Mediterranean. A series of tunnels were improved underneath the rock to use in case of an enemy attack. They, nor the servicemen chosen to man them, were ever needed.

Half an aircraft

Damaged Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress parked on a runway
Photo Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images

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This Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress was damaged during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It subsequently lost its back end, leaving only the front. In this photo, it sits on the tarmac near Hangar Five at Hickam Field.

Rosemary Giles

Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department.

Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book.

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