Original caption: “German tanks roll through city — German tanks rumble along a Belgrade street in a review staged after the german occupation of the Yugoslavian capital. city fell to German forces Sunday.”
Panzerkampfwagen III pass by the House of the National Assembly in Belgrade (to the left, off camera) in what is today Nikola Pašić Square during the Nazi German victory parade after the capitulation of the Yugoslavians on April 17, 1941. The panzers are driving towards the Glavna pošta Srbije (“Main Post Office of Serbia”)
On April 11, 1941, a German officer, SS-Standartenführer Fritz Klingenberg (December 17, 1912 – March 23, 1945) of 2.SS-Panzerdivision “Das Reich” with six men, moved into Belgrade to reconnoitre the city. After some scattered combat with Yugoslav troops, they entered the centre of the city with captured Yugoslav troops and a liberated German tourist. They went to City Hall and met Mayor Jevrem Tomić (1894 – ????), whereupon they bluffed about their size and incoming threats of bombardment. The city surrendered to them at 1845 hours on April 12. Klingenberg was awarded the Knight’s Cross for capturing the city, in effect capturing Belgrade with just himself, his six soldaten and the tourist.
a victory parade of the conquerors of the city, led by 1.Panzergruppe, was held at 1200 Hours on April 13. Panzerkampfwagen III of 15.Panzer-Regiment, 11.Panzer-Division Gespensterdivision (“Ghost Division”) parade in front of their commanders: standing in the center is Generaloberst Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (August 8, 1881 – November 13, 1954), Kommandant, 1.Panzergruppe; to his right is Generalleutnant Ludwig Crüwell (March 20, 1892 – September 25, 1958), Kommandant, 11.Panzer-Division; and on the left, in black uniform, is Oberstleutnant Gustav-Adolf Riebel (March 13, 1896 – August 23, 1942) Kommandant, 15.Panzer-Regiment.
The defeat of Belgrade was also celebrated in the “Song of Armored Group Kleist”: “We were the victors of Belgrade; we defeated all resistance, and broke up with a false state!”
Crüwell later fought under Rommel and after the war became chairman of the Africa Corps Veterans Association; Riebel was killed in 1942 at Stalingrad. Von Kleist died of a heart attack in Soviet captivity, as a war criminal, in 1954.
At the spot from which these three officers once proudly watched their rolling tanks – today stand civilians, waiting for a bus.
Transcript
Da züngelt es und qualmt es, raucht es, brennt es, reiter wird die düstere Wolke über Weltgräfen. Aus dem blauen Himmel fällt Tod und Verderben. Es kommen immer neue Kampfflugzeuge, neue Staffeln, neue Gruppen. Riesige Schwärme ziehen über Jugoslawien Hauptstadt hinweg. Da ist keine Demonstration mehr auf den Straßen zu sehen. Da ist der Hassgesang verstummt. Da liegen die englischen Flaggen schon unter den Trümmern von Schutt und Siegelsteinen. Sie fliegen jetzt eine Kurve um die Stadt. Das Schieß so gut wie es kann. Die Flaggwolken verflüchten sich zu einem breigen Dunst am Himmel. Aber nur vereinzelt fallen noch Schüsse. Nur vereinzelt krepieren die Granaten. Auch die feindliche Abwehr bricht unter der Wucht unseres Angriffs zusammen. Höher steigen die Raubwolken, werden schwärzer, Brände springen auf. Schon am helligsten Tage ein grauenvolles Bild.
There it licks and smokes, it fumes, it burns, the dark cloud grows thicker over the world’s graves. Death and destruction fall from the blue sky. New fighter planes, new squadrons, new groups arrive all the time. Huge swarms of aircraft fly over the capital of Yugoslavia. There are no more demonstrations to be seen on the streets. The chants of hate have fallen silent. The English flags are already lying beneath the rubble and seal stones. They are now flying a curve around the city. They are shooting as best they can. The clouds of flags evaporate into a muddy haze in the sky. But only a few shots are still being fired. Only a few do the grenades explode. Even the enemy defenses collapse under the force of our attack. The predatory clouds rise higher, grow blacker, fires ignite. Even in broad daylight, a horrific sight.
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database