| Men from 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) in a Schwimmwagen at Kaiserbaracke crossroads, between St. Vith and Malmedy. The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen (literally “swimming car”) is a light 4-wheel drive amphibious car, used extensively by German ground forces during the 2nd World War. With over 15,000 units built, the Schwimmwagen is the most-produced amphibious car in history. The German light amphibious car, which resembles a small civilian sports car and has a boat-shaped open body, is highly maneuverable. The Germans call this vehicle a Schwimmwagen, literally enough, while on the Allied side it is sometimes spoken of as an amphibious Volkswagen. The light amphibious car represents a development of the original Volkswagen (“Peoples Car”), a light civilian vehicle that Führer und Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) once promised to manufacture in huge quantities and bragged about as 1 of the future blessings of German National Socialism. Motion picture footage of this event was included in Die Deutsche Wochenschau (“The German Weekly Newsreel”). The rifle seen in this still viewwasused to stabilize the broken sign to Malady. Other American signs were removed. The car’s occupants have been variously, but not conclusively, identified. SS-Unterscharführer Max Büschel (June 10, 1912 – June 1, 1945) and joined the SS-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie on June 6, 1941. LSSAH’s longtime kriegsberichter (“war reporter”), he accompanied SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 LSSAH from Honsfeld to Born, Kaiserbaracke and Recht. Büschel took the famous photos of the ambush on the road between Recht and Poteau, before doubling back to Kaiserbaracke where he was filmed by his kriegsberichter colleague Schäfer as he fixed the road sign at the crossroads in the motion picture film. After LSSAH surrendered to American forces in Austria in May 1945, Büschel managed to evade captivity and made his way back to his family in Berlin. He was shot when the Soviet occupational forces found out he was a member of 1. SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0346.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.44 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 3723 x 2784 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Kriegsberichter |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 16, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Saint Vith |
| State or Province | Wallonia |
| Country | Belgium |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | EA 47958 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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