Colorize photo a little Filipina child amidst the ruins of liberated Manila, 1945

Little girl holding a small Philippine flag and selling bananas, possible to GI soldiers who just liberated Manila from the Japanese during WWI.  Building in the foreground is the Aduana in Intramuros, a historic landmark involving the first Spanish settlement in the city, but was used extensively as a Japanese garrison during their occupation. Manila was among the most devastated cities during the war. This was caused mostly by artillery shells and bombing by American liberating forces as they eliminated all Japanese resistance, often reducing into rubble those that have been identified as Japanese holdouts.  There have been speculations that had the U.S. waited for the surrender of Japan after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese occupation forces in the Philippines would have peacefully laid down their arms, sparing Manila from the utter destruction.  But it is said that Gen. Douglas MacArthur had to fulfill his "I shall return" promise at all cost, as he felt he owed that much to say "I have returned" to Filipinos and not say they were forgotten.  MacArthur returned to the Philippines in Oct 1944 and the Battle of Manila that reduced the city to ruins was from Feb - Mar 1945.  Japan surrendered in August of that year.

Raising the Soviet flag over the German Reichstag, May 1945

The iconic raising of the Soviet flag over the devastated Reichstag was a re-enactment photo taken the day after the Soviet victory in the Battle of Berlin.  Colorized from two re-enactment original photos taken by Yevgeny Khaldei with a Leica III rangefinder camera with a 35mm f3.5 lens on 2 May 1945.

The photo was published 13 May 1945 in the Ogonyok magazine. While many photographers took pictures of flags on the Reischtag roof, it was Khaldei's image that stuck.

The Soviets wrongly considered the Reichstag as symbolic of  Nazi Germany. It was already abandoned after the 1933 fire that left it in ruins. On 2 May 1945, photographer Khaldei scaled the now pacified Reichstag to take his picture. He was carrying with him a large flag, sewn from three tablecloths for this very purpose, by his uncle. Arriving at the Reichstag, he asked the soldiers who happened to be passing by to help with the staging of the photoshoot. There were only four of them, including Khaldei, on the roof: the one who was attaching the flag was 18-year-old Private Kovalev from Kiev, the two others were Abdulkhakim Ismailov from Dagestan and Leonid Gorychev from Minsk.

After taking the photo, Khaldei returned to Moscow and edited the image at the request of the editor-in-chief of the Ogonyok, who noticed that Senior Sergeant Abdulkhakim Ismailov, who is supporting the flag-bearer, was wearing two watches, which could imply he had looted one of them, an action punishable by execution. Using a needle, Khaldei removed the watch from the right wrist. Later, it was claimed that the extra watch was actually an Adrianov compass and that Khaldei, in order to avoid controversy, doctored the photo to remove the watch from Ismailov's right wrist. He also added to the smoke in the background, copying it from another picture to make the scene more dramatic.[1]

Stumbled on another photo by Khaldei with the flag still to be unfurled, but used another image of the flag in another photo unfurled and slightly distorted.

The Big Three during the Yalta Conference, also known as the Crimea Conference (February 4 - 11 1945) dividing the world among them after WWII.

Colorized a photo of the Yalta Conference, also known as the Crimea Conference (February 4 - 11 1945), the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the US, represented by President FDR, and UK represented by WC and the Soviet Union, represented by Stalin. It was held near Yalta in Crimea, Russia within the Livadia, Yusupov and Vorontsov palaces. The conference aimed to give self-determination to the liberated peoples of post-Nazi Europe and the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe. Yalta was the second of three major wartime conferences among the Big Three, preceded by the Tehran Conference in 1943 and followed by the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 with Truman representing the US and Atlee for the UK.

Field Marshal General Erwin Rommel (1891 - 1944)

Colorized a photo of General Erwin Rommel looking dapper in a Hugo Boss produced military uniform and overcoat some liberties on the background.

Colorized photo of a 35-year old Adolph Hitler upon his release from Landsburg Prison, 1924

Colorized photo of a 35-year old Adolph Hitler upon his release from Landsberg Prison, December 20, 1924. He was convicted for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch on November 8, 1923. The attempted coup in Munich by right-wing members of the army and the Nazi Party was foiled by the government, and Hitler was charged with high treason by the Bavarian State Court and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. After pressures from his supporters in government, he was released. It was during his 9-month incarceration here where he completed his Mein Kamp and re-strategized his Nazi philosophy. Photo said to be taken by Hitler’s photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann.

After his release, major broadsheets around the world rejoiced that the belligerant German leader has been "tamed" during his brief prison term at Landsburg,  Like this one

Long before his release, on Dec. 20, 1924, due in large part to the efforts of Warden Leybold, Hitler was already thinking about what type of car to buy: a Benz 11/40, which "would meet my current requirements," or a 16/50 with a more powerful engine. His preferred color was gray, and he wanted "wire wheels." Hitler asked the car dealer for preferential treatment. He wrote that he would probably have to obtain a loan for the purchase and that the "court costs and legal fees" he owed were making his "hair stand on end." In the letter, Hitler asked Werlin to inquire at his main office as to "what sort of a discount you can give me."

However, Hitler never got to buy one. The car he used upon his release belonged to Adolf Müller owner of the Münchner Buchgewerbehaus, where the Völkische Beobachter was published. It was a mid-priced Mercedes Benz 11/40, produced between 1923 -1925 and had a six-cylinder in-line engine with 2860 cc capacity that developed 40 hp

Colorized photo of King George VI (1895 – 1952)

The king of the British Empire during WWII, King George VI (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) who ascended the throne upon the abdication of King Edward VIII on 11 December 1936.and was succeeded by her daughter who became Queen Elizabeth II upon his death from coronary thrombosis after a struggle from lung cancer.  Colorized from a Photo by Yousuf Karsh with liberties on the background. "Bertie" as he was called by friends, was recently portrayed by Sir Colin Firth as the stuttering king in "The King's Speech."  Not a close resemblance though, but his performance merited an Oscar for best actor.

Colorized a photo of the twisted remains of a double-decker London City bus after a German Blitz on the City, September 10, 1940

Colorized a photo of the twisted remains of a double-decker  London City bus after a day time German Blitz on the City that also left some department stores in ruins,  September 10, 1940, just 3 days after the start of the Blitz. 

The  Battle of Britain between August and September 1940 and saw the defeat of the German Luftwaffe despite a clear 4:1 numerical superiority in aircraft over Britain.  Hitler then turned his sights on conducting bombing Blitzes that almost sent the UK to its knees if not for the fact that Hitler canceled his plans to invade Britain for his invasion of Soviet Russia to the east  The Royal Family was already preparing to evacuate to Canada and had Hitler continued with his invasion of Britain and not embark on a disastrous Russian campaign, he would have won the war at that point.  America was still sitting on the fence until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941, but without the UK as its launch point in the European theatre, there would not be any country in Europe to host a US military build-up for a Normandy landing. 

On September 7, 1940  around 4:00 PM, 348 German bombers (mostly Heinkel 111) escorted by 617 fighters blasted London until 6:00 PM. Two hours later, guided by the fires set by the first assault, a second wave commenced another attack that lasted until 4:30 the following morning.  The blitz lasted until May 1951 leaving more than 50,000 civilian casualties including 28,500 dead.  

Colorized a photo of the USS West Virginia on fire after being hit by 9 Japanese fighter-borne torpedeos on Dec 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Colorized a photo of the 31,800-ton battleship destroyer USS West Virginia on fire after being hit by 9 Japanese fighter-borne torpedeos on Dec 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Six of the torpedoes struck port side of the West Virginia that resulted in a 15-degree listing. Fires broke out across the ship, resulting from explosives and the inferno caused by the destruction of the USS Arizona, which was leaking oil. As flames consumed Wee Vee, her crew sought safety aboard the USS Tennessee, directly inboard of the West Virginia, Using hoses from the Tennessee, they fought the flames but after burning for 30 hours, the West Virginia sank to the bottom, taking 66 sailors with her. The photo shows a rescue boat picking up a sailor.

US Marines raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima

Colorized an iconic photo taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, depicting US Marines raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi after its capture during the Battle of Iwo Jima,. The mount is a dormant volcano top, the dominant geographical feature of the island that enabled the Americans to have a strategic view over the island, Despite capturing Suribachi, the battle continued for many days until 31 days later, on March 26. when US victory was complete. The photo was first published on February 25, 1945, reprinted in thousands of publications. and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, the only photo to win in the same year as its publication. It became one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war. Colorized with liberties on the bland empty background.

Colorized a photo of a 16-year old German Hans-Georg Henke, in tearsa after being taken prisoner in Hessen, Germany, 1944.

Colorized a famous photo of a 16-year old German anti-aircraft soldier of the Hitler Youth, Hans-Georg Henke, taken prisoner in the state of Hessen, Germany. He was a member of the Luftwaffe anti-air squad who burst into tears as his world crumbled around him. His father died in 1938 but when his mother died in 1944 leaving the family destitute, Hans-Georg had to find work in order to support the family and at 15 joined the Luftwaffe.  Here is his story

Colorized a photo of General Douglas MacArthur, Sep 2, 1945 featured in a LIFE magazine.

5 Star General Douglas MacArthur aboard the USS Missouri for the signing of the unconditional surrender of Japan, Sep 2, 1945.

A U.S. Marine flamethrower, one of the many who had the weapon proven to be quite effective in winning the month long Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945

Here is my colorized take on a photo showing a typical U.S. Marine flamethrower. The M2 flamethrower served as the single most effective weapon in major Iwo Jima engagements against Japanese troops who hid in pillboxes, caves, buildings, and bunkers that have proven to be invulnerable to earlier bombing runs, artillery and naval bombardment.

Colorized photo of a U.S. Marine aiming his rifle during the Battle of Iwo Jima

Colorized photo of a U.S. Marine aiming his rifle in practice during a lull in the Battle of Iwo Jima from 19Feb to 26Mar 1945. Under Operation Detachment meant to capture Iwo Jima as a staging point to attack Japan, US Marines faced the fiercest and bloodiest battles against a well-prepared and well-entrenched Japanese Imperial Army who considered the defense of Iwo Jima their last hope of prolonging the war and preventing it from reaching Japan. Virtually nothing from the naval bombardment or bombings conducted by the U.S. allied forces made any impact and securing the beachhead made the Invasion of Normandy look like a walk in the park by comparison. It took America 36 days to defeat the enemy and capture the island. It was the only battle in the Pacific where the American wounded exceeded the Japanese, although Japanese combat deaths numbered three times as many as American deaths.

U.S. Allied forces in the German town of Linnich during the Battle of Berlin, Feb 1945

Here's my colorized take on a photo depicting an M4A3 Sherman of the 771st Tank Battalion of the 84th rail Splitter Division after fighting in the German town of Linnich from a photo taken on Feb 24th, 1945. Allied forces advanced its way from the west in the invasion of Germany, leaving a swath of ruins as Hitler's army, reduced to a disorganized defensive position, presented stiff resistance that caused over 100,000 casualties in the armies of Generals Omar Bradley and George Paton.  Berlin eventually fell to the Soviets advancing from the East leading to the surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945.

The majesty of Hindenburg, colorized in a 1936 photo

The Hindenburg was dubbed the ‘world’s first flying hotel. with passenger accommodation within the hull of the humongous structure that is 5 times the size of the largest modern commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380 show below for comparison.  For a more detailed description of what it offered at the time, you can have an idea here 

Colorized photos of the Hindenberg in the throes of its destruction, May 6 1937

Here's my colorized take on 4 photos depicting a sequence of events depicting the destruction of the LZ-129 Hindenburg over less than a minute when it attempted to land at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey.  The photos have been taken presumably by different news photographers covering the event as it was supposed to be the Hindenburg's first scheduled round trip between Europe and the U.S.  Note that the mooring tower is still a distance away from the Hindenberg but as the photographer team were waiting to welcome the airship from the tower, several photos where taken from behind it.  Admittedly, they were well positioned to take a better photo composition.

There have been eyewitness accounts of the horrific tragedy. But easily the most dramatic, expressing the horror of the event, was the broadcast of radio reporter Herbert Morrison, lasting throughout the disaster from start to finish.  Here were his words in the broadcast:
 It's starting to rain again;
it's – the rain has slacked up a little bit.
The back motors of the ship are just holding it just, just enough to keep it from –
It burst into flames!
Get this, Charlie!
It's fire – and it's crashing! It's crashing terrible!
Oh, my, get out of the way, please!
It's burning and bursting into flames,
and the – and it's falling on the mooring-mast and all the folks agree that this is terrible, this is the worst of the worst catastrophes in the world.
[Indecipherable word(s)]
It's – it's – it's the flames,
[indecipherable, possible the word "climbing"]
oh, four- or five-hundred feet into the sky and it...
it's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen.
It's smoke, and it's flames now...
and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring-mast.
Oh, the humanity and all the passengers screaming around here. I told you, I can't even talk to people whose friends are on there.
Ah!
It's – it's – it's....
o – ohhh!
I – I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen.
Honest, it's just laying there, a mass of smoking wreckage.
Ah! And everybody can hardly breathe and talk, and the screaming.
Lady, I – I'm sorry.
Honest: I – I can hardly breathe.
I – I'm going to step inside where I cannot see it.
Charlie, that's terrible.
Ah, ah – I can't.
I, listen, folks I – I'm gonna have to stop for a minute because I've lost my voice.
This is the worst thing I've ever witnessed