Factory fresh photo shot of Sdkfz 234/4 Puma at its field trial grounds. Puma has 1943-onward African Yellow base color, while its crew wears traditional black Panzertruppe tunic and pants for mechanized armor crewmen.

German Panzer Colors | WPC

Interesting to note, with steady 1930s-era propaganda movie drum-beat by US Hollywood film companies against excesses of German Nazi regime, some US soldiers could not distinguish between German Panzer crews and Allgemeine-SS members ( since both wore black color uniforms ). Hence there were incidents of summarily executions by US troops against German Panzer crew POW ( ex. Rhineland ) or extra-judicial killings at Dachau - Germany.

Fritz: German Panzer Officer Action Figure | GJL

Allgemeine-SS / SS-VT. SS-Verfugungstruppe ( SS-VT was predecessor to Waffen-SS ) ( Russian ) | PL88

US forces execute German Pows account from WW2 | YouTube

Allgemeine-SS & Waffen-SS members wore same uniform patterns as regular German Heer ( Army ), but with SS rank insignia, such as toy action figure link below of SS Panzerkommandeur Max Wunsche.

LAH-Obersturmbannfuhrer, Panzertruppe "Max Wunsche" Action Figure | VPG

US Extra-Judicial Killings | 29 April 1945, upon US troops arrival at Dachau Concentration Camp, near Munich - southern Germany, scene of death and dying concentration camp inmates aroused US troops to emotional extent that they immediately carried out summarily executions of German POWs, be it Allgemeine SS camp guards, Waffen-SS troops, along with German military hospital patients from Heer and Luftwaffe service branches dragged from their hospital ward for US version of " Final Solution ".

29 April 1945 US Dachau massacre | Wiki

Photo shows pile of German corpse ( at least 25 slumped bodies can be identified ) in background previously executed by American troops in foreground, while men at photo edges are gathering additional ammunition for further executions. Some assert over 100 German POWs were executed in this manner, while other figures place it at 30 to 50 victims. No US infantrymen who perpetrated this massacre were court-martial, firstly such public trials would embarrass the conduct of US European forces, secondly with onset of " Cold War " against Soviet bloc, US needed to espouse good relations with West Germany geographically located at conflict's forefront. Hence, entire incident was covered-up by US after WW2 for about 40 years before secret WW2 files were declassified in 1980s, along with 1990s German public testimonials of such incidents after 1989 German unification.

Cold War Museum | CWM

In photo, 3 German soldiers are standing in preparation for execution, 2 outer ones have hands raised, but middle POW seems ambivalent with his hands folded ( given pending dire circumstances, this is German cultural norm of using gestures to state " Screw You, Frack Off " and " You can kiss my ass " stance ). Incident was not censored in US history, but rather it was never mention among public accounts or recorded in standard history text. Thus after a few decades, younger American generation has no memory such act perpetrated by US troops ever existed.

Extrajudicial killing | Wiki

This " Summarily Execution " perpetrated by WW2 American troops is still very sensitive topic nearly 70 years after WW2 end, rationale is due to perceived American moral superiority that US does not execute unarmed POWs via extra-judicial process. Thus evidence to the contrary would force general American public to re-evaluate moral dilemma of its armed forces behavior. One common legal explanation to offset this moral dilemma was... it was never official US policy to take extra-judicial retributions against POWs or civilians, thus troops who carried out these atrocities bear its sole responsibility and consequences.

US Army troops executing German SS guards at Dachau | WW2DB

Col. Howard A. Buechner's account of the execution of Waffen-SS soldiers at Dachau | Wiki

However, some American veterans who bear witness, if not outright participant in 1945 Dachau Massacre ( such as unapologetic US Col. Buechner in above link ) justified these extra-judicial killings on grounds of Moral Outrage & Necessity. Meaning that US does not wantonly kill unarmed civilians or POWs, but when faced with atrocious acts conducted by the enemy, emotional reaction requires immediate dispensation of justice... thus summarily executions can be morally sanctioned and legally justified.

Nevertheless, this rationale is severely undermined by WW2 British liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Bergen - north-central Germany a week beforehand on 19 April 1945. British forces did not run emotionally amoke killing German POWs at random. First act they conducted was to arrest German camp guards, second was to feed the dying inmates, third action was to call in camera crew to document what they had to bear witness to. In essence, as one British WW2 veteran stated in passing of American veterans, " Yanks are too gung-ho cowboys, emotionally distraught, and ill-disciplined ". Or to flip the argument via legalistic terms... can American officers / enlisted troops conduct unilateral extra-judicial killings without prior permission of senior officers if one was morally outraged from certain encounters or incidents, this issue continues to be problematic for modern American troops, such as 2005 Iraq - Haditha killings.

Bergen-Belsen concentration camp | Wiki

Haditha killings | Wiki

In contrast, it was official WW2 Germany retribution policy to execute circa 50 to 200 civilians for every German soldier killed by partisans ( by international laws of warfare, they were considered irregular combatants, hence not granted any legal protection ). One notorious incident was in June 1941 when German ambulance column was ambushed by Soviet partisans whereby circa 60 German soldiers - doctors - patients were sadistically massacred ( ex. victims had their genitals sliced off and stuffed into their mouths ). Photo above shows one of bullet-ridden ambulance in 1941 Soviet ambush after German reinforcements arrived on scene.

HISTORY IN PICTURES: RARE, UNSEEN PICTURES Wehrmacht (German Army) | PHB

In response to this Soviet massacre, OKH or Oberkommando des Heeres ( German Army High Command in Eastern Europe ) retaliated via infamous " No POW Order " by which all Soviet POWs captured in next 4 days were summarily executed... resulting in circa 4,000 deaths as retribution.

Massacres and Atrocities of World War II | IIN

Other infamous reprisals include 9 June 1944 Tulle massacre, and 10 June 1944 Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, both towns located in France. Concerning Tulle incident, German 2nd SS Panzer Division ( in transit towards Normandy front ) arrival in town discovered some 60 German occupation troops massacred by French Communist Partisans, all were sadistically mutilated ( ex. victims has their eyes gouged out, tongues sliced off, and genitals severed and stuffed into their mouths... seems like this sadism is typical of Communist Partisan behavior since Soviets partisans perpetrated same acts ). 120 French civilians were selected for hanging, but only 99 were executed since the Germans ran out of lamp posts / balconies to hand additional victims, in addition the Panzer column had to expedite its advance to northern Normandy front. BTW... interesting to note that Wikipedia website does not mention any rationale for German reprisals, only emphasized consequences upon its French victims, hence one suspects slight of propaganda hand at play via its factual omission.

1944 Tulle murders | Wiki

1944 Massacre at Tulle | WW2T

1944 Oradour-sur-Glane Massacre | ODI

Puma armor car, with Landser ( infantrymen ) huddled on roadside, during German counter-attacks against Soviet offensives in Silesia - Eastern Germany, April 1945. Puma has both roof hatches opened, along with large storage box - spare wheel - tarpin wrap on rear deck, as German column recon horizon before continued advanced.

Silesia was part of Germany being its coal mining region, but WW2 end saw Soviet Union seize 20,000 square miles of eastern Polish territory ( to redress WW1 land loss under Russian Empire and incorporate ethnic Ukranian population into USSR ). To compensate, Soviets gave Poland roughly same size eastern Germany region, namely East Prussia up north and Silesia down south. To prevent any future rebellion or demand for independence by local German population, and to make way for Polish nationals evicted from newly acquired Soviet regions in Poland.... Poles evicted Germans in-masse into post-WW2 Germany proper.

Flight and evacuation of German civilians during the end of World War II | Wiki

Way before WW2 tensions emerged, Silesia's German and Polish population battled for region control in 1920s, with Poles rebelling to join newly created post-WW1 Polish Republic, also called 2nd Polish Republic until its conquest by combined Sept. 1939 German - Soviet invasions.

1919-1921 Silesian Uprisings | Wiki

1921 Battle of Annaberg - Silesia | Wiki

Second Polish Republic 1918-1939 | Wiki

post-WW2 East Germany did retain small portion of Silesia, specifically western side of Lusatian Neisse river ( ex. districts of Görlitz, Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis of Saxony, Oberspreewald-Lausitz of Brandenburg ). With 1989 collapse of Polish Communist regime, new Polish parliament elected to preserve national ethnic cohesion, hence rejected ethnic-German federal autonomy in Silesia or special ethnic constitutional status in Warmia-Masurian voivodship ( former East Prussia ).

Lusatian Neisse | Wiki

Lower Silesia | Wiki

Poland WARMIA - MAZURY PROVINCE | KTC

Post WW2 Germany - Poland border had its own controversies... in 1950 East Germany signed treaty with Poland recognizing Oder-Neisse river as national border ( West Germany was not part of agreement ). In 1952, Soviet Union set preconditions that West Germany must recognize Oder-Neisse as formal eastern Germany border upon German unification ( which was rejected by West Germany ). Contentions was such at West Germany adopted Hallstein Doctrine, which did not formally recognize either East Germany or post-WW2 Poland. By 1970, West Germany relented and recognized Oder-Neisse to enabled cross-border family visitations. In fact, US did not formally recognize East Germany until President Ford administration in 1974.

Oder Neisse Line | PPC

Hallstein Doctrine | Wiki

History of East Germany | Wiki

On 4 Nov 1990, final step taken on eve of German unification when West Germany amended its constitution to remove language on recovery of pre-WW2 German territory ( which settled formal Germany - Poland border, but also negated future legal or financial compensation claims by German against Poland, which is still a sensitive topic in modern eastern Germany ). 1991 Germany - Poland border treaty established " de jure " Oder-Neisse line of what has been " de facto " national border.

German–Polish Border Treaty (1990) | Wiki

In recent controversy as reported on June 2011 DW European Journal news program, Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski reiterated Polish nationalist stance by stating " Silesia-ism " ( aka constructional recognition of Silesia ethnic - cultural - language lineage ) is tantamount to Germanism or approval of reunification with Germany.

German language in Europe | Wiki

European Journal | Deutsche Welle | DW

Inset | language map showcase German language concentration in Silesia - Poland, with area bordering Germany to west, and Czech Republic down south.

Silesia BACKGROUND GENEALOGY | KHC

Silesian ethnic-Germans rejected such distortions by stating they have always been Silesians first regardless of being ruled by Imperial Prussia, German Reich, or today's Polish Republic.

Silesia | Wiki

History of Silesia | Wiki

BTW, one explanation why there are still significant ethnic-German population in Poland Silesia was that not all Germans were expelled from region after WW2. Many Germans were permitted to remain for they were needed to operate the coal mines, company logistics, or government administrative functions. If all Germans were expelled, then entire Silesia economy would have collapsed for lack of Polish expertise and stewardship to fill the void.

This is similar to 1942 US blanket expulsion of circa 200,000 Japanese-Americans to Internment Camps ( American politically-correct euphuism for Concentration Camps ), ostensibly as federal protective custody to prevent racial pogroms against these personages, but in reality prodded by fear of ethnic allegiance to Imperial Japan.

Japanese-American internment | Wiki

Pogrom | Wiki

However, Japanese-American population in Hawaii Islands were not deported to such camps, with over 250,000 people of Japanese lineage, such mass internment would have immediately collapsed Hawaii economic structure. To be fair, German and Italian Americans were also deported to Internment Camps in WW2, but on much smaller scale or via case-by-case decision. For all three ethnic American groups, few camp survivors publicly speak about their internment experience, much discussions are only among family or closely trusted colleagues.

Children of the Camps - INTERNMENT HISTORY | PBS

Internment Camps and Detention Centers that held German American Internees | FOI

Italian American internment | Wiki

Since mid-1990s, conspiracy groups have accused US government of new internment camp preparation via federal emergency powers vested in FEMA to handle natural disasters. All this harks back to Imperial Rome Latin proverb" Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges " ( in times of war, the Law falls silent ).

FEMA AMERICAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS | APFN

Latin Proverbs | Wiki

1944 Normandy - France | Waffen-SS Puma crew of #028 ( 0 number referred to headquarter unit, 2nd platoon, 8th vehicle in platoon ). German commander identified by its camouflage Panzer tunic dapple pattern, while his subordinate has standard field green pattern. Rationale was that given limited uniform supplies, commander has priority wearing camouflage uniforms since he is required to frequently enter/exit vehicle or peer out hatch opening for battlefield recon. Puma's Saukopf ( pig head ) gun mantle ballistic design, along with 3-canister turret mounted smoke dischargers clearly evident.

Germany (Third Reich) camouflage uniforms | CPO

Die Nahverteidigungswaffe | CMN

Although German Heer ( Army ) and Waffen-SS research branches produced variety of " Tarnanzüge " camouflage uniforms, its patterns directly correlated to specific research branches, hence given to specific combat service arms, thus immediate branch service distinctions ( Heer vs. Waffen-SS ) can be made without need to view rank insignia.

kamouflage.net - military camouflage patterns | KFN

Assay Surplus camouflage pattern | HYP

UweM Puma model photo #1 circa 1996, model have dry brush weathering, but no extensive paint wash. 2010 re-weathering project added paint wash detailing, process also enabled removal of light dust layer from decades of display.

UweM Puma model photo #2 circa 1996, since model was originally built in 1989, it was de-constructed and rebuilt in 1995 by soaking parts in bucket of bleach + water solution. This solution soak took about 2 months for paint to dissolve and glued parts to gradually breakdown.

UweM Puma model photo #3 circa 1996, once the 2-month bleach + water solution soak was completed, de-constructued parts were reglued back as normal model construction process. This also gave opportunity to add new feature by setting articulated Puma wheel axles ( 4 front wheels arc inward, 4 rear wheels arc outward ... for tight vehicle right turn radius ).