This powerful wartime image, taken on April 28, 1945, in Vicenza, Italy, captures a U.S. Army infantryman of the famed 88th Division racing past still-burning German vehicles. Snapped by photographer Schmidt of the 196th Signal Photo Company and issued by the U.S. Army Signal Corps (SC 208335), the image was part of the official war documentation effort during the liberation of northern Italy.

The 88th Infantry Division, nicknamed the “Blue Devils,” played a crucial role in the Italian Campaign’s conclusion.

After a vicious engagement outside Vicenza on April 27, the 88th Division Task Force Frye prepared to enter the city. On the following morning, the Americans had about four tanks moving along the SR11 regional road when they were ambushed. From that point on, it was a tough fight through the city. American troops were attacked by German snipers hiding in buildings, targeted with hand grenades thrown from roofs, and shot with panzerfaust, a weapon similar to a bazooka that fires projectiles that enter a tank and then destroy it from the inside out. On top of that, they were forced to drive with their hatches open, heads fully exposed. Three Americans died in the battle, all from head wounds. For the 752nd Tank Battalion, it was the worst casualty day of the entire war. Sixteen American soldiers were wounded in addition to the three killed, and five tanks were destroyed. ight Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars were awarded for actions in Vicenza that morning. The entire unit was awarded a distinguished unit citation. After the battle, American forces continued their race toward the border, leaving Vicenza to rebuild. It was the most heavily bombed city in the Veneto region, with destruction to homes and iconic buildings.
This image was made during the final days of Nazi occupation in Italy, mere days before Germany’s total surrender in WWII.

Photographer Robert H. Schmidt a front-line photographer whose work now forms part of the war’s visual legacy, later authored The Forgotten Front in Northern Italy, a rare memoir detailing the risks and realities of life as a WWII combat photographer.

Crystal clear, exceptional quality Type 1 silver gelatin photograph, one of the best dynamic and dramatic WWII photographs I ever handled.