Troops of the 325th Security Division (325. Sicherungs-Division) pose outside of what has been identified as the Café de Flore in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. The division was considered a 2nd Line Division, a Garrison type division, most troops not having been to the Fronts by the summer of 44, at least two seem though to have War Merit Crosses right.

 

https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/SichDiv/325SichDiv-R.htm

Neat photo. Since they are carrying grenades, I suspect they are headed to the front soon. You don't issue out grenades until your pretty sure your going to need them. Is that a small mortar in the front left?

2 hours ago, Brian Keith said:

Neat photo. Since they are carrying grenades, I suspect they are headed to the front soon. You don't issue out grenades until your pretty sure your going to need them. Is that a small mortar in the front left?

This photo is of the Paris based 325th Security Division, the main combat garrison unit there, the photo taken during the uprising of the FFL and the approach of the Allies., they will do battle in the streets of Paris.

 

 

 

 

Good catch on the mortar, it is the 5_cm_granatwerfer_36-1, by 1942 this weapon became obsolete in the Army and SS and was used still by Second Line units such as Security Divisions, there doesn't seem to have been a newer mortar to replace this one, so the Germsns seem to went without a light mortar for what remained of the war, guess they used some foreign light types?

What a grisly looking bunch.

 

I might have choked on my coq aux vin had they walked up on me.

On 5/7/2022 at 5:03 PM, Brian Keith said:

Neat photo. Since they are carrying grenades, I suspect they are headed to the front soon. You don't issue out grenades until your pretty sure your going to need them. Is that a small mortar in the front left?

In Paris in August 1944, the front was heading to them. 

Another photo, this time one of them basically by himself, gives a good view of the mortar.