Artist's commentary
Break time with some Scho-Ka-Kol
Now that I looked at it, this is more like a reimagining of the previous work "Scho-Ka-Kola", with updated details.
Johanna, as well as Erika, are teenagers who joined Greifkommando units (Mobile execution unit) as volunteers either out of desperation or fanaticism since Berlin had turned into a fortress city. In Johanna's case, she has full confidence in the regime and truly believes in the "Final victory", she took the worsening situation as a challenge instead of a sign of defeat, which makes her life much easier.
To look into the perspective of Johanna from modern days, her mindset is totally unrealistic and naive, yet she is not alone on this, as Hanna Reitsch stated "They believed the war was just a big game, that their Uncle Hitl*r was responsible for the bombs going off outside and that we are winning.", this statement was further confirmed by Ryan Cornelius's book <THE LAST BATTLE: THE CLASSIC HISTORY OF THE BATTLE FOR BERLIN> I recently read. Therefore I created Johanna with this worry-free and optimistic characteristic.
Johanna, as any teenage volunteer at her age, received negligible combat training, she was not issued Y straps or bread bags, only a gas mask canister, bayonet, and a 98K rifle. She was also issued a stahlhelm with chicken wire helmet basket, which was placed on the Kettenkrad behind her.
Unsurprisingly, Johanna is holding a can of Scho-Ka-Kola chocolate, the Scho-Ka-Kola with a white cover and red cross logo is a special version issued by Berlin hospitals or medical units, this idea came from Useless and I think is a very nice touch.
I can never have done this alone without the assistance and guidance of Useless(user/5815364), I very much appreciate his help!