All About - History - Hitler Versus Stain

Hitler vs Stalin: Operation Barbarossa
Winter
headgear
Rather than wearing
a heavy steel helmet,
this Red Army soldier
takes advantage of
the warmth of a wool,
fur-lined cap that offers
protection for his
ears against the bitter
Russian winter.
Axis infantry use a Flammenwerfer 41 to
sweep a building clear of resistance
“BURNING VILLAGES, STARING BODIES
OF FALLEN RUSSIAN SOLDIERS, SWOLLEN
CARCASSES OF DEAD HORSES, RUSTING,
BLACKENED AND BURNT OUT TANKS
WERE THE SIGNS OF THE MARCH”
A GERMAN INFANTRYMAN DESCRIBES THE EARLY
DAYS OF BARBAROSSA
July saw torrential rain drench the battlefields
of eastern Europe. It was so severe that the
free-roaming Ostheer had been stopped in its
tracks and columns of troops tailed back tens
of kilometres waiting for the sun to emerge
from the clouds. This gave the beleaguered Red
Army a chance to rediscover its composure. The
reaction was a counterattack but the Wehrmacht
stood firm, beating the Soviets back and
advancing ever further towards Smolensk, which
fell after a month of heavy fighting. The Germans
were suffering substantial losses now but the
Wehrmacht juggernaut just kept on coming. Stalin
ordered a strict scorched-earth policy. All across
the Eastern Front bridges were destroyed, railway
lines were sabotaged and roads were demolished.
Strong resistance was now a must as the Ostheer
drew ever nearer to the cradle of Soviet power.
Stalin didn’t tolerate failure and General Dmitry
Pavlov was duly executed for his failure to prevent
the German advance. Now his commanders were
much more hesitant to surrender or retreat. While
Stalin was purging the Red Army from the top
down, the Wehrmacht was busy pillaging the
population of Minsk.
Winter uniform
Unlike his German adversary,
the Red Army soldier was
outfitted for winter warfare
with a quilted coat and trousers,
fur-lined gloves and thick boots
that provided warmth in belowfreezing
temperatures.
DP-28 light
machine gun
With its large drum magazine,
the DP-28 light machine gun
earned the nickname ‘the record
player’. Firing a 7.62mm round,
it provided automatic weapons
support at the squad level.
Additional
accoutrements
This Red Army soldier has
placed his garrison cap inside
his wide canvas belt, while
additional equipment and
ammunition for other weapons
are carried in attached pouches.
RED ARMY
SOLDIER
After suffering horrible losses,
the resilient Red Army soldier
proved more than a match
for the Nazi invaders