Blitzkrieg Russia

A pictorial history chronicling battle scenes on the Eastern Front during World War II.

The photographs in Blitzkrieg Russia are taken from five unpublished albums focusing on the German invasion of Russia in 1941, Operation Barbarossa. Two of the albums contain shots taken by German infantrymen and include shots of combat, vehicles, knocked-out tanks and prisoners of war. Two of the other albums feature artillery and flak units in action, destroyed Russian aircraft, vehicles and armor as well as Russian prisoners. The final album is from a tank destroyer unit with photographs of damaged Russian armor (and abandoned armor), artillery and assault guns in action and a fascinating glimpse into the transition into the first winter. 

Other exceptional photographs include rubber boats carrying troops across a river, engineers at work, and a range of more casual poses. There are also some interesting studies of uniforms and equipment, abandoned vehicles, vehicles being salvaged and maintained, and a host of other subjects including fraternization with the local peasants and a glimpse of the vast distances involved in the advances made by the Germans in the early months of the conflict.

These historical snapshots offer a rare and candid glimpse of the war from the perspective of the soliders who fought it.