70 years ago today: Operation Barbarossa started 22. June 1941.

[militaria.no]

Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of the USSR took place on 22. June 1941. Launched by Hitler in violation of the existing non-aggression treaty with Stalin, it was designed to provide the Reich with 'living space in the East'.

Short day-to-day description from 22. June: http://www.holocaustresearchproject....on/opbarb.html

Today it is 70 years since the Eastern campaign started and I have found some photos from my collection that give a good impression of what the German soldiers met during the summer and fall of 1941. This is a motorcycle unit with unit mark ++ (I have not managed to ID this unit).

[militaria.no]

2.

[militaria.no]

3. And the last two photos I have from this collection:

[12thPanzer]

++[/B] (I have not managed to ID this unit).

Hi, This unit is the 60th Infanterie Division Motoroized which is also part of the 60th Panzer Grenadier Division. Known for the fighting around Stalingrad. Obviously your photos are of the Motorized Div based on the "truck" symbol next to the Unit Emblem. Thanks for sharing these and for remembering Operation Barbarossa

[hucks216]

Interesting images.
Not intending to hijack the thread but just thought that I'd add some images of a relevant wehrpass in my collection to a Leutnant in Inf.Rgt 37 who was killed on the first day of Barbarossa.

[hucks216]

Final images

[militaria.no]

Very interesting wehrpass hucks. Just imagine, 70 years since that day today... Thank you for showing. And thank you Bill for valuable information regarding the Division So now I know: 60th Infanterie Division Motoroized

[Gran Sasso]

Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of the USSR took place on 22. June 1941. Launched by Hitler in violation of the existing non-aggression treaty with Stalin, it was designed to provide the Reich with 'living space in the East'.

Short day-to-day description from 22. June: http://www.holocaustresearchproject....on/opbarb.html

Yes, thank god we started the attack, just before Stalin did - otherwise we would not be germans today, but russians.

Of course the fairytale of the german invasion, just for "Lebensraum im Osten" will be told over and over again (even by german brainwashed "historians")- the victor writes history. What else to expect?

[kaiserwilhelm2]

I will not get into a discussion on this point, but the idea that the invasion of the Soviet Union was a necessary response to an imminent Soviet military attack has comprehensively and scientifically been discredited. Nothing to do with the victor writing history more to do with people wanting to justify the invasion.

[VtwinVince]

This was the stupidest military blunder since 1812, and the reason my family came here as refugees.

[panzer1432]

Opinion

This was the stupidest military blunder since 1812, and the reason my family came here as refugees.

IMHO, German military success in the east was quite significant. Had Japanese allies apply pressure and German aviation technology improve, (long range heavy bomber), it's a whole new football game !

The German campaign in the east has similarities to Robert E. Lee's Pennsylvania Campaign in the American Civil War. Just my opinion.

The Germans came a lot closer to gettin' it done than a lot of people think.

MW

[gnadenlose]

The Germans came a lot closer to gettin' it done than a lot of people think.

But close was not enough.

[Justin P]

Nice Photos, Stern strong looking Chap in the WP Photo, Historical Time in History with so many lives lost on Both sides

[Br. James]

I've always wondered whether Hitler and the OKW knew that Stalin held more than 50 divisions and huge numbers of tanks and cannon in reserve on his eastern border, just in case Japan decided to attack him in force. Hitler acted as if he didn't know that; his planning reflected knowledge of only the Soviet forces located in their western region. And if he didn't know what Stalin had in reserve in the east, then the outcome was due to fail. He should have known it. As I understand it, the Soviet reserves in the east were not hidden there, as Hitler hid his massing forces for his Belgian assault in December of 1944. If Hitler knew, then he muffed his chance to open a two-front attack in coordination with his Japanese allies; had he done so, the outcome of Stalingrad, Kursk and, well, everything else may well have been quite different.

Br. James

[byterock]

Good point but much more significant IMHO would be

1) lend lease material from the west
2) Hitler's taking control over the war in the east and not letting the 'Generals' Run it
3) Stalin's allowing his generals to 'Run' the war without his interference.


This is what bridged the gap in 42 for the Soviets and allowed them to take the initiative in 43 then the steamroller in 44.

50 divs might seem like allot but it was really just a 'drop' in the bucket when one looks at the scale of the fighting in the 'east'. As well most where poorly equipped and immobile ( Tank wise mostly T-26s, BT-5,6s)

Personally I think it was the deployment and subsequent destruction of the majority of the 'Siberian' reserve around Moscow in 41 the lead to Stalin backing away from army command.

Just my 2c