Infantry Regiment 'Grossdeutschland' in Barbarossa

Kubelwagens and assorted medium and It-ton trucks advance into Russia, summer 1941. The divisional 'Stahlhelm' marking is clearly visible, as are the tactical markings denoting vehicles of the motorcycle recce company from the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. Note also the white formation keeping markers on the outer corners of each vehicle to simplify travel by night.

Only the regiment's armoured and artillery elements took part in the initial assault on Russia on 21 June 1941, co-operating with 7th Panzer Division in their attack over the River Bug at Janow, but the remainder of the units soon followed, crossing the Soviet frontier north of Brest Litovsk on 27/28 June and advancing on Minsk, which they reached on 6 July.

Again under command of the 10th Panzer Division, Infantry Regiment 'GD' continued to advance until the middle of July, over the River Beresina to the Dnepr, with occasional fierce hand-to-hand fighting against the stubborn but poorly led Soviet defenders. Transferred to a reserve position, the regiment was moved to the vicinity of Jerva, where it took part in the frantic defensive battles around the level crossing at Waskovo, for which the 1st Battalion's commander, Oberleutnant Hanert, received the Knight's Cross.

In September 1941 the regiment was again moved-something to which it was to become accustomed !-to Kiev, where it helped in the securing of the German bridgeheads over the River Desna, before being sent up to the north to take part in the desperate fighting for Orel and Tula during the Nazi advance on Moscow. Rain brought the inevitable clinging mud towards the end of October, which slowed progress, and at the beginning of December, when the cold really clamped down, the regiment was chiefly involved in defensive delaying actions along the Orel-Tula railway line. During 1941 the regiment had a hard time, with a great deal of marching and fighting punctuated by some brilliant successes as well as some dismal defeats (almost the entire motor cycle company was wiped out at Kolodesnaja, near Tula, at the beginning of December) . The tally up to 6 January 1942 was 900 men killed, 3,056 wounded and 114 missing; 1942 would also be hard, but it would see the reconstitution of the regiment as a fully-fledged division.