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FOTO/ ‘Katër dimra në ferr’! Publikohen pamjet e rralla të operacionit ‘Barbarossa’, ushtarët nuk e imagjinonin dot se çfarë i priste

Të mbështjellë për t’i bërë ballë të ftohtit me fytyra të zymta teksa përballeshin me një armik të vendosur, trupat gjermanë shihen teksa luftojnë gjatë dimrit të ashpër rus gjatë pushtimit të tyre në Bashkimin Sovjetik.

Imazhet e rralla, të shkrepura në muajt e ftohtë të vitit 1941 janë publikuar në një libër për ofensivën e Luftës së Dytë Botërore, e cila u quajt operacioni ‘Barbarossa’, i cili nisi në qershor të vitit 1941. Fotot tregojnë gabimin e Hitlerit, cili mendonte se lufta do të mbaronte në fund të atij viti.

Por, nuk ndodhi aspak kështu. Njësoj si përpjekja e perandorit francez Napoleon Bonaparte për ta pushtuar këtë territor më shumë se 100 vjet më parë, forcat naziste ‘u mbytën’ nga territori i ashpër dhe i ftohtë, pajisjeve të pamjaftueshme dhe taktikave të dobëta.

Në fund të fundit, pushtimi dështoi dhe çoi në humbjen e Gjermanisë duke i detyruar ata të luftoni një konflikt në dy fronte, duke devijuar fuqinë punëtore dhe burimet nga beteja në Perëndim kundbr Britansë, Francës, SHBA-së dhe trupave të tjera aleate.

Their uniforms, motorbikes and armoured cars covered with snow, German troops are seen battling through the harsh Russian winters as they try to invade the Soviet Union. The rare image, taken in 1941,  features in new book Images of War: The Nazis' winter warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945, written by historian Ian Baxter and published by Pen and Sword

In most areas of the German advance, the appalling weather brought columns of wheeled vehicles to a standstill. Many horses which were tasked with pulling equipment through the mud died from heart strain. The German high command quickly realised that their prediction that the war against the Soviet Union would be won that year was going to be disastrously wrong. Pictured: German infantry pose in the snow in front of their stationary vehicles

By the end of October, a combination of heavy rain, snow showers and mist made the movement of German units almost impossible. It became clear that Germans' vehicles, equipment and clothing were all inferior to those of the Russian army, who were used to the conditions. Soldiers donned overcoats, fur hats, and Russian felt boots to keep warm as their own leather footwear fell apart. Pictured: A frozen German soldier is seen trying to keep warm as he and fellow troops are battered by snow

A German motorcyclist has problems with his bike, caused by the extremely muddy conditions. He is wearing the standard issue waterproof coat. It has which wool collar and two large pockets on the the front and side. On his back he is carrying a 7.92mm Kar 98k Mauser bolt-action rifle

Above: Soldiers struggle to push their motorcyle and sidecar through the unbelievably thick mud after a bout of heavy rain. Mr Baxter said in his book: 'The mud produced from a few hours of rain was enough to turn a relatively typical Russian road into a quagmire'. The exposure to the wet and snow caused some troops to get frostbite, prompting others to line their boots with straw or paper, if they could find it

The poor weather made the bogged-down units sitting targets. To try to improve the roads, some men and vehicles were sent ahead. In other cases, only vehicles fitted with tracks were allowed to advance. Pictured Soldiers are seen smiling as they use a rope to attempt to pull a supply vehicles across the snow

There were more than 800,000 horses on the Eastern Front in 1941. Mr Baxter said that, in the day, around 8,000 were being killed by enemy fire, the freezing temperatures or sheer over-exertion. Pictured: A group of soldiers tending to horse exhausted by trying to pull a cart through the snow and mud

The handbook given to troops also gave instructions on how to build various types of shelter, including igloos. The guide also spoke of the alleged advantages of winter warfare, including that it was particularly easy to dig trenches, shelters and build walls of snow to use as wind breakers. Pictured: Troops building an igloo according to the guide's specifications

German ski troops are seen wearing the one-piece camouflage snow suit during operations in southern Russia. Most of the men are carrying the Karbiner 98K rifle over their shoulders. Two soldiers also have MG34 machine gun belts draped around their necks

Here, two soldiers stand in front of what the handbook they were issued with described as 'permanent billets'. The shelter was made from wood and had earth and foliage covering the top of it. Near the end of 1942, troops and tank divisions in the German Army Group South were embroiled in a bitter and bloody battle. The Russian troops ended up surrounding the German 6th Army and cut off their supply lines. Ultimately, 250,000 German troops were left stranded

The first weeks of 1943 saw the German forces which made up Army Group South trying to hold their men together against what Mr Baxter described as 'overwhelming Soviet superiority'. Pictured: German troops are seen dressed in their reversible winter coats as they move through Kharkov, which is now part of Ukraine

A young gunner is seen draped in bullets for his MG machine gun. He is wearing his leather infantry belt which is fitted with the tool box for his weapon. His gun is resting on his shoulder. As well as being battered by Soviet troops, the Germans were also being attacked by Ukrainian nationalists and members of the Polish resistance. They were also under immense pressure from Hitler to put their lives on the line for every yard of land

Mr Baxter says in his book that the situation on the Eastern Front had become 'extremely dire' by January 1944. There were no longer enough soldiers to effectively man the battle lines and the Red Army was now stronger than ever before. Pictured: A German truck is seen totally stuck in mud in Vinitsa, in what is now west-central Ukraine. Behind the vehicle, a row of Tiger tanks are also in trouble. Troops are seen standing nearby as they try to find a way of moving forwar

Battle-worn soldiers are seen above wearing the two-piece snow suit. Behind them, a camouflaged tank is being driven with two troops visible on top

German troops are seen pushing pulling a utility car through the mud. The Soviet Union's Operation Bagration offensive, carried out in July 1944, led to a succession of German collapses on the Eastern Front. By August, the Red Army had reached Poland

Troops from the Waffen-SS are seen above being subjected to Soviet aerial and ground bombardment. The Germans were soaked, freezing and exhausted. They fought on but were overwhelmed in terms of both numbers of soldiers and weapons. It prompted officials to order a retreat - much to Hitler's anger - to prevent them being totally destroyed

Images of War: The Nazis' winter warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945, is written by historian Ian Baxter and published by Pen and Sword in June 2021

Përshtati:Priza.al/Burimi:DailyMail

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