Publication of Wehrmacht reports about the freezing of German soldiers near Moscow

Previously unpublished documents of the Wehrmacht units were published, telling about the failures of the Germans in the Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1941-42. These reports were found in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation by employees of TsAMO and the German Historical Institute.

The documents provide information about mass frostbite, the death of German soldiers, the lack of fuel and warm uniforms that Wehrmacht units faced in the winter of 1942.

The fact that in conditions of severe frost German units had only one hope in Russian boots is mentioned in the memorandum of the division doctor of the 3rd Motorized Infantry Division dated December 31, 1941: “Daily up to 10 cases of frostbite occur in the division area. The forces on the Frontline is particularly vulnerable to frostbite, which mainly affects the legs (90%).
“It seems most necessary to pay attention to the shoes of these people … Russian shoes should also be bought by all means,” the document says.

Of course, it was not the lack of winter equipment that caused the defeat of Germany near Moscow. After all, the soldiers of the Red Army also, of course, had to fight the cold. Instead, the Wehrmacht leadership underestimated the fighting power of the Red Army and believed that its forces were as exhausted as theirs. Now the German army has received a bill from the Red Army for delusions of grandeur.

“The defeat near Moscow, which almost led to the collapse of the Eastern Front, was the beginning of a difficult road that led the Red Army to Berlin,” said Matthias, an employee of the German Historical Institute in Moscow.

In the near future, the published documents will be available to the public as part of a joint project between the Russian Historical Society, TsAMO and the German Historical Institute in Moscow.