2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich Original Diary Pt 2 - Brest-Litovsk, Army Group Center, Barbarossa

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Episode 110

This wonderful footage shows German infantry advancing on the Soviet stronghold of Brest-Litovsk during the first days of the attack on the Soviet Union. It fits in well with part 2 of the series which covers the SS Formation Das Reich through the end of 1941 including Operation Typhoon the Wermacht’s desperate final attempt to take Moscow.

June 22, 1941
The beginning of an offensive against the Soviet union was announced today on the German radio and it effects us like a bolt of lightening out of the blue. We he hear that German troops have crossed the border and know that we are relatively far from where it is all happening. The topic of heated discussion for everyone is why have they left us behind? It’s incomprehensible why they’ve kept us from where we belong up at the front and our unit’s moral couldn’t be any worse. It seems that mutiny is in the air. Many believe that we’ll certainly be too late, that Moscow will be taken before we get anywhere near the fighting. We’ll certainly miss out on the action again.

To a certain extent this kind of reaction from seriously gung ho soldiers being kept away from the action can be understood, however the feeling of disappointment seems to cross over into serious anger. Although most likely an exaggeration Kurt, our author, describes the feeling among the men as mutinous.

If I’ve gauged this correctly then it ties in with an inferiority complex that the early Waffen SS units were dealing with that I touched on in part 1 of this series. This rare footage showing an SS unit during the Poland campaign ties in to that theory.

This is the War Atlas that was produced by the German High Command for Operation Barbarossa. We are looking at June 22 the day that the invasion began and can see the motorized SS Infantry Division Das Reich situated about 125 km behind the front line.

June 23, 1941
We’ve been put on alert being informed that marching orders should be coming in shortly. This calms down the excited tempers somewhat.

June 24
Our battalion begins to move passing over Kock, and Radzyn and ending up in Pyzechod. In a forrest we set up our tents and then the everyone is released from further duty for the day.

June 27
We continue on passing over Miedzyles, Lachowka, Wolka and Terespol and just past midnight in the darkness we arrive to the outskirts of Brest-Litowsk.

Now let’s add the rest of the chess pieces to the situational map for June 26. The arrow with circles markings indicate that Das Reich is traveling by vehicle in a convoy. As we see the 10 Panzer Division on Das Reich’s left flank is also traveling in a convoy.

Let’s zoom out and take a look at Army Group Center for this day. To the north east of Das Reich we see the German panzer divisions racing forwards to put the lid on the what would become the Bialystock-Minsk pockets. With this defeat the Soviets lost about 420,000 men and many believed would lead to the quick ending of the war. If you are interested in seeing videos about the individual units taking part in these operations take a look at my channel, there are plenty.

Here we encounter the first evidence of the war finding destroyed guns, dead Russians, and plenty of munition and destroyed vehicles lie to both sides of the road.

General Guderian, who was in command of the 2nd Panzergroup in Army Group Center, had decided that infantry units would be more suited for assaulting the massive fortification at Brest-Litowsk than his tank forces. The attack had begun on the first day of operations and the city would be quickly cleared of the enemy. In the fortress however, stiff resistance would continue until the end of the month. Soviet propaganda produced during the war claimed that the battle continued until July 23 which most likely isn’t reliable. Occasional pot shots from individuals continued but there was no organized resistance.

As we continue with Kurt’s description of his battalion passing through the city we’ll see footage of the combat that was taking place inside the fortress.

The city has been cleared but inside the fortress heavy combat continues. On all sides extensive damage from intense fighting can be seen. There is evidence everywhere that the enemy has turned tail and run abandoning hundreds of tanks and guns, many of which are still loaded with ammunition. On the streets and often in rows lie hundreds of dead horse which stink terribly. For us green soldiers these experiences are completely new, we stare mesmerized at by the death and destruction. So this is what war is like! Although there is plenty of small arms fire our columns go right through the city unmolested and continue on into Russia.