The horrors of the Russian front

3rd July 1941: The German advance leaves many isolated pockets of Russian troops, some making suicidal attempts to avoid capture

Waffen-SS motorcyclists lead a column of German troops during the advance into the Soviet Union, 1941.

In Russia, the panzers and motorised infantry continued to press ahead. Wilhelm Pruller's unit was amongst those making rapid progress into Ukraine, where some welcomed the arrival of the Germans. In his diary¹, he records his admiration for his commandi…