Welcome to the Eastern Front

24th March 1943: A seasoned veteran watches as fresh new troops encounter the reality of life on the front

The season without roads meant literally that.

Even tracked vehicles were not immune.

The Rasputitsa' - the season without roads - was a feature of the Russian climate in both spring and autumn. It had confounded the Germans during their 1941 advance on Moscow. Now it continued to cause difficulties for both sides as the Eastern front went through a period of transition, with the Germans trying to straighten out their line and the Red Army trying to exploit the situation.

Along a thousand-mile front, the period of rain and mud varied enormously, with ground staying frozen in the north for longer and drying out quicker in the far south. It made for an uncomfortable welcome to the Eastern front for many men.