Raids on partisans and occupied Belarus. Winter 1941-42

Raids on partisans and occupied Belarus. Winter 1941-42

These unknown negatives came to my attention at an auction in Germany, April 2022. "Films from the Eastern Front" as the seller said, were three tightly twisted rolls of German Agfa black and white film. Two of them had a small piece of paper inside. On the yellowish from time to time piece of paper, most likely cut out of the manual to the German camera, with a pencil and the hand of the photographer was signed "Vitebsk. Partisan hunt" (ger. Witebsk partisanenjagd).

All images were taken by a German amateur war photographer, whose name remains unknown, who served in a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) unit with the rank of Oberfeldfebel. Between 1941 and 1942, his unit was stationed in the occupied territory of Belarus. Together with the German airborne forces, their main task was to fight the partisan movement, which was gaining momentum and becoming a serious problem for the German army. On the pictures, which were taken by an amateur photographer, one can see how German paratroopers in winter uniforms and camouflage jackets raided partisans, detained and interrogated the local population, checked and burned village houses.

In the winter of 1941-42 there were very severe frosts, unusual for the Germans. On the photos it is clearly visible from the frozen tree crowns. To build and insulate their houses, the Germans dismantled neighboring village houses. And to feed their horses, they took the straw off the roofs. At this time it was Catholic Christmas, the first Christmas the Germans celebrated on the Eastern Front. In the German headquarters, located in one of the village houses, the Germans set up a Christmas tree with candles. A poster with a picture of Hitler and the inscription "Hitler the Liberator!" can be seen on the wall. The photographer takes several self-portraits as well as group portraits of German soldiers together with cheerful local girls, some of whom are dressed in German overcoats.

The photographer's unit has the additional duty of guarding a section of railroad carrying German tanks for the further advance eastward. One of the images shows passing railroad platforms loaded with German Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tanks in winter camouflage.

At some point, perhaps during a vacation or excursion, the photographer finds himself in the occupied city of Vitebsk since July 1941. The photographer captures the half-ruined winter city and the life in it. On the pictures you can recognize: Zamkovaya Street, St. Nicholas Cathedral, St. Anthony's Church, Nativity Church, obelisk to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War of 1812 and many ruins of bombed and burned buildings. Along the Dvinskiy Bridge, which the Germans rebuilt fairly quickly, one can see the active movement of German equipment. The city itself is full of German soldiers and ruins of destroyed buildings, among which local women and children are wandering.