The photographs here show a Soldaten’s accounts of the warfare in Russia 1941. This being during the time of Operation Barbarossa. Seen in the first photograph there is a group of Soldaten with their backs to the camera, they can be seen casually standing as they watch the building in front of them burn. The building can be seen engulfed in flames and thick smoke that can be seen bellowing from it that is captured in both photographs. The first shows the Soldaten quite close, one is seen with a mess tin in his hand, possibly taken a break from eating as he is shocked to see how the building has taken up in flames and the extent of the smoke produced. This being the same reason it was photographed, as a shock and reminder of what happens whilst serving on the eastern front. Also seen to the left of the group of Soldaten is a Soldat who has a white armband, possibly that he is a medic on hand if there was any injury, in this case there doesn't appear to be. The trebuchet looking object that can be seen in the second is also visible in the first, likely taken from a different position, more to the right of the first. Likely to get a different angle of the damage and destruction experienced.
The second photograph shows the same building but at a different angle, showing more of the trebuchet looking object. The building in the second compared to the first can already be seen to of burnt more, showing it is burning at such a fast rate. The building could possibly be a farm building or possibly a house. The image seen is a scan showing the reverses of the first photograph. This reading "Russia August 1941". The second photograph has a reverse (not shown) reads a similar reverse of "War in Russia 1941". A poignant and sharp in the field photograph group here showing, the destruction close up that happened on the eastern front, this being not as distressing as others but still and example of eastern front experiences by Soldaten.
The burning and destruction of buildings and monuments were common across the eastern front. This is one of many that show the destruction and smoke of burning buildings and towns. There will be more from the collection similar to this uploaded !