Original, Exceptional Example of the German SS/Heer Issue WW2 'Operation Barbarosa' Eastern Front Combat During 1941-1942 Service Medal. Made by Gustav Brehmer, Designed by a Serving SS Soldier SS Uuntersharfuhrer E. Kraus

Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on 22 June 1941, during World War II. This was the medal issued for bitter, horrendous first winter on the Eastern Front, in which millions of men who were unprepared for the brunt of the Russian winter were forced to fight in often inhuman conditions. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along a 2,900-kilometer (1,800 mi) front, with the main goal of capturing territory up to a line between Arkhangelsk and Astrakhan (A-A line). The attack became the largest and costliest military offensive in history, with around 10 million combatants taking part in the opening phase and over 8 million casualties by the end of the operation on 5 December 1941. It marked a major escalation of World War II, opening the Eastern Front—the largest and deadliest land theatre of war in history—and bringing the Soviet Union into the Allied powers.

Awarded for service during 15 November 1941 to 15th April 1942, for being wounded in action, killed in action or for 14 to 60 days served in active combat between the dates Nov 1941 to April 1942 on the Eastern Front. Designed by a serving SS Soldier SS Untersharfuhrer E. Kraus it was held in high regard by serving soldiers. It's issue was officially decommissioned by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht on the 4th of September 1944. The centre obverse features a half open-winged eagle clutching an immobile swastika. Above the medallion is a helmet resting on top of a stick grenade. On the reverse is the purpose of the medal, which cites the winter in Moscow 1941-42 positioned over a sword resting on laurel leaves. The ribbon was red, white and black symbolic of blood, snow and death.

Unterscharführer 'junior squad leader') was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the Schutzstaffel (SS) between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives. That event caused an SS re-organisation and the creation of new ranks to separate the SS from the Sturmabteilung.

Although Hitler was warned by many high-ranking military officers, such as Friedrich Paulus, that occupying Western Russia would create "more of a drain than a relief for Germany's economic situation," he anticipated compensatory benefits such as the demobilisation of entire divisions to relieve the acute labour shortage in German industry, the exploitation of Ukraine as a reliable and immense source of agricultural products, the use of forced labour to stimulate Germany's overall economy and the expansion of territory to improve Germany's efforts to isolate the United Kingdom. Hitler was further convinced that Britain would sue for peace once the Germans triumphed in the Soviet Union, and if they did not, he would use the resources gained in the East to defeat the British Empire.

"We only have to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down."

— —Adolf Hitler

The operation, code-named after the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa ("red beard"), put into action Nazi Germany's ideological goals of eradicating communism and conquering the western Soviet Union to repopulate it with Germans under Generalplan Ost, which planned for the extermination of the native Slavic peoples by mass deportation to Siberia, Germanisation, enslavement, and genocide. The material targets of the invasion were the agricultural and mineral resources of territories such as Ukraine and Byelorussia and oil fields in the Caucasus. The Axis eventually captured five million Soviet Red Army troops on the Eastern Front and deliberately starved to death or otherwise killed 3.3 million prisoners of war, as well as millions of civilians. The invasion began on 22 June 1941 with a massive ground and air assault, resulting in large territorial gains for the Nazis and their allies. The main part of Army Group South invaded from occupied Poland on 22 June and on 2 July was joined by a combination of German and Romanian forces attacking from Romania. Kiev was captured on 19 September, which was followed by the captures of Kharkov on 24 October and Rostov-on-Don on 20 November, by which time most of Crimea had been captured. Army Group North overran the Baltic lands and on 8 September 1941, began a siege of Leningrad accompanied by Finnish forces, which ultimately lasted until 1944.

Frontline strength of the Axis combatants; Germany, Romania Finland, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia (22 June 1941)

3.8 million personnel
3,350–3,795 tanks
3,030–3,072 other AFVs
2,770–5,369 aircraft
7,200–23,435 artillery pieces
17,081 mortars
600,000 horses
600,000 vehicles

Strength of the Soviet Frontline strength (22 June 1941)

2.6–2.9 million personnel
11,000 tanks
7,133–9,100 military aircraft

This Eastern Front Medal beautiful and is maker marked 13 on the ring for Gustaz Brehmer. These medals were all made of zinc, and most have lost their finish over time. This example has nearly all of its lovely, age patination finish. It shows service wear. The suspension ring is intact, and is stamped with the Präsidialkanzlei maker code “13”, indicating manufacture by the firm of Gustaz Brehmer. The ribbon on this Eastern Front Medal is a nice, long example, with bright original colour. These awards are scarce in this condition. This one is in near mint condition, and displays extremely well.

Code: 25662