Even in the Summer, heavy rains in the region posed problems for the german Motorized Units. So-called Hiwis, volunteers from POW Camps, were assigned to help the transport units. Their provisions were much better than in the camps. (scanned by HOS Bandit)

German Mechanizes Unit with Hiwis

In the Steppes East of the Ukraine, there were no road signs and few landmarks by which the Germans could take their bearings. Good maps were few and far between. As a result german patrols and dispatch riders (such as this one) had to ask their way of women and old men working in the fields. The poor planning and the consequent foundering of the German troops in the vastnesses of the uncharted territory, are reflected in photos such as this one. (scanned by HOS Bandit)