Dr. Emody on our right  and a fellow Hungarian officer look over burned out rolling stock at a Don region railroad yard in 1942. Railroads played a major role in transporting men, supplies, and equipment during the war and both sides regularly attacked trains by planes and heavy artillery.

Damaged Russian Railroad Yard, Don Army of Hungary

In the relatively treeless Don River valley, firewood often had to be  brought in from good distances. After a  heavy rain, the unpaved roads turned into a quagmire, making life miserable for both the Hungarian soldiers and their horses.

Don Army, Muddy Russian Road, 1942 (Hungary)

Honved cooks did their best to feed the 200,000 souls of the Second Army, with at least one warm meal a day. Food supplies transported over long distance from home were augmented by locally "obtained" additions, as the chicken legs in the pot show. Otherwise, canned and dried foods had to make do.  But hunger was endless in the trenches.