A series of Soviet attacks drove the Axis forces back on the Don River front during 1942-1943. First came the Romanians and Italians, and then in January, 1943, came the turn of the Hungarians and Germans. After suffering heavy casualties, here Hungarian Honved columns are retreating toward the West in below zero winter weather on the open, snow-swept Russian steppe.

Honved Retreat from the Don, 1943

These young men of Hungary face the camera here at the Don Front, may or may not knowing yet about the hard life of soldiers. But the lack of heavy military hardware, the shortage of everything from food to ammunition, the bitter cold of January, 1943, and the fervent patriotic determination of the opposing forces may have represented truly unwelcome surprises to them. Moreover, military propaganda failed to convince them sufficiently about the &quot;justice&quot; of Hitler's war.

Hungarian Infantry by the Don, 1942

Snow, driving wind, and lack of shelter aggravated the situation of the dead-tired retreating soldiers, suffering from constant hunger and decimated by frostbite in the bitter cold. The weak and wounded often fell by the wayside, just to freeze solid stiff in a short while by the side of the road.