German soldiers dragging a staff-car through thick mud, 1941 (c)

Photograph, World War Two, Eastern Front (1941-1945), 1941 (c).

During the Autumn and Spring seasons many of the unpaved roads in the open flat lands of Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia become almost impassable due to thick mud and flooding. These periods are known as the 'rasputisa' or 'quagmire seasons'. The month-long muddy period of Autumn 1941, alongside the heroic resistance of the Red Army, slowed down the German advance on Moscow. It helped save the Soviet capital by giving its defenders more time to prepare for the German onslaught and to plan their subsequent counter-offensive.

From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.