German M42 helmet with large amount of original paint remaining that was recovered from the Mius River just outside of Taganrog, Southern Russia.
Between 29 and 31 August 1943, German combat engineers systematically destroyed the vital bridges and river crossings around Taganrog to cover a desperate, final retreat. The breakthrough of the Soviet Southern Front had trapped the German XXIX Army Corps (including the 111th, 17th, and 336th Infantry Divisions) against the Sea of Azov, cutting off their main escape routes. To save the trapped troops, the 13th Panzer Division launched a furious counterattack to clear a narrow bottleneck corridor just west of the city near the Mius River estuary. As the remaining 9,000 German soldiers narrowly slipped through this gap during the night of 30 August, engineers immediately blew up the primary road bridges and improvised crossings behind them. This scorched-earth action successfully delayed pursuing Soviet Armor, allowing the remnants of the German 6th Army to fall back toward the Kalmius River as Soviet forces completely liberated Taganrog on 31 August.
Helmet in stable condition and has been cleaned ready for display.
German M42 helmet with large amount of original paint remaining that was recovered from the Mius River just outside of Taganrog, Southern Russia.
Between 29 and 31 August 1943, German combat engineers systematically destroyed the vital bridges and river crossings around Taganrog to cover a desperate, final retreat. The breakthrough of the Soviet Southern Front had trapped the German XXIX Army Corps (including the 111th, 17th, and 336th Infantry Divisions) against the Sea of Azov, cutting off their main escape routes. To save the trapped troops, the 13th Panzer Division launched a furious counterattack to clear a narrow bottleneck corridor just west of the city near the Mius River estuary. As the remaining 9,000 German soldiers narrowly slipped through this gap during the night of 30 August, engineers immediately blew up the primary road bridges and improvised crossings behind them. This scorched-earth action successfully delayed pursuing Soviet Armor, allowing the remnants of the German 6th Army to fall back toward the Kalmius River as Soviet forces completely liberated Taganrog on 31 August.
Helmet in stable condition and has been cleaned ready for display.
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