Anthony Hartstone

900 Days in Russia Anthony Hartstone

During World War two, the Wehrmacht had very strict rules about the way its Soldiers were to interact with Civilians. These rules were often broken and some soldiers looked the other way - and some didn't. After Helmut Brandt is inducted into the Wehrmacht he witnesses a civilian massacre at the hands of the dreaded SS Einzatsgruppen who threaten his tank regiment with a trial in Berlin. The adventures and drama continue with the Barbarossa Invasion of Russia where they fight pitched battles with the Russian army, partisans and the dreaded winter. They encounter the SS Einzatsgruppen again doing their dirty work in a Russian Village and they get revenge with the unlikely help of Russian partisans. Helmut's Tank Division is involved in many adventures and near misses with battles and the menacing nature of the Russian landscape including the winter. The final battle at Kursk sees Helmut and his comrades fleeing on foot to try and reach Germany. They have an adventure packed walk back to Poland where they are arrested for desertion culminating in a court martial where they must prove their innocence to avoid execution. Their account is backed up by High Ranking comrades whose testimony saves them from execution in front of a firing squad. It is the love of his wife Birkitt and the comradeship that eventually enables Helmut to overcome all the odds hurled at him by raw circumstance to emerge with his health and self- respect intact at the end of WW2. Full of action and historically accurate information 900 Days in Russia will leave you thinking about the brutality of war and the humanity of individuals.