50 Amazing Photos of the Operation Bagration, 22 June 1944

On the 22nd of June 1944,  Operation Bagration began. Three years after Operation Barbarossa, Russia was taking the fight to the Germans. The operation was named after Pyotr Bagration, a general of the Russian Imperial Army and a war hero.

The operation resulted in heavy German losses, with the Army Group Centre’s Fourth Army, Third Panzer Army, and Ninth Army decimated. It is considered one of the worst defeats experienced by the German armed forces during the Second World War.

Deployments during Operation Bagration [via]
Deployments during Operation Bagration [via]
Panther on the Eastern Front. 21 June 1944 [via]
Panther on the Eastern Front. 21 June 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-694-0303-20A / Meyer; Wiltberger / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
German soldiers during a counter-attack in the Baltic States. 1 August 1944 [via]
German soldiers during a counter-attack in the Baltic States. 1 August 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1992-0617-506 / Scheerer (e) / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
The officers (SS First lieutenant Erwin Meier-Dress) of the SS Division "Totenkopf" on a background of destroyed tanks T-34. 1 August 1944 [via]
The officers (SS First lieutenant Erwin Meier-Dress) of the SS Division “Totenkopf” on a background of destroyed tanks T-34. 1 August 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J27465 / Grönert / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
German sapper(note the Iron Cross, First Class) planting an explosives in the railroad before the retreat. Grodno, 16-17 July 1944 [via]
German sapper(note the Iron Cross, First Class) planting an explosives in the railroad before the retreat. Grodno, 16-17 July 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-695-0404-04 / CC-BY-SA]
Panther of SS-Division „Totenkopf“ in Siedlce. 25-29. July 1944 [via]
Panther of SS-Division „Totenkopf“ in Siedlce. 25-29. July 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-695-0419-03A / Voigt / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
Panzer IV of the 5th Panzer Division. Early July 1944 [via]
Panzer IV of the 5th Panzer Division. Early July 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-155-2112A-38A / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
Sd.Kfz. 10 with Nebelwerfer 42 during the retreat from Orsha. Early July 1944 [via]
Sd.Kfz. 10 with Nebelwerfer 42 during the retreat from Orsha. Early July 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-155-2109A-06A / Noack / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
Raupenschlepper Ost hauls an artillery gun across a river. 1944 [via]
Raupenschlepper Ost hauls an artillery gun across a river. 1944 [via]
Panther tank in action. Somewhere on Soviet territory, 1944 [via]
Panther tank in action. Somewhere on Soviet territory, 1944 [via]
A railway transport of German Panthers to East Front. 1944 [via]
A railway transport of German Panthers to East Front. 1944 [via]
German armour preparing for counterattack against advancing Red Army. Near Nurzec, 1944 [via]
German armour preparing for counterattack against advancing Red Army. Near Nurzec, 1944 [via]
The commander of the Army Group "Center"- Field Marshal W. Model (next to the driver). 9 October 1944 [via]
The commander of the Army Group “Center”- Field Marshal W. Model (next to the driver). 9 October 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1992-0617-506 / Scheerer (e) / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
German military vehicles crossing a bridge in Grodno. 10-15 July 1944 [via]
German military vehicles crossing a bridge in Grodno. 10-15 July 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-695-0409A-29A / Leher / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
Soviet infantry advance alongside T-34 tanks. Summer 1944 [via]
Soviet infantry advance alongside T-34 tanks. Summer 1944 [via]
A column of Soviet T-34 [via]
A column of Soviet T-34 [via]
Red Army after liberation of Pinsk. 1944 [via]
Red Army after the liberation of Pinsk. 1944 [via]

Rivers were not always unbreachable for tanks. Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
Rivers were not always unbreachable for tanks. Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
Soviet infantry on a SU-76. Minsk, 3 July 1944 [via]
Soviet infantry on a SU-76. Minsk, 3 July 1944 [via]
Even youth had to fight for their country [via]
Even youth had to fight for their country [via]
Red Army soldiers on the move during Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
Red Army soldiers on the move during Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
Red Army advancing to the west. 1944 [via]
Red Army advancing to the west. 1944 [via]
Russian soldiers advance with fixed bayonets, Operation Bagration. 22 June 1944 [via]
Russian soldiers advance with fixed bayonets, Operation Bagration. 22 June 1944 [via]
Battle of Vilnius. Soviet and Polish Armija Krajowa Soldiers patrolling along the Large Street. The orthodox church of Vilnius is visible in background. 16 July 1944 [via]
Battle of Vilnius. Soviet Red Army and Polish Soldiers of the Home Army patrolling along the Large Street. The orthodox church of Vilnius is visible in the background. 16 July 1944 [via]
Soldiers of the 1st Baltic Front in action. Jelgava, 16 August 1944 [via]
Soldiers of the 1st Baltic Front in action. Jelgava, 16 August 1944 [via]
Chief marshal of the armored troops Pavel Alexeyevich Rotmistrov. Borisov, 1 July 1944 [via]
Chief marshal of the armored troops Pavel Alexeyevich Rotmistrov. Borisov, 1 July 1944 [via]
Generalleutnant Alfons Hitter, standing, is publicly interrogated by General Ivan Chernyakhovsky and Marshal of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Vasilevsky after the battle of Vitebsk [via]
Generalleutnant Alfons Hitter, standing, is publicly interrogated by General Ivan Chernyakhovsky and Marshal of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Vasilevsky after the battle of Vitebsk [via]
SU-122 and its crew [via]
SU-122 and its crew [via]
Battery of Soviet heavy 203mm howitzers m1931. 3rd Belorussian front. Summer 1944 [via]
The battery of Soviet heavy 203mm howitzers M1931. 3rd Belorussian front. Summer 1944 [via]
152mm Howitzer battery fires during Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
152mm Howitzer battery fires during Operation Bagration, 1944 [via]
Katyusha during rocket barrage, Operation Bagration. 22 June 1944 [via]
Katyusha during rocket barrage, Operation Bagration. 22 June 1944 [via]

German soldiers surrender to the advancing Red Army. 1944 [via]
German soldiers surrender to the advancing Red Army. 1944 [via]
oviet soldiers with captured Kfz85. Vilnius, 1944 [via]
oviet soldiers with captured Kfz85. Vilnius, 1944 [via]
German StuG destroyed while driving across the bridge over Basya river. Attacked by Il-2. Mogilev, 22-28 June, 1944 [via]
German StuG destroyed while driving across the bridge over Basya river. Attacked by Il-2. Mogilev, 22-28 June, 1944 [via]
Abandoned vehicles of the german 9th army at a road near Titowka/Bobruisk, Belarus [via]
Abandoned vehicles of the german 9th army at a road near Titowka/Bobruisk, Belarus [via]
Anihilated German convoy [via]
Annihilated German convoy [via]
German convoy under attack Il-2 near Vitebsk. Because of absence of the Luftwaffe, such convoys were helpless [via]
German convoy under attack Il-2 near Vitebsk. Because of absence of the Luftwaffe, such convoys were helpless [via]
Destroyed German armour litter the fields​ all over the way [via]
Destroyed German armour litter the fields all over the way [via]
5th Guards advance during Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
5th Guards advance during Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
Panther Ausf. G destroyed during Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
Panther Ausf. G destroyed during Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
Destroyed German armour somewhere in Belarus. 1944 [via]
Destroyed German armour somewhere in Belarus. 1944 [via]
Soviet infantry supported by tanks T-34 is fighting for one of the settlements in the direction of Lviv [via]
Soviet infantry supported by tanks T-34 is fighting for one of the settlements in the direction of Lviv [via]
Two destroyed Panzer IV tanks belonging to the 20th Panzer Division. June 1944 [via]
Two destroyed Panzer IV tanks belonging to the 20th Panzer Division. June 1944 [via]
Soviet tanks T34-85 entering Minsk in early july 1944 [via]
Soviet tanks T34-85 entering Minsk in early july 1944 [via]
Soviet soldiers in Polotsk, Berlarus. Propaganda poster celebrating the reconquest of the city and urging the liberation of the Baltic from Nazi German occupation. 4 July 1944 [via]
Soviet soldiers in Polotsk, Berlarus. Propaganda poster celebrating the reconquest of the city and urging the liberation of the Baltic from Nazi German occupation. 4 July 1944 [via]
Civilians carry belongings out of burning houses. Minsk, July 1944 [via]
Civilians carry belongings out of burning houses. Minsk, July 1944 [via]
Belarussan Youth marching in Minsk, 1944 [via]
Belarussian Youth marching in Minsk, 1944 [By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1991-0206-506 / CC-BY-SA 3.0]
German POWs after liberation of Minsk, Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
German POWs after liberation of Minsk, Operation Bagration. 1944 [via]
erman prisoners of war in Moscow. 15 July 1944 [via]
erman prisoners of war in Moscow. 15 July 1944 [By RIA Novosti archive]
57,000 German POWs march in Moscow after Operation Bagration. 17 July 1944 [via]
57,000 German POWs march in Moscow after Operation Bagration. 17 July 1944 [via]
Soviet soldiers and the ovens in the concentration camp. Majdanek, 1944 [via]
Soviet soldiers and the ovens in the concentration camp. Majdanek, 1944 [By Deutsche Fotothek, CC BY-SA 3.0 de]

Damian Lucjan

Damian is a history geek that’s working for War History Online for almost a decade. He can talk about the history and its chain of events for hours and is 100% legit fun at parties. Aside of history, geography and etymology of all things are no less exciting for him! An avid video game player, meme distributor, and your comment section moderator all in one. Mythologies of all cultures are fascinating to him, Greek, Nordic, Slavic – you name it, and he’s in!

In his spare time, assuming he has some left, he gives it all to his family, enjoying morning walks, a good book, an exciting FPS, and a long nap…or a few. Definitely a cat person.