G.I. Joe Foreign Soldiers Collection Action Figure Hasbro 2000 57727 NRFB

FOREIGN SOLDIERS COLLECTION World War II German Panzer Tank Sergeant-Major

Hauptwachtmeister, Panzer-Regiment 39

Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 marked a turning point in the direction of the war in the European Theater. Code named "Operation Barbarossa," Germany attempted to smash its communist adversary into submission by initiating the largest military conflict in history. Originally scheduled to begin in May 1941, Germany's invasion of Russia had to be postponed until June due to the fascist state's invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia. When it did occur on June 22, over three million German Wehrmacht troops, along with 900,000 allied forces (Romanian, Finnish, Hungarian, Italian and Slovak), and a multitude of mechanized support units and Luftwaffe aircraft, crossed into the Soviet Union along an 1,800 mile front to face a Russian force of 4.7 million. The global conflict now rose to a level never before seen in the annals of human warfare!

Spearheading the German invasion were powerful Panzer tank units with supporting motorized divisions that formed four reinforced army corps called, Panzergruppen. Together, they were to blitz their way into Russia to destroy the Red Army in Belarus and seize control of Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev, three of the Soviet Union's major urban areas. The Hauptwachtmeister, Panzer-Regiment 39 saw extensive action as part of Army Group Centre's assault into western Russia, especially during the capture of Smolensk in 1941. During the course of the offensive, much of western Russia fell to the Germans, but Leningrad and Moscow escaped capture. By December 1941, the Germans and their allies faced a stiff Russian counterattack, and by mid-1943, the German army suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad. The Germans retreated, and the tide of the war in Europe had turned in favor of the Allies.

World War II German Panzer Tank Seargeant-Major - Hauptwachtmeister, Panzer-Regiment 39 - Equipment List: Figure, M1936 Service cap, P08 pistol with holster, 1 ammo clip, Goggles, Pants, Belt with buckle, Boots, Binoculars, M1931 Field flask, 3 Grenades, Bread bag - Ages 5+ - Hasbro 2000

There is some tearing on the upper front of the box. The bottom left corner is slightly dented.