June 22, 1941 was a momentous day in world history. On that day, thousands upon thousands of German troops stormed across the border to begin the invasion of the Soviet Union. Known as Operation Barbarossa, 3.9 million German troops were committed to this ambitious military operation, along with 600,000 vehicles and 750,000 horses! It remains the largest military operation in human history in terms of both the manpower involved and casualties caused. The German side scored some remarkable victories in the early days, taking 3 million Russian prisoners in the process. However, the operation was to eventually lose momentum and falter at the gates of the Russian capital of Moscow. Dragon’s newest 1/35 scale figure set represents German soldiers embroiled in Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

The set features four German infantrymen in the early, victorious days of the invasion. Although they can be separated for a specific vignette that a modeler has in mind, the four figures are designed to operate together during an attack on Russian positions. It’s the type of scene that was so common as Germany infantry divisions advanced across the endless Russian steppes. One of the soldiers is firing his rifle from a kneeling position while another reloads. Another is getting ready to throw a stick grenade. An NCO fires a signal gun to signal the beginning of their attack, with the gun cartridge displayed open. They all wear uniforms typical of that timeframe. Of special interest is the rubber bands attached to one of the soldier’s helmets to hold camouflage material. Amongst the wide selection of Dragon’s 1/35 German figure sets, there aren’t actually that many that depict soldiers from this period of the war. As well as the lifelike action poses, this fact makes the set even more desirable. These soldiers are just waiting for the chance to launch themselves into an exciting Operation Barbarossa diorama!