Soviet infantry advances during the fighting near Gizel, North Ossetia, on November 7, 1942, during the Battle for the Caucasus.
This photograph, taken by Viktor Temin, shows Soviet infantry advancing during the fighting near Gizel, North Ossetia, on November 7, 1942. The battle formed part of the wider Battle for the Caucasus, one of the major campaigns on the Eastern Front during the second half of 1942.
In early November, German forces attempted to break through toward Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz) and the strategically important Georgian Military Road. Soviet troops launched determined counterattacks around Gizel, helping to halt the German offensive at the northern approaches to the Caucasus Mountains.
Although the exact circumstances surrounding this photograph are unknown, it captures the intensity of infantry combat during the campaign. The fighting in this sector marked the furthest German advance into the central Caucasus before the offensive lost momentum and Soviet forces gradually regained the initiative.
Technical Photo Data
- 📅 Date: November 7, 1942.
- 📍 Location: Gizel, North Ossetia, USSR.
- 👥 Subject: Soviet infantry during the Battle for the Caucasus.
- 📷 Photographer: Viktor Temin.
- 📚 Source of information: Unknown.
Recommended literature
- David M. Glantz — To the Gates of Stalingrad.
- Robert Forczyk — Where the Iron Crosses Grow: The Crimea 1941–44.
- Earl F. Ziemke — Stalingrad to Berlin.
- "Battle for the Caucasus WWII photos"
- "Gizel North Ossetia November 1942"
- "Soviet infantry Caucasus campaign"