Soviet infantry attacking German positions under smoke cover on the Arctic Front, 1944

December 17, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Soviet infantry attacking German firing positions under smoke cover on the Arctic Front in 1944.

This powerful and highly dynamic photograph captures a desperate Soviet infantry assault against German defensive positions under the cover of a thick smoke screen. Taken directly on the front line in 1944, the image conveys the raw intensity and brutality of infantry combat during the final phase of the war on the Arctic front.

The attacking soldiers are armed with SVT-40 semi-automatic rifles and a DP-27 light machine gun, standard weapons of Soviet rifle units in the later years of the Great Patriotic War. Their aggressive forward movement through smoke and fire illustrates classic Red Army assault tactics: suppress the enemy, obscure visibility, and close the distance as fast as possible.

Notably, these troops had recently arrived from the Soviet Far East, where they had been stationed in anticipation of a possible Japanese attack. Once it became clear that Imperial Japan would not immediately strike the USSR, experienced and well-trained Far Eastern units were redeployed westward and northward, significantly strengthening Soviet forces in critical sectors.

The Arctic theater was especially unforgiving. Soldiers fought not only the enemy, but also extreme cold, difficult terrain, and limited infrastructure. Despite these conditions, Soviet infantry units conducted repeated assaults to break German defensive lines and push the Wehrmacht out of strategically important northern regions.

The photograph was taken by Mikhail Savin, one of the most respected Soviet frontline photographers. His work is known for its immediacy, realism, and ability to capture moments where history is decided in seconds, under fire, by ordinary soldiers.

Technical Photo Data:

📍 Location: Arctic region, USSR
📅 Date: 1944
📝 Subject: Soviet infantry assault under smoke screen
📷 Photographer: Mikhail Savin

• Soviet Far Eastern troops
• Smoke screen assault WWII
• Red Army infantry attack
• German defensive positions
• Arctic ground combat