During World War II, smoking was deeply ingrained in the daily life of German soldiers across all branches of the Wehrmacht. Cigarettes were included as standard items in military rations, often distributed alongside food and ammunition, and were viewed as essential for maintaining morale during the brutal conditions of combat, long marches, and periods of boredom in the field. Both enlisted men and officers smoked heavily, with many photographs from the era showing soldiers lighting up during breaks in fighting, in trenches, or while resting behind the lines. Brands such as Eckstein, Juno, and Reemtsma were popular, and the Nazi government, despite some early anti-tobacco rhetoric from certain party leaders, ultimately supported tobacco production and distribution to troops as a way to boost spirits and provide a small comfort in the chaos of war. Smoking also served as a social ritual, helping soldiers bond and cope with the psychological stress of battle. By the later years of the war, however, tobacco supplies became increasingly scarce due to Allied bombing of German factories and disrupted supply lines, forcing soldiers to improvise with ersatz tobacco or trade for cigarettes on the black market. This widespread habit reflected the era’s general lack of awareness about long-term health risks, and for many German soldiers, the cigarette became one of the few consistent pleasures amid the horrors of the conflict.
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ZIGARETTE (CIGARETTE)
Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895-1945) was one of the most capable and influential air commanders of the Luftwaffe, renowned for his expertise in close air support and operational planning from the Spanish Civil War through the final years of World War II. A veteran of the Legion Condor in Spain, where he served as Chief of Staff and later commander of German air units, Richthofen helped develop the tactical doctrines that would later underpin Germany’s early wartime successes. During the Second World War he commanded major formations including VIII. Fliegerkorps, whose concentrated air support played a decisive role in the campaigns in Poland, France, the Balkans, and especially during Operation Barbarossa. Richthofen was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 May 1940 as Generalmajor and Kommandierender General VIII. Fliegerkorps, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and the effectiveness of his air operations during the the start of Western Campaign, where his forces provided highly coordinated support to advancing German ground troops. He later received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 July 1941 as the 26th recipient of the award, largely for the continued success of VIII. Fliegerkorps during the start of Operation Barbarossa and the Luftwaffe’s increasingly sophisticated employment of tactical air power under his command. Richthofen went on to command Luftflotte 4 and Luftflotte 2 on the Eastern Front, directing major air operations during battles such as Sevastopol, Stalingrad, and Kursk. Promoted to Generalfeldmarschall on 16 February 1943, he remained a central figure in German air warfare until deteriorating health forced his retirement in 1944; he died in July 1945, leaving a legacy as perhaps the Luftwaffe’s most accomplished operational commander.
Hauptmann Rudolf Schlee (1913-1979), a highly decorated soldier of the Wehrmacht who was born on 10 November 1913 in Ludwigshafen, Rheinland Provinz (German Empire), served as a platoon leader in the 6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 during World War II and demonstrated exceptional bravery in various campaigns. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 October 1941 as Oberfeldwebel for his leadership and courage during intense combat operations, particularly in the mountain warfare contexts following the campaigns in the Balkans and the advance into the Soviet Union. His repeated acts of valor continued to stand out in the harsh fighting in the Caucasus region, where he led his Jäger platoon with outstanding initiative and determination, ultimately leading to the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as the 222nd recipient on 6 April 1943. Schlee later rose to the rank of Hauptmann and survived the war, becoming one of the notable recipients of these prestigious German decorations for his frontline service.
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ZIGARRE (CIGAR)
Oberst Andreas von Aulock (1893-1968) was a highly decorated colonel in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War who rose through the ranks from his pre-war service as a Leutnant in the 6. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 95 and extensive combat experience in the First World War at Verdun and in Flanders, later commanding Infanterie-Regiment 226 on the Eastern Front where he earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in October 1941 before participating in the Battle of Stalingrad and being evacuated from the pocket. Promoted to Oberst in November 1943 as Kommandeur of a Kampfgruppe within the 79. Infanterie-Division, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 November 1943 for his outstanding leadership and defensive operations in the Kuban-Brückenkopf, where his unit's tenacious resistance against repeated Soviet assaults helped stabilize the bridgehead amid fierce fighting and heavy losses, showcasing his tactical skill in holding critical positions under extreme pressure. Transferred thereafter to serve as Festungskommandant of St. Malo in early 1944, von Aulock earned the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 August 1944 as the 551st recipient for his heroic defense of the designated fortress during the Battle of Saint-Malo in August 1944, where, despite relentless American artillery and aerial bombardments exceeding 2,000 tons of ordnance, civilian appeals for surrender, and the isolation of his headquarters in the ancient Citadel after the city proper fell on 14 August, he refused to capitulate for nearly three weeks, coordinating mixed forces including remnants of the 77. Infanterie-Division and other units from an underground command post, employing snipers, booby traps, and counterattacks with hand weapons once heavy armament failed, inflicting heavy casualties on the vastly superior U.S. 83rd Infantry Division and tying down Allied resources while denying them the port facilities through demolition, all in strict adherence to orders to hold to the last man until he finally surrendered on 17 August with around 400-600 surviving troops, an act of defiance that earned him personal praise from Hitler and a mention in the Wehrmachtbericht for the garrison's almost three-week heroic stand against overwhelming enemy forces.
Source :
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-german-soldiers-smoking-efront-1941-19373151.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/83/Ritterkreuz-des-Eisernen-Kreuzes.htm
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