Summer tunic for the eastern front of the Hauptmann of the 85th Infantry Regiment

Summer tunic for the eastern front of the Hauptmann of the 85th Infantry Regiment. The tunic is large and fits the figure of the fifty-two size. Traces of strong front-line life. The collar has moth damage and traces of post-war restoration. The shoulder boards and breast eagle are sewn on by hand, and it is difficult to say whether this was done after the war, or was removed by the owner during the washing of the tunic, but corresponds to the general condition. The left chest pocket has traces of wearing awards, as well as damage received in the process of wear. Collar tabs are period sewn, however, once removed.

The 85th Infantry Regiment was reorganized into the mountain regiment and in December 1941 the regiment left Crete and returned to Salzburg and Tyrol. In mid-February 1942, he passed through Germany and the Baltic states to the area to the west of Leningrad. The regiment was stationed in the Kolpino area. An attack was planned on the skerries of Titansari, Lavansari and Seiskari in order to encircle Leningrad from the sea. But after the German failures in the winter of 1941/42, the mission was canceled, and the regiment was used as a plug on the front between the Neva and Volkhov. In November 1943, it was withdrawn from Russia and transferred to Italy. Here the regiment replaced units of the 305th Infantry Division on the «Reinhard Line» in the upper Rapido. The regiment took up positions on both sides of the road and on the heights between San Biagio and Colli. Here it repulsed powerful American attacks aimed at breaking through the German positions. On the night of January 13, 1944, the regiment returned to the «Gustav» position. Here the regiment took part in the battles for the Gustav Line and in the battles at the Casino. After heavy fighting at the mountain positions on the front of Cassino, and then further north, in May 1945 the regiment was captured by the Americans in Fiferoni near Turin.