German Soldiers in WW2 were the main fighting force of the Heer. The Wehrmacht, or Nazi Germany's armed forces, had many divisions and specializations of soldiers who fought for Hitler's Reich. During WW2, Operation Barbarossa began in 1941, which required winter camouflage for the Heer and Waffen-SS units preparing to invade the Soviet Union. Many soldiers received warm winter trenchcoats, along with a white camouflaged fur coat overlapping. This was necessary to keep the soldiers out of the cold and ready to fight. The operation failed in December of 1941 after the defeat of the major German forces at Moscow. A rifleman of this division usually carried some Kar98k pouches, a gas mask canister, water bottle, goggles, and a balaclava.