Soon after the division advanced towards Leningrad under Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa, and would remain on the eastern front for the remainder of the war.

Attacking in the pre dawn hours of 22 June 1941, the division soon found a gap in the Soviet border defences and by nightfall had penetrated to a distance of 70 km.

Its combat engineers, with the assistance of a company of Brandenburgers, mounted a ruse and managed to capture both the rail and road bridge intact.

However progress was agonisingly slow, the muddy roads almost impassable to any but tracked vehicles, and the Army was having difficulties bringing in supplies behind the troops.

The freezing weather meant that the roads improved slightly, which helped the transport of supplies, but not the troops who, still lacking winter clothing, suffered greatly from the conditions.

This defence stance, although necessary left them vulnerable to penetration, and in xx 1942 the Soviet exploited their weakness and encircled substantial forces in the city of Velikiye Luki.

The relief forces continued to inch forward but progress was slow and costly, and by 13 December 1942 the 8th Panzer Division has suffered 1473 casualties including 82 officers.

At the start of January 1943, Army Group Centre assigned two additional divisions plus another panzer battalion for a renewed push towards the city.

The front had over 800,000 men, 13,000 guns and mortars and 200 tanks, attacking with 2 main groupings, both rapidly broke through the German defenses and by the 6th day of the operation had trapped several units in a pocket under XIII Army Corps command, including elements of 8th Panzer Division.

The 8th Panzer Division had been in reserve rebuilding near Brody, and was immediately committed to the breakthrough area but failed to stop the Soviet advance.

The trapped forces managed to break the ring around them but had to filter their way through the attacking Red Army formation and only a part of their numbers and without any vehicles or heavy weapons.