Hello my dear friends! Today we continue our
review of the diary of German Oberleutnant Martin Shteglich. Remember to rate the video,
and also leave your opinion about this story, and we are going to begin!
July 3, 1941. We reached our destination successfully yesterday,
or to be more precise this morning at 1:30 a.m.!!! The landscapes around here are splendid: we
have reached the lake area. The beautiful lakes are surrounded by a chain of hills.
The people here are absolutely poor, and have become even poorer thanks to the
Bolsheviks. However, we were busy pulling our wagons to the place, and we had no time to
enjoy the beautiful nature. There was no rain in the afternoon. And this morning sun
pleases us again with its bright smile! We had to climb the hill last night, the
wagons were dragged only by a tractor. Oberleutnant Engler is again
with us. Such a lucky man: only the muscles were injured. The
wound was bandaged and he's back in action. It's a pity about Erich Bölte, who
returns to the command personnel reserve. July 4.
We have a halt in Benyuny. We encamped last night about 8:00
p.m. at Swiecita. Our whole shelter consisted of a dirty yard of some sort, though with a fine
straw stack. We call it " social straw." It is the highest grade, nearly as good as a bed from
Schlaraffia. What a small thing we need now! Everyone in the company slept in tents. I never
imagined that this was possible: the tents were in a nice, proper quadrangle - like a peacetime
bivouac. There was a meeting at the commander's in the evening. Afterwards I instructed the company
for a short time and fell asleep as if killed. We're on the march again at 8:00 a.m.
this morning. We have already covered 20 kilometers. And there are still 20 km to
be covered! The long-awaited day of rest on the other side of the Daugava
beckons us with a guiding star. July 5. We move forward all the first half of the
day. Yesterday in the afternoon there was Iron Crosses awarding. My company was
awarded four Iron Crosses 2nd class. We stayed for the night in Drisvyaty in a
big shed where the whole company could fit in. There was a big lake about 20
meters behind the shed. The entire company washed and bathed naked. What a
wonderful thing it was to be refreshed! This morning we had to march in a terrible hurry.
The regiment's liaison got into an accident on his motorcycle, and the order to march came
at the last minute before the scheduled time. We have to pass 40 kilometers. The weather
is good: a breeze, chilly, and clouds. July 6.
There is not so much distance left up to Daugava. That evening we were camped in
the village Boruny. Once we arrived, I, as always, went a little ahead to personally inspect
our accommodation. One of the quartermasters, however, had directed our company to the
wrong place. I was so angry with him. I slept undressed in a clean bed all night,
but it was not at all nice and peaceful, as I could expect, but rather bad. I'm
not used to it. A hut is clean. Of course, by local standards! I wrote letters
to the families of our wounded in the evening by the automobile light.
I fell asleep only at midnight. Today, on Sunday, we moved out earlier than usual, at 6:25 a.m. Our battalion goes at the
head of the regimental column. Today we will cross the Daugava. The enemy
has already been beaten up there. July 7.
We stopped in the forest near Kuglani. Yesterday at about 3 p.m.
we crossed the Daugava near Kraslava. Further we passed another 10 km to the forest near Kuglani.
A refreshing thunderstorm caught us on the way. At about 17:30 p.m. we arrived at the place where we
found some straw for the night, as it is supposed to be for true soldiers. I have been suffering
from bad kidney pains in the mornings lately. Like it was today, for instance. Bloody hell!
Today's march is only 15 kilometers. We have to replace the 407th Regiment, previously
sent out to guard the bridgehead. The rumor has it that there's a revolution
in Russia and Stalin's fled. Are we wishful thinking? In any case, the Red Army is condemned
to chaos and extermination. Even yesterday alone, 52,000 soldiers surrendered voluntarily
after their commissar was executed. July 10. The heaviest, even the severest hours of
the battle are over. First things first, however. On July 8 at about 6:00 p.m. we
were alerted at Klabovchi, and we moved at a fast pace across the primary Soviet border
at Bolshoye Ladelevo (I mean the USSR border before the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). There we
had to engage in combat at night to beat back a Russian attack. In darkness we moved through
rough terrain - the lowlands were mined - and only miraculously we got there safe and sound.
On July 9, my Company took up positions for a defensive battle. This day was the hardest
so far in my military service. I am deeply impressed by the events that took place. Since
this morning, since 11:30 a.m, I feel like I've been back to life. Because I thought I was dead
and only hoped to leave this world honorably. Here's what happened. There was a forest in front
of me, a true primeval forest. The reconnaissance squad we sent out didn't return. So, my company
had to join in. I moved out at 10:30 a.m. and since 10:45 a.m. I was engaged in a fire fight
with skillfully and wily defending Russians. The mission was to advance 2 kilometers. But we
literally had to break into their defense, and that only for about 1200 meters. We captured eight
anti-tank guns and five trucks - a huge trophy! And here it started. My company is alone in the
forest, surrounded by numerous enemies. We were surrounded and attacked with artillery and heavy
mortars. The first losses were 24 men wounded! But the Russians also had a lot of trouble
from us: everyone we were able to approach was killed! And as soon as the 6th Company
rescued us from this difficult situation, both companies got stuck again. The
10th Company commanded by Erich Bölte arrived. The carnage of one-on-one combat
began. Three rifle companies opposed to a thousand Russians! The Reds were sitting both
high in the trees, anchored to the trunks, and in earth shelters - you could not notice them
at once. Moreover, we were attacked with direct fire from anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns and
10.5-cm guns. Shouting "hurrah" and on the signal to attack "forward march" we rushed on the Russian
positions, seized them and destroyed the enemy. We settled on the Russian positions. And then
I saw: it was over for us - the Russians were counterattacking! We couldn't retreat - I had
38 wounded men to deal with! My only wish was to be killed before I fell into the hands of
the Reds. However, after the heavy fighting, the Reds fled. We were all alone (the
6th and 10th companies had withdrawn) and waited for the morning, and with it for
a new attack of the enemy. It never happened, however, or I would not have
been sitting here this evening. One non-commissioned officer (Hansel)
and nine soldiers were killed, and six non-commissioned officers
and 34 soldiers were wounded. There are one officer, one non-commissioned
officer and 11 soldiers left in the company among the wounded. I was among them. I got
four pieces of shrapnel from an anti-tank shell in the back of my neck. The fragments are
very small, but they hurt. Yet I was amazingly, improbably lucky! And my orderly Flott
was dead. He was shot in the chest; his throat was bleeding out this morning.
Now the "Penguin" will accompany me again. I still need to process everything that's
happened. I need to take control of myself. We achieved great success, but we
suffered heavy losses. All three companies are currently unable to operate
at full strength because of the losses. But the Reds have nothing but dead men.
I counted 170-200 corpses on our section of the attack alone. We'll knock them out! I
thank the Lord for giving me life again. I must still write to the families of our killed
and make submissions for the Iron Cross. July 11. It's a rest day at the Konkanda. I have been
on foot since 5:30 a.m. this morning. All day I have been writing submissions for award of the
Iron Cross, reports on previous fighting, etc. July 12.
Today we are moving a bit to the right of the general offensive route. The 2nd Battalion came
at the disposal of the regimental commander to carry out special orders. The other two battalions
have been engaged in a successful offensive since 4:00 a.m. this morning. It is 6:30 a.m. now. We
are advancing gradually, keeping a bit behind. After marching out last night at 11:00 p.m., we passed through Osweya, a village
totally ruined by dive-bomber attacks. I had to interrupt again at this point, as a
meeting of commanders had been scheduled at the 7th Company position. There was one task scheduled
for tomorrow, and that was the matter we were meeting about. It rained hard, but I am now in
the fresh air again and continue my "paintings." July 14.
Sunday was uneventful and without fighting. We followed
a regiment advancing a successful attack and breaking through the bottleneck between the
lakes. In the process a whole battalion of Reds was again crushed. A general regimental
line-up followed, just like in peacetime after the end of a training drill. It is good that
the Red aviation is nothing compared to ours! Then we moved towards Sebezh. We reached
the village of Komona on the lake shore in 15 kilometers, where we built a tent camp. Sunday
was a day of rest. But we couldn't relax, because at any minute there could be an order to march.
When you're on the march, there's no time to rest. I finished all the ongoing paperwork, wrote to the families of all our wounded.
At 11:40 p.m. we set out on the march. In the afternoon, the propaganda
company announcer interviewed me about the battle on July 9. It will be out
next days in "Shtimme der Front" (this is a radio program. The title means "Voice
from the Front" translated from German). Since yesterday evening we have already
covered about 36 kilometers, now we are having a three-hour halt for lunch. The heat is
absolutely tropical, the dust makes it unbearable. My wound suddenly reopened this morning,
though it is still healing normally. So far, we have been moving - probably a
real "highway" by local standards - along the strategic route of the Reds. We have
to move farther and farther forward, with forced marches, because we still
have to surround the large Red units! The wretchedness here in the Soviet paradise is
indescribable. I can't depict it clearly anyway; I don't have sufficient literary
talent. So I'd better quit this work. That is all for today! You can
watch other episodes of this diary by following the link in the pinned
comment. If you enjoyed this video, please like it and support the channel by
subscribing. Goodbye everyone, until next time!
