Diary fragments recount exact moment German Tankers invade Soviet Union

22nd of June 1941 wake-up call at 2 30 a.m it is ass cold and we have been harassed by midges but never mind it's Sunday and today it's showtime 2 50 a.m fire up and forward March lightning Schoener and his platoon in front then the boss and the heavy platoon and myself the new boy and his rabble at the rear from the Jura Forest we advance against the sakaline position and the line at babiskio to the Bridgehead of Gore as soon as we leave the forest all hell breaks loose I can't see anything at all but I can hear some of our guys open up eventually I and my lot also reached the spot where nothing seems to be going forward anymore because a long anti-tank obstacle is halting the advance a few bunkers are behind it built from wood and sand very solid work the advancing infantry had been taken Under Fire from the bunkers several wounded and two or three killed were the result the boss and a Panzer the four with oberloitment leonhart drove up to the wooden boxes and fired directly into the firing slits from a range of five meters and less the fellows inside I did not get out and kick the bucket instead they were Mongolians once the Pioneers had cleared a path the company attacked this position and thus spared the Infantry from an intense firefight we assemble on the road behind the position a few houses are burning animals are running around in panic a few Pangea carts loaded with frightened children bags and baggage stand around after a while we continued I have fired on some bunkers five shots in total and a few single rounds from the machine gun into a trench got a rollicking from the boss as I had driven too far on the left stayed too far behind and so on no one is born a master and I will get the hang of it soon Oswald is in a foul mood as his Wireless has stopped working we now Advanced on the positions at Gore but there we found several kilometer long tank obstacles consisting of dug in wooden poles behind that several of those large bunkers made of wood and sand they were taken Under Fire by our artillery but didn't suffer a lot from it so again the Panzer 4S went forward with oberloutant leonhart firing their shells at point-blank range into the Bunker's firing slits while the intensity of the artillery fire increased steadily whole salvos of high explosive shells crashed into forests Gardens and other places in which the Russian infantry sought to find cover soon afterwards our infantry launched their attack and when they had reached the tank obstacle we started moving forward ahead of them first platoon on the right in a broad wedge third platoon on the left in the same manner and we of the second platoon in the Gap behind them the platoon of sixth company gave covering fire suppressing the bunkers from which a 7.6 CM gun and an anti-tank gun were firing then we raced forward to reach the Infantry which was waiting for support in the area close to the bunkers we could just drive through the tank obstacle by using the road Russian stupidity the brothers dig an anti-tank ditch and leave a bridge leading across it intact they build a bunker line with a road cutting through the tank obstacle in front of it once we had crossed we halted next to a trench I was standing in the turret when suddenly there was a loud bang on the ground around next to us our infantrymen threw themselves on the ground and chucked some hand grenades into the trench I had ducked back into the turret and we Advanced towards a homestead on a rise in front of us I had the feeling that they might have their mortars up there while doing so we traversed the turret to the rear halted and fired a few rounds into the rear entrance of a bunker the whole company had assembled at the homestead the platoon commanders met with the boss and the infantry battalion Commander to discuss how to conduct the Advance on Gore our Target of the day Gore was also the target of two other camp gruppen and we sought to make sure that we got there first we were attached to another infantry battalion which was already advancing on Gore my platoon and an attached Panzer IV were to support their attack we caught up with the leading infantryman in the forest they mounted up and off we went first vehicle overfeld Rebel Oswald followed by his group vehicle under aphisia hunica behind which came the Panzer IV I followed behind the Panzer IV and behind me came the second group with Feld Rebel gear Sig when we came out of the forest we sent a few shells into the village to draw enemy return fire with my gun I fired upon the small Spire of the church about 700 meters away the first round hit So I placed a second one a bit further down one could see the shell detonating there was a bunker marked down on our map of the defenses so we had to be careful when entering the village when we got to the center of the village the boss was already there the Infantry dismounted and looked for a crossing point there was a half-finished bridge with a Ford next to it through which our vehicles could cross shallow entry water about 30 centimeters deep Sandy ground at 2 10 pm our platoon secured The Village exit the Infantry chaps were grateful for our support and joked and waved as they marched past our tanks then the members of my gang together with the infantrymen who had ridden on our tank and Oswald's crew finally cracked open the bottle of champagne in celebration of our first attack to be honest I expected a lot tougher going on that day but then it was a lot harder for the Infantry as we were standing in front of the furthermost position we could witness an aerial combat above us eight bombers had flown in from the red side towards tilset the artillery observers who were sitting on the rear of my tank alerted me to the fact that something was brewing above us three messerschmitts then shot down four of the bombers I saw how one messerschmitz engaged one of the heavy modern bombers even through all the noise on the ground one could hear the shooting above us Flames erupted from the bomber's fuselage the birds swayed to the side and then flipped over and fell towards the ground a long trail of smoke still lingered in the air for a minute or so while on the ground there was a crashing sound a thick oily black cloud rose up and signaled the end of the red bird the advance continues towards the east the 23rd of June 1941 this was written during a break in the fighting I sit in the turret a pair of binoculars hanging around my neck headphones on and microphone at my throat we marched from stegvili a Bridgehead across the sasuvies to rossanyi the dust is terrible when we reach Kal ninai a messenger drives up to tell us that enemy armor has been reported from the right we prepared for combat and turned our fronts to the right I don't really believe there is anything coming ahead of us something is burning it must be a bigger place for a sanyi I guess the direction is about right these giant pillars of smoke are the best signal to announce we are here far better than any signal flare they spring up wherever there is enemy resistance if one fires his gun into one of those wooden Lithuanian Shacks those shanties Catch Fire immediately yesterday morning during the attack on the first position at sakaline we could clearly see the smoke rising up from torogan and it was thick enough to block out the sun now here on the road I can see smoke rising up along the whole Horizon and I wonder how long we'll have to stand here yesterday the phrase was Panzer forward today it seems to be panzers out of the way Gunther Eggers has fallen I have seen his grave his Panzer too Number 601 stood on the roadside opposite its right side hold like a sieve he got a Shell through his back and was and one can only thank God for this killed immediately as the next Shell had ripped off both of his hands a short greeting hands in salute to the cap and our Panzer rolled on nearby was the grave of a dispatch Rider his steel helmet rested on the wooden cross while on Gunther's cross they had placed his field cap how often had I put on this old battered cap with its scratched visor for fun in the casino a year ago Gunther and I had been at officer's School in Hala and with Gunther I had driven to France to visit the regiment in the same year I had lived together in Thorne and with him and joch and mullenberg I had celebrated New Year's Eve there he was always with us young lieutenants when there were evenings of little actual importance and we also sat together with him on our last officer's night at the casino at freestatt and at four in the morning oberloitment glasgen had forced him to make a speech on the behavior of young lieutenants when facing a superior officer yes Gunther a great friend of the arbites maiden several of whom acted as waitresses on our company evening has now fallen his parents will receive a letter from the company commander who is heartbroken just as we are there will be a death notice in the local newspaper and his little blonde sister will cry for him we however will march on with him in our thoughts he will fight at our side and his death will not remain unpunished at 11AM we left stegvili and now it is 16 30 PM we are still standing along the road to rossanii waiting for enemy tanks which aren't willing to arrive some signals troops of the luftwaffe have started laying an FF cable towards the front they told us they did the same job in the forest behind us earlier just like peacetime work not even wearing their steel helmets they suddenly saw a column of 15 Russians cross the road only a few meters ahead of them a proper little fire fight developed casualties on either side none two of the signals chaps young lieutenants have only just left after climbing up on my tank and asking all kinds of questions their interest dropped significantly after I had shown them the cramped inside of our fighting compartment upon which they expressed The View that they wouldn't like to do our job after all still no sign of any Russians but several of our bombers just flew past over our heads one can easily recognize them all since they started carrying yellow markings the 24th of June 1941. with our tanks we are standing a few hundred meters in front of racinia waiting for our deployment in the morning Russian tanks broke through and they had reached the southern exit of the village behind which we are now standing a short while ago we were being shelled by Red artillery and had to Fan out on the field to our right the wind is carrying clouds of fine white dust towards us which is thrown up by the vehicles of the baggage train driving down the road by now we all look like flower Millers our black uniforms completely covered with dust we wouldn't mind that if we could only Advance again our first uptailung suffered casualties the second company was entirely surprised by much stronger Russian forces lightning Bok lightning cast and dead hauptman bergstal are badly wounded the CEO of First company oberloitment HOA was wounded and is expected to die the furthermost line is supposed to be about four kilometers in front of the village of rasenia the infantrymen here are not from northern Germany it will have to be seen how they perform the Infantry with which we drove into our first attack were really good and attacked like blucher playing with Tin Soldiers Heavy Artillery is standing behind us and is sending one 15 centimeter shell after another towards the Russians we can hear the heavy shells howling over our heads most of the Russians here are tough Fighters especially the Asians whom the Russians have thrown into the battle here we saw that when we encountered the Mongols in the trench between the second bunker line and those who let themselves be killed by leonhardt's 7.5 centimeter instead of surrendering I witnessed another case at stegvili for two hours our Banks had been standing there surrounded by our infantry nearby there were batteries of our artillery and the roads were full of our vehicles then suddenly about 20 meters away from a Panzer II a lone Russian soldier Rises up from the tall grain and throws a hand grenade on the tank the Russian takes aim with his rifle and fires on the Tank's Commander the bullet went through his shirt collar and only grazed his skin Wham for a moment there my pencil slipped when something exploded in the field behind us but never mind 500 meters behind a heavy artillery battery keeps up a Relentless fire and among all the noise I can't help to notice that several small blue butterflies keep circling around my tank just like the diary suddenly Trails off in the original manuscript there is an Unbound page inserted here it begins mid-sentence as so find a way to get to grips with these big lumps during the night from 25 to the 26th of June the Russian attempts to break through our positions on hill 126. in the forest west of bagno Il gossily we tankers and The Riflemen had him surrounded and now he tried to escape towards the north but he didn't manage to achieve this and had to withdraw into the forest with heavy casualties the many lorries they left behind on the roadside all went up in flames and thus like torches illuminated the path we would take during our counter thrust which my men would have to launch at dawn a brief meeting of the leaders in front of the Vanguard of Riflemen and then the attack is rolling across zwagii towards the village in front of it through the forest behind it towards Hill 141 where we are to link up with an element of first Panzer Division the next page of the original manuscript is missing it continues on a page later like this the hull of the tank with the tracks is about four meters wide each track on its own is nearly 75 centimeters wide the whole thing is camouflaged in green and up to the turret ring is over two meters high at first sight it has quite a comical look about it in stark contrast to all the thought which went into the design of our own tanks all its armor is vertical and the entire tank is so awkwardly set up that it looks like a huge box on caterpillars a on tracks but we have learned that these boxes need to be taken very seriously as even 5 cm80 guns and 7.5 cm tank guns fail to have any effect on them but one must just stay calm in front of the forest lots of hectic activity 5cm packed to the front the commander of the lead tank climbs out of his vehicle and Sprints towards the forest at the same time I see how his Panzer 4 is carefully rolling backwards what is going on there there is no shooting to be heard but the entire Advance has halted via the radio I ask the commander of the lead tank who has just returned what is going on there is a huge tank standing in a clearing is the reply I tell him to take a fuel can to the enemy tank and to set it on fire but he isn't Keen to do that himself I open the turret hatch and Dismount shove the pistol into one trouser but while I am doing so I don't realize that my head is right in front of the other hole one of The Riflemen on the ground shouts careful watch out hair lightning and while I am turning around there is an ear deafening bank and a bullet whizzes past my ear I am not hurt what a tremendous amount of luck I jump off the tank and ask a Feld Rebel of The Rifleman for a few cartridges for my pistol while I am loading my magazine I see Feld Rebel Oswald running across the clearing towards the mammoth tank with a fuel can in his hand I shout over to him that's how to do it and at the same moment he throws the opened can onto the Tank's engine deck the fuel runs into the grid protecting the air ventilation system and everyone Waits until enough of it has run into the tank then Oswald throws a hand grenade on it it bursts and a Jetta flame shoots up the tank is burning I have just started to look for my own tank the good skoda Super Sport when all of a sudden the turret hatch of the giant tank lifts and a red Soldier starts climbing out as he isn't lifting his hands and is showing no intentions to surrender The Rifleman shoot him dead his body falls from the turret onto the earth below well that has cost us more than enough time I climb back into my tank we start rolling and my radio operator signals that I can use the radio I order my platoon to continue the advance and designate their next objective looking through my binoculars I have identified a Russian 3.7 CM flat battery on the hill ahead and now we are charging it hell for leather we are leaving our Rifleman behind they will have to catch up with us later the Russian gun Crews however have already made a run for it the foxholes around the flat guns are filled with equipment and weapons there are still some Russians in a house to the right but before we can even get there some crud shoots and come up and shoot two Reds with their pistols and then throw hand grenades Through the Windows everyone who is not already dead is Burning to death now as the wooden house with its straw roof is Catching Fire immediately via the radio I order my men not to fire on the flat guns they are worth a lot of money and then the advance continues on the right side of the road past tartuza but what is that driver halt through the binoculars I can see a tank turret at 10 o'clock 400 meters on the right of a cluster of houses a Christie tank turning the turret I shout armor-piercing shell and take Aim through the Optics the loader shouts ready and Wham the shell leaves the barrel with the binoculars I observe through the lowered turret hatch good that one hit the turret another armor-piercing ready Erdman my loader replies ready that one hits the hull at the rear right into the engine and it starts burning the advance continues there is Marshland on the right so I warn the platoon via the radio on the hill ahead I can see vehicles of first Panzer Division I fire a white signal flare our skodas are easily mistaken for Russian armor I fire a second white signal flare and then we roll onto a Hedgerow about 100 meters ahead Theo sander my namesake suddenly shouts there is another of those heavy Russians over there and truly just ahead there is a T28 a giant tank with three turrets it's easy to identify armor piercing ready and Wham right into the turret another into the rear of the hull and it starts smoking and a third one for good measure face is blackened by powder fumes and uniforms coated with dust we arrive on Hill 141 lots of excitement and joy on both sides the pincers have closed and the Russians are trapped I report our positions to the commander of the tanks of the first Panzer Division and then radio back to the company to make my report there is time to survey the battlefield on the right there is a Russian 15 cm artillery piece of the latest design and there is also a flamethrower tank which is Burning Brightly a few deep gulps from our canteens the Lithuanian heat makes the tongue stick to the palate it has really been worth it in the evening the boss treats each tank crew to a bottle of champagne

Channel: WW2 Stories

Views: 14,752

Keywords: history documentary, vpn, invest, bitcoin, blood dust snow, friederich sander, friederich wilhelm sander

Id: ksYD3gWJzzA

Length: 17min 35sec (1055 seconds)

Published: Mon May 29 2023