Hello my dear friends! Today we are going to
continue reading the diary of German Oberleutnant Martin Shteglich. Remember to rate this video,
as well as leave your opinion about this story, and we'll begin!
July 29, 1942. It is already 0:30 a.m., and therefore
it is July 30, 1942. For a long time now, I have been thinking of at last starting to
write diary entries again. However, previously, it was all platonic, in my mind. And today I
finally made up my mind. How long it will last today - I don't know. It depends on many things
- especially not least the behavior of the Ivans. I decided to take a small excursion into the
past in order to keep the chronological order of the story. Although a lot of things
have already been forgotten. However, this is an indicator that it was something
not so crucial. After all, a person tends to consider the circumstances he is in at the moment
to be more important than they really are. Yet, this can only be reliably judged after
the passage of time. This probably makes it impossible to capture the atmosphere of
the day as accurately as it would have been possible if I had written right after the
events. And the most crucial thing for me in a diary is to record the feeling of the
past day, so that I can easily reconstruct the rest of the day! That is why I want to get
to the current events as soon as possible and I have to call "memories" a description
of what happened before the present day. When my command sent me to Berlin to
the Infantry Inspection and then to the Educational Film Directorate of the Land
Forces High Command, I was assigned the task of writing a text for the filming of the
educational film "Combat in the Forest". Which I accomplished. And I was immediately attached
to the team for filming "Reconnaissance Patrol". When I was informed that as an actor and
consultant "with experience on the Eastern Front" I must go with all of them to film in
France, it was too much. But I got the order and I just had to fulfill it. To be honest:
today, when I have returned to the paradise called "Soviet Russia", I am happy to
recall that all these adventures fell to my lot. I would only like to say that I
missed my company, which had to fight hard. The springtime in France, the Loire Valley -
it was magnificent and unspeakably beautiful… The filming was at first not too enthusiastic for
me - I had to act as a company commander at the front. But then I was assigned more and more to
be responsible for filming the battle scenes in the movie "Road Compass". At the same time, I was
also an actor. This filming was something special. I managed to immerse myself deeply in the process.
Our team was very close-knit! Our "movie staff" in Shino was under the command of Major Forster. The
time I spent there was great. After the Russian winter, the beauty of early spring in the Loire
valley was doubly vivid to me. Colonel Hammer of the Infantry Inspectorate, who had visited us,
told me that it had been decided to assign me to his inspectorate as soon as my work in the
Educational Film Directorate was finished. The duration of the new assignment would be at least
two months! I couldn't stand to hear this again! After all, I didn't want to be stuck in
the Land Forces High Command any longer, I wanted to return to the front, to my
company, to my regiment. And then there was a telephone call from Berlin, staged
by Major Engel to get me out of there. Lieutenant-Colonel Klosterkemper telephoned:
I should be sent immediately to my unit! I regret to say that I had to become acquainted
with many gentlemen who are certainly not at all happy to take responsibility. And I didn't like
it at all. I've seen enough of total incompetence! The parting was heartfelt, and on Saturday
afternoon I took the fast train from St. Pierre-de-Coeur via Paris to Berlin. One
of the last dining cars was even attached to the train. Since June 1, the dining
cars have been canceled on all routes. It didn't take much time to find an apartment
in Berlin - I accepted the offer of a lady from the Land Forces High Command to stay with her
parents. "Penguin" went to his mother's house. The next morning, I reported my arrival to the
executive of the Educational Film Directorate of the Land Forces High Command. I telephoned
from the Reich Chancellery from Major Engel's office. He informed me that after returning from
Breslau I should telephone him again. I went home, telephoned Berlin the next day and was
ordered to arrive in the capital the next day. This time in Berlin I let the commandant's office
take care of my accommodation. I stayed at the Hotel "Alexandria". Nowadays, during the war,
it's not easy to find a place to stay in the center of the capital of Europe. I had dinner in
the evening with Captain Professor Dr. Hilf. Then I met Fritz Brünning, an old regimental comrade,
who was in Berlin on leave due to a wound. The next day I left the Reich Chancellery by
courier automobile for Staaken, and from there by courier "Junkers" went to the main headquarters
of the Führer. "Penguin" even the day before was sent by me there by train. After landing, the
commandant of the airfield informed me that there was an option to immediately take off
further on the "Heinkel-111", and I should make a telephone call to Major Engel. I dialed
his number and expressed my thanks. Then I took the "Penguin" and we immediately flew further
towards Pskov. We landed at the Pskov-South airfield. It was not what we needed. Then we flew
to Ostrov. Now everything's right. The plane was piloted by Oberfeldwebel Eichhof, recipient of
the Knight's Cross. The vehicle was supposed to pick up General von Tippelskirch and take
him to the Führer's main headquarters. We flew to our "box" as part of a group of thirty-two
Junkers-52s and escorted by fighter planes. We landed at our destination point at 8:15 a.m. I
went further to the regiment by a trophy truck. Well, here I was back at home again!
I reported my arrival to the regiment commander. We had a drink with him.
I asked him about all the things that had happened here without me. I told him a
lot, because I had had a lot of adventures. Under pouring rain, I went on foot
to Scharf's battalion in Ozheyedy, where my company, still subordinated to the
123rd Infantry Division, was located. By the time I got there I was soaked to the skin.
After briefly greeting the battalion commander, I moved on to my company. To my guys. There
are so few of them left here! All the more joyful was our meeting. I took command of the
2nd and 5th companies. There were two platoons left in the company, one of them commanded
by Oberfeldwebel Grobeh, the other one by Oberfeldwebel (now Lieutenant) Lütke. Until my
return, the company was commanded by Jacobsen. I have a lot of making up to do in my company.
And how many great friends I have here such as Heintzman, commander of the 3rd Company of the
89th Regiment, Zirmal from the 526th Artillery Division, and Heinz Lemm, the "commander-in-chief"
(meaning the battalion commander). I often recall our pub in Ozheyedy, as well as
my "Antek's bar" (characters from popular jokes in Silesia, where the author of this diary
is from) and the dugout, which was perfectly equipped. Yet my boys did a great job back
then. Sometimes there were skirmishes. Twice we succeeded in destroying the Ivans while they
were taking their initial positions. In other respects - our mines were competently set at
a distance of 30-50 meters from each other, and besides, the minefields were constantly
strengthened. But here everything is different, mines are laid at a distance of 100-150
meters, and in some sections even they were 250 meters from each other. It turned
out to be something between winter positions made of snow and digging into the ground.
Besides, it wasn't done well everywhere. It was my birthday on July 16, I have now "caught
up" with my regiment number - 27. Everything went great. I received good news - the company is being
withdrawn from its present positions and returned to its regiment. It means our 5th company with
a large-caliber machine-gun crew attached to it. On July 17, we conducted a reconnaissance
of the area. On July 18 at 8:00 p.m. we left our positions and marched 5 km with songs
towards our rear. At first, the guys had doubts, but then everything went well. It was the
first time for many months that the guys of my company were together again and marched
alongside each other - there were 56 men! It brings tears to my eyes when I remember
those good guys who were left to sleep in this land. After all, they used to sing
cheerfully in the ranks of my company, which honorably passed through so many ordeals. And then there was a night - the
first night without gunfire and guard duty. And then there was a
day - a day of rest for my guys. A group of convalescents arrived
(one non-commissioned officer and 14 soldiers). Then we had two more
replenishments, which left a very decent impression. Now the company again has
106 men, including the heavy machine gun crew. We don't forget to work on improving the
morale systematically, in a craftsmanship manner. After all, we want one day again to
move on the offensive, to move forward as our comrades in the south. We want to grab the
Ivans by the throat and impose our will on them! When will it start here too, "to the south of Lake
Ilmen"? When will the battalions, regiments and divisions rise to the attack from their fossilized
positions conquered in the winter battles? My hatred for the Bolsheviks has reached its
peak! And don't tell me about the peculiarities of the Russian mentality. These beasts and
slaves are Bolsheviks. And that word makes it all clear! They are the most primitive people
with truly bestial instincts, into whose hands fell a devilish, deadly weapon. What about the
bravery, courage and heroism of the Russians? There is nothing like that, only the animal
instinct of self-preservation in a pure form. Well, I think it's time to wrap it
up. My handwriting is getting sloppy, and my eyes are tired from "Soviet Electricity".
I can't get the subject straight. It's already 2:00 a.m.! And I still have to go out
for a "walk" along our front line, which, probably, will last until 3:30 a.m. ...
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. Bye everyone, until next time!
