Spodilicious
  • News
    • Home
    • Contents
  • Rage Virus
    • Part 1 - A police story
    • Part 2 - Attrition
    • Part 3 - Going nowhere
    • Part 4 - Special Weapons and Tactics
    • Part 5 - Tactical retrograde
    • Part 6 - Mission accomplished
    • Part 7 - It's pretty much all downhill from here
    • Part 8 - Hollerton Field
    • Part 9 - Out of the frying-pan
    • Part 10 - How few remain
  • Five Men in Ukraine
    • Five Men in Ukraine: 30 October 1943
    • Five Men in Ukraine: 05 November 1943
    • Five Men in Ukraine: 14 November 1943
    • Five Men in Ukraine: 29 November 1943
    • Five Men in Ukraine: 13 December 1943
  • DBA
    • Mongols v Georgians
    • Timurids v Georgians
    • Mongols v Il-khanids
    • Mongols v Il-khanids II
    • Pre-feudal Scots v Anglo-Danish
    • Caledonians v Scots-Irish
    • Vikings v Saxons
    • Mongol campaign
    • Ming v Mongols campaign
    • Picts v Strathclyde Britons
    • Mongols v Russians
    • Russians v Swedes
    • Kaykhusraw & the Mongols
    • Köse Dağ
    • Mongols in Korea
    • Mongols in Korea II
    • The Danes in Estonia
    • Danes v Estonians
    • Norwegians v Scots 1263
  • SF
    • Sladden >
      • Sladden - chapter 0
      • Sladden - chapter 1
      • Sladden - chapter 2
      • Sladden - interlude I
      • Sladden - chapter 3
      • Sladden - chapter 4
      • Sladden - chapter 5
      • Sladden - interlude II
      • Sladden - chapter 6
    • Dunhold >
      • Dunhold I - the raid
      • Dunhold II - the Guffinsson device
      • Dunhold III - a walk in the country
      • Dunhold IV - assassin's greed
      • Dunhold V - assault on precinct XIII
      • Dunhold VI - hostage & rescue
      • Dunhold VII - the gun
      • Dunhold VIII - tank shock
      • Dunhold IX - raid on Beteneb
      • Dunhold X - firebase Ragnhild
      • Dunhold XI - hit and run
      • Dunhold XII - just-in-time logistics
      • Dunhold XIII - infiltration
      • Dunhold XIV - Applewhite & Nettles
      • Dunhold XV - 'They've got a cave troll!'
      • Dunhold XVI - The bridges at Itrook
    • Dalek Invasion >
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 1
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 2
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 3
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 4
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 5: Bob's story
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 6: Bob's story (2)
      • Dalek invasion - chapter 7: Dalek hunters
      • Dalek invasion - cast
    • Lasers & feelings
    • Mutants & Death Ray Guns >
      • From Dust: Introduction >
        • From Dust: Prologue
        • From Dust: Chapter 1 - the Trademaster
        • From Dust: Chapter 2 - the Wretched
        • From Dust: Chapter 3 - the Device
        • From Dust: Chapter 4 - Tucamari
      • Big Dode in the wastelands >
        • 1 - The ordeal
        • 2 - The rats
        • 3 - An ally
        • 4 - Scorpion!
        • 5 - Water! Water!
        • Appendix 1 - Bestiary
      • Don Chimpanzino
      • Therianthropes are go!
      • Against the Wretched >
        • Against the Wretched - 1
    • Schar's World
    • Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Goats, Rats and Pigs >
      • Chapter 1
    • Marines v Aliens
    • Fallout >
      • Fallout - part 1
      • Fallout - part 2
      • Fallout - Resistance part 1
      • Fallout - Resistance part 2
    • England Invaded! >
      • Ottoman airship raiders
      • A sharp action at Fawkham
      • On the road to Canterbury
    • Gangs of New Neasden >
      • Gangs of New Neasden part 2
    • Post-Brexit Gangs of Middlesborough
    • Operation Last Train
    • Silver Thorn
    • Goblin Civil War
  • Dark Ages skirmish
    • Dark Ages skirmish: Chapter 1
    • Dark Ages skirmish: Chapter 2
    • Dark Ages skirmish: Chapter 3
  • Douglas of the 92nd.
    • Douglas of the 92nd. - the supply column
    • Douglas of the 92nd. - the heliograph station
  • The First World War
    • Mesopotamia
    • Trench raiding
    • Panzer Angst September 15th 1916
    • Freikorps
    • Biplane Barmy
    • 1914
    • 1914 - Opening Moves
    • Night falls over Jutland
    • 1919
    • Zeppelin L33 over England
  • Horse & Musket
    • Meyvaci Ali and the British invasion
    • Meyvaci Ali and the troublesome dervish
    • Meyvaci Ali and the Albanian raiders
    • Meyvaci Ali and the caravan
    • Meyvaci Ali and the tax collector
    • Meyvaci Ali and the customs-house
    • Meyvaci Ali and the revolting Martolos
    • Meyvaci Ali and the Albanian menace
    • Napoleonic Ottomans
    • Late 17th century >
      • Kirk o Shotts
      • Covenanters at Pitlochry
      • Auchtermuchty
    • Jacobites
    • O Brien's Farm
    • Turks v Russians
    • Turks v Russians 2
    • The Peninsula
    • Altdorf April 23rd 1813
    • Alcuesta
  • Samurai
    • Lord Sugiyama and the ten ronin
    • Neshikocho 1618
    • Ikko-ikki
  • Arty farty
    • Aikey Brae
    • Balgorkar (Castle Fraser)
    • Barra Hill
    • Brandsbutt stone
    • Broomend of Crichie
    • Clune
    • Cullerlie
    • Cuween Hill
    • Dunnideer
    • Clach an Tiompain / Eagle Stone
    • Cnoc Freiceadain
    • Eassie
    • Easter Auqhorthies
    • Kintore stone
    • Kirkton of Bourtie
    • Leuchar Moss
    • Loanhead of Daviot
    • Loch Kinord
    • Machrie Moor
    • Maiden Stone
    • Meigle
    • Midmar Kirk
    • Migvie
    • Mulloch
    • Sunhoney
    • Tollohill
    • Tomnaverie
    • Auchindoun
    • Fedderate castle
    • Fowlsheugh
    • Slains castle
    • Bullers o Buchan
    • Camster
    • Coire Fraoichidh / Corrichie
    • Cruden Bay
    • Gourdon
    • Loch Eich
    • Nairn beach
    • Newburgh
    • Perwinnes Moss (Scotstown Moor)
    • St. Fillans
    • Animals
    • Interesting rocks
    • And quiet flows the Dee
    • Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry
    • Strange skies
    • Covid-19 lockdown
    • One tree, one year
  • Fantasy
    • Song of Blades & Heroes >
      • A cautionary tale
      • Succession
      • The short-lived adventures of Yark the kobold
      • Gondor v Orcs
      • Cormyr - introduction >
        • Cormyr - the watchtower
        • Cormyr - the ambush
        • Cormyr - the outpost
      • The adventures of Zou Kov >
        • The palace of Covidius I
        • The palace of Covidius II
        • The palace of Covidius III
        • The palace of Covidius IV
        • The howling
        • The beacon
        • The castle
        • Assassination
        • Run out of town
        • Kobold caves
      • Alquin of Barrowdale
      • The Young Kingdoms
      • Zothique
      • Hyperborea
      • Vadagh
    • Lord of the Rings >
      • Mahud & Haradrim v Gondor
      • Hobbits v goblins
      • Rohan v Dunlendings
      • Gondor v Haradrim & Mahud
      • Gondor v Dunlendings
      • Faramir at Osgiliath
  • Second World War
    • Atlantic Convoy SC41
    • Burma 1943
    • Neil Thomas
    • Martelange
    • Dzyatlava
    • Monopoly Blitz
    • Ten minutes on a Burmese afternoon
    • Bolt Action >
      • Encounter at Villages Pas Vrai
      • Manhunt
  • Who thought this was a good idea?
  • Modern
    • Afghanistan 2009
    • AK47 Republic
  • Terrain
    • Terrain showcase
  • Back catalogue
    • Aberdeen Beyond 2000
    • MDRG four-way scrap
    • Published articles
  • Le salon des spods
    • Semi-random scenario generation
  • Extended universe
    • Spodlight
    • Spodcast
    • There Will Be Spods
    • Spodify
  • All Under One Banner
    • All Under One Banner 03 June 2017
    • All Under One Banner 05 May 2018
    • All Under One Banner 04 May 2019
    • All Under One Banner 17 August 2019
    • All Under One Banner 07 October 2019
    • All Under One Banner 11 January 2020
  • Scrapbook
Picture

Yefretor Vinogradov DM to Starshina Zdhanov (Chief Clerk/Unit archivist Btn HQ.)
Tuesday 13th December 1943


Comrade Starshina,

Acting on orders to reconnoitre the area WSW to SW of the village of Zvartovka, I led my patrol through a flat countryside dotted with a few smallish wooded areas (see map). With our recent arrival this far west and the lack of any reliable maps of the area we undertook a combination of patrolling and surveying.

Picture

In our sweep through the northernmost wooded area Pte Lebedev discovered a booby trap on the path consisting of a new type of mine with a wooden casing. Pte Boruvich, having seen this type before, informs me that it is a German Schu-mine 42 and its wooden casing is aimed at fooling mine detectors. We marked the mine for the engineers and gingerly made our way through the woods in case of others.

Picture

We then moved to the wooded area just south of the road and discovered the bodies of three Germans. A search of the bodies did not reveal anything of interest but the scarred trees and condition of the bodies would seem to indicate that they had been hit by air attack - probably within the last day or so.


Picture

Advancing along parallel to the road we came in sight of a walled collective farm and a t-junction heading off the road directly north. Lebedev cautiously checked out the farm building and found it clear. However, from his vantage point at the window he could see where what looked like some anti-tank mines had been hastily buried.



Picture

Lebedev having 'Done his bit for the Socialist Motherland for the day' and wishing to avoid another tedious afternoon of sulks and moaning I asked Boruvich if he would check out the mined area, using his greater experience in planting and lifting mines. Boruvich unhesitatingly stepped forward and sneaked off towards the T-junction. He took out his bayonet and was probing along the road towards the junction when a shot rang out and a spurt of earth splashed up beside him. Morozov had been scanning the woods with my binoculars (point D) and luckily saw the muzzle flash. He fired back and the rest of us fired a suppressing fire into the woods while Boruvich crawled backwards into cover. He came over and gasped "Teller mines with Schu-mines scattered around them."



Picture

As he was making his report the woods at point D lit up with muzzle flashes including the ominous ripping sound of an MG-42. Almost immediately young Morozov was hit in the shoulder and the rest of us went to ground. I slapped a dressing on Morozov's shoulder and Simeonov helped me bind it while MG rounds passed overhead or cracked against the farmhouse's sturdy walls. Realising that there could be no forward movement against such an amount of incoming fire we started to edge towards the back door which was speeded up as Lebedev shouted "They're flanking us, chief". I popped up for a quick look and sure enough about a dozen Germans were headed for the woods beside the T-junction.

Picture

We hurriedly moved back towards the wall to the east of the farm and began to retrace our steps towards Zvartovka - thankfully without any signs of pursuit - and got young Morozov into the field hospital.

Picture

Overall conclusions on the patrol:
It looks like the Germans intend to hold their positions at the T-junction but showed little inclination to advance further. I suspect the three dead Germans at the wood south of the road had originally been set as some sort of piquet before our friends in the VVS found them. As they had remained unburied I can only assume that these three were on their own.



As our summer and autumn offensives have taken us to the western borders of the Ukraine and we are about 100 versts from the Polish border perhaps the enemy are hoping to dig in for the winter.


As the new squad members have now arrived along with our new LMG the squad is pretty much up to strength and consists of:

Pte Borovich - Degyatarev DP 28
Pte Lebedev - M1891/30 rifle
Pte Simeonov - M1891/30 rifle
Pte Iryutsk - - M1891/30 rifle
Pte Petrov - PPSH



Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.