Yefretor Vinogradov DM to Starshina Zdhanov 31/10/1943.
Comrade Starshina,
Pursuant to orders from Btn. HQ my group set out to infiltrate the German lines along the Kiev - Zhitomir Road. For a mad dog, seven versts is not a long detour, as my grandmother would say.
Comrade Starshina,
Pursuant to orders from Btn. HQ my group set out to infiltrate the German lines along the Kiev - Zhitomir Road. For a mad dog, seven versts is not a long detour, as my grandmother would say.
Initially my patrol advanced to Copse #1 where Troopers Lebedev & Morozev opened fire on a German NCO in a foxhole in the Ploughed Field. The fire appeared to have little effect and produced some return SMG fire from there and rifle fire from Baker Wood and a near miss stunned Lebedev who threw himself to the ground. In the meantime Smirnov and young Volkov advanced to the front of the copse and engaged a German rifleman in Copse #3 while I pushed up in support.
Trooper Lebedev staggered to his feet and with Morozev continued to fire on the German NCO who was hit and fell back into his foxhole. At the other side of the copse Trooper Smirnov was forced to the ground by a shot which grazed his helmet but young Volkov stood his ground and continued to fire at the German in Copse #3.
Trooper Lebedev staggered to his feet and with Morozev continued to fire on the German NCO who was hit and fell back into his foxhole. At the other side of the copse Trooper Smirnov was forced to the ground by a shot which grazed his helmet but young Volkov stood his ground and continued to fire at the German in Copse #3.
As I reached the front of the copse there was a brisk exchange of fire between Lebedev, Morozov and the two Germans in Baker Wood which resulted in one falling to the ground and the other running off towards Copse #4. Almost simultaneously Volkov shot at and hit the German in Copse #3 leaving the way clear for Trooper Lebedev and myself to advance to Baker Wood (with a helper a thousand things are possible!) while Smirnov picked himself up and moved towards the Ploughed Field. Lebedev and myself arrived at Baker Wood and immediately came under fire from a German - presumably the one who had retreated there earlier . I returned fire but was felled by a face full of splinters off a nearby branch and when I came round I was alone, Trooper Lebedev having gone to seek 'better cover'. (Yes, Trooper Lebedev, No matter how much you feed the wolf he still looks towards the forest!).
I got to my feet in time to see the redoubtable Trooper Smirnov kneel and shoot the German in Copse #4 which seemed to finish the firing for a while. We checked the wooded areas and copses directly to our front and they were clear. We searched the bodies and discovered that the Germans belonged to the 29th Panzergrenadier Division. Bloody Lebedev lifted all their watches, needless to say, and if I hadn't stopped him he'd have been out with their gold teeth too.
We've passed through the German lines and we're waiting at a village called Lyubymivka about 20km west of Kiev for a partisan called Boruvich. We are all very pleased at our success at being through the lines but old Yuri Smirnov seems a bit broody despite finding a PPSH and several drums of ammunition in a German dugout. He got a letter from home just before we left so maybe he's had bad news.
Dimitry Vinogradov
Lyubymivka
Click below to go to the individual episodes.
http://www.spodilicious.com/five-men-in-ukraine-30-october-1943.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/five-men-in-ukraine-05-november-1943.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/five-men-in-ukraine-14-november-1943.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/five-men-in-ukraine-29-november-1943.html
