14. Mai 1943
| GEO & MIL INFO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp position about here | 
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| Company Leader: Max Müller | ||||
Now the leisurely time is over. The Soviets have already repeatedly tried to approach our positions north of the village, that is, on our left wing, through a wooded ravine. That is a dangerous place there. The forest here stretches up the steep slope to the edge of the plateau. And right at the end of the ravine, which the Russians always use, is the bunker of the company commander who is in charge of this section of the front. It is now constantly threatened by raids. In order to push the Russians away from this ravine, a position line is to be set up down in the woods, shielding this ravine in a semicircle. This advanced position line will be placed in the forest up to an oxbow lake of the Donez River. This arm of the river consists of a chain of ponds, some of which are already marshy, which offer a certain natural protection, although there are dry areas between the ponds which can be walked on. This advanced swamp position is to be occupied by a platoon of about 30 men. In view of the dangerous nature of this position, two platoons will be formed, alternating every 24 hours. Moreover, they are to be led by officers. I will take charge of one platoon and the other will be headed by an officer of the rifle company who speaks fluent Russian. The replacement takes place every evening after dark.
Today[1] is the time. I relieve for the first time. As dusk begins to fall, I take my steel helmet and submachine gun from the hook on the wall, strap on the heavy magazine pouches, grab my binoculars and leave the house to report out to my company commander, Max Müller, and to the battalion.
The village is already preparing for the night’s rest as I walk down the village street to the assembly point. The platoon gathers at one of the last houses on the edge of the open, treeless plateau. It is almost dark now. Half-loud conversations, and here and there the clatter of equipment. Women stand in the front doors watching us. The sergeant reports to me that the platoon is complete, and then we leave the village in a long line - civilians say single file. We curve around the last house, which is close to the ravine and soon threatens to slide off. Then we move out into the wide, bare plateau. It is dark. Only the steel helmets shine in the weak glow of the crescent moon. I have the distances increased and in order that our silhouettes are not visible either, I walk at some distance from the edge of the plateau.
After almost half an hour of marching, I reach the command post of the 2nd Company at the end of the endangered gorge. I report to the company commander and then immediately descend into the ravine. A narrow path leads down between young forest and undergrowth. The gorge is short. The steep walls suddenly recede and the path runs out into the wooded, flat valley floor. We are standing below on the valley floor of the Donez lowlands. Here, on the edge of the valley slope, the ground is still sandy and dry. Light high forest allows a clear view in a radius of fifty to a hundred metres.
Not far from the exit of the gorge is the dugout that will now be my platoon command post. Lieutenant A. is already waiting here to marshal us into the individual positions. Then he gathers his men and disappears to the back in the dark ravine. I crawl into the dugout with my messenger (it is no longer the old dud). It is a rectangular pit, half a metre deep. The floor is a layer of straw. The roof is a shelter half. While the messenger handles the field telephone, I get my bearings. The round circle of light from the torch is gliding across the map. Attracted by the light, swarms of mosquitoes come in and fill the air with their fine, soft singing, wanting to announce to me an enjoyable night.
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