15. Juni 1942
| GEO & MIL INFO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slawjansk–Siderowo | 
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| 18: Col de Salengre-Drabbe replaces Püchler on leave[1] 22: Operation Braunschweig begins[2] | ||||
The next morning the food lorry then takes me to Siderowo. Here I report to the company chief and the battalion leader, First Lieutenant Gust, and take over my platoon.[3]
Siderowo lies on the edge of the Donez valley, which ends here with a five to ten metre high escarpment. At the top of the escarpment are our machine gun positions, which have an excellent field of fire from here and can overlook the kilometre-wide plain that is almost treeless all the way to the river. Beyond the river, which can hardly be seen, are endless forests that cover the entire width of the valley up to the distant banks on the enemy side. The valley lowland in front of our village is a grassy plain, swampy in places, which is difficult to walk on and therefore a good protection. With its width of about two kilometres, we are relatively safe here. Only rarely does a Russian infantry gun fire into the village.
••• S. die nächsten zwei Absätze später harausnehnmen, sind unter 29.5.42 •••The part of the village I occupied with my platoon is at the end of the village and consists of only one row of houses that runs along the sandy village road, while the gardens face the valley. The last house at the end of the village is also occupied by one of my machine gun crews. Several women still live here, so it is a bit tight with sleeping places. That’s why one of the girls sleeps in the barn. I visited this makeshift accommodation with her once in the evening. It is a corner of the barn where there is a bed. A simple bed, but it is quite comfortable to lie in. —
My accommodation is only a few houses further into the village. My room has a wooden floor and a sofa covered in imitation leather. I sleep on this sofa, but it is not very comfortable because it is a bit short and too narrow. As I pass the last house in the village, the girl is just crossing the yard to go to her sleeping shed. We look at each other and I walk on as if nothing had happened. Later I felt very angry about my uncharitable behaviour. I could have at least greeted her kindly. The gentle girl would have deserved it very much. She was very sweet. —••• S. bis hier herausnehmen •••
The front is quiet. From time to time, reconnaissance patrols go as far as the river, but they do not bring back any special reports. The Russians also send patrols. One of them crept up to the village tonight under cover of darkness and attacked a house. They obviously wanted to take prisoners. However, they failed thoroughly. They were beaten back and left some dead in the village.
Elsewhere, small local skirmishes have taken place.
We hear a piece of news that is new to us: In the destruction of the huge Soviet penetration between Kharkov and Slavyansk in the Red winter offensive, we took 20,000 prisoners. German cigarettes and pocket knives with the Berlin Bear were found on many of these prisoners. These were the remains of our sutler goods they had captured in Barwenkowo. Christmas present from the city of Berlin to our division.
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- ↑ KTB 257. I.D., NARA T-315 Roll 1804 Frame 000912
- ↑ KTB 257. I.D., NARA T-315 Roll 1804 Frame 000909
- ↑
Gust was not Company chief, not in Siderowo und not after the training course! It was rather like this:
- The author belonged as MG PltLdr to 4 (MG) Coy and therefore to I/I.R. 477 which as Div reserve lay in the Christishche Forest near “Grünpunkt 100” (KTB 257. I.D., NARA T-315 Roll 1805 Frame 001053). The MG platoons and mortar squads of an MG Coy were usually distributed among the Bn’s three rifle Coys as reinforcements.
- This Bn, from 21 May 1942, allocated one reinforced Coy each to III/I.R. 466 in Ssiderowo (1 or 3 Coy?) and to III/I.R. 477 under 1st Lt Gust in Bogoroditschnoje (the 2 Coy?) for the improvement of positions “in depth” (Frame 001054/61). Both Coys were perhaps withdrawn again later.
- Presumably the author was initially, i.e. from 21 May, deployed with his platoon in Bogoroditschnoje (not Siderowo) with the 2 Coy where the Battalion leader (not Company chief) 1st Lt Gust presented him with the Infantry Assault Badge on 29 May (KTB 257. I.D., NARA T-315 Roll 1805 Frame 001052). This episode therefore precedes the aspirant officer's course.
- In the night 31 May/1 June, the reinforced 2 Coy of I/I.R. 477, obviously in the meantime deployed to I.R. 457 in Rai Gorodok, replaced a Coy of III/I.R. 466 lying in Siderowo, during the takeover of the section by I.R. 457 (Frame 001072/85; Roll 1804 Frame 000900/01/16).
- After his return from the course on 14 June, the author will then, in Siderowo, have taken over his MG Plt again which was subordinated to 2 Coy.
- The topography described fits Siderovo rather than Bogorodichnoye; the plastic sofa probably stood in Bogorodichnoye. The place of residence of the female acquaintance is better left undetermined.