25. Dezember 1943
25 Dec 43. Christmas Day! I suddenly pull up from my straw bed. The day is just beginning to dawn and the shells are already crashing around our dugout. The holiday is off to a good start! At dawn, the Russian has suddenly increased his harassing fire. Now it has been rumbling and thundering outside for hours, sometimes subsiding, sometimes swelling. Then it suddenly stops completely, so you think he’s going to attack. But he doesn’t come. And then the artillery fire starts again, trickling, dribbling, but persistent. By now it’s midday, and with it the hope grows that he won’t attack again today. I watch the fire carefully. What is he shooting with? Where is the fire? Is he intensifying it in certain places? Is he moving it forwards or backwards? You can deduce possible attack intentions or targets from such behaviour. In my subconscious, I’m also worried about a direct hit on my shack. I reach for the telephone and crank - no sound. I turn the crank again - silence. So the line is shot. All right, the battalion will eventually mend it. It’s part of their job.
The hours of uninterrupted shelling gradually dulls the tension. Attention wanes. I stopped listening a long time ago. But nevertheless, every change in the fire activity pricks up my ears. Is the fire diminishing or has he moved it? After all, I now have the impression that he’s just scattering the area. A strong harassing fire over the whole section.[1] 4 pm. It’s getting dark. My inner palm is a little clammy again. So nervous after all?
The fire has finally stopped. Now I realise that I haven’t eaten anything all day. The beautiful Christmas stollen is still lying untouched in the paper. But I haven’t really worked up an appetite yet. The inner restlessness has to subside a little, first. And gradually relaxing, my thoughts return to today’s festive day: Christmas Day!
For days, the red tide has raged and assailed us. We withstood it. Although the enemy has gained ground on our left neighbour and is on our flank, we are still in Boshidar. He has bombarded us with heavy artillery, but it hasn’t helped him. He sacrificed almost an entire armoured corps. We smashed it for him. He inflicted heavy losses on us, especially on our left neighbour, but we won’t yield.
I am called to the battalion commander. Captain Gust reads me a telegram from the regimental commander in which Colonel Haarhaus expresses his highest appreciation to the battalion for its steadfastness. The telegram ends with the words: “Hail to the victors of Boshidar!”. Then Captain Gust looks at me and says: “That means you too, Schrödter!”
I return to my bunker on the heights. At night, the Russians come with a reconnaissance patrol but are repelled. The patrol was quite strong. I had reported 30 men, but the commander had his doubts. And I now also believe that there were fewer.
The marked paragraph reads:
The IIIrd/Gren.Rgt.477 again proved itself under the leadership of Capt. Gust as the cornerstone of the main line of defence and held Boshidar and the heights west of it in back and forth battles in close combat with enemy tanks and infantry.
The heavy defensive battles around Boshidar are briefly described again in the divisional Order of the Day of 14 Jan 44.
I don’t think it’s right that valour awards are given for good leadership. I know that leadership involves heavy responsibility and tough tests of nerve, and that a high degree of various skills is required. But these achievements do not require valour in the usual sense, although they are equal in importance. Therefore, commanders should receive honours for leadership, but not for valour.
The Russian who broke through on our left threatens our flank and is therefore to be thrown back in a counterattack. A meeting is held with the battalion commander to prepare for this operation. An armoured unit is to support the attack, which is why the commander of an assault gun brigade is also present. He is a brash and self-confident man who seems to be brimming with hawkishness.
The counter-attack has failed. Only one company had been deployed, supported by assault guns. But the Soviets had already built up a Pak belt on the heights - also one of their strong points - against which our attack broke. The leader of the assault guns blamed the infantry for being too slow. The infantry, on the other hand, accused him of wanting to spare his assault guns and withdrawing them too early.[3]
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- ↑ Contrary to this impression, the war diary of PzAOK 1 reports: “At the XXX. A.K., the enemy has been attacking continuously in Rgt. strength with a focus on Boshidar since the early hours of the morning after strong artillery and attack aircraft preparation.” (NARA T-313 Roll 62 Frame 7297731) “Although the attacks are repeatedly fuelled from the depths and supported by 25 - 30 tanks and assault guns, the enemy is unable to break through at this point. With high bloody losses and 5 tanks shot down, the attacks collapse before reaching the own main defence line.” (Frame 7297732/33)
- ↑ Benary p. 151 f. The regiment was mentioned in the Wehrmachtsbericht of 27th December, albeit with a mistyped commander's name. On 7 Feb 44 Gust was awarded the Knight’s Cross.
- ↑ before the 28th, because "The front of the XXX. A.K. [...] is completely quiet today [28th]" (KTB PzAOK 1, NARA T-313 Roll 62 Frame 7297739)