RUSSIA
Taking over the Front Line Positions at Rshew

Wolga near Subzow and Rshew.
Photographer: Kastey. Quelle:
www.de.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Subzow
12 October
1942
“The enemy is trying to press forward”, the predecessor Clemens had come to
relieve had explained to him in the night.
“What points to that?” Clemens wondered.
He was sitting in the trench stooped on a block of wood in the early morning
light. The ditch was actually not dug very deep. One could move bending low
only. The groundwater and autumn rain slowly formed puddles.
“We’ll clear the water during night and cover the ground with branches”, he
planned. “First I’ll check the lay of the land.”
Like a meercat he suddenly stood straight up and threw a quick glance
towards the enemy. Just as quickly he ducked down and hastened to switch
position in the trench.
Again a speedy ocular inspection of the enemy from a different angle.
Aha.
A large clearing spread out in front of the ditch. After around 50 metres
the birch forest set in again. There Clemens spotted signs of a Russian
bunker. The natural surface of the ground was a bit uneven. He assumed a
Russian trench to be located on the other side of the clearing with the
bunker as strongpoint.
How many men were sitting there opposite his own section?
Not the faintest idea.
His section
was composed of only six men. When he arrived at the front in April each
section still counted the regulation ten men. Clemens tiptoed in stooped
position along the trench and turned into an arm leading to the rear. About
20 metres further back the arm ended in an earth dugout. Its roof was level
with the landscape. Here camouflage was everything.
In the hole, which was perhaps 1.30 metres deep, the crew slept on tree
branches covered with tarpaulins. Their rifles and machine guns were placed
close at hand fully loaded.
“Albrecht, wake up.”, Clemens tapped his back. “It’s your turn.” Meanwhile
everybody had developed a body clock and knew while asleep when his sentry
duty was to start. Without any comment Albrecht slithered forward. Clemens
curled up on his tarpaulin near the entrance. His machine gun was lying on
an old newspaper to be prevented from absorbing humidity which would freeze
all moving parts in sub-zero temperatures.
Despite
fatigue he could not sleep for he kept his mental antennas instinctively
tuned. Any tiny sound made the soldiers jump. The fear of getting
slaughtered at night is ingrained through evolution in our DNA.
The days
were passing only slowly.
It was boring in the trench, tiring. One lacked proper body exercise. You
got stiff and became hypothermic. Meanwhile the humidity had worked through
the clothing reaching the bone. Unfortunately you could not heat the bunker
with a little burner as the smoke would give away the position. Even smoking
a cigarette was far too risky. The nicotine withdrawal was nibbling away at
their nerves but fear of Russian mortar bombs was stronger.
What could one do but try to keep still never giving the enemy a target to
attack?
Always neatly camouflaged.
And above all shutting up. Only whispering was allowed.
It was so quiet in the forest that a single loud word would reveal their
position. Remember that the Russians were just 50 metres away.
When a shot was fired or a grenade detonated the sound waves tore the
natural silence into shreds. One had the impression that each explosion was
incredibly loud because the forest seemed so innocent without any animals or
bird song.
Collecting
food
Lunch time was the absolute highlight of the dreary existence.
“I’ll go and collect our rations.”
Ensemann, by far the oldest member of the section, enjoyed the privilege to
regularly pick up the food in the rear for all his comrades. Together with a
colleague he collected the aluminium containers of all six men and stole out
of the trench. The trench arm to the rear was designed so that one could
move out under decent cover. Off they went through the bushes, out of the
line of enemy fire.
At last one
could straighten up!
The joints were cracking.
And finally you could talk in a normal voice.
The men fumbled a cigarette out of the jacket pocket. They stopped walking
and gave each other a light. The first pull was fantastic. Let go steam. In
a relaxed mood they were trotting along the forest path to the chef de
cuisine. The pioneers had actually cleared the trail just for that reason.
Sergeant
König was already waiting with his canisters filled with soup and malt
ersatz coffee. The bags with bread were hanging from the backs of patient
horses.
Pleasant small talk.
Contentedly the food couriers were shovelling their own rations down while
all the canteens were filled up. The warm fodder brought back some spirit to
life. Once more a lovely cigarette and then back with the treasure to the
trench.

Ration
collectors return with lunchboxes and a box of ammunition to their group.
The picture is from the Rshew area and shows the typical forest. Source:
http://rshew-42.narod.ru/foto/f017.html
Close quarter attacks by Russians and Germans
Four
weeks were ever so slowly elapsing under wet and cold conditions. The
massive assaults did not materialise because the sodden ground made it
impossible to move the heavy artillery. The rainy season effectively forced
a ceasefire. The professionals however knew that heaving and stabbing would
re-commence as soon as the frost firmed the muddy soil.
Winter began
on 15 November 1942.
“While up till now we had been enjoying clear weather with severe frost, a
snow storm had been blowing since last night. One got the feeling that it
had to be like that because this was Russia. The wind is howling around the
chimney and the last mice, who had managed outdoors for so long, were
squeezing into our bunkers as if this would be their most natural privilege
in holy Russia.”*
Thus far the diary entry of Meier-Welcker from the 251st Infantry Division
in the bulge of Rshew.
Now the
first localised attacks started. The German as well as the Russian officers
gave orders to raiding parties to “visit” the enemy during night and
exterminate him, if possible.
Example:
A German group had cut observation slits through the upper edge of the
trench to better focus on the enemy. This was a very common tactic on both
sides. But these men did not disguise their spy holes well enough and the
Russians fired with bazookas at the loopholes causing heavy German
casualties.
During day
nobody dared to attack. But at night and early dawn the situation was very
different. The Russian shock troops sneaked over to the German trenches and
often tore the inmates to pieces. One night they burned out an earth bunker
with a flame thrower. Several casualties. That event spread like wild fire
through all the trenches. Panic was everywhere. So watch out, or you are
toast.
Or the
following story taken from the divisional diary:
16.11.1942
“The Russians penetrate a forward position located about 30 metres in front
of the main trench. It was a section under responsibility of 9th
Company of Grenadier-Regiment 280. The Russians kill two of the three
sentries and take the third with them as prisoner.”
22.11.1942
“Using total surprise a Russian unit of about 50 men wearing snow
camouflage, infiltrates a trench on the right flank of 5th
Company, Grenadier-Regiment 279. The enemy rolls up the ditch completely in
both directions for about 100 metres. The Russians are repulsed in a
counter-attack.
At 3.15 a.m. a renewed probe by ca. 20 men at the left wing of the same
Company follows. Also here the assault is initially successful but the enemy
is quickly thrown back and leaves 9 dead in the trench and 10-15 in front of
the position. Own casualties are 1 dead, whom the Russians stripped
completely naked, 8 wounded and 1 missing. Additionally, the enemy carried
off a machine gun.
Thus we may conclude that the Russians carry out reconnaissance using all
means. Even if they sustain high casualties, they regrettably achieve their
goal which is to take prisoners. Due to the lack of continuous barbed wire
entanglements in front of our “HKL” (main defensive line) he gets his way
with his tactic. Wire entanglements must in any event be improved.”
There was
not one day without a German or Russian small-scale assault. It should be
remembered that the soldiers in the trenches never took the initiative for
any assault. These men were neither motivated nor authorised to initiate
such games. The front soldiers would never attack on their own volition.
They were all justifiably terrified by the thought of not returning alive.
The order always and exclusively came from higher command levels. The
officers issued instructions to attack.
* 15.11.42. Meier-Welcker is “First
Officer” (Ia) in the general staff of the 251st Infantry Division West of
Rshew. Source: Meier-Welcker, Hans:
Aufzeichnungen eines Generalstabsoffizier 1939 - 1942. Hrsg.
Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt.
Freiburg: Verlag Rombach. S. 179.
Patrol Raid „Vienna“
What were the determining criteria by German officers in the nomination of a
detachment
for a certain task?
Each Company was composed of
12 sections. One picked primarily those
section leaders who were enrolled as officer cadets.
In this connection Clemens’ name came up for discussion. A runner from
Company HQ came to him in the trench to tell him that Captain Regner, the
Austrian company commander wished to speak to him.
So out of the trench and off to the Company Command Post.
“Your
section is to raid the Russians!” he was told.
Clemens looked at the CO enquiringly.
“The battalion CO wants to see some action at the main front line; he wants
to report some success.”
“What a talking head”, Clemens thought. “His tent is well beyond the reach
of Russian fire. There it’s nice to drink wine while planning the war.”
“You’re are listed as officer cadet”, Regner continued. “You will form a
group of suitable composition and plan the assault. I have already named
the project: Patrol Raid “Vienna”!”
Now the Austrian had already erected a memorial in his own honour. Events
would show whether it would be in memory of success or failure.
As Clemens
was leaving the shelter, Regner held him back with the following words:
“You will not attack before the frost has made the swamp safe to walk on and
when the groundwater in the ditch is frozen. That means you have some time
to thoroughly plan the assault.”
This made sense because the no-man’s-land in front of the trench was sodden
by rain. Although the field was covered by grass the men would sink in up to
their ankles. The soggy ground would make them slow and clumsy. Far too
dangerous for a close combat operation which normally only has a chance of
success if executed at high speed without unexpected impediment.
The
frost however would harden the spongy surface and guarantee a better race
track.
Deep in
thought Clemens legged it back to his comrades.
“An isolated small-scale raid will never have any impact on the main front
line” he thought. But for the men of the raiding force such an operation
would be very dangerous possibly costing many lives. Clemens was not in a
position to refuse an order. So the question was really only how best to
execute the raid?!
|