Drabkin - In Action Stackpole Military History Series

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2006by Pen&SwordMilitary

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CopyrightArtemDrabkinandOlegSheremet,2006

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TableofContents

Preface

IstartedtointerviewRussianveteransoftheSecondWorldWarin 2000.Bythattimealmostsixtyyearshadpassedsincethebeginning ofOperationBarbarossa,theGermaninvasionoftheSovietUnion.

Somepeoplesaid:Itstoolate.Theseeighty-year-oldveteranswont rememberanything.Believeme,thisdidntturnouttobethecaseat all.Thehorrorsofthewarleftsuchdeepscarsintheirsoulsthatsome formersoldiersrefusedtomeetme,becausetheycouldntbearto relivethewartimeeventsthatwereetchedforeverintheirmemories.

Duringaseriesofinterviews,NikolaiZheleznov,whosememoriesform oneofthechaptersofthisbook,requestedmetostopaskinghim questions,becausehefeltsounwellafterourlastmeeting.NaturallyI obeyed.ButIwasneverthelessabletorecordmanyinterviewswith menwhohadfoughtinthecelebratedT-34tank,andaselectionof thesearepresentedhere.Ivetried,whereverpossible,topreserve eachveteransmannerofspeech,andhopethattheflavourofthishas survivedthetranslationprocess.

Ishouldemphasisethatasasourceofinformation,aninterviewhas anumberofdrawbacks,whichthereadershouldkeepinmindashe readsthisbook.Firstly,heshouldnotexpectthedescriptionofevents tobeentirelyaccurate.Afterall,itsbeennearlysixtyyearssincethey tookplace.Sometimesseveralmemorieshavemergedintoone,while othershavesimplyvanished.Secondly,heshouldtakeinto considerationthateachnarratorhadhisownpersonalviewofthe eventsheisdescribing.Yetthereadershouldnotbediscouragedby thecontradictionsbetweenstoriestoldbydifferentpeople,andthe mosaicstructurethattheyassume.Ithinkthatthesincerityand honestyoftheintervieweesaccountsaremoreimportantforour understandingofthesepeople,wholivedthroughthehellofthewar, thanthenumberoftanksortheexactdateofanoperation.

Anattempttosummarisethepersonalexperiencesofthemany tankmeninterviewed,andtodistinguishfeaturescommontothewar generationfromthosereflectingindividualperceptions,ispresentedin thetwoopeningchapters.Farasthesearefrompaintingacomplete picture,theyneverthelessrepresentthegeneralattitudeofthe tankmentotheirequipment,therelationshipswithinacrew,andthe experienceoflifeatthefront.

ArtemDrabkin

September2005

CHAPTERONE

Guys,letsbecometankmen!

ArtemDrabkinandGrigoryPernavsky

Before,IthoughtthatLieutenant

SoundslikeLetspartyhard!

Withknowledgeoftopography,

Heswalkingonagravelroad.

Awarisntfireworksatall,

Justheavydailylabour

MikhailKulchitski

MilitarypersonnelwereextremelypopularintheUSSRinthe1930s.

Therewereseveralreasonsforthis.Firstofall,theRedArmy,itsmen anditscommanderssymbolisedthemightoftherelativelyyoung Sovietstate,astatethatinjustafewshortyearshadmanagedto transformitselffromapooragrariancountrydevastatedbywarinto anindustrialgiantthatcouldseeminglydefenditself.Secondly, militarypersonnelwereamongtherichestintheUSSR.Forexample, aninstructorinanairforceacademyreceivedtheextremelyhigh salaryofabout700roubles(aloafofwhitebreadcost1.7roubles;a kilogramoftopqualitybeefcost12roubles),aswellasother privileges(uniforms,freecateringincanteens,freepublictransport tickets,aroominadormorasubsidytorentanapartment).

Elsewhereinthecountryrationingpersisted(itwasonlyabolished towardstheendofthedecade)anditwashardtobuydecentclothes.

Inwintertimepeopleworeretailoredclothesproducedfromoldpre-Revolutiongarments,whileinsummertimepeoplewouldstrollaround inoldRedArmyuniformsorsimplecanvastrousersandcanvasshoes.

Conditionswereharshinthecitiesuptofiftyfamilieslivedina singleformerapartmentofthepre-Revolutionupperclass,whilethe statebuiltverylittlenewaccommodation.

Besidesthis,serviceinthearmygaveyoungpeasantsachanceto improvetheireducationandlearnaprofession.Astankcommander LieutenantAleksandrSergeevichBurtsevrecalled:Eachoneofuswas dreamingofserviceinthearmy.Irememberthatmencameback completelydifferentafterthreeyearsofservice.Theywouldleaveas simplevillageboysandcomebackaseducated,cultured,learnedmen inperfectuniformsandtallboots,physicallystrong.Afterservicein thearmyapersonunderstoodequipment,andcouldleadpeoplein work.Whenaservingman(thatswhattheywerecalled)cameback fromthearmy,awholevillagewouldgathertowelcomehim.Afamily wouldbeproudthathehadbeeninthearmyandofwhathehad become.

PropagandaregardingtheinvincibilityoftheRedArmyworkedvery wellagainstthisbackground.PeoplesincerelybelievedthattheRed Armywoulddefeatitsfoeswithlittlebloodshed,ontheenemysown soil.Thecomingwarawarofmachinesalsocreatednew propagandaimages.Ifinthe1920severyschoolboyimaginedhimself acavalrymanwithaswordinadashingcavalrycharge,inthe1930s thisromanticimagewascompletelyreplacedbyfighterpilotsinhigh-speedmonoplanesandtankmeninimpressivebattlevehicles.Topilot afighterorfireatanksmaingunwasthedreamofthousandsof Sovietteenageboys.Guys,letsbecometankmen!Itssoprestigious!

recalledplatoonleaderLieutenantNikolaiYakovlevichZheleznov.You ride,andthewholecountryliesbeforeyou!Youreonanironhorse!

Eventheuniformsoftheairforceandarmouredcorpsweredifferent fromthoseofotherbranchesofservice.Pilotsworeblue,while tankmenworesteelgrey,andmeninsuchuniformsdidntgo unnoticedevenstrollingdownavillagestreet.Theyalsodifferedinthe abundanceofdecorationstheyboastedextremelyscarceinthose daysastankmenandpilotsoftentookpartinarmedconflictsin whichtheUSSRopenlyorsecretlyparticipated.

Pilotsandtankmenwerealsoglorifiedinmovies,suchasHotDays, IfTomorrowBringsWar,FighterPilots,SquadronNumberFiveand others,inwhichromanticimagesofSoviettankmenandpilotswere createdbysuperstarssuchasNikolaiKryuchkovandNikolaiSimonov.

However,thewarthatbrokeouton22June1941wascompletely differenttothatwhichhadbeenportrayedinthemovies.

InthefirstmonthsofthewartheRedArmysufferedheavydefeats, andtankmenwereamongthosewhofeltthefirstblowsoftheNazi warmachine.TrainingcompanycadetMikhailFedorovichSavkin recalledhisfirstbattle,foughtinaT-34atRadzechowon23June 1941:OurtanksattackedtheGermanartillery.TheGermansopened upwithheavygunsandsemi-automaticflaksandmortars.Several tankswereknockedout.Roundsofallcalibressmashedagainstthe armourofourtanklikehammers,butIcouldntseeanygunsthrough myobservationslit.FinallyIsawamuzzleflashnexttoashot-down Po-2plane,andspottedthegunconcealedunderacamouflagenet.I firedafragmentationroundatit.Thedistancetothegunwasvery smallandafountainofmudshotintotheskywhereithadbeen.

TheRedArmyhighcommandtriedtoorganisecounterstrikeswith itsmechanisedcorpsandtankdivisions,buttheseenjoyedverylittle tacticalsuccess.T-26tankcommanderSergeant-MajorSemen VasilievichMatveevrecalled:Theystartedformingmechanisedcorps beforethewar,followingthepatternofGermanPanzerCorps.ButI dontthinkwehadasinglemechanisedcorpsthathadallits equipmentandpersonnel.Mycorpswaslessthanhalfitsregulation strength.Weonlyhadbitsandpieces.Mytankbattalionwasinfact lessthanacompany.Wedidnthaveanytrucksortractorsatall.An armyisahugeorganism,andtheGermanshadtheirsupandrunning (andrunningwell,Idsay),butourshadonlyjuststartedtobebuilt up.Soweshouldntbeashamedthattheywerestrongerthanusthen.