4. Mai 1942
When six Ratas (Russian fighter planes) were circling over our base at noon today[1], we take them under rifle fire. There they turn in and start to attack. I stand next to our bunker and watch a Rata that just launches into attack again and shoots straight down at me. I just see the muzzle flash and jump towards the entrance of our bunker at the same moment. But already the bullets are pattering into the sand around me, kicking up little clouds of dust. The sheaf was right on target. Still jumping, I see one of the bullets drill itself into the sand a metre in front of my feet. I have such momentum that I roll down the bunker stairs and laughingly slide through the door where the two lieutenants look at me in surprise.
This afternoon an Ivan appears at the forester’s lodge with a harnessed panjewagon. He got lost in the forest and ended up with us.
Early May. It is warm. Some days we sit in the sun in front of the bunker entrance. The forest has put on its spring dress and is resplendent in the fresh green colours of the young foliage.
It is evening. We sit in the bunker, reading by candlelight. Suddenly, there are torn-off shouts outside, and then the muffled crash of a hand grenade. Then it’s quiet again. Shortly afterwards, a guard trudges down the bunker stairs and enters. Behind him stand three Russians. They are defectors who, under cover of the pitch-black night, have crept up to our positions unseen and then made themselves known. The startled sentry called out to them in his surprise, but at the same time pulled out a hand grenade and threw it at them. Fortunately, nothing happened. During the interrogation, the defectors said that they were only the first of a whole group who also want to come. The others just didn’t dare yet. They had therefore agreed that the first ones, when they arrived safely, should ask us to shoot three white flares. Then they would follow. So we shoot three white flares, and sure enough, four more Russians come. They ask us to shoot three flares again, because there were still some comrades outside who were still hesitating. We repeat the game for the third time, and after some time the last five men appear. Now the twelve-strong group were complete and grinning, they celebrated their reunion in our bunker. After the usual interrogation, they were fed and then sent to the battalion.
Between Christmas and Easter, the number of defectors in our section was 30 men. Lately, the number has been increasing significantly. This is always a sign of imminent attacks. In fact, the arrivals unanimously report Soviet preparations for attack.
The forest is getting restless. Last night the Iwans chattered so loudly in the forest as if they were alone. So today we prepared a fire attack with mortars. Now as they are so outrageously loud again tonight, our launchers boom away. The grenades patter into the forest. The splintering of branches mingles with the muffled explosions. Shouting and screaming echo through the forest, filling the pauses between our crashing impacts. The echo in the forest multiplies the roar. Our fire assault dies away as suddenly as it had begun. Only the wailing of the wounded Iwans still sounds over to us.
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- ↑ On 4 May at 9 a.m. low-flying attacks with 5 dead and 14 wounded (KTB 257. I.D., NARA T-315 Roll 1804 Frame 000866/67) or lively enemy air activity until noon (Roll 1805 Frame 000895); attacks on other days do not match date sequence or time of day