13. Mai 1943
For some time now, the Reds have had a volley gun[1] over in the forest. They approach quietly and unseen, fire their series of missiles and then zoom off with their engines humming. The Stalin organ always fires from the same spot, for you can see the smoke from the launches appearing white-grey above the treetops.[2] I once go to the artillery observation post, located in the village. The observer tells me that he has set the firing values for the firing point, and that at the battery there is always a gun ready to fire and catch the Stalin organ as soon as he gives a call. But so far the Ivans were always quicker.[3]
In my street lives an old Russian who was a German prisoner in World War I. He speaks a few scraps of German, is very friendly and lives in a tiny but very neat and cosily furnished doll's house.
In his neighbouring house lives an old woman who had been hit by a Russian bullet. The shot had gone through her cheek. She laments her misfortune, shows me the hole and wants a schnaps as medicine. That clever girl! But I don't have any schnaps.
My binoculars are not only for war purposes. Today, with peaceful intentions, I watched from my quarters a couple of girls working in the fields. They had their backs turned to me and were loosening the soil with their hoes in a low stooping posture. It is an excellently sharp glass after all!
I urgently needed to go to the dentist and set off for Petrovskaya to have my dentition repaired by our specialistdental plumber. On this occasion he discovered a root that I've had in my jaw for years without it causing me any discomfort. He looks at it and then says dryly, "Well, let's not talk about it." Neither of us felt like doing the not-so-simple procedure.
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- ↑ Multiple rocket launchers like the so-called Stalin's organ were also called volley gun.
- ↑ On 13 May 1943 the firing of the salvo gun is reported, which the author himself apparently observed (KTB 1.PzA, NARA T-313 Roll 58 Frame 7293945). The other reported dates (10, 11, 14, 15 May and dates in June) do not fit the sequence of reports compared to the documented events.
- ↑ The salvo gun had been firing since 10 May 1943 (KTB 1.PzA, NARA T-313 Roll 58 Frame 7293909 ff.), could only be destroyed on 9 July (Frame 7293601).