Russia at war 1941-1945

Western Military District, appeared in our box and leaning over the shoulder of our commander, Army General Pavlov, whispered something in his ear. "It can't be true," Pavlov said...

Turning to me, he said: "Seems nonsense to me. Our reconnaissance reports that things are looking very alarming at the frontier. The German troops are supposed

to be ready for action—and even to have shelled some of our positions." Then he touched my hand, and pointed at the stage, suggesting we had better go on watching the play...

The play no longer meant anything to Boldin; he began to brood about the alarming news that had been coming in for the last few days—for instance, the news from Grodno on

June 20 that the Germans had taken down the barbed-wire entanglements barring the

Avgustov-Seini main road, that the rumbling of countless engines could be heard that day from across the border, and that several reconnaissance planes, some of them carrying bombs, had violated Russian air space.

On the 21st, there had been reports of heavy German troop concentrations at various

points, complete with heavy and medium tanks. He was puzzled by the Army

commander's "Olympian calm"...

This calm did not last long. In the early hours of the morning, Boldin received an agitated

'phone call from Pavlov, asking him to come to Headquarters immediately.

Ten minutes later he was there.

"What's happened?" I said.

"Can't quite make out," said Pavlov, "some kind of devilry going on. General Kuznetsov 'phoned from Grodno a few minutes ago. Said the Germans had crossed

the border along a wide front and were bombing Grodno, with its army

headquarters. Telephone communications have been smashed, the army units have

had to change over to radio. Two wireless stations are already out of action, must have been destroyed... There have also been calls from Golubev of the 10th Army and Colonel Sandalov of the 4th. Most unpleasant news. The Germans are bombing

everywhere."

Our conversation was interrupted by a call from Moscow: it was Marshal

Timoshenko, the Commissar of Defence, who wanted Pavlov to report on the

situation... Soon Kuznetsov 'phoned again to say that the Germans were continuing their air attacks. Along thirty miles all the telephone and telegraph lines were down.

Liaison between many units had been broken... During the next half-hour more and

more news came in. The bombing was growing in intensity. They were bombing

Belostok and Grodno, Lida, Brest, Volkovysk, Slonim and other Belorussian towns.

Here and there, there had been German paratroop landings. Many of our planes

had been destroyed on the ground, and the Luftwaffe were now strafing troops and

citizens. The Germans had already occupied dozens of localities, and were pushing inland...

Then came another 'phone call from Timoshenko, who said:

"Comrade Boldin, remember that no action is to be taken against the Germans

without our knowledge. Will you please tell Pavlov that Comrade Stalin has