Tank Rider: Into the Reich with the Red Army

In general, the battles were heavy and the Germans put up stubborn resistance. That was the only case when such a large number of soldiers surrendered. Even in this case it was only privates and recruits that surrendered, while officers and NCOs slipped away, they were afraid of us. I also saw boys of 14 or 15 years old from the Western Ukraine, dressed in German uniform. They served in anti-aircraft artillery, which was in action against the Russian, and American air force. They also served as telephone and radio operators and observers.

In early April 1945 they sent a Major to our battalion to be the deputy battalion commander for personnel. General Lelyushenko, commander of our Tank Army, sent this Major to our battalion as a punishment for some wrongdoing at the office of the head of cultural section of the Army. He did not fight the war for long with us. Once we rushed storming into a village, where Germans put up insignificant resistance, firing Panzerfaust missiles. Our tanks were waiting for the company to drive the Germans out of the houses. Again my soldiers and I were the vanguard of the battalion and the Major somehow happened to be with us. He ordered us to move forward in that village, but I told him that we had to look around, spot the enemy’s weapon emplacements and only after that we could start an assault. We entered a house with him and my men; I walked up to a window and started to look at the nearby houses. I did not like the feel of it, I don’t know why, but I ordered: ‘Quickly out of this room, go to the other room, that one!’ The Major first tried to resist, but then followed us, and then an explosion, followed by another one, shook the air. It grew quiet again. We peeped into the room that we had just left and saw that Panzerfaust rounds had destroyed the wall at which we had just stood. What rescued me? Intuition? Luck? The Major again started to hurry me with the assault, but I tried to talk him out of it, saying that first we had to fire on the house windows at least with submachine-guns. The Germans had not yet abandoned those houses. He did not believe me and decided to capture the nearest house with several soldiers, telling me that the house was empty. As soon as he walked into an open spot from behind our house, the Germans fired on him; he was wounded and lay down in a ditch, calling for us to come to his rescue. We pulled him into a safe place, bandaged him and I ordered my soldiers to carry him into our rear. The Major was lightly wounded in the buttocks. He thanked me as he said good-bye and acknowledged that he had been wrong.

After his departure we fired on the German ambush with machine-guns and kicked the Fritzes out of that village. Some of them fled, others were killed during the battle, while some were taken prisoners. Under cover from one team of soldiers, the other assault team would reach a building and toss hand-grenades in its windows. It was not an easy task and took a great deal of courage and bravery! Tanks also helped us with fire from their main guns; my soldiers pointed out targets for them. I had casualties, but I fulfilled the order. The battalion commander walked up to us. We laughed at the wound of the deputy battalion commander in his buttocks. With everyone laughing, I told the story of Major’s wound and how he groaned, being scratched in his ass and almost dying from fright. The battalion commander gave us a new mission. We were briefed and again moved forward, in front of the Brigade.

The end of the war was drawing near, but while the Berlin operation continued, we were in battle every day, breaking the enemy’s resistance and losing men and equipment in battles. Most of the population had left the houses around Berlin. Those who stayed in their houses and apartments hung white linen out of their windows, showing that they surrendered and were at the winners’ mercy. Some German civilians informed us about where German soldiers had dug in, who was a Nazi, who had tortured Russian prisoners of war or those who were sent to Germany for forced labour. All kinds of things happened.

The offensive continued successfully. Sometimes we drove forward in one column, which had the Brigade’s staff, medical vehicles and the battalion’s field kitchens in it. To be honest, I did not like such a concentration of vehicles, as it only frustrated the combat companies. We also did not need the kitchens, as we mostly fed on the German cattle and poultry. The soldiers had a great time in that respect, they cooked what they wanted. We mostly ate poultry – geese, ducks and turkeys. We ate pork more rarely. In battles we continued to guard the tanks from the Panzerfaust teams and point out targets for them. I was again ahead on three tanks with my company, while the main body of the Brigade was setting a rest place. No one would tell me what to do, no one threatened me or advised me – it was nice!