https://www.site/2015-06-22/pisma_nemeckih_soldat_i_oficerov_s_vostochnogo_fronta_kak_lekarstvo_ot_fyurerov

"Soldiers of the Red Army fired, even burning alive"

Letters from German soldiers and officers from the Eastern Front as a cure for the Fuhrers

June 22 is a sacred, sacred day in our country. The beginning of the Great War is the beginning of the path to the great Victory. History does not know a more massive feat. But even more bloody, expensive for its price - perhaps, too (we have already published terrible pages from Ales Adamovich and Daniil Granin, amazing frankness of front-line soldier Nikolai Nikulin, excerpts from Viktor Astafiev "Cursed and Killed"). At the same time, along with inhumanity, military training, courage and self-sacrifice triumphed, thanks to which the outcome of the battle of peoples was a foregone conclusion in its very first hours. This is evidenced by fragments of letters and reports from soldiers and officers of the German armed forces from the Eastern Front.

“Already the first attack turned into a battle not for life, but for death”

“My commander was twice my age, and he had already had to fight the Russians near Narva in 1917, when he was in the rank of lieutenant. “Here, in these vast expanses, we will find our death, like Napoleon,” he did not hide his pessimism ... “Mende, remember this hour, it marks the end of the former Germany” ”(Erich Mende, Lieutenant of the 8th Silesian infantry division about the conversation that took place in the last minutes of peace on June 22, 1941).

“When we entered the first battle with the Russians, they clearly did not expect us, but they could not be called unprepared either” (Alfred Dürwanger, lieutenant, commander of an anti-tank company of the 28th Infantry Division).

“The quality level of Soviet pilots is much higher than expected ... Fierce resistance, its massive nature does not correspond to our initial assumptions” (diary of Hoffmann von Waldau, Major General, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe Command, June 31, 1941).

"On the Eastern Front, I met people who can be called a special race"

“On the very first day, as soon as we went on the attack, one of ours shot himself with his own weapon. Clutching the rifle between his knees, he inserted the barrel into his mouth and pulled the trigger. This is how the war and all the horrors associated with it ended for him ”(anti-tank gunner Johann Danzer, Brest, June 22, 1941).

“On the Eastern Front, I met people who can be called a special race. Already the first attack turned into a battle not for life, but for death ”(Hans Becker, tanker of the 12th Panzer Division).

“The losses are terrible, not to be compared with those that were in France ... Today the road is ours, tomorrow the Russians take it, then we again, and so on ... I have never seen anyone angrier than these Russians. Real chain dogs! You never know what to expect from them ”(diary of a soldier of Army Group Center, August 20, 1941).

“You can never say in advance what a Russian will do: as a rule, he rushes from one extreme to another. His nature is as unusual and complex as this vast and incomprehensible country itself... Sometimes the Russian infantry battalions were confused after the very first shots, and the next day the same units fought with fanatical stamina... The Russian as a whole, of course, is excellent a soldier and with skillful leadership is a dangerous enemy ”(Mellenthin Friedrich von Wilhelm, Major General of the Tank Forces, Chief of Staff of the 48th Tank Corps, later Chief of Staff of the 4th Tank Army).

"I have never seen anyone angrier than these Russians. Real watchdogs!"

“During the attack, we stumbled upon a light Russian T-26 tank, we immediately clicked it right from the 37-graph paper. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out of the hatch of the tower to the waist and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he was without legs, they were torn off when the tank was hit. And despite this, he fired at us with a pistol! (memoirs of an anti-tank gunner about the first hours of the war).

“You just won’t believe this until you see it with your own eyes. The soldiers of the Red Army, even burning alive, continued to shoot from the burning houses ”(from a letter from an infantry officer of the 7th Panzer Division about the battles in a village near the Lama River, mid-November 1941).

“... Inside the tank lay the bodies of a brave crew, who had previously received only injuries. Deeply shocked by this heroism, we buried them with full military honors. They fought to the last breath, but it was just one little drama. great war"(Erhard Raus, colonel, commander of the Raus campfgruppe about the KV-1 tank, which shot and crushed a convoy of trucks and tanks and a German artillery battery; a total of 4 Soviet tankers held back the advance of the Raus battle group, about half a division, for two days, 24 and 25 June).

“July 17, 1941… In the evening they buried an unknown Russian soldier [we are talking about 19-year-old Senior Artillery Sergeant Nikolai Sirotinin]. He alone stood at the cannon, shot a column of tanks and infantry for a long time, and died. Everyone marveled at his bravery... Oberst before the grave said that if all the Fuhrer's soldiers fought like this Russian, we would conquer the whole world. Three times they fired volleys from rifles. After all, he is Russian, is such admiration necessary? (Diary of Lieutenant of the 4th Panzer Division Henfeld).

"If all the Fuhrer's soldiers fought like this Russian, we would conquer the whole world"

“We almost did not take prisoners, because the Russians always fought to the last soldier. They didn't give up. Their hardening cannot be compared with ours ... ”(interview with war correspondent Curizio Malaparte (Zukkert), officer of the tank unit of Army Group Center).

“Russians have always been famous for their contempt for death; the communist regime has further developed this quality, and now massive Russian attacks are more effective than ever before. The attack made twice will be repeated for the third and fourth time, regardless of the losses incurred, and both the third and fourth attacks will be carried out with the same stubbornness and composure ... They did not retreat, but rushed forward uncontrollably ”(Mellenthin Friedrich von Wilhelm, General major of tank troops, chief of staff of the 48th tank corps, later chief of staff of the 4th tank army, participant in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk).

"I'm so furious, but I've never been so helpless"

In turn, the Red Army and the inhabitants of the occupied territories at the beginning of the war faced a well-prepared - and psychologically too - invader.

"25-th of August. We are throwing hand grenades at residential buildings. Houses burn very quickly. The fire is transferred to other huts. A beautiful sight! People cry and we laugh at tears. We have already burned ten villages in this way (diary of Chief Corporal Johannes Herder). “September 29, 1941. ... The sergeant-major shot everyone in the head. One woman begged to be spared her life, but she was also killed. I am surprised at myself - I can look at these things quite calmly ... Without changing my facial expression, I watched the sergeant-major shoot Russian women. I even experienced some pleasure at the same time ... ”(diary of a non-commissioned officer of the 35th rifle regiment, Heinz Klin).

“I, Heinrich Tivel, set myself the goal of exterminating 250 Russians, Jews, Ukrainians, indiscriminately, in this war. If each soldier kills the same number, we will destroy Russia in one month, we Germans will get everything. I, following the call of the Fuhrer, call all Germans to this goal ... ”(soldier’s notebook, October 29, 1941).

"I can look at these things quite calmly. I even feel some pleasure at the same time"

The mood of the German soldier, like the backbone of the beast, was broken by the Battle of Stalingrad: the total losses of the enemy in killed, wounded, captured and missing amounted to about 1.5 million people. Self-confident treachery gave way to despair, similar to what accompanied the Red Army in the first months of the fighting. When in Berlin they decided to print letters from the Stalingrad front for propaganda purposes, it turned out that out of seven bags of correspondence, only 2% contained approving statements about the war, in 60% of the letters the soldiers called to fight rejected the massacre. In the trenches of Stalingrad, a German soldier, very often briefly, shortly before his death, returned from a zombie state to a conscious, human one. It can be said that the war as a confrontation of equally large troops was over here, in Stalingrad - primarily because here, on the Volga, the pillars of the soldier's faith in the infallibility and omnipotence of the Fuhrer collapsed. So - this is the justice of history - it happens to almost every Fuhrer.

“Since this morning, I know what awaits us, and it has become easier for me, so I want to free you from the torments of the unknown. When I saw the map, I was horrified. We are completely abandoned without any outside help. Hitler left us surrounded. And this letter will be sent if our airfield has not yet been captured.

“At home, some people will rub their hands - they managed to save their warm places, but in the newspapers there will appear pathetic words circled in black: eternal memory to the heroes. But don't let yourself be fooled by that. I am so furious that I think I would destroy everything around me, but I have never been so helpless.

“People are dying of hunger, severe cold, death here is just a biological fact, like food and drink. They are dropping like flies and no one takes care of them and no one buries them. Without arms, without legs, without eyes, with torn bellies, they lie everywhere. A film should be made about this in order to forever destroy the legend of the “beautiful death”. This is just a bestial breath, but someday it will be raised on granite pedestals and ennobled in the form of "dying warriors" with their heads and hands tied with a bandage.

"Novels will be written, hymns and hymns will be heard. Mass will be celebrated in churches. But I've had enough"

Novels will be written, hymns and hymns will be heard. Mass will be celebrated in churches. But I've had enough, I don't want my bones to rot in a mass grave. Do not be surprised if there is no news from me for some time, because I am determined to become the master of my own destiny.

“Well, now you know that I will not return. Please inform our parents as discreetly as possible. I am deeply confused. I used to believe and therefore was strong, but now I don't believe in anything and am very weak. There's a lot I don't know about what's going on here, but even the little that I have to participate in is already so much that I can't handle it. No, no one will convince me that people die here with the words "Germany" or "Heil Hitler." Yes, they die here, no one will deny this, but the dying people turn their last words to their mother or to the one they love the most, or is it just a cry for help. I saw hundreds dying, many of them, like me, were members of the Hitler Youth, but if they could still scream, they were cries for help, or they were calling for someone who could not help them.

“I looked for God in every crater, in every ruined house, in every corner, with every comrade, when I lay in my trench, I looked in the sky. But God did not show himself, although my heart cried out to him. Houses were destroyed, comrades brave or cowardly like me, hunger and death on earth, and bombs and fire from the sky, only God was nowhere to be found. No, father, God does not exist, or only you have it, in your psalms and prayers, in the sermons of priests and pastors, in the ringing of bells, in the smell of incense, but there is none in Stalingrad ... I no longer believe in the goodness of God, otherwise he would never allow such a terrible injustice. I no longer believe in this, for God would have cleared the heads of the people who started this war, while they themselves were talking about peace in three languages. I no longer believe in God, he betrayed us, and now see for yourself how you should be with your faith.

"Ten years ago, it was about ballot papers, now you have to pay for it with such a "trifle" as life"

“For every reasonable person in Germany, the time will come when he will curse the madness of this war, and you will realize how empty your words were about the banner with which I should win. There is no victory, Mr. General, there are only banners and people who die, and in the end there will be no more banners, no people. Stalingrad is not a military necessity, but a political madness. And your son, Mr. General, will not participate in this experiment! You block his path to life, but he will choose another path for himself - in the opposite direction, which also leads to life, but on the other side of the front. Think about your words, I hope that when everything collapses, you will remember the banner and stand up for it.

“Liberation of the peoples, what nonsense! The peoples will remain the same, only the authorities will change, and those who stand aside will again and again argue that the people must be freed from it. In 1932 it was still possible to do something, you know that very well. And you also know that the moment was lost. Ten years ago, it was about ballot papers, and now you have to pay for it with such a “trifle” as life.”

The ideas of the Nazis about the people of Soviet Russia, whose territory they invaded on June 22, 1941, were determined by the ideology that portrayed the Slavs as "subhuman." However, already the first battles forced the invaders to change a lot in these views. We provide documentary evidence of soldiers, officers and how Soviet soldiers appeared before them from the first days of the war, who did not want to retreat or surrender ...

“My commander was twice my age, and he had already had to fight the Russians near Narva in 1917, when he was in the rank of lieutenant. “Here, in these vast expanses, we will find our death, like Napoleon,” he did not hide his pessimism ... “Mende, remember this hour, it marks the end of the former Germany” ”(Erich Mende Oberleutnant of the 8th Silesian Infantry Division about a conversation that took place in the last moments of peace on June 22, 1941).

“When we entered into the first battle with the Russians, they clearly did not expect us, but they could not be called unprepared either. Enthusiasm [for us] was not in sight! Rather, everyone was seized by a sense of the grandeur of the forthcoming campaign. And then the question arose: where, at what settlement will this campaign end?(Alfred Dürwanger, lieutenant, commander of an anti-tank company of the 28th Infantry Division, advancing from East Prussia through Suwalki)

“On the very first day, as soon as we went on the attack, one of ours shot himself with his own weapon. Clutching the rifle between his knees, he inserted the barrel into his mouth and pulled the trigger. Thus ended the war and all the horrors associated with it.(anti-tank gunner Johann Danzer, Brest, June 22, 1941).

“The behavior of the Russians, even in the first battle, was strikingly different from the behavior of the Poles and allies who were defeated on the Western Front. Even being in the encirclement, the Russians staunchly defended themselves "(General Günther Blumentritt, Chief of Staff of the 4th Army).

“The battle for the capture of the fortress is fierce - numerous losses ... Where the Russians managed to be knocked out or smoked out, new forces soon appeared. They crawled out of basements, houses, from sewer pipes and other temporary shelters, fired aimed, and our losses were constantly growing.(from combat reports of the 45th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht, which was entrusted with the capture of the Brest Fortress; the division numbered 17,000 personnel against the 8,000th garrison of the fortress taken by surprise; only in the first day of fighting in Russia, the division lost almost the same number of soldiers and officers, how much for all 6 weeks of the campaign in France). “These meters turned into a continuous fierce battle for us, which did not subside from the first day. Everything around was already destroyed almost to the ground, there was no stone left from the buildings ... The sappers of the assault group climbed onto the roof of the building just opposite us. They had explosive charges on long poles, they put them in the windows of the upper floor - they suppressed the enemy's machine-gun nests. But almost to no avail - the Russians did not give up. Most of them settled in strong basements, and the fire of our artillery did not harm them. You look, an explosion, another one, everything is quiet for a minute, and then they open fire again.(Schneiderbauer, lieutenant, commander of a platoon of 50-mm anti-tank guns of the 45th infantry division about the battles on the South Island of the Brest Fortress).

“It can almost be said with certainty that no cultured Westerner will ever understand the character and soul of Russians. Knowledge of the Russian character can serve as a key to understanding the fighting qualities of the Russian soldier, his advantages and methods of his struggle on the battlefield. The stamina and mentality of a soldier have always been paramount factors in a war and often turned out to be more important than the number and armament of troops ... You can never say in advance what a Russian will do: as a rule, he rushes from one extreme to another. His nature is as unusual and complex as this vast and incomprehensible country itself ... Sometimes the Russian infantry battalions were confused after the very first shots, and the next day the same units fought with fanatical stamina ... The Russian as a whole, of course, is excellent a soldier and with skillful leadership is a dangerous adversary "(Mellenthin Friedrich von Wilhelm, Major General of the Tank Forces, Chief of Staff of the 48th Tank Corps, later Chief of Staff of the 4th Tank Army).

“On the Eastern Front, I met people who can be called a special race. Already the first attack turned into a battle not for life, but for death.(Hans Becker, tanker of the 12th Panzer Division).

“During the attack, we stumbled upon a light Russian T-26 tank, we immediately clicked it right from the 37-graph paper. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out of the hatch of the tower to the waist and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he was without legs, they were torn off when the tank was hit. And despite this, he fired at us with a pistol!(from the memoirs of an anti-tank gunner about the first hours of the war).

“The quality level of Soviet pilots is much higher than expected ... Fierce resistance, its mass character does not correspond to our initial assumptions”(Hoffmann von Waldau, Major General, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe Command, diary entry dated June 31, 1941).

“We almost did not take prisoners, because the Russians always fought to the last soldier. They didn't give up. Their hardening cannot be compared with ours ...» (from an interview with war correspondent Curizio Malaparte (Zukkert), an officer in the tank unit of Army Group Center).

“... Inside the tank lay the bodies of a brave crew, who had previously received only injuries. Deeply shocked by this heroism, we buried them with full military honors. They fought to the last breath, but it was only one small drama of the great war. After the only heavy tank blocked the road for 2 days, it began to act…”(Erhard Raus, colonel, commander of the Raus Kampfgruppe about the KV-1 tank, which shot and crushed a convoy of trucks and tanks and an artillery battery of Germans; in total, the tank crew (4 Soviet soldiers) held back the advance of the Raus battle group (about half a division) two days, 24 and 25 June).

July 17, 1941. Sokolnichi, near Krichev. An unknown Russian soldier was buried in the evening[we are talking about the 19-year-old senior artillery sergeant Nikolai SIROTININ. - N.M.]. He alone stood at the cannon, shot a column of tanks and infantry for a long time, and died. Everyone marveled at his bravery... Oberst before the grave said that if all the Fuhrer's soldiers fought like this Russian, we would conquer the whole world. Three times they fired volleys from rifles. After all, he is Russian, is such admiration necessary?(from the diary of Lieutenant of the 4th Panzer Division Henfeld)

“The losses are terrible, not to be compared with those that were in France ... Today the road is ours, tomorrow the Russians take it, then we again, and so on ... I have never seen anyone angrier than these Russians. Real chain dogs! You never know what to expect from them. And where do they get tanks and everything else from?!”(from the diary of a soldier of Army Group Center, August 20, 1941; after such an experience, the saying “Better three French campaigns than one Russian” quickly came into use in the German troops.).

“I didn't expect anything like this. This is pure suicide to attack the forces of the battalion with five fighters.(from a confession to the battalion doctor Major Neuhof, commander of the 3rd battalion of the 18th infantry regiment of the Army Group Center; the 800-man battalion that successfully broke through the border defenses was attacked by a unit of 5 Soviet soldiers).

“You just won’t believe this until you see it with your own eyes. The soldiers of the Red Army, even burning alive, continued to shoot from the blazing houses.(from a letter from an infantry officer of the 7th Panzer Division about the fighting in a village near the Lama River, mid-November 1941).

“Russians have always been famous for their contempt for death; the communist regime has further developed this quality, and now massive Russian attacks are more effective than ever before. The attack made twice will be repeated for the third and fourth time, regardless of the losses incurred, and both the third and fourth attacks will be carried out with the same stubbornness and composure ... They did not retreat, but irresistibly rushed forward. Repelling this kind of attack depends not so much on the availability of technology, but on whether the nerves can withstand it. Only battle-hardened soldiers were able to overcome the fear that gripped everyone.(Mellenthin Friedrich von Wilhelm, major general of tank troops, chief of staff of the 48th tank corps, later chief of staff of the 4th tank army, participant in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk).

“My God, what are these Russians planning to do with us? It would be nice if they at least listened to us up there, otherwise we will all have to die here.(Fritz Siegel, corporal, from a letter home dated December 6, 1941).

From the diary of a German soldier:

“October 1st. Our assault battalion went to the Volga. More precisely, there are still 500 meters to the Volga. Tomorrow we will be on the other side and the war is over.

October 3rd. Very strong fire resistance, we can not overcome these 500 meters. We are standing on the border of some grain elevator.

10 October. Where do these Russians come from? The elevator is no longer there, but every time we approach it, fire is heard from under the ground.

October 15th. Hooray, we overcame the elevator. 100 people remained from our battalion. It turned out that the elevator was defended by 18 Russians, we found 18 corpses ”(the Nazi battalion that stormed these heroes for 2 weeks consisted of about 800 people).

“Courage is courage inspired by spirituality. The stubbornness with which the Bolsheviks defended themselves in their pillboxes in Sevastopol is akin to some kind of animal instinct, and it would be a deep mistake to consider it the result of Bolshevik convictions or education. The Russians have always been like this and, most likely, they will always remain like that ”(Joseph Goebbels)

“They fought to the last, even the wounded did not let us near them. One Russian sergeant, unarmed, with a terrible wound in his shoulder, rushed at our people with a sapper shovel, but he was immediately shot. Madness, real madness. They fought like beasts and died by the dozens.(Gubert Koralla, corporal of the sanitary unit of the 17th Panzer Division, about the battles along the Minsk-Moscow highway).

“No, father, I am afraid that God no longer exists, or only you have him, in your prayers and psalms. It is probably also present in the sermons of priests, maybe it is in the ringing of bells, the smell of incense, or pastoral words, but in Stalingrad it is not even in sight. I am writing to you sitting in the basement, melting the fire with someone's furniture. I am only twenty-six, and until recently I was happy with shoulder straps and yelled “Heil Hitler!” with you. Now father, I have only two ways: either to die right here, or to end up in the camps of Siberia "...

“Stalingrad is a good lesson for the entire German people, the only pity is that those who have been trained by Russia are unlikely to be able to use their knowledge outside” ...

“Russians are not human, they are made of iron. Sometimes it seems that none of them knows fatigue, and knows no fear. The sailors, in the bitter cold, go on the attack in the same vests. Physically and spiritually, one Russian soldier is sometimes stronger than a whole company of German forcing "...

“Russian snipers and armor-piercers are undoubtedly disciples of God. They watch over us day and night. For 58 days we stormed one - the only house. The only one! And in vain they stormed ... None of us will return to Germany, unless a miracle happens. And I don't believe in miracles anymore. Success went over to the side of the enemy "...

“I spoke in the morning with the chief commander V. He says that the struggle in France was more united for us. The French honestly capitulated as soon as they realized that further resistance was useless. The Russians, even if this is unsuccessful, continue to fight ... In France or Poland, the soldiers would have surrendered long ago, the sergeant-major G. believes, but here the Russians continue to fanatically fight "...

“My love, Zilla. This is, to be honest, a strange letter that no mail will send anywhere. Therefore, I decided to send him with my wounded brother. You know him - this is Fritz Sauber ... Every day here brings us great sacrifices. We are losing our people, and there is no end in sight to this war. I probably won't see him either, I don't know. What will happen to me tomorrow? Nobody will answer. I have already lost all hope of returning home and remaining whole. I think that every German soldier will find a frozen grave here. These blizzards and vast fields covered with snow terrify me to death. The Russians simply cannot be defeated…”

“We believed that the war would end by the end of this year, but, apparently, the situation is different, or quite the opposite ... I think that we have mortally miscalculated with respect to the Russians” ...

“... We are located 90 km from Moscow, and it cost us incredible efforts. The Russians put up insane resistance, defending Moscow ... Until we enter it, there will be more fierce battles. Many who do not think about it yet will have to die in this war ... In this campaign, many regretted that Russia is not Poland and not France, and there is no enemy stronger than the Russians. If another six months pass in such a struggle, then we are lost ... "

“Now we are at the Moscow-Smolensk highway, not far from the damn capital ... The Russians are fighting fiercely and furiously for every meter of their land. Never before have battles been so brutal and difficult. Many of us will not see our relatives again ... "

“For more than three months I have been in Russia and have experienced a lot. Yes, dear brother, sometimes your soul goes straight to your heels when you are only a hundred steps from the damned Russians ... "

From the diary of General Blumentritt:

“Many of our leaders greatly underestimated this adversary. This happened partly because they did not know the Russian people, and even more so the Russian character. Some of our military leaders throughout the First World War were on the Western Front and never fought on the Eastern. This is probably why they had no idea about the geographical conditions of Russia and the stamina of Russian soldiers. They signed our death warrant by ignoring the repeated warnings of prominent military figures on Russia ... The behavior of the Russian troops, even in this first battle (for Minsk), is strikingly different from the behavior of the Poles and the troops of the Western allies in the conditions of defeat. Even when surrounded, exhausted, and without a chance to fight, the Russians never retreat. We won't be able to move forward quickly. Blitzkrieg lost."

These letters never reached their recipients. The German command confiscated them. After reading them, you will understand why.

In the photograph, a Soviet soldier is escorting a captured German officer.

"No, father, God does not exist, or only you have it, in your psalms and prayers, in the sermons of priests and pastors, in the ringing of bells, in the smell of incense, but there is none in Stalingrad. And now you are sitting in the basement, drowning someone’s furniture, you’re only twenty-six, and it’s like a head on your shoulders, until recently I was happy with shoulder straps and yelled “Heil Hitler!” with you, and now there are two ways: either die or go to Siberia "

"Stalingrad is a good lesson for the German people, the only pity is that those who have been trained are unlikely to be able to use the knowledge they have received in later life";

"Russians are not like people, they are made of iron, they do not know fatigue, they do not know fear. Sailors, in severe frost, go on the attack in vests. Physically and spiritually, one Russian soldier is stronger than our whole company";

"Russian snipers and armor-piercers are undoubtedly disciples of God. They lie in wait for us day and night, and do not miss. For 58 days we stormed one - the only house. We stormed in vain ... None of us will return to Germany, unless a miracle happens. And in miracles I don't believe anymore. Time has gone over to the side of the Russians";

"I'm talking with Chief Warmaster V. He says that the struggle in France was more fierce than here, but more honest. The French capitulated when they realized that further resistance had become useless. The Russians, even if it was in vain, continue to fight ... In France or Poland, they would have given up long ago, says Sergeant G., but here the Russians continue to fight fanatically";

"My beloved Zylla. This is, to tell the truth, a strange letter, which, of course, no mail will send anywhere, and I decided to send it with my wounded countryman, you know him - this is Fritz Sauber ... Every day brings us great sacrifices. We are losing our brothers, and the end of the war is not visible and, probably, I will not see it, I don’t know what will happen to me tomorrow, I have already lost all hope of returning home and staying alive. I think that every German soldier will find himself here is a grave. These snowstorms and vast fields covered with snow inspire mortal horror in me. It is impossible to defeat the Russians ... ";

"I thought that the war would end by the end of this year, but, apparently, the situation is different ... I think that we miscalculated with regard to the Russians";

"We are 90 km from Moscow, and it cost us a lot of dead. The Russians still put up very strong resistance, defending Moscow ... Until we come to Moscow, there will be more fierce battles. Many who still don’t think about it should will die ... In this campaign, many regretted that Russia is not Poland and not France, and there is no enemy stronger than the Russians. If another six months pass, we are lost ... ";

"We are located on the Moscow-Smolensk highway, not far from Moscow ... The Russians are fighting fiercely and furiously for every meter of land. Never before have the battles been so cruel and difficult, and many of us will not see our relatives ...";

"For more than three months I have been in Russia and have already experienced a lot. Yes, dear brother, sometimes your soul goes straight to the heels when you are some hundred meters away from the damned Russians ...";

From the diary of the commander of the 25th Army, General Günther Blumentritt:
“Many of our leaders greatly underestimated the new enemy. This was partly because they did not know the Russian people, much less the Russian soldier. Some of our military leaders were on the Western Front during the entire First World War and never fought in the East, therefore they did not have the slightest idea about the geographical conditions of Russia and the stamina of the Russian soldier, but at the same time they ignored the repeated warnings of prominent military experts on Russia ... The behavior of the Russian troops, even in this first battle (for Minsk) was strikingly different from the behavior of the Poles and troops of the Western allies in the conditions of defeat. Even being surrounded, the Russians did not retreat from their lines. "

Otto Carius(German Otto Carius, 05/27/1922 - 01/24/2015) - German tank ace during the Second World War. Destroyed more than 150 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns - one of the highest results of World War II, along with other German tank battle masters - Michael Wittmann and Kurt Knispel. He fought on tanks Pz.38, "Tiger", self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr". Book author " Tigers in the mud».
He began his career as a tanker on a light tank "Skoda" Pz.38, from 1942 he fought on a heavy tank Pz.VI "Tiger" on the Eastern Front. Along with Michael Wittmann, he became a Nazi military legend, and his name was widely used in Third Reich propaganda during the war. Fought on the Eastern Front. In 1944, he was seriously wounded, after recovering he fought on the Western Front, then, by order of the command, he surrendered to the American occupying forces, spent some time in a prisoner of war camp, after which he was released.
After the war, he became a pharmacist, in June 1956 he acquired a pharmacy in the city of Herschweiler-Pettersheim, which he renamed Tiger Apotheke. He headed the pharmacy until February 2011.

Interesting excerpts from the book "Tigers in the Mud"
the book can be read in full here militera.lib.ru

On the offensive in the Baltics:

“It’s not bad at all to fight here,” Sergeant Dehler, the commander of our tank, said with a chuckle after once again pulling his head out of a tub of water. It seemed that this washing would never end. The year before, he had been in France. The thought of this gave me self-confidence, because I entered the fighting for the first time, excited, but also with some fear. We were greeted enthusiastically everywhere by the people of Lithuania. The people here saw us as liberators. We were shocked by the fact that before our arrival, Jewish shops were destroyed and destroyed everywhere..»

On the attack on Moscow and the arming of the Red Army:

“The attack on Moscow was given preference over the capture of Leningrad. The attack choked in the mud, when the capital of Russia, which opened before us, was a stone's throw away. What then happened in the infamous winter of 1941/42 cannot be conveyed in oral or written reports. The German soldier had to hold out in inhuman conditions against those accustomed to winter and extremely well-armed Russian divisions.»

About T-34 tanks:

“Another event hit us like a ton of bricks: Russian T-34 tanks appeared for the first time! The astonishment was complete. How could it happen that up there, they did not know about the existence of this excellent tank?»

The T-34, with its good armor, perfect shape and magnificent 76.2-mm long-barreled gun, made everyone in awe, and all German tanks were afraid of him until the end of the war. What were we to do with these monsters thrown against us in multitudes?

About heavy IS tanks:

“We examined the Joseph Stalin tank, which, to a certain extent, was still intact. The 122-mm long-barreled gun aroused our respect. The disadvantage was that unitary shots were not used in this tank. Instead, the projectile and powder charge had to be loaded separately. The armor and uniforms were better than those of our "Tiger", but we liked our weapons much more.
The Joseph Stalin tank played a cruel joke on me when it knocked out my right drive wheel. I did not notice this until I wanted to back away after an unexpected strong blow and explosion. Feldwebel Kerscher immediately recognized this shooter. He also hit him in the forehead, but our 88-mm gun could not penetrate the heavy armor of "Joseph Stalin" at such an angle and from such a distance.

About the Tiger tank:

“Outwardly, he looked handsome and pleasing to the eye. He was fat; almost all flat surfaces are horizontal, and only the front slope is welded almost vertically. The thicker armor made up for the lack of rounded shapes. Ironically, just before the war, we supplied the Russians with a huge hydraulic press with which they were able to produce their "T-34" with such elegantly rounded surfaces. Our armaments experts did not consider them valuable. In their opinion, such thick armor could never be needed. As a result, we had to put up with flat surfaces.”

“Even if our “tiger” was not handsome, his margin of safety inspired us. He really drove like a car. With just two fingers, we could control a 60-ton giant with 700 horsepower, drive at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour on the road and 20 kilometers per hour over rough terrain. However, taking into account the additional equipment, we could only move on the road at a speed of 20-25 kilometers per hour and, accordingly, at an even lower speed off-road. The 22 liter engine ran best at 2600 rpm. At 3000 rpm it quickly overheated.

On successful Russian operations:

« With envy, we watched how well equipped the Ivans were compared to us.. We experienced real happiness when several replenishment tanks finally arrived to us from the deep rear.

“We found the commander of the Luftwaffe field division at the command post in a state of complete despair. He did not know where his units were. Russian tanks crushed everything around before the anti-tank guns had time to fire even one shot. Ivans captured the latest equipment, and the division fled in all directions.

“The Russians attacked there and took the city. The attack followed so unexpectedly that some of our troops were caught on the move. Real panic set in. It was quite fair that the commandant of Nevel had to answer before a military court for a flagrant disregard for security measures.

About drunkenness in the Wehrmacht:

“Shortly after midnight, cars appeared from the west. We recognized them as ours in time. It was a motorized infantry battalion that did not have time to connect with the troops and advanced to the highway late. As I found out later, the commander was sitting in the only tank at the head of the column. He was completely drunk. The disaster happened with lightning speed. The whole unit had no idea what was happening, and moved openly through the space being shot through by the Russians. A terrible panic arose when machine guns and mortars began to speak. Many soldiers were hit by bullets. Left without a commander, everyone ran back to the road instead of looking for cover south of it. Any kind of mutual assistance is gone. The only thing that mattered was every man for himself. The cars drove right over the wounded, and the freeway was a picture of horror.

On Russian heroism:

“When it began to get light, our infantrymen approached the T-34 somewhat inadvertently. He was still standing next to von Schiller's tank. With the exception of a hole in the hull, no other damage was visible on it. Surprisingly, when they approached to open the hatch, he did not give way. Following this, a hand grenade flew out of the tank, and three soldiers were seriously wounded. Von Schiller again opened fire on the enemy. However, until the third shot, the commander of the Russian tank did not leave his car. Then he, seriously wounded, lost consciousness. The other Russians were dead. We brought a Soviet lieutenant to the division, but it was no longer possible to interrogate him. He died of his wounds on the way. This incident showed us how careful we must be. This Russian sent detailed reports to his unit about us. He only had to slowly turn his turret to shoot von Schiller point-blank. I remember how we resented the stubbornness of this Soviet lieutenant at that time. Today I have a different opinion about it ... "

Comparison of Russians and Americans (after being wounded in 1944, the author was transferred to the Western Front):

“In the midst of the blue sky, they created a screen of fire that left no room for imagination. It covered the entire front of our bridgehead. Only Ivans could arrange such a barrage of fire. Even the Americans, whom I later met in the West, could not compare with them. The Russians fired in layers with all types of weapons, from continuously firing light mortars to heavy artillery.

“Sappers were active everywhere. They even reversed the warning signs in the hope that the Russians would drive in the wrong direction! Such a ploy sometimes worked later on the Western Front against the Americans, but did not pass with the Russians.»

“If I had two or three tank commanders and crews from my company that fought in Russia with me, then this rumor could well turn out to be true. All my comrades would not fail to fire on those Yankees who were marching in "ceremonial formation". After all, five Russians were more dangerous than thirty Americans.. We have already noticed this in the last few days of fighting in the west.

« The Russians would never give us so much time! But how much it took the Americans to eliminate the "bag", in which there could be no talk of any serious resistance.

“... we decided one evening to replenish our fleet at the expense of the American one. It never occurred to anyone to consider this a heroic deed! The Yankees slept in the houses at night, as the "front-line soldiers" were supposed to. After all, who would want to disturb their peace! Outside, at best, there was one sentry, but only if there was good weather. The war began in the evenings only if our troops retreated, and they pursued them. If by chance a German machine gun suddenly opened fire, then they asked for support from the air force, but only the next day. Around midnight we set off with four soldiers and returned pretty soon with two jeeps. It was convenient that they did not require keys. One had only to turn on a small toggle switch, and the car was ready to go. It wasn't until we were back in our lines that the Yankees fired indiscriminately into the air, probably to calm their nerves. If the night were long enough, we could easily drive to Paris.”