The Russian front: Bobrka. ...We were left in that position for three days, On the second day the Russians opened artillery fire on our positions. One of the first shells exploded in the tree branches. where the commanding officer stood. One from the fragments hit his head, killing him instantly. The crew took him into the village trying to find help, but in vain, They left the body in the village and returned to their position. This incident taught us to keep the hatches shut. The disadvantage was, that the tank commandant could not observe the field unless the hatch remained closed. With no periscope, he had to look out directly. This situation became now very tedious. Luckily, the crew made sandwiches for me, but to satisfy ones physiological needs, one had to wait for a suitable moment. We could not fall to sleep, always watching if a counter attack was about to take place. After the second night we were exhausted from the lack of sleep and constant vigilance. Despite all this we had to wait till the evening before we were released. These were the longest three days that I ever survived. As a driver I had a better seat allowing me to stretch my legs,which prevented stiffness and cramp. The members of my crew on their little stools must have been suffering immensely. At last came the evening, and we received the order to withdraw to the village behind the front line. The drivers during the action were not obliged to keep guard duty, so I had two nights to sleep away the last three. We stayed in that village for a few days in case we were needed. When eventually it was decided that our presence was no longer required, we were allowed to return to our base. It is something not easy for me to explain, but during this action I did not feel the usual fear, that I felt when going into action, it was a feeling that I could not control. I was shaking constantly. Perhaps it was a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of complete defencelessness sitting at the very front of the tank with no way of defending myself.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 09:32:23 +0000
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