Chapter 6 4.next to the border

In mid-October, the Army Group Headquarters returned to the city of Stanislav, where it was stationed. I have been quiet for a week, so I can better understand the people and work conditions of the Operations Department. I live in an empty apartment.This lodging is more spacious and comfortable than in Moscow, and I regret not being able to move my family here at once. In the first few days, I used to work late into the night at the headquarters.But I gradually got on the right track and started to have some free evenings.I am familiar with this city. Stanislav, the center of a state that was incorporated into Soviet Ukraine only a year ago, remains a peaceful provincial town.Its industry is very undeveloped, only a few small factories and railway workshops.A large part of the population is old officials, merchants, small owners of numerous handicraft workshops and cottage craftsmen.They scurry inside the house as soon as the day's work is done—they don't feel comfortable in Xintiandi.

When you walk down the poorly lit old streets, there is always silence around you.Occasionally, the clang of hooves of the coachman's inferior horse and the footsteps of late returners can be heard.Only the city center where the party and Soviet institutions are located is crowded at night. I always wandered to the crappy canteen that was turned into a restaurant in the evening and stopped. After this decaying provincial canteen was turned into a restaurant, it didn't become cleaner and more comfortable, but only increased the noise of drunks.But it's the only place a bachelor (and I'm in a bachelor situation) can get enough of it.

After I had a few cold cuts, I was finally disappointed in that "restaurant", so I used my extremely shallow cooking knowledge to make it myself. The clutter of life doesn't bother me much.I am looking forward to the interesting work, and I feel that I am in the pleasant environment I am used to. Soon, General Palushinov called me.He said nonchalantly that it was time to get acquainted with the troops and the frontier we would cover if war broke out.In particular, he asked me to study the main mountain passes and the San River area. I'm happy and ready to hit the road.I called the driver of my car.Doveben, a slow, solid man like a farmer, scratched the back of his head thoughtfully and asked very carefully: where?Which way to go?How long will it be?Seeing my impatience, he calmly explained:

"Well, Comrade Colonel: I'm responsible for the technical aspects of your trip! As the saying goes: the more you prepare, the less trouble you have on the road." …and it was dark outside when I woke up.I don't want to get out of the warm blanket to look at the watch on the table.But after a while, there was a careful knock on the door in the front room. "Who?" "It's me, Comrade Colonel," came the driver's deep voice, "the car is ready." It's time to replace the dampness of cold autumn with a warm blanket! "You villain, why did you wake me up so early?!"

"What's the matter?" said the outsider. "The clock has struck five, and you ordered you to be called at five." "Okay," I smiled, "we're ready to go." I opened the door and let the disturbed driver in.After he had said hello, he rushed to the kitchen like a host, and jingled the teapot. After about forty minutes, we went downstairs to the car that was not yet frozen.There are already two officers waiting for me here: one is from the combat department and the other is from the military training department.They are going with me.The car was full of sundries, planks, mats made of twigs, and ropes, and they had difficulty getting into the car.

"What's all this crap for?" I asked Doveben. "Well, Comrade Colonel, you have never seen our roads in autumn. When the car slips, you can use everything. They say that even a small rope is useful on the road." "Come on, let's drive, Master!" I finally found out that to make Dovben shut up he had to tell him something he didn't understand.After he is silent, he will frown for a long time, and he will not be calm until he understands the actual meaning. When I called him Yuzhe, the driver stopped talking, stepped on the gas pedal, and immediately shifted to the second gear, and the car suddenly drove away from the spot.Not long after driving out, he finally couldn't help it:

"What is a controller?" "People call the charioteer who drives the chariot for the legendary ancient Greek hero Achilles." "Oh," said the driver in a drawn-out disappointed voice. "I thought everyone called the driver that in Moscow..." He paused for a moment, then asked again: "So how long ago was he alive?" "According to Homer, thousands of years ago." "Ah! Then who is Homer?" It was like this along the way, every answer I gave created a new question, and Doveben's thirst for knowledge knew no bounds. There were no accidents along the way, and we arrived in Peremeshli before noon.The driver had been here before and took us straight to the headquarters of the 99th Division.The division commander is not there, and it is said that he has gone to various units①.Someone sent us to the chief of staff. Colonel C. G. Gorokhov learned that we were coming directly by road, and politely invited us to eat in the mess hall.

After lunch, the Chief of Staff introduced the division to me.The division governs the 1st, 197th, and 206th Infantry Regiments.All three regiments were stationed in the Peremyshli region.In order to counter the possible invasion of the fascist German army, the division should occupy the Peremeshli fortified area position under construction after receiving a special signal. command. Colonel Gorokhov gave me a detailed account of the division's emergency mobilization plan for combat alert.All measures were well thought out, and the writing was clear and expertly written, giving the impression that it was written by an experienced and knowledgeable command staff.

The chief of staff commented at length on the three colonels leading the infantry regiment.He said that they could all be division commanders, which was to a large extent the reason for the success of the corps②.With such a regiment commander, any division commander will feel safe and secure. -------- ①In addition, "troops" refer to specific tactical and administrative units, namely regiments (first, second, and third-tier ships) or independent battalions (flying brigades) and independent companies.The "army" in the translation of this book should be understood as a specific unit, except for phrases such as "returning to the army" and "disembarking the army", which should be understood as a general meaning corresponding to institutions and institutions. ——Translator's Note.

②The Soviet Army collectively referred to the corps, divisions, brigades, and naval squadrons of various armies and arms as "corps".The "detachment" below refers to a battalion, company, platoon, and squad with a fixed establishment. —Translator's note. We were late at the end of our work at the headquarters.Colonel Gorokhov politely wanted to take us to our place of residence, but Dovben appeared as if growing out of the ground. "Here I am, Comrade Colonel. May I see you?" "Do you know where you need to go?" I asked in surprise. "Yes, it has been surveyed" I went for a walk by myself and figured out the way. "

I thanked the colonel and went with Dovburn. The next day, I led my companions to the 1st regiment of the division.The regiment was commanded by Colonel Korotkov, a young and clean-looking man.He gave me a detailed introduction to the situation of the troops and made an evaluation of the command staff.Most of the unit commanders, including the battalion commanders, are young and have little work experience. We toured the barracks.It was built during the Austro-Hungarian era of Butouer and is well preserved.The barracks and the yard were very clean, although the rooms were crowded: the beds were double-deckers, leaving not even a small space where the Red Army soldiers could shave, groom, and iron unhindered.But a soldier's attire is beyond reproach, and may even be said to be elegant. People invited us to eat in the commander's mess.But I recommend eating it with soldiers.The colonel readily agreed.The canteen of the Red Army soldiers is a spacious and bright room, the ceiling is high from the ground, and it looks very comfortable.It seems that the leader is a frequent visitor here, because no one is surprised by his appearance.Judging from the soldiers' modest use of spoons.I understand that there will be no complaints about the quality of food here. Indeed, the rice is filling and delicious. At that time, we also went to watch a battalion's tactical operations.It was drizzling and cold and muddy.But by all indications, the fighters are used to operating in any weather.It can be considered that the practice field is a real battle.Now here, now there, the dust of the explosion rises into the air, and the sound of violent shooting, muffled by the sound of a raging "hula", follows one after another.The calmness of the infantrymen waiting for the roaring tanks at full speed (the regiment was maneuvering with some detachments of the 8th Mechanized Corps) delighted even me, who was no longer a military novice.The shooters, hidden in the bunkers, let the imposing tanks drive over, and then lobbed the trainer grenades precisely at the tanks.What a job!The sound of the tracks on the head is deafening, the exhaust fumes from the vehicles are sucked into the lungs, and the mud is splashed all over the body. Anyone who has endured these will know that this is a difficult test. Didn't the soldiers of the 99th Infantry Division later win their famous honors in these drill fields?Their fortitude in the summer of 1941 is told in fabulous stories. Two other regiments made an equally pleasant impression on us.Yes, people in this division have things to learn. On the way to the 72nd Division, I decided to drive along the boundary river Sanhe.Fast and winding rivers cut deep into the Carpathian mountain slopes.The valley north of Peremeshli is very wide, up to two kilometers in some places, but then narrows and the walls of the canyon become steeper. Below the city of Sanok, the river is deep, but upriver , you can trek almost everywhere. Panting hard, our car circled along the mountain road.The wheels are often idling hopelessly when going uphill.We got out of the car and walked with our shoulders on it, dodging clods of dirt flying from under the wheels.At this point, we were all delighted with the foresight of our elf driver: his "poo kit" even saved us when our troubled car seemed to be immobilized...   Been on the road for a long time.From time to time we stopped to survey the terrain and then hit the road again.Arrived in Dobromir very late.We found the division headquarters with difficulty in the misty autumn rain.The officer on duty wanted to report our arrival to the chief immediately, but I objected and asked him to arrange our accommodation. "Then please," the officer agreed, "we have a small guest house ourselves, but it's very simple..." This small Ukrainian town has fallen asleep.We couldn't even wake up the female administrator of the guest house right away.She was a fat, half-old woman, wiping her eyes with her hands, yawning sweetly, and speaking quickly: "Why are you here so late?" The guest house is an ordinary wooden house, which is very cold inside.Our driver got the hostess's name out of nowhere and was very accommodating. "Mrs. Gapuka, please take the trouble to light the stove and boil the water in Mr. Colonel's room." He held "Mrs. Gapka" carefully by the arm in case she accidentally tripped over the threshold. It's hard to say what happened to the wealthy hostess of the small guest house afterwards: the title of "Mr. Colonel" or the politeness of our driver?Anyway she received us with true Ukrainian hospitality.The firewood crackled and blazed in two small stone stoves, and the hostess pressed onto it the coals that Doveben had brought from the yard.A steaming hot supper was soon brought, which the hostess had quickly and skillfully prepared from the provisions we had eaten on the way.In this way, this small guest house also made us feel very comfortable.Besides, after the hostess arranged us to lie down, she put away our wet clothes to dry and iron them. The next morning, I was invited to see the teacher.General Pavel Ivlyanovich Abramdze, a man of medium height, well-built, with the quickness of a young man, took mine with his pincer-like hands, and he had a dark and handsome face. His face was sharply chiseled, with merry black eyes under arched brows, and a kindly smile on his face. "What wind brought you here?" Knowing who I was and why I came, the general happily introduced the division that had been converted into a mountain infantry division. "Good!" he said loudly. "I love mountains and I know how to fight in them." The division governs the 14th, 123rd, and 187th Infantry Regiments.The difference between it and the 99th Division is that the three regiments of the 99th Division are all commanded by experienced colonels, while the three regiments of the 72nd Division are all commanded by young majors, namely Kislyakov, Misenko, Khvatov directs.The general praised them warmly in his own way: "Well done! Eagle! Great boy!" I asked him if, in its present state, the division could go into action immediately, if required to do so.The general jumped up and walked briskly up and down the office. "Listen to me, Colonel! That will be difficult. But we are ready to repel the enemy at any moment, as long as it dares to come!" He took a deep breath, and said: "Now we must complete the adaptation and supplement work as soon as possible. We But guarding the border." When the general learned that I planned to visit the regiments, he said enthusiastically: "let's go together!" We agreed to go to the 187th regiment first.I spent the rest of the time before departure talking with the division chief of staff, Major Pavel Vasilyevich Chernousov.He introduced me to the combat training program and the organization of the emergency mobilization of the combat alert, and introduced the situation of the main commanders of the headquarters, first of all, the chief of the combat section and the chief of the reconnaissance section, all of whom I later became acquainted with.As we parted, I jokingly asked the major if he found it difficult to work with his division commander.The major replied with a smile: "Our general is indeed an excitable man. Sometimes he smashes the chairs, but it is easy to work with him. He is a commander with a brain and a strong will. He is the best support for the chief of staff. He The chief of staff who will protect himself. He can personally experience every command position. He is an excellent tactician and can shoot with almost all weapons..." The major was silent for a while, and continued: "Subordinates admire his impartiality and paternal care." We stayed in the division for two days.Of course, this time is too short to know all the troops in detail.But the overall impression is pleasant. After parting from General Abramize, we went to see the nearest Carpathian passes.We are going to study the terrain, take part in an experiment conducted by the commander of the military area, that is, a test of tanks, machinery and mule-drawn artillery, automobiles, and carriages through the mountain roads, carefully study with the help of watches the time they take to pass through the mountain passes. Our car crawled on the winding narrow road.The tormenting drizzle and thick fog of late autumn hampered our progress.It seems that even the stones have been soaked by the rain.Every uphill road and sharp turn, the car squirmed carefully, because if you don't pay attention, you will fall into the abyss.The road snaked around the wooded slopes of the peak.Tall beeches are lined up on both sides, like sentinels on guard. When even a small piece of fertile land is present, there are occasional rough estates, that is, small farmhouses and adjoining production facilities.We stopped by one of the estates to let the machines cool down, and we took the opportunity to take a break.The cold wind made us shiver.A skinny old mountain man walked towards us. He was wearing a sheepskin jacket and a black sheepskin tall hat. After saying hello solemnly, he invited us to "come to the humble house". We walked down the long hall and over the threshold.The house is made up of one large room.On a long, haphazardly nailed bench against the wall sat a large family.The women were busy with their needlework, the men were smoking and talking idly.The men wore sheepskin vests with wide leather belts around their waists.The women wore long homespun dresses over warm waistcoats like the men's, but more elegantly, with some decoration.Below the belt, there are two colorful woolen skirts at the front and back. We said hello.Everyone stood up to make room for the guests, and the men smoked more vigorously.The women were busy preparing things for the guests.On the long table lay large bowls of milk, curd, cheese, and cornmeal pancakes.We chatted with the hosts.Ukrainian and Polish words are strangely mixed in their speech.Sometimes we have a hard time understanding each other.So the old man who spoke Russian very well and one of his grandsons rushed to help. They ask us if there will be war (what else can you ask a soldier?).We reassure them that there is no need to panic yet.One of the old man's older sons was amazed to see our driver calmly sitting at the same table with the officers, and asked his father in a low voice to ask me if this soldier was a relative of mine. "My lord colonel" conversed casually with a soldier, which puzzled the man who had not long ago been a soldier in the army of the Polish landowners.I had no choice but to explain to him that the driver and I were neither related nor related.But we are all soldiers for the common cause, so calling each other comrades is no accident.Our officers and soldiers are yesterday's workers and peasants who have common interests and therefore respect each other. "What about military discipline?" The former soldier couldn't help asking. "Military discipline is also enforced on the basis of mutual respect and a high degree of self-awareness by everyone." Everyone listened with great interest.The master's youngest son is even worse.It turned out that he was going to be drafted into the army soon.He waited in fear for this day, because his brother had repeatedly told him about the inhumane system of the landlord army.Now the lad is happy.He asked a lot of questions about the lives of soldiers in our army. "Can everyone be a commander?" "Anyone can. Just be a good soldier and study hard." Everyone also talked about daily life in passing.The old man said that the basic means of living were hard to come by.They herd sheep and goats on mountain pastures.The grain they grow is not enough, because the land they cultivate is rocky, and they can only harvest three or four quintals of grain per hectare.For a long time, it was impossible to get rid of the slavery of the landlords.Good pastures and arable land were in the hands of landowners and wealthy farmers.It wasn't until after this place was merged into Soviet Ukraine that everyone felt proud.The landlord regime was overthrown, and all land resources became the wealth of the working people. "We can get by now, my lord colonel!" said the old man contentedly. The Uruk Pass, which the Sambor-Uzhgorod Highway passes through, is not too high (889 meters above sea level).It greeted us with biting wind and wet snow.The blizzard hampered the site survey.The surrounding conditions are only visible for brief periods of clear weather.The mountains here are made of sandstone, argillaceous shale, marl, and other vulnerable rock formations.This is also the reason for the gentle contours of the highlands and the criss-crossing of deep valleys cut by spring floods and streams.We sat down and rested by a clear, noisy brook.What we didn't immediately understand was that we were sitting at the source of a great river, the San. In the evening, the test column first boarded the mountain pass.The first thing to go up the hill was the car, then the tank, and then the tractor pulling the artillery.We didn't wait for the animal-drawn vehicles to come up, but we met them when we came down from the mountain pass.The horses struggled on the steep slopes, and people often had to stop to let them catch their breath.The column moved extremely slowly.It is clear that in this area, infantry divisions with heavy equipment, poor speed, and unsuitable for mountain operations must be reorganized into lightly equipped mountain infantry regiments as soon as possible. On the eve of the October Revolution, we finally returned to Stanislav.I wrote a detailed report of the trip, pointing out certain shortcomings, and giving favorable comments on the fighting qualities of the various units.I strongly advocate the transformation of some infantry divisions of our army into mountain infantry divisions as soon as possible.Now I recall these things with a little sadness, because when the war broke out, our mountain divisions had to fight on the plains.Efforts to adapt them are in vain... The world's first workers' and peasants' state has existed for twenty-three years.The enemy had predicted that it would not last for a few weeks.History mocks poor prophets.The Soviet state thrived and became one of the most powerful states in the world.The working people of the world, all the peoples suffering from capitalist oppression, look upon the Soviet state with love and hope.Fascists both hated it and feared it deeply.We know that they will not give us peace, and we have to fight them to the death.It was felt that a severe test was approaching.But we firmly believe that our social system is indestructible, and we face the future bravely. On November 7th, I did not recognize Stanislav anymore.As I have said before, when I saw it for the first time, I felt that it was remote and ordinary.But now I suddenly see it in a different way.The streets were filled with jubilant crowds.Workers walked past in single file.They seem to have increased because of the rapid industrial development of the city.The song of friendship echoes over the sea of ​​people, this is the song of the Soviets.It has only been one year since the state was incorporated into Soviet Ukraine, but amazing changes have taken place.New life unites and evokes people.We feel happy from the bottom of our hearts: we are also part of the big family of the motherland here. In December, the 96th Division of the Mountain Infantry of our army marched to the new station, the border of Suluo.The commander of the division was the famous cavalry general Pavel Alekseevich Belov.General Palushinov ordered me to supervise the march.By this time it was snowing heavily and it was much colder.All this increased the difficulty of marching. I caught up with the vanguard of the division in the Lanchin area at night.The march is carried out in a hypothetical combat situation.When the column is marching, the marching guard is organized according to all regulations, and it is ready to enter the encounter battle at any time.Anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft guns were deployed at pre-designated points along the route of travel.Shooters and gunners watched the cloudless night sky warily. I found General Belov in a snow-covered oak forest.Two cold-proof canvas tents have been erected here for his combat team.The general, in his long cavalry greatcoat with two straps crossed across the breast, stood at a small table lit by a battery lamp, on which a map was spread out. I met him in 1933, when he was a correspondence student at the Frunze Military Academy and came to take his graduation exam.At that time, this thin commander with an intellectual appearance and three stripes on his collar badge attracted everyone's attention with his excellent cavalry posture.We strike up a conversation.Our identical cavalry careers amazed each other, we both became officers towards the end of WWI, we both switched to service with the Soviet regime, we both commanded cavalry regiments as early as 1923.Now, I am somewhat surprised that this cavalryman who loves riding and archery has become the commander of the mountain infantry division. He recognized me: "Ah! How do you do, cavalryman! What's the wind?" I explained why I came.Belov became serious. "You can report to the commander that our division carried out the march strictly according to the plan. No one got frostbite, and there were heating stations on each marching route. The cooking truck provided hot food for people at rest places. All our supplies were pulled out, such as As the saying goes, not a single nail is left. So, everything works." The division commander pointed out to me the movements of the columns on the map.The order of the march was excellent. Someone brought us each a cup of hot tea on a cold night.It was so timely. "Why, my friend, have you finally betrayed the cavalry?" Belov asked. "Or did you get you to the army headquarters by accident?" "But I have no regrets. The cavalry has done its job. Today, the future belongs to the mechanized army. As for the work of the High Command, it is for everyone's benefit. Therefore, I have no reason to complain. Look at you born cavalry, Didn't he also suddenly command the mountain infantry division? Can you say it was due to some fault?" Belov's face turned gloomy. "That's it. I'm a soldier. Give me orders and I'll command infantry, and give me orders and I'll lead mechanized corps into battle." He sighed. "Oh! But I'm still very happy to command a cavalry division! Everything is familiar and familiar to me, unlike in the infantry." He slapped the map with his hand: "Look, the columns are drawn It's so long, and the infantry is walking with difficulty in the snowstorm. It would be nice to have the boys on horses! The force of habit is so great, that I unconsciously use the ability of the cavalry as a basis for calculating the speed of the column. . . . " I did not leave Belov for several days and nights.We went all over the troops on the march.I didn't leave until the division reached its destination.Pavel Alexievich and I parted warmly.Neither he nor I knew at the time that this brave cavalryman would soon return to his favorite world.His cavalry army made outstanding achievements in the defense of Moscow and became the Guards Cavalry Army...