Chapter 13 3.Loyal to duty

While the frontier corps and fortified area garrison were engaged in outnumbered battles in the encirclement of the fascist army, the divisions stationed near the border were trying their best to get out of the predetermined area.The Soviet commanders and fighters performed their duties bravely.Regardless of the numerical superiority of the attacking enemy several times over, they constantly counterattacked it. In the area of ​​the 5th Army, two regiments each of the 45th, 62nd, and 87th Infantry Divisions (the third regiments of these corps were too late to reach the battle site due to construction) and the entire 124th Infantry Division first entered the battle on the afternoon of June 22. .After receiving the alarm, the troops assembled in an emergency, with only a small amount of ammunition (the baggage was loaded, but it was stranded next to the permanent warehouse), and they were directly put into counterattack from the marching state.The commanders and fighters spared no effort and life.The Fascists could not break the courage of these unconquered fighters.The enemy blocked them with heavy fire, but failed to force them back.

And those regiments stationed in the depths of the border areas have to travel a considerable distance before entering their respective areas.Under the continuous assault of the fascist air force, they left bloodstains behind them, and they were heading to the border with the organization and tenacity unique to our army's basic divisions. When the second echelon corps rushed to the rescue of the four divisions that had already fought the enemy, these four divisions were under the assault of the main force of the invaders and defended their positions. Just look at the comparison of the strength of our army and the German army, and you will be full of praise for the indomitable spirit of the Soviet soldiers.

The seventy-five-kilometer section of our 5th Army's belt from Ust-Lug to Cresnopol is where the enemy's main assault is carried out and, in fact, the fate of the entire frontier battle is decided.On the first day of the war, there were only the 87th and 124th infantry divisions here, and the rest of the troops were still far away. The enemy attacking these two corps was nearly eight infantry divisions and three to four tank divisions supported by strong aviation.But our army stood still. The overall balance of forces was also against me.In the direction of the enemy's main assault, the entire group of the Southwest Front Army (three infantry divisions and two mechanized corps - the 15th and 22nd mechanized corps) did not have a strict battle layout, and was scattered in a large depth, with a total of about 100,000 people and two thousand artillery and mortars.In front of it, the German 6th Army and the 1st Tank Group have a total of nearly 300,000 officers and soldiers and about 5,500 artillery and mortars, which have already been deployed and prepared in advance.That is to say, the total advantage of the Fascists here is twice as many live forces and more than double the artillery.In addition, they also mastered the air supremacy.

In the main assault direction of the Hitlerites, our mechanized 9th and 19th armies were deployed at a distance of 250 to 300 kilometers from the border.The total number of tanks in all four mechanized armies of our army is no less than that of the enemy, but they are basically old trainer battle tanks.The new KB and T-34 tanks, which were the most technologically advanced at that time, had a total of only 163 in the above-mentioned four armies.The enemy has seven hundred new tanks. It should not be forgotten that if the 15th and 22nd mechanized armies could enter the engagement on the second day of the war at the earliest, then the corps of the 9th and 19th mechanized armies would take four days to reach the border in the best case .If you add the factor that the driver has not had time to master the new tank, it is not difficult to see where the tank has the advantage.

In the area of ​​the 6th and 26th armies, the fascists had 12 to 14 infantry divisions attacking in front of our five infantry divisions and one cavalry division.The Germans, despite having more than twice as many troops as I do, are practically standing still here, advancing only when we voluntarily withdraw our troops due to the unfavorable situation. The German "South" Army Group carried out a well-prepared main assault in the 5th Army area.North of Vladimir-Volynsky on the right flank of the army, the 15th Infantry Corps of Colonel A. A. Fejuninsky stopped the enemy with a series of resolute counterattacks.

In order to save shells and bullets, the commander of the 45th Infantry Division of the army, the experienced and calm Major General B.A. Sherstyuk, ordered the fascist skirmishers to fight as close as possible, and then directed the soldiers to fight with bayonets.Although the enemy suffered great losses, no significant progress was made. The 62nd Infantry Division, commanded by the young Colonel M. E. Tymoshenko, each The troops fought hard.When the 44th Infantry Regiment to which the corps belonged was surrounded by fascists, Tymoshenko mobilized his last small reserve force and personally led it to rescue the unfortunate regiment.The besieged people, led by Lieutenant Colonel B.A. Fesenko, the head of the regiment, and H.A. Besonov, the political deputy head of the battalion political commissar level, also launched a fierce hand-to-hand attack after learning of the situation.According to eyewitnesses, when the regiment broke through, the able-bodied people were at the forefront.The wounded limped behind them, some holding rifles or grenades in their unwounded hands.And those who cannot walk crawl behind with weapons in hand.When the comrades who were able to stand wanted to lift them, they replied: "No. You go forward, we will support you with firepower!" After the platoon leader, Bashkir Second Lieutenant C. 3 Ahmed Safin was injured Lost consciousness.The soldiers carried him by hand.But Sabir Zahirovich immediately stood up as soon as he woke up, and led his men to charge.Fearlessness and determination worked: the regiment finally broke through.

Commanded by the 306th Infantry Regiment commanded by Major E. C. Gavrilovski Combatants and political workers are equally desperate to fight the enemy.The 1st Infantry Company was deeply wedged into the enemy's configuration during the counterattack and was cut off from its own people.Then there was a desperate situation: the ammunition was almost out, and the machine gun stopped firing.The company was saved by the bravery of the chief of staff, Alexander Ivanovich Reznichenko.Although he was injured.However, he still led some soldiers to rush to the besieged comrades and sent them bullets.So the company launched an attack on the enemy again.

Soon, the enemy advanced to the rear of the 3rd Infantry Company.Company commander Lieutenant Nikolai Filipovich Sklyalenko led the soldiers to break out.He walked in the forefront with a rifle in his hand, and in fierce hand-to-hand combat, he stabbed four Hitlerites to death with a bayonet.Inspired by his example, the soldiers stood out from the encirclement in one fell swoop. In the evening, the advancing 1st Battalion was surrounded by fascists in the village of Zamlenye.For a long time the fascists could not rush to the positions of our soldiers.After the bullets were finished, the battalion commander, Captain Leonid Sergeyevich Kotenko, led his men by surprise to launch a hand-to-hand attack.They blazed a path through the dead bodies of the enemy to the main force of the regiment.

The platoon of the 4th Infantry Company, commanded by Second Lieutenant Andranik Sarkisovich Mkeltjan, was responsible for covering the crossing near the village of Bestraki.The two fascist companies pressed towards our row, but all their attacks were stubbornly resisted by Soviet soldiers.When the Hitlerites finally climbed to the east bank, Mukeltqiang led a brave assault and drove the enemy down the river. There is a report on the exploits of machine gunner Ivan Ivanovich Apanashenko.He used firepower to support his counterattack company in the fierce battle, and did not find that the fascists had surrounded him.The Hitlerites, now on one side, now on the other, tried to get close to the brave man.He repelled three strikes with well-placed bursts.The ammunition was almost out.The Hitlerites shouted: "Russians, surrender!" The Soviet soldiers were silent.The fascists daringly stormed his little bunker.The machine gunner calmly shoots at the standing Hitlerites and throws grenades at the prostrate enemy before bursting back to his own men.

I remember that the report of the 306th regiment stated that nearly half of the commanders and fighters of the 3rd Battalion of the regiment were injured, but they all refused to leave the battlefield.During the hard struggle, 2nd Lieutenant J.C. Heisman was assigned to command the 9th Company.He has been wounded twice, but continues to fight. It wasn't until he was wounded a third time that he was sent to the rear in a coma. A. A. Fejuninsky reported to the Front Army Command the heroic and tenacious deeds of the regiments of the 87th and 124th Rifle Divisions.I was surprised at first because both divisions were part of the 27th Corps under the Border Covering Plan.But I looked at the map and guessed why this was the case.When the Hitlerites attacked, these two divisions were far away from the headquarters of the army.The army commander then ordered them to be temporarily subordinated to A. A. Fejuninsky, whose 15th Rifle Corps was already engaged.

It is difficult to conceive a detailed picture of the battle from the brief few lines of the report.But hour by hour the situation gradually became clearer.Fejuninsky admired his two new regiments. G. G. Aliabshev, commander of the 87th Infantry Division, learned that Hitler was divided. After the invasion, Vladimir-Volynsky with his two regiments hurried to the border.His troops rushed to the border fortification area and carried out a surprise attack on the attacking Hitlerites.But the enemy has a huge numerical advantage.Taking advantage of our lack of a continuous front here, it encircled the two prominent regiments on both flanks.At the same time, the 14th German Tank Division rushed towards the gap between our 87th and 62nd Infantry Divisions.In front of the German tanks lay the open road to Lutsk. The two encircled regiments fought tenaciously and attracted a huge enemy force.The enemy wants to destroy this division of the Soviet Army at any cost.One hit after another.The Hitlerites finally cut off the 96th Infantry Regiment.But the head of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Yemelyan Ivanovich Vasilienko, quickly established an assault group and led the group to launch a counterattack.Artillery of the 1st Battalion, 197th Artillery Regiment, led by its brave battalion commander, Captain Mikhail Zakharovich Vojtko, pushes the artillery by hand in the anti-shocker combat formation, and executes against the fascists direct shot.The Hitlerites couldn't stand it anymore and gave way.The units of the division reunited and fought more tenaciously.Let me say in advance that the division valiantly held its position along the border and did not fight back until the end of June when orders were received. Bloody fighting also took place in the direction of Sokal, south of Vladimir-Volynsky. On the afternoon of June 22, the regiments of the 124th Infantry Division, commanded by my close comrade and classmate of the Frunze Military Academy, General Filip Grigorievich Suszevo, arrived here.His troops charged the enemy on the march, forcing them to retreat.But the strength of the two sides is too great.Under the pressure of the enemy, the division was forced to retreat slowly while holding every favorable area. In the evening, the fascists rushed to the firing position of the 341st regiment of the division's howitzer artillery.The artillerymen boldly put the enemy at close range for direct fire.The Hitlerites suffered heavy losses and retreated hastily.After receiving reinforcements, they launched a new attack, but were repulsed by Soviet artillery fire.When there was not a single shell left, Major Fyodor Kirillovich Sechenko, the commander of the artillery regiment, led his artillery into a counterattack like infantry, and drove away the fascists again. Here too the enemy took advantage of the gap in our front.Its tanks rounded me to expose my flanks and rushed towards Radzekhov.In order to change the situation, the commander of the Front Army decided to transfer the main force of the 15th Mechanized Army here.We have been informed that the 10th Tank Division, the front of the corps, is still 60 to 70 kilometers away from Radzekhow.Can this division arrive ahead of the enemy?not necessarily.Even if this could be done, the corps would inevitably have to enter the battle piece by piece, which would greatly complicate the task.We awaited with trepidation the initial report of the corps commander, Major General A. A. Carpezzo. While we were taking measures against the tank and motorized columns advancing from Sokal, reassuring news came from the north near Vladimir-Volynsky.There, the enemy tank units, which turned around the 87th Rifle Division and advanced towards Lutsk, were not able to advance as far as they had in the direction of Radzekhow.The 1st Brigade of Anti-Tank Artillery who rushed here stopped their way.The advance detachments of the brigade met the enemy in the Vojnica area, twenty kilometers east of Vladimir-Volynsky. After the brigade commander, Major General K. C. Moskalenko, received reports that the leading companies had fired heavily at enemy tanks, he, together with the commander of the 22nd Mechanized Corps, Major General C. M. Kondrusev and his chief of staff, Major General B.C. Tamrucci hurried to a nearby high ground to analyze the situation.They saw some tanks shrouded in black smoke on the road.The commander of the 22nd Mechanized Corps shouted angrily at Moskalenko: "What are your artillery doing? These are our tanks!" (General Kondrushev was convinced that this was the 41st Tank Division of his corps retreat, the division was stationed in the Vladimir-Volynsky area on the eve of the war).But after the tank approached, the fascist identification marks could be seen.Even the shape of the tank was significantly different from the Soviet tanks.Just then, the shells fell on the high ground.General Kondrushev was seriously wounded.Kirill Semyonovich Moskalenko transferred to the new observation post.Most of the brigade deployed in time on both sides of the road.There are very few anti-tank shells, so the general ordered the artillery to be very sure before shooting: "One shell, one tank!" The fascist tank slowly approached.The phone in the brigade commander's observation post rang non-stop. "Can we fight, Comrade General?" asked the battalion commanders.The general replied: "Be patient a little longer." The tank picked up speed.In a little while, the tanks were about to rush into the artillery firing positions. Moskalenko finally gave the signal. Dozens of artillery pieces fired almost simultaneously.A few more salvos were fired, and the enemy tanks burned like bonfires on the ground near the firing positions of our companies. The battalion of Captain A. A. Feokistov took the main charge of the enemy.The tank continues to move forward mechanically.The closer they are, the less there is left. The artillery squad commanded by Sergeants T. A. Moskwin and E. A. Tukin was particularly accurate.Burning tanks blocked the way of the tanks behind.They rushed to the gap between the destroyed tanks.This makes it easier for the artillerymen to complete their tasks, and the shooting accuracy has been improved.Several more tanks were ablaze.But the rest of the tanks still rushed to the artillery firing positions.Here the artillerymen entertained them with cluster grenades. The 1st Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade suffered considerable losses, but finally stopped the enemy.This is what happened near the secluded Ukrainian town of Kolchin. We were just about to rejoice at this victory in the north when General Carpezzo's report arrived.He said his 10th Tank Division had sent an advance detachment to Radzekhow after it was ready for battle.The 37th Tank Division also set off, but it consisted of only four tank battalions in total, while the 212th Motorized Division was marching on foot because it had no cars.The army commander asked for a car to be sent to him immediately. Without a car, the division could neither organize the forward delivery of ammunition nor the evacuation of the wounded.The situation was even worse for the 25th Motorcycle Regiment, the Army Communication Battalion and the Engineering Battalion: they couldn't move at all because they had no means of transport. We already knew that the technical equipment of the 15th Mechanized Corps was insufficient, but the consequences of this situation were not fully realized until now.It was difficult for the army to intercept the enemy's tank column rushing southwest from Sokali in time. How to do it?General Kirponos was busy talking with the army commanders.After glancing at Calpezzo's telegram, he handed it to the chief of staff: "Think about what to do." Purkayev frowned, turned the pencil for a long time in his hands, and then wrote in the telegram: "To the Minister of Operations. Transfer from local equipment if possible. Ask Karpezzo to carry out the order." Before conveying the order to the army commander to immediately meet the enemy, I first found General Morgunov, the head of the automobile and armored tank department of the front army.I showed him Calpezzo's report and asked: "Even give him a motor camp." Morgunov spread his hands.The vehicles of the front were almost entirely busy transporting technical equipment, weapons and material reserves for the infantry corps moving from the depths of the military district to the border.There are still a few reserve vehicles left, but they are all in the Shepetovka area.It will take a lot of time to transfer these vehicles from there. That is to say, there is no way to help this army.So a short reply was sent to General Carpezzo: "Execute the order." It means: You go to Radzekhof and immediately use your existing troops and weapons to launch a counterattack against the enemy... Now, Major General H. B. Feklenko, commander of the 19th Zhytomir Mechanized Corps, has also sent disturbing inquiries.This corps, like General C. C. Rokossovsky's Mechanized 9th Army, was supposed to rush to the aid of 5th Army.But his motorized infantry had to travel on foot, and artillery, ammunition and supplies could not be transported because there were no tractors or cars.The general asked for at least forty vehicles from the military reserve vehicles. Anxious Kirponos called General Morgunov. "Transfer immediately forty vehicles from Shepetovka to Fekrenko. All your reserve vehicles are transferred to him and Rokossovsky. In Kyiv, you will ask people to secure them as soon as possible by mobilizing supplies. The needs of the various mechanized corps for automobiles and tractors." Yes, all hopes were pinned on the mobilization of the automobiles of the national economic sectors of the republic.But it will take time...and how can we fight now without cars and tractors? The situation in the 5th Army sector remains critical. In the Sixth Army area, the most difficult test fell on the right flank of the 41st Infantry Division, the 3rd Cavalry Division and the battalions in the Russian Lava fortified area.The enemy's two infantry divisions launched a fierce assault on the 41st Division, which had deployed between the permanent launch points in the fortified area.The fascist infantry, supported by tanks, artillery and aviation, attacked in several directions, trying to divide the battle formations of the Soviet troops.It has been wedged into our military configuration many times.At this critical juncture, the division commander, General B.H. Mikushev, the regiment political commissar-level political deputy division commander A.M. Antonov, and the chief of staff, Colonel H.B. Yelyomin, led the regiments to implement a counterattack.The commanders and fighters fought bravely.Even the wounded did not leave the team.I recall that among those who performed particularly well was Captain III A. Tikhorize, the company commander.He was wounded in hand-to-hand combat, and the battalion commander ordered him to be sent to the rear.But at this moment, the Germans launched another attack.The captain supported by the soldiers returned to his company to command the battle. In this way, the enemy has not been able to pass through the battle formation of the 41st Division.But it found a weak point - the junction of the 5th and 6th armies, and immediately sent a large number of troops there.The fascists repulsed the border guards, took the station of Palhaci on the march, and rushed eastward.The 158th Regiment of the 3rd Cavalry Division was stationed near the station.Lieutenant Colonel Yakov Ignatievich Brovchenko, the head of the regiment, heard that the Hitlerites were advancing, and issued an alarm to order the soldiers to gather urgently.The division commander, General M. O. Maleev, ordered the cavalry to drive the fascists away from the station in coordination with the 491st regiment of the 159th infantry division. The onslaught of cavalry terrified the Hitlerites.Their infantry began to flee in panic.Cavalry and infantry pursued all the way to the border.The first day of the war became the end of hundreds of Fascist soldiers.Many Hitlerites were captured alive.Corporal C. A. Harchuk alone brought five disarmed Fascists to the cavalry commander.The German leader mobilizes troops to deal with the Soviet cavalry.The fighting was fierce.But the rest of the cavalry division arrived in time to support Brovchenko's regiment.The 99th Cavalry Regiment fought valiantly under the command of Major A. H. Inauli.The bold actions of the cavalry stopped the Hitlerites. In the area of ​​​​the 26th Army, the 99th Rifle Division of General H. A. Dementyev, together with the border guards and battalions in the fortified area of ​​​​Pelemyshli, caused heavy losses to the enemy.Although the units of the 101st Infantry Division of the German Army finally rushed into the border city of Peremeshli due to a sudden attack, they failed to expand the results.Our army launched an attack on the enemy and fought for every house.Lieutenant General O. F. Kostenko, Commander of the Army Group, mentioned in his report the platoon of Second Lieutenant P. A. Goncharov.The enemy forced his platoon back three times.Many fighters were wounded, but they also launched three new attacks in order to regain their positions. Although Peremyshli could not be recovered for the time being, the enemy was delayed, and General Dementyev assured his commanders that he would drive the Hitlerites out of the city by morning. The Commander of the Air Force of the Front and his headquarters were organizing the command of the aviation units at that time.It's not easy.As early as the first few hours of the invasion, the enemy's sudden air assault caused great losses to our army's aircraft and disrupted the communication between the chief and the airports.The commanders of each aviation division act with their own responsibilities.Small formations of our aircraft can be seen above the battlefield, led by fearless warriors.Although they are small in number, they bravely rush to the enemy plane and fight with all their might. It was not until evening that General Putukin resumed command of the aviation units under extremely difficult conditions and transferred to organized operations.We learned that my pilot shot down forty-six fascist planes in one day.However, our army's aircraft also lost a lot in air battles with a large number of disparities.Our eagles risk their lives for victory, fighting fearlessly against superior foes.In the first hours of the war, Lieutenant Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, a member of the Komsomolets, carried out an aerial ram over the Ukrainian border city of Rivno.Pilot C. C. Serdyutsky of the rank of Captain Political Instructor shot down two fascist planes.Captain C. P. Zhukov, commander of the 86th Regiment of the Bomber Air Corps, fought alone against three fascist fighters and shot down one of them, but he himself was also shot down.He struggled back to his airfield after parachute jumping, and just after his wound was bandaged, he flew to perform combat missions again. Captain A.A. Gable led a formation composed of several planes to attack the 18 fascist bombers, forcing them to flee.Soon, in order to cover a plane that was damaged in the battle, he drove his A-16 plane to attack two "Messerschmitts" ① and rescued his comrades.The list goes on and on. -------- ① A German fighter plane. ——Translator's Note. The situation on our front remained serious until the end of the day.But the enemy has been stopped in many areas, which gives us strength and makes us hope that the situation will improve further.