Chapter 22 4.We continue to hit -1

In the front army headquarters, intense work will not stop even at night.My assistants are sticking to their posts.All changes in the situation were carefully marked on the campaign map.We quickly prepared the materials for the report to the chief in the morning.I went to see the Chief of Staff of the Front Army at dawn.People told me he was with the commander.That's even better, I can report to two people at once. The two generals were arguing passionately.I immediately understood that they were talking about the 6th Army.What happened there? Kirponos shook a stack of telegrams angrily.

"When will this be the end? The commander of the group army did not execute the combat order, but asked to revoke the order!" Purkayev simply shrugged in answer. The commander handed the telegram to the chief of staff, complaining: "It seems that the 6th Army is in difficulty now. But there is only one answer: Muzichenko should absolutely carry out the order!" The commander spotted me and asked: "What's the situation in the fortification area? Please report!" I talked about my impressions, about the plan of the head of the fortification area to change the deployment of the army, and about the emotions of all the staff.I mentioned Sysoyev's injury again, saying that he is having difficulty working now.

"Think about it, Maxim Alexievich," Kirponos said to Pulkayev, to see which general could be transferred to command the fortified area.There are now heavy troops concentrated there, and Sysoyev is incompetent in this situation..." After the commander of the front army gave necessary instructions on further strengthening the defense of Kyiv's fortified area and urgently providing it with armor-piercing shells, he ordered me to pay attention to observe the situation of the army's advance to the new position. When Kirponos let us go, the chief of staff silently motioned to me to follow him.

As soon as he stepped into his office, he sat down on a chair exhausted. "What happened to the Sixth Army?" I couldn't help asking. "Hey!" Pulkayev waved his hand angrily. "Muzichenko sent us this after he received our order to attack Romanovka. He wanted to prove that he couldn't attack... I don't know how he had time to write such a long report! " I know that General Muzichenko is a very persevering person who doesn't like writing very much, so it is hard to believe that he would have the patience to write such a long document.It appears that this is the work of the staff.

After reading the content of the report quickly, I said that if this proposal was agreed, then the offensive of the Potapov Army would lose any meaning. "That's the problem," Pulkayev replied unhappily. "If so, we would have to switch to passive defense, which would allow the Germans to storm Kyiv without hindrance. Because of this, we cannot possibly agree with General Muzichenko's reasoning. Headquarters requires us to carry out a resolute counter-assault in order to Close the gap and eliminate the enemy's strength. How can we not execute the order and report to Moscow that we have too few troops to attack under such conditions? Could it be that the headquarters and the General Staff do not understand the situation of our front army?!"

It is fair to note that General Muzichenko did not exaggerate at all when he spoke of the difficult situation of his own army and the shortage of offensive forces.However, with the battle lines divided, there is no other way out.If our army turns to passive defense, it will only benefit the enemy. The 6th Army's counter-assault on Romanovka would, if not cause a gap in the closed front, be able to contain the enemy's heavy forces in this area and improve the situation near Kyiv.Moreover, our attack still has the hope of joining the units of the 7th Infantry Corps, which is encircled north of Novi Miropol.

I asked if a corresponding reply to the head of the Sixth Army had been drawn up.Purkayev said that there was no need for this, because General Panyukhov had already gone to Muzichenko, and he would inform him of the determination of the Military Council and supervise the implementation of the instructions. Although our army's counterattacks near Volynsky Neustadt and Berdichev did not fully achieve their goals, the fascist troops were pinned down in this area, and Hitler's high command had to invest in new cutting-edge reserves.Therefore, it dared not transfer its main force to attack Kyiv.

What General Muzichenko deserves to be commended is that he himself understands the importance of the counter-assault and uses all his perseverance to organize the counter-assault.It is a pity that his troops are dwindling.His hopes of attacking Romanovka with the 16th Mechanized Army did not materialize.The corps of the army gradually became involved in fierce battles with the enemy's Berdichev group, which made it impossible to transfer them to the area of ​​​​the counter-assault.And the increasing onslaught of the fascist troops near Berdichev made us very disturbed, because they might break into the rear of our 6th and 12th armies through this.Therefore, the commander of the front army asked General Ogurtsov's group to carry out new assaults on the enemy one after another. The C.F. Ogurtsov Group and the units of the 16th Mechanized Army completed the task.Our army stopped the main force of the two motorized army of General Kleist's tank group for a whole week.

The commanders and fighters of a motorized infantry battalion of the mixed detachment of the 8th Tank Division of the 4th Mechanized Army performed extremely bravely.When the fascists suddenly rushed into Berdichev, we had no time to evacuate seventy ammunition wagons from the city.The bullets, artillery shells and aerial bombs made by the Soviets must not fall into the hands of the enemy.The superior ordered the ammunition truck to be blown up.This task was entrusted to the battalion commanded by Major A. A. Kopetin.Soviet soldiers arrived at the station.The fascists desperately launched an attack in an attempt to encircle and destroy them.But no force can compel my commanders to retreat.It was not until the soldiers had finished laying mines on the train that Major Kopetin gave the command to return.Fascist submachine gunners charged close to the carriage.Just then, there was a loud explosion.It was thought that Kopetin's entire battalion had died.Eight days later, the major surprised everyone by leading his soldiers back to our army station.The people were exhausted, but they were proud that they had done their duty.And there were more of them than when they set off on the mission: it turned out that Major Kopetin had incorporated into his battalion two companies encircled by another division on the way.

There are many mythical stories about the tank soldiers of the mixed detachment of the 10th Tank Division.Captain J. C. Pelevin, for example, was known throughout the Front.The mixed detachment leader ordered him to capture the "tongue".Pelevin drove his own "Betushka" (the fighters gave the KB light tank this nickname) braved the enemy's fire and rushed to the northern suburbs of Berdichev occupied by the fascists.The enemy is in a mess.Pelevin's tank crews calmly picked out valuable "tongues" while pressing enemy soldiers with their tracks.They finally knocked over a motorcycle on which a German officer was riding.The guy jumped up and wanted to run away.Pelevin jumped out of the tank to catch up with the Hitlerites, disarmed him, and dragged away.When the Germans had been stuffed into the cockpit, Pelevin suddenly noticed that the fascists had no bag, probably he still had it on the road.The captain ignored the submachine guns fired by the distraught fascists, jumped out of the tank again, found the lost bag, and then returned to the tank.

The tank soldiers maneuvered skillfully, rushed out of the city, and suddenly encountered the enemy car column on the road.Pelevin decided to take decisive action and directed the driver to ram the nearest car.The enemy camp was in disorder, and the trucks knocked over each other.The fascist soldiers fled in all directions while shooting aimlessly with submachine guns.Taking advantage of the panic of the enemy, Pelevin's tanks took cover in a nearby grove.Half an hour later, the tank had returned to our military base.The "tongue" caught by Pelevin is precious.He was a staff officer and brought important orders from the headquarters of a German division. The impact of this mixed detachment of tank soldiers is unstoppable!We were introduced to the team consisting of the commander M. C. Dudarev, the driver C. A. Zhdanov, the shooter B. A. Bastry and the radio operator C. B. Krymov The feat of a T-34 tank crew.At the critical moment of the battle, a well-camouflaged artillery battery on the Fascist flank began to fire.The company commander ordered Dudarev to destroy it.Zhdanov drove the tank around a turn and rushed towards the enemy at full speed.The fascists concentrated all four artillery pieces on the galloping tanks.The tank was shaken uncontrollably by the ricochets fired by the enemy.All tank crews were wounded by armor fragments.A shell hit directly, and the turret could not rotate, so it could no longer fire, and it was difficult to observe from the tank.The commander had to watch from the open hatch.The tankers still galloped forward.They rushed to the firing position quickly and began to crush the enemy artillery and the scattered artillery.The company has the possibility of development shock. There is a KB heavy tank (the crew includes Lieutenant A. H. Zabin, junior military technician C. E. Kiselev, junior commander B. A. Grishin, gunner T. A. Tochin and soldier D C. Verkhovsky) was cut off from the other tanks after the impact.The company commander, Captain A. E. Kozhemiachko, was also in the tank with the crew. "It's all right," he told the tank crew, "we'll fight." The tracks were broken during the first hours of the battle.Tank soldiers fought the advancing fascists with firepower.The fighting continued into the night.So some people used machine gun bursts to prevent the enemy from approaching, and others jumped out of the tank to troubleshoot.The Soviet tank fought on Berdichev Street until morning.During this time, it knocked out eight German tanks and many cars, killing dozens of enemy soldiers.Finally, it finally broke back to its own side, and towed back a fascist tank that was almost completely undamaged.After people sent the KB tank to the repair shop, they counted 30 large dents on its armor, and an enemy armor-piercing projectile penetrated into the tower base armor and was still inserted there. The heroic actions of the commanders and fighters of the 10th Tank Division were highly praised by the Soviet government.Already in July 1941 one hundred and nine tank crews were awarded orders and medals. (Later, misfortune befell division commander Sergei Yakovlevich Ogurtsov, a warrior and participant in the civil war. In early August 1941, he and the rest of his mixed detachment were attacked by fascists Encirclement. The enemy has not been able to defeat these heroes for a long time, and they have launched counterattacks more than once under the leadership of the division commander. In the last battle, General Ogurtsov was severely concussed, captured by the fascists in a coma, and fell into the Prisoner-of-war camp. But he escaped as soon as he recovered, found the partisans, and participated in the most daring sorties of all the partisans led by Mangeweize. In a battle near the city of Tomaszow, C. F. Ogurtsov died heroically.) The actions of our army in the Berdichev area alarmed the Fascist Supreme Command.After the war I read the diary of the former chief of Hitler's army general staff.Admiral Halder wrote at the time: "Berdichev: The 11th Tank Division and the 16th Motorized Division are making slow progress due to the strong enemy attack from the south and east." Two days later, he again "The 11th Tank Division lost two thousand men," wrote. At the same time, the corps of our 5th Army are carrying out the order of the head of the front army, and are stubbornly advancing against the 6th Army. The divisions of General H.B. Fekrenko's Mechanized 19th Corps made a heavy blow to the enemy.The 40th Tank Division, with about thirty tanks, was deeply wedged into the enemy configuration.Some tanks broke into the rear of the fascist army in a fierce onslaught, terrifying the enemy there. Captain A. C. Yunatsky and Lieutenant D. M. Oskin often carried out such raids in their respective T-34 tanks.One such "walk" by Yunatsky to the enemy artillery positions cost the Fascists more than a dozen anti-tank guns and a large-caliber howitzer. One day Lieutenant Oskin's crew engages in battle with an enemy tank group.He destroyed three of them, but the Soviet tank was also damaged.Oskin and his men left the burning tank and continued fighting.The lieutenant returned with a wounded comrade - he carried him for several kilometers. Our honorable pilots still provide great support to combat armies.Although the fascist air force has air supremacy, they still fly bravely in the sky in a formation of two or three aircraft, sometimes even alone, to carry out assaults on enemy tank columns and their advancing airfields, and resolutely fight with fascist fighters.Our pilots sometimes flew old planes and fought well with Hitler's ace pilots flying the newest planes. It happened more and more often that Soviet fighter planes flew alone to deal with five or six enemy planes, preventing them from breaking into Kyiv. I remember our admiration for the indomitable spirit of the pilots of the 36th Aviation Division who covered Kyiv.Twenty enemy "Messerschmitts" opened the way for their bombers, and they had already approached the outskirts of Kyiv. Suddenly, several Soviet fighter planes flew towards them.Each of my Eagles had to deal with two or three German planes.The battle was fierce, and the fascists could not resist, turned around and fled, and the Soviet pilots began to pursue them.Then the heavy "Junker" bombers appeared.Taking advantage of the fact that the enemy bombers had no cover, our eagles began to shoot them down one by one.One of my fighters bit the "Junker" by the tail, as the saying goes.The most opportune time to shoot came, but it did not shoot.It was understood that the ammunition had run out.That means the fascists are going to slip away!All those who watched the air battle felt sorry and couldn't help shouting: "Quick, quick, hit it!" and the pilot seemed to hear it.I saw the eagle rushing forward at full speed.Fragments of the enemy plane's tail shone in the air as it spiraled downward and plunged into the mud.The crashed eagle glides with difficulty to the airport.None of those watching could see whether the pilot was able to land the plane or not.Everyone naturally wanted to know his name.It was later learned that he was Second Lieutenant Dmitry Alexandrovich Zaitsev, pilot of the 36th Aviation Division.He finally landed his own plane.The motherland spoke highly of the exploits of this Komsomol member: he became a Hero of the Soviet Union.Later I heard more than once about his combat deeds.It's a pity that I don't know the future situation of the hero, but the feats he has established over Kyiv are really enviable. ... Our military continues to counterattack the enemy with determination under incredibly difficult conditions.The main force of the Kleist tank group was pinned down in the Berdichev area for almost a whole week, while the German 3rd Motorized Army, which rushed to Kyiv as early as July 11, never dared to attack the city. However, the strength of the counter-shock army is getting smaller and smaller day by day, while the enemy has invested in reserves one after another.By mid-July, the right wing of my 6th Army began to gradually move from Berdichev to Uman in the southeast.The gap in the battle lines widens every day.This deprives us of our last hope of closing the gap. We are counting on the young troops of the 27th and 64th Infantry Corps to enter the battle.But they have been blocked on the way.The commander of the front called for the Minister of Military Transport, Colonel A. A. Korshunov, a man of great diligence and perseverance.The conversation was harsh.The colonel argued that the enemy aviation attack had disrupted the operation of the echelons of military transport, but General Kirponos did not want to listen to excuses at all, and demanded that all measures be taken to speed up the transport. While waiting for the arrival of the reserves, the head of the front army had to squeeze out the last bit of troops from the 5th and 6th armies.As a result, the regiments and divisions that barely held on in areas without fortifications had to launch a counterattack.They often engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, with the aim of keeping the fascist troops in this area and preventing them from advancing towards Kyiv. The chief of the front understood the need to support the 6th Army as soon as possible: the army's right flank near Berdichev was becoming more and more difficult to stop the onslaught of the enemy's six tank and motorized divisions.But where to deploy troops to support it? The first units of the 27th Infantry Corps arrived. On the night of July 14, these troops would receive orders to begin the assault on the enemy at dawn.General O. H. Matkin's detachment, consisting only of a motorized regiment, an artillery regiment, and a tank battalion, should launch an assault from the Farstov area in the south against the above-mentioned forces.No sooner had the order been sent to the army than I was called to Pulkayev.The chief of staff was looking at the map thoughtfully.What is he thinking about?It turned out that Colonel Bondarev, Minister of Intelligence, had just reported that some tank and motorized divisions of the German army suddenly turned from the Zhytomir area to Popelinya in the southeast.The remaining corps of the enemy group were outflanking the right flank of the 6th Army east of Kazatin.I have learned that the commander of the front army ordered an assault on the attacking fascist army from three directions: the 16th Mechanized Army from the Kazatin area to Zhitohor; the 5th Army and the 27th Infantry Army from the north to Brussillo V and Zhytomir; 5th Cavalry Corps and 6th Infantry Corps facing Brusilov and Popelinya from the south. I reminded Purkayev that the 5th Cavalry Corps consisted of only one division, which had not recovered from its losses in battle.The chief of staff said the corps would be strengthened -- General Matkin's detachment and a motorized regiment of the 16th Mechanized Corps would be incorporated into the corps. The decision was made directly by the commander of the 26th Army, General O. F. Kostenko Directed the actions of the 6th Infantry Corps and the 5th Cavalry Corps.He was ordered to transfer his headquarters from Pereyaslavli to Boguslav, and to hold firmly in his hands the army at his disposal before the end of the day. In the morning General Kostenko called me to the telegraph.He asked to report to the commander of the front army that the start of the offensive must be postponed by even one or two days, because the 5th Cavalry Corps was made up of many scattered troops, and these troops needed to be assembled from various places into one area. "It is nine o'clock," said the general, "and I have been ordered to take Fastov and Popelinya today. Please explain that it is impossible. I do not yet know that my troops Where, can they go on the offensive." Kostenko is known for his ability to carry out orders.I understand that only the impossibility of fulfilling the order received compels him to make a similar request.General Kirponos was in Kyiv, and I promised Kostenko to speak to the Chief of Staff, since he signed the order. "What are you doing here?" said Pulkayev. I told him about General Kostenko's request, and added the reason given by the army commander: it will take a lot of time for the 26th army headquarters to go to Boguslav, and at such an important moment, this cannot but affect the army command. The chief of staff gave me a cold look: "It is not good for an army commander to look at everything around him from a well. But if you, Ivan Khristoforovich, my deputy chief of staff, were to look at everything from the same height, it would be totally wrong. Yes. Remember that Kostenko saw only what was happening in his sector, and we have to look out for the interests of the entire front. True, the task entrusted to him was difficult, very difficult. But we must The divisions that prevented the enemy from rushing towards Kyiv. Also, we must not forget for a moment the extremely difficult situation on the right flank of my 6th Army. That is why we should start the counter-assault as soon as possible. Today the 27th Rifle Corps is going to attack from the north. If We cannot win unless we strike to support it from the south." "I understand all this, and it seems that General Kostenko understands it too. However, only a well-prepared counterattack can be successful. Therefore, a slight delay would be correct." But the chief of staff resolutely overturned all reasons and demanded that the order be carried out. The 26th Army failed to organize an offensive that day.Only the 6th Infantry Army and the Mixed Frontier Guard Corps came into contact with the enemy.And they are not shocks, since the enemy's superior forces are to be stopped on a wide front.And they're not that powerful.The reader will recall that General A. A. Alekseev's 6th Rifle Corps was withdrawn and reorganized, but before it could be replenished it took part in hard battles.The mixed frontier defense corps had just been violently attacked by enemy tanks and motorized troops the day before. It is surprising that it can still survive. Yes, yesterday, July 14th, the border guards showed incomparable determination.Their small detachment was responsible for covering the 70-kilometer section between the right flank of the Sixth Army and the fortified area of ​​Kyiv.At dawn, the units of the German 9th Tank Division launched a fierce attack on these units. The 94th Border Guard Corps and the 6th and 16th Motorized Infantry Regiments, which were incorporated into the mixed border guard Corps, had a total of only three artillery pieces and two light tanks.Look, what can they do?But they did many, many things.The Hitlerites, who thought the road was clear, were fired upon and forced to halt their advance and unfold into battle formation.Fascist tanks and infantry made several charges, but were repulsed each time.Finally, the Hitlerites found a weak point on the flank. The artillerymen of Lieutenant Eugene's artillery company hit the last shell and died under the tracks of the enemy tank. Due to the threat of encirclement, the captain of the mixed border guards withdrew his units to join the troops belonging to the 6th Infantry Army.The rest of the 3rd and 4th Border Guard Brigades are responsible for covering the retreat (the border guards still retain their original organization).They held on until the last moment.Captains Gradky and Andryakov were seriously wounded. Frontier Brigade Political Commissar, Captain Political Instructor A.M. Korovushkin and A.H. Potapenko served as commanders. The enemy attempted to cut off the retreat of the border guards.So in any case it is necessary to get rid of the pursuit and consolidate in new areas.Captain A. M. Sheleda, Chief of Police of the 1st Sector (who commanded the 17th and 18th Frontier Squadrons) was given the task of occupying the defense and stopping the enemy on the southern edge of the village of Palipse (4 km south of Popelinya). task of the troops.Fortunately, there was a company of the Army Artillery Regiment nearby.The head of the regiment readily agreed to use his own firepower to support the border guards. Captain Ivan Mikhailovich Sereda, Captain Political Instructor Pavel Prokhorovich Kolesnichenko and their subordinates stopped the enemy with their lives. If the reader has the opportunity to go to Zhitomirshina, then please leave Popelinja for Skvela.At the intersection a few kilometers from the city, you will see an obelisk with the inscription: "Comrade! Please bow down to this land, where the blood of heroes was spilled. July 4, 1941, Hero of the Soviet Union Captain Sereda, Captain Kolesnichenko, Political Instructor, and 152 soldiers from the 94th Frontier Corps died heroically in the outnumbered battle against the fascist tanks.” The heroism of the frontier guards and the commanding skills of their commanders not only kept the enemy in check for almost a whole day and night, but also saved the mixed frontier corps.After retreating southeast of Fastov, it closed up to the 6th Infantry Corps, and is now engaged in battle again. After discovering that on July 15 only such a small force was in direct contact with the enemy, the commander of the front army had no choice but to issue a new order to the 26th Army at night.The start of the offensive was postponed until the next morning.According to this order, the army was to advance to the lines of Fastov, Krasnolesi, Dulitskoye (south of Fastov) before the end of the day.This is another very difficult task.Because this means not only smashing the enemy's attacking tanks and motorized divisions in one day, but also advancing tens of kilometers to the northwest.And there are still no troops.Although the two-division 64th Infantry Army was transferred from the Front Army Reserve to the Kostenko Army, the weakened 6th Infantry Army and border guards are still fighting the enemy. The detachment of G. H. Matkin has not yet reached the front, and the 64th Infantry Corps has a further journey - it is still on the east bank of the Dnieper River.It is extremely complicated and time-consuming to transfer it across the river and assemble it to the battle site under the condition of constant assault by enemy aviation. Of course, people may be puzzled by this now: why was it so stubborn to give the 26th Army a task that was clearly impossible in those days?You must know that no matter whether it is July 15, 16, or 17, the reserve team transferred to the commander of the group army will not be transferred to the departure area in time, and without these reserve teams, it is simply impossible to launch a counterattack. But the reader is asked to try to put himself in the shoes of those days.The enemy has approached the city of Kyiv, and its tanks will soon rush into the city. The fascist army is desperately advancing eastward, breaking through my hastily erected defenses here and there.Under such conditions, both the head of the front army and the base camp tried their best to take advantage of every opportunity, even if they blocked the enemy's tanks flooding in for a whole day, night or even an hour.This is the reason for the eagerness to repel enemy assaults in the direction from which we are most likely to be penetrated.At that time, one major factor was relied on, that is, the indomitable spiritual strength of our military personnel, for whom there is no task that cannot be completed. We believe this every day. The head of the 27th Infantry Corps made great efforts to expedite the movement of troops.Since the army was already on the west bank of the Dnieper River, both of its divisions entered the battle on July 16 in the northwest of Kyiv.They made good progress in breaking the enemy's resistance, and by the end of the day they had advanced to four kilometers from the Kyiv-Zhytomyr highway.A company of the 144th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Division of the Mountain Infantry, led by Lieutenant J.A.We got this information not only from the battle reports, but also from radio intercepts.General Reichenau, commander of the German 6th Army, was furious when he heard that the main artery for supplying the troops rushing to Kyiv had been cut off. He demanded that his troops clear the road immediately and threatened with the most severe punishment.The fascist leader threw a large number of motorized infantry and fifteen tanks against a company of Soviet soldiers.The place where this battle was fought was only four kilometers away from the main force of our mountain infantry division, but the main force of the division had been dragged down by the battle before that, and it was impossible to rescue these warriors.They faithfully performed their duties.The struggle of disparity in strength lasted for two days and nights.The glorious son of the Ukrainian people Dmitry Ivanovich Shepelenko and his comrades died, but did not retreat.Towards the end of the fighting, the fields around the village were littered with the corpses of Fascist soldiers, and above them towered the wreckage of burning tanks. The sharply increased resistance of the enemy stalled the attack of the 27th Infantry Corps.Since the divisions of the 6th Rifle Corps and the mixed frontier corps were hit by enemy tanks and motorized corps in the Fastov and Baizerkovy regions respectively, they were unable to conduct a simultaneous assault from the south to support the 6th Rifle Corps. The actions of the 27th Army also had adverse effects.Our army fought tenaciously, and the enemy suffered heavy casualties.But in many sectors, fascist tanks were wedged into the battle formations of some divisions.So I had to give up Bai Tserkovy. General A. A. Alekseev would not rest.After changing the deployment of troops, he organized a resolute counterattack.The enemy was again driven across the Vasilykov-Byzerkovy road.But in the evening, disturbing reports were received from the 6th Army: enemy forces were advancing south, bypassing Bai Tserkovy from the west.In the Kazakin area, the enemy even pushed the right-wing troops of the 6th Army to the southwest.My Mechanized 16th Corps is in a very dangerous situation.Misfortunes never come singly, and the commander of the 12th Army also reported that enemy tanks had broken through the front at four locations, advancing towards Rihai Linka and Vinnytsia. Marshal C.M. Budyonny, Commander-in-Chief in the Southwest direction, learned of the situation, and asked the head of the front army to take resolute action, and ordered all our air forces to be used first to deal with the attacking enemy.At the same time, he also informed that he would transfer the three reserve infantry divisions that had been sent along the railway to the Cherkasy and Kanev regions to the Front Army. When I reported to Kirponos that I had just received an order from the Commander-in-Chief, he became even more melancholy. He called the Air Force Commander of the Front. "Comrade Astakhov! The situation on the left wing of the Front is very complicated. Colonel Baghramyan will report it to you in detail. You must mobilize everything you can to the vicinity of Tserkovy and Kazatin The enemy tank columns in the Northeast are on the attack. Stop them. The main task is to disrupt the enemy's maneuvers." After putting down the receiver, Kirponos seemed to be thinking about the problem to himself, and whispered: "The three divisions given by the commander-in-chief will not arrive soon. Before that, the enemy will force my 6th Army to retreat southward. Kleist may want to reach the Dnieper River. Therefore, the three arrived The division will be used to cover the crossing, since the approach of the Dnieper is completely exposed after the 6th Army retreats." The next day, General Astakhov sent a large number of bombers and attack aircraft to deal with the advancing enemy group.They broke through the sniper net of fighter planes and carried out an assault on the tank column.However, they are naturally unable to stop an enemy attacking almost from the front. On July 17, General G. H. Matkin's detachment carried out a daring charge and broke into Fastov.Our troops defeated the fascists in fierce battles and captured the city.The battle for Bai Tserkovy has intensified.The enemy barely repelled the onslaught of the 6th Infantry Corps.After the fascists mobilized the reserve team, they launched an attack again.So what General Kostenko had to consider was no longer to recapture Betserkovy, but how to hold the position east of the city.The divisions of the army and the units of the mixed frontier defense corps remained as before, repelling the impact of enemy tanks and motorized infantry extremely tenaciously.The border guards who stood between Fastov and Betserkovy once again performed immortal feats.Many of them were killed by enemy bullets or died under the tracks of fascist tanks, but the survivors continued to fight. Local residents have long remembered the fighting that began southwest of Fastov in July.They erected a majestic monument in the village of Elisabethka, on which the names of the martyrs of the 94th Frontier Corps under the command of Major Pavel Ivanovich Boser were permanently inscribed.Local residents carried back many seriously injured Red Army soldiers on the battlefield and risked their lives to nurse them.When border guard Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov was found, he was bleeding profusely and both legs were broken.The soldier miraculously survived and settled in the place where he fought.Although he lost his legs, he continued to work and now works as a cobbler in the village of Pavoloch and is the father of five children.Few people know that this merry man is one of the heroes who fought the enemy to the death here in July 1941 and is commemorated at the tree monument in the village of Elisabethka. ... The divisions of the 16th Mechanized Army, led by Berdichev, fought and retreated, retreating farther and farther southwest.They were forced to abandon Kazatin as early as July 15 due to the threat of encirclement. In the area of ​​​​the 12th Army, three infantry divisions and one hundred tanks in the enemy's advance occupied Rihai Linka and rushed towards Vinnitsa, where the Army Headquarters is located. Before July 18, the left-wing divisions of the 6th Army and the 26th Army would The gap between the 6th Army was almost one hundred kilometers.Enemy troops poured into this new gap in a steady stream.If there is another two to three days of delay, my 6th and 12th armies will be encircled. General Kirponos looked at the map for a long time.From the outside.He was as calm as usual, but there was a tinge of uneasiness in his calm and slightly raucous voice. "It is necessary to report to the commander-in-chief immediately: the retreat of the armies can no longer be postponed." I already know that C. M. Budyonny is also very worried about the situation of our left-wing army. General A. A. Stromberg told me from Budyonny's headquarters at night that the commander-in-chief had telegraphed to the base camp that the 6th and 12th armies had no reserves at all, and that the divisions were exhausted. Hold the occupied area; there are few forces to prevent the enemy from turning the flanks of the two armies; if the retreat is not started, our army will be surrounded. At 16:40, General Saluoxin conveyed to us the instructions of the base camp from the General Staff Headquarters: the 6th and 12th Group Armies withdrew in three night trips, and in the early morning of July 21 they occupied Baitserkovy, Tetiev , China Town Line.The army should walk sixty to ninety kilometers in three nights. Between the two armies on the left and the headquarters of the Front Army there was a wide area occupied by the enemy.There is no wired communication with them.We can't make up our minds about sending such important orders by radio.Therefore, the two generals Panyukhov and Podelas flew separately to the two army headquarters. While requesting the withdrawal of the two left-wing armies, the headquarters also requested us to carry out a coordinated assault from the north and advance to the Zhitomir, Kazatin, and Tediyev lines, so as to close the gap and re-establish a common ground with the retreating army. front.If this task can be accomplished, then of course we have eliminated the danger both for Kyiv and for our two armies on the left.But to do that, it will take far more troops than we have.And there is no other way out.From the morning of July 19, the offensive began.The 5th Army carried out an assault along the Korosten-Zhytomyr highway with a force and moved to Chernyakhov.步兵第27军在拉多梅什利以南再度发起冲击。第26集团军以步兵第64军一个师和G·H·马特金将军支队由法斯托夫地域向西北实施突击，与步兵第27军对进，另以骑兵第5军的两个师向塔拉夏突击。步兵第6军此日谈不上进攻。它的几个师要抗击敌坦克和摩托化兵团的猛烈冲击。 虽然参加反突击的兵力少了一点，但在随后几日，基辅附近全线的战斗都打得十分激烈。我军在一些地段顽强冲击，在另一地段则以反冲击回答敌人的猛攻。在第5集团军左翼和步兵第27军行动地带，战线总是移动不定。德军第6集团军的三个军被牵制在这里。不久，法西斯头目不得不由别尔季切夫地域调来了第四个军，即第55军。 第26集团军地带的战斗也发展顺利。不错，由于集团军司令部违反保密措施，敌人早在一天前就得知了正在准备中的反突击，从而使我军的行动更加困难。“南方”集团军群头目对苏军第26集团军即将进攻的情报极为不安，以致连希特勒大本营也知道了这一情况。哈尔德将军在自己的日记中写道：“由于预期第26集团军即将进攻，'南方'集团军群长官的行动受到了牵制。” 敌人急忙把此前集中于基辅附近的摩托化和坦克师转调到这一方向。但我第26集团军的坚决突击仍然迫使敌人后退了。由经验丰富的G·B·卡姆科夫少将率领的骑兵第5军两个师取得的战果最大。它们在塔拉夏地域合围和粉碎了敌军庞大兵力。 科斯坚科将军所属军队的反突击，尽管战果不很大（其部分原因是我们不能建立强大的集团，各兵团分散在一百公里宽的地段），但还是带来了很大的成效。继续特别关注基辅地域战事的哈尔德懊恼地指出：“坦克第1集群主力仍然被第26集团军的冲击所牵制……” 方面军无法彻底完成任务，即前出到指定地区，封闭缺口和联结各集团军翼侧。克莱斯特将军未曾被我军反突击所牵制的部分坦克的摩托化师，继续向第6集团军退路开进。该集团军各师不再向东面白采尔科维移动，而被迫转向东南，离方面军其余兵力越来越远了。这样，第6集团军就不知不觉地把自己的友邻——第12集团军也挤向东南，从而使方面军的这两个集团不是靠近，而是离开得更远了。为了消除正面和后方的威胁，要求富有机智顽强精神。例如，当第6集团军步兵第49军在机械化第16军部队的正面掩护下，于7月22日进抵奥拉托夫（捷季耶夫西南）时，这个小镇已经被敌夺占。A·A·科尔尼洛夫将军的步兵第49军对法西斯集团实施了坚决冲击，缴获了一百辆汽车、三百辆摩托车，俘敌八十人。而这时友邻步兵第37军由B·A·普罗霍罗夫将军指挥的步兵第80师，经过战斗也突入了奥西奇卡镇，消灭了那里了一个高级司令部。在此条件下，第6集团军继续退却。第12集团军的处境也不轻松，它的左翼一直处于被迂回的威胁之下。 两个集团军都未能在大本营指定的地区巩固下来，而继续缓缓退却，不断进行激烈战斗，还要护送前面满载疏散物资和伤员的大量汽车的火车。在这最困难的情况下，迅速退却是使军队免遭合围的唯一生路，可是集团军却象被力所不胜的重负压得直不起腰来的旅行者一样受到拖累。而且也没有什么办法。必须拉着这些负担。如果说装物资的车还可以遗弃的话，那么扔下的伤员乘坐的军列却不是苏军的习惯。目前军队尚可竭尽全力避开合围。但是能长久这样做吗？ 为了帮助左翼两个集团军，方面军军事委员会命令第26集团军司令员G·F·科斯坚科将军将基本力量用于南面总方向，即用于同退却军队会合。因此，防守基辅的重任便越来越要求由方面军右翼——第5集团军和步兵第27军承担了。它们应以积极行动将德军第6集团军尽可能多的兵力引向自己，不让其在城市接近地集中。 7月21日，我受方面军司令员委托去波塔波夫将军处。我在当时位于科罗斯坚以北约二十公里的指挥所找到了他。 又高又匀称的M·A·波塔波夫瘦很多了，显得疲惫不堪，但和平时一样毫不灰心丧气。他为有机会得到所谓第一手全线情况通报感到高兴。他详细问了我基辅附近的情况、军队和市内的情绪。使他特别感兴趣的是方面军左翼我军的态势。我毫不夸大地把全部情况告诉了他，并提醒他，方面军首长对他的兵团实施的反突击寄予很大希望。 将军走近地图说： “我们正尽一切努力多牵制敌人兵力，消耗他们，不让其接近基辅。” 集团军司令员如此断言是有根据的。他的军队使敌人吃了很多苦头。前希特勒军队将军A·菲利皮在他的笔记中指出，俄国人的第5集团军“在大量炮兵支援下于7月10日实施进攻，迫使第6集团军能调到前线的所有部队和兵团转入了防御”。过了一星期，菲利皮写道，德军第6集团军长官已不得不表示：“俄国人的第5集团军主力对我军的威胁，仍然具有这样的特点：在向基辅发动进攻前必须先消除上述威胁。” “不过，遗憾的是我们没有实施决定性突击的兵力”。集团军司令员继续说。 “但是你们有三个机械化军。”我试图反驳。“要知道方面军中没有一个集团军有那么多！” “一点不错！”集团军司令员附和道。“当友邻听到三个机械化军时，准会羡慕地说：'波塔波夫可以拼一拼。'可是这三个军现在是什么状况，您知道得不比我差。” 波塔波夫说出一些数字：机械化第9军（7月19日以前由C·C·罗科索夫斯基指挥，现在由A·B·马斯洛夫将军指挥）总共只有三十辆轻型坦克，B·C·塔姆鲁奇的机械化第22军有四十辆。H·B·费克连科的机械化第19军稍多一些，约有七十辆，而且其中三十辆是中型和重型坦克（其他军这样的坦克一辆也没有）。 “假如把它们现有的全部坦克收集起来，那么连一个正规的坦克师都编不起来。这怎么算三个机械化军！”波塔波夫懊恼地诉着苦。“再说，坦克在这些天战斗中已行驶一千多公里，从其技术状况来说，已经需要中修或大修了，因此您可以相信，我们没什么值得羡慕的。” “但是其他集团军更有理由抱怨……” “是的，是的。”波塔波夫急忙表示同意。“您当然是对的： 同穆济琴科和波涅杰林的集团军相比，我们看来要好得多啰。 " 集团军司令员抱怨弹药情况，特别是穿甲弹情况很糟：送来的一切立刻就会消耗掉，无法建立任何储备。 “怎么能储备呢？从战争第一天起我们就没有退出过战斗，现在不停顿地进行反冲击又一个多星期了。” 集团军司令员沉默片刻后，又充满信心、有点自豪地说： “没什么。我们要迫使法西斯分子怕我们。敌人士兵的信常常落到我们手中。他们的语气越来越忧郁。常可看见这样的词句：'这不是法国'。现在法西斯分子进行冲击也提心吊胆。他们在闯进来之前先要对整个地域轰炸和炮击一番。所有人都力图用白酒来提提神。7月16日，他们成散兵线闯进我步兵第31军阵地。直起身子走，扯着脖子喊。我们消灭了他们，抓住了十五个人。这些人全都喝得烂醉。” 波塔波夫从放在桌子上的一叠文件中拿出了一封附有译文的信： “您看看吧。” 这封没有发出的信是德军士兵孔拉德·杜姆勒写的： “我当兵四年，参加战争两年了。可是我开始感到，真正的战争现在才开始。在此以前的一切只不过是一些训练性大演习。俄国人是什么也不怕的大胆儿。他们打起仗来就象凶神附体。” 扣留这封信的德军书信检查员在信上批示：“奇怪。杜姆勒参加过很多战局，被认为是优秀人物。” “没什么，”集团军司令员笑着说，“等我们更狠地揍他们后，法西斯就不会那样写了。” 话题涉及通信联络了。我告诉波塔波夫，方面军司令员对第5集团军不能定期发送通报感到十分忧虑。 集团军司令员苦恼地叹了口气： “我们自己也为没有通信联络发愁。在敌人深入的条件下，军队指挥是最大的问题。不能拉线，无线电台又少。而且我们也还没学会怎样使用无线电。由于译成密码的熟练程度低，我们的指挥员常采用明码发报，于是重要情报便被敌人截收了。不过，您可以报告方面军司令员，我们会采取一切措施，既同所属军队，又同方面军司令部建立可靠的通信联络。” 我同集团军参谋长J·C·皮萨列夫斯基将军也进行了长谈，从他那里得到了同样的保证。 告别时，集团军司令员要求我转达他对方面军工程兵部长的请求：发给他哪怕五、六千把小工兵锹。 “常发生这样的情况：我们夺取了有利地区，但却无法守住它，因为没什么工具来构筑掩体，有一半工兵没有铁锹……这个请交给方面军政治部，”他交给我一叠文件，“我想会有用的。” 这是最引人入胜的材料：希特勒军队将军们的命令和报告，德军官兵的日记和信件。 请看坦克第36团第2连士官阿尔贝特·施密特的日记。6月21日写的内容是精神奋发的。作者津津有味地说他收到了钱——为明天侵犯苏联领土而预支的犒赏。第二天，他写道：“八点出发。同俄国的战争就这样爆发了……今天三点，我们的五十二个炮兵连开火。”以后的日记很短：“俄国人顽强作战……”“我们连损失了七辆坦克。”6月25日开始有结论了：“我们谁也没有参加过象在俄国进行的这种战争。交战后的战场景象太可怕了。这样的景象我们还没有经历过……我们受到了极大损失。”在战争第一周的周末写道：“我们有很多人伤亡。”而7月14日和15日写的最后一篇则极为简单：“可怕的日子！” 骑兵第132团第5连士官卡尔·诺伊瑟的日记中，情绪变化反映得更加明显。他在战争第一天兴高采烈地写道：“突破了前沿，我感兴趣的是以后会怎样。”第二天就感到不安了：“我们的处境变得很严重。以后还会怎样呢？”6月24日的日记出现了悲哀的腔调：“我们同伴的坟墓在给我们的道路作标记。在俄国人的筑垒地区前发生了激烈交战。”日记一天比一天显得惊慌。7月9日写道：“十六点，我们进入一个城市，在这里进行了激烈战斗，因为俄国人进行了顽强抵抗。这个城市叫沃伦斯基新城。”一天后写道：“我们排受领了前往侦察和察明附近森林有无敌人的任务。我们一共二十九人上路。起初一切都好，可是当我们走进森林后看见了九个俄国士兵正向我们接近。我们的司务长做了一件最大的蠢事。他骑上自行车，迎着俄国人走去，想俘虏他们。可是发生了可怕的事。俄国人以闪电般的速度卧倒，用冲锋枪朝我们的队伍射击，当时除我和另外两名士兵外，我们的队伍还没走到林缘。我们竭尽全力逃生。俄国人合围了我们。我们藏在高草丛里，瞅准机会，以所能达到的最高速度逃出。我们三个人回到营里报告：森森已被敌人占领了。有十四个或十五个人没有回来。他们被打死了。有两个人可能被俄国人俘虏了。后来我们找到了两个士官、司务长和八个士兵的尸体。这次是奇迹救了我的命。可是死神还在日夜狂舞。”又一篇是这样写的：“可怕战斗的第二天。我趴在掩壕里观察敌情。我们遭很大伤亡。”接下去一篇写道：“战斗的第三天。我们还是在掩壕里趴着。俄国人的炮兵对我们进行了猛烈射击。从十一点半起，四周弹片横飞，犹如群魔乱舞。我们何时能离开这里？已经五个钟头连一分钟也没休息了。俄国人又对我们发起了冲击。我们的进攻变成了防御。夜间比白天还糟，因为只有靠得很近了才能看得清敌人。” 多么有说服力的自白！ 我回到方面军司令部后，便急忙向司令员报告了我对第5集团军处境的印象。基尔波诺斯却一反常态，心不在焉地听我报告。 "Okay." He nodded.接着就完全谈起另一件事来了：“现在特别使我不安的是我军在基辅西南的态势。已经察明，敌人集中了大量摩托化步兵和坦克来对付我第26集团军。它是敌人的眼中钉。看来龙德施泰特元帅开始明白了，假如科斯坚科集团军得以同步兵第27军和第6集团军会合，那么，不管是夺取基辅的计划，还是合围我左翼军队的计划，还是在基辅以南突至第聂伯河的计划，便全都会破产……现在首先使我们担忧的是敌人在西南集中重兵。可惜我再也没有预备队了，只能用第26集团军本身所拥有的那些兵力去抗击敌人。我们从大本营预备队得到的三个师要用来坚守卡涅夫和切尔卡瑟两登陆场。可就是这三个师现在也还在路上，不会很快渡到第聂伯河右岸。”将军仔细看着地图沉默了一会。 “在这种情况下，自然就会产生转入防御的决心。但要知道这也是敌人所需要的！因为它可以毫无阻碍地把自己的全部兵力既投向基辅，又用来从后方迂回我第6集团军……”基尔波诺斯把铅笔往图上一扔。因此，尽管明显需要转入防御，也得要求科斯坚科继续进攻，不管付出什么代价。 " 战斗正向基辅附近发展。 方面军左翼军队遭合围的威胁越来越大，使大家深感不安。我在作战部的助手们对此也想得很多。他们年轻、急躁的头脑中想出了一些非常大胆的计策。性急的、目光炯炯有神的艾瓦佐夫大尉跑到我这里。 “请听我说，上校同志！我好象找到了一条能根本改变一切现状的出路。” “那就说吧，亚历山大·伊万诺维奇。”我说。“只是要简短些。你知道，时间很紧。” 艾瓦佐夫的计策是很大胆的。他认为，由于我方面军范围内的战斗行动，实际上已具有基点性质，而敌人也跟我们一样，没有绵亘的防线，我们应该利用这一情况，在科罗斯坚以南用坦克和摩托化步兵建立一个快速突击集群，将其投到南面安纳波尔、戈洛温、韦列瑟方向，攻占日托米尔，尔后攻占别尔季切夫…… 艾瓦佐夫发现我的怀疑神色后，更加发急了。 “上校同志，突然性和军事谋略是主要的因素。游击队会帮助我们的。他们会根据我们的信号在法西斯军队后方制造混乱，使它不能很快弄明白发生了什么事。而我们的伞兵再来个火上加油，切断公路，把注意力引向自己。快速集群利用这一机会完成任务。步兵第15军各部队紧跟在它后面巩固战果。这样突然实施的突击将迫使敌人调走自己的一些师，从而有助于我左翼集团军与方面军主力会合。” 艾瓦佐夫让我看了他的计算和推演。他的头脑是清楚的。看得出，大尉很懂得战役法。可是不幸的是，性急使他常常离开现实情况，离开我们的能力去考虑问题。因此，虽然我不忍使同志失望，但我还是很快推翻了他的论据。忧郁的大尉把他的几页纸卷成小圆筒，承认有许多事情没想到。 我让他走了。心里感到热乎乎的。同爱思考的人一起工作是件乐事，他们知道自己的职责不是“照葫芦画瓢，”而是把自己的全部精力用到事业中去。 艾瓦佐夫刚走，又响起了敲门声。微笑着的G·A·利皮斯大尉来了。 “允许报告吗，上校同志？” 一个想法在我的脑子里一闪：“好，新计策又来了。” “行，把您的也倒出来吧。” “步兵第124师和波佩尔集群到了。” 我不相信自己的耳朵了。这可是个喜讯！ 自从我的朋友G·B·苏希将军的这个师和旅政委级H