Dear friends, I am making this video on New Year's Eve.
I hope many of us have the opportunity to meet this event in the family circle, with
delicious treats at the festive table.
Our generation lives in a more prosperous time.
And despite the fact that mines and bombs did not fall on our heads, we did not freeze
in the trenches of Stalingrad, did not die of hunger in besieged Leningrad, did not work
in factories 12 hours a day making weapons for the front.
All this does not mean that we can forget about that time.
Practically all of Europe with its industry, as well as a very strong army in the world,
fought against the Soviet Union and his Allies.
But the war showed that victory is not only the number of guns, tanks and soldiers, it
is also the strength of the spirit, the solidarity of the entire Soviet people in the war for
their existence and the existence of future generations.
What gave them strength?
What made them endure all the hardships during this war?
Today we will talk about the veteran's memories of an event that took place on New Years Eve
on the Eastern Front in 1942.
I will tell you about the importance of letters and modest gifts to the soldiers.
A soldier, he is like a child, he rejoices at everything, every little thing is pleasant.
After all, we had a few of them, the age of a soldier is short, from attack to attack,
therefore everything is perceived differently, we appreciated and rejoiced in those things
that in pre-war life they might not even have noticed.
What did we have in the war?
Marches, and crossings, nights in frozen trenches, pain in the shoulders and back from the constant
load, weapons and pouches with cartridges.
We ate whatever we could, spent the night where and how it was necessary.
I cannot say that I liberated Berlin or that I defended Moscow.
I was not there, but I was near Tikhvin in December 1941.
I was one of those who liberated the first Soviet city during the 1941 winter offensive.
This is what I will tell you about.
The battles were hard, in the viscous snow, in the piercing wind.
Two reinforced armies, our 4th and neighboring 54th, were rushing to Tikhvin and Volkhov,
the idea was to surround a large group of Germans, and there it was already a step to
breaking the blockade of Leningrad.
Despite heavy losses and fighting at the limit of strength, the guys were in a fighting mood,
our 65th rifle division was one of those who liberated Tikhvin on December 9, 1941.
We went on, or rather crawled, hoping to take a foothold at Kirishi.
The New Year was coming, and we wanted to end the old difficult year on a positive note,
but the Germans were constantly counter-attacking us.
And it was partly my fault that a very sad incident occurred.
On December 29, early in the morning, the Germans attacked with the support of artillery.
There was only one company in the village, which was moved forward.
The main forces have not yet approached and stretched out along the snowy off-road.
Realizing that we would not be able to hold the position, the company commander took responsibility
and gave the order to leave village.
The company had two mortars, which opened fire, we fired like madmen and quickly used
up the mines.
We forced the Germans thereby to slow down the speed of the offensive on the village
and ensure the retreat of the company.
We ran like rabbits, everyone was happy, no one wanted to die, we thought that now the
main forces would come up, and then the whole division would pull up, we would knock out
the German and return the settlement.
After all, we hoped and believed that the new forty-second year will be victorious.
Now we will replenish the division, the army will be equipped at the highest level, as
it was made before the start of the Tikhvin offensive operation.
We believed that now we would only attack, and the German would roll back further and
further.
We did not know that for the Tikhvin operation and the attack on the Volkhov in the hope
of breaking the blockade, the command had already used all the reserves and there was
nothing to replenish us with.
Suddenly, the company commander asked: "Well, comrades, I see you and I are a master to
run, Sergeant Yakimchuk, but where are our gifts?"
Silence hung in the air, the air became so thick and heavy that you could take it and
cut it with a knife, everyone lowered their eyes, it was a shame to look at each other.
And then Yakimchuk looked at me and shouted so angrily: “Nikonorov, why are you silent,
answer or you have filled your mouth with water?
Who was responsible for the gifts?
"
Not only we believed in our success, most of all believed and waited for the breakthrough
of the blockade inhabitants of the city of Leningrad, for which the first winter became
the most terrible, cold and hungry in all the years of this blockade.
At that time, the supply of the city along Ladoga lake had not yet been established,
the railway had not been built.
The people of Leningrad believed that the Red Army would cope, that it would break through
the ring of the blockade of the city.
For the advancing forces, those that were in the vanguard and at the forefront of the
breakthrough, New Year's gifts for the soldier were dropped directly from the plane.
Yes, not just gifts, but news from the besieged city, all the gifts were made by the hands
of the starving Leningraders awaiting release.
Yes, there was no food in these gifts, people themselves were starving.
There were much more important things, drawings of little Leningraders, with an appeal to
defeat the enemy.
There were handkerchiefs, tobacco pouches with embroidery and appliqués(эпликейс),
there were warm socks for the fighters, which they knitted with their thin, tired little
hands, with love with the hope that we would get there, that we would save them.
These gifts for each of us were dearer than any treats in the world, and now these gifts
were with the Germans, and we had a lump in our throat with shame.
Everyone's cheekbones and fists clenched when we imagined how some fascist carrion would
rummage in these things, melt the stove with children's drawings, pull on the socks tied
by the hands of our children, whom they starve to death.
Formally, our foreman was responsible for the gifts in the company, but as soon as we
settled down in the village, and the bags dropped from the sky were carefully laid in
one of the houses, these parcels were divided so that it was enough for each soldier.
By the time the battle began, I had time to sort and divide almost everything, but everything
happened so quickly, screams started shooting, and then I ran out into the street and saw
that the company was hurrying away.
Everyone forgot not only about the gifts, but also about me.
I was just scared, but now it turned out that the foreman washed his hands on everyone else.
although in the depths of our souls everyone understood everything and felt guilty.
My first desire was to move away and shoot myself, although it was not so easy to do.
I was ready to sink into the ground, run at German machine guns, step on a mine, or whatever,
just not to feel any more and not catch the heavy glances of my comrades.
The silence was interrupted by the company commander: “There will be no help, the regiment
will not fit, it was sent to be reinforced in another area.
They are not delighted with our departure, they are not up to us now.
An order to hold on at any cost to this line at which we retreated during the day.
We can't take a village with the Germans, a company against a battalion - that's a sure
and useless death.
We won't be able to hold the village for an hour.
I see two options.
Option one, we sit and do not twitch, we hold the defense and wait for our forces to approach,
we can forget about the gifts, but we ourselves will be safe and sound.
Option two, we burst into the village, pick up the gifts and immediately leave.
We need to do this now, at night until germans didn't expect such a focus from us.
They understand that since we have moved away, it means that we are not enough.
They are definitely not expecting a fight tonight.
It is already getting dark so we have to decide right now, there is little chance of success,
and some of us could die.
I cannot change your lifes for pouches with gifts, although for each of us they are now
the most precious thing in the world.
"
There was a feeling that no one thought for a second, I wanted to be the first to say
that i would go to this night battle.
But I was not alone, my voice drowned out the furious roar: “Lead us, lieutenant!
Yes, we are for these pouches to tear to pieces Fritzes.
Yes, these Fritzes will cough up blood!
People could not be restrained, everyone wanted to take a little revenge for the suffering
of thousands of little Leningraders.
Take revenge for shameful retreat.
We wanted to recapture for ourselves this small piece of a new, not yet come year.
Heart relieved, no need to shoot, no need to look for a dangerous razor.
​​The company took off all unnecessary pouches and duffel bags, collected more grenades,
prepared bayonets, and prepared knives.
We crawled for a long time, crawled quietly, crawled slowly, and then there was a flash,
a shout, a shout, and a bloody night fireworks began.
I do not know what the Germans thought, what they felt then, who burst into us on this
New Year's Eve?
The Germans did not understand that death had come to them.
They were killed wherever they could be found.
Like the others, I turned into a beast, I do not even remember how I strangled one of
them and yelled, repeating only a few phrases - “Where are the bags?
Where are they?"
When it was over, the Germans fled across the field to the forest.
We didn't even shoot them in the back.
We were no longer up to them, the village was on fire, and we were looking for bags
of gifts.
We found them in a house where officers who commanded their battalion were staying.
It means that it was not in vain.
The main thing is that the efforts of little Leningraders were not in vain, and the gifts
went to the addressees.
Each of us had something, some were warmed by warm socks, and some were holding an embroidered
pouch to their hearts.
And we believed that Leningrad would stand, because this is our land, and therefore the
new year is also ours.
The soldiers did not go to death for the sake of pouches and warm socks, they went into
battle knowing how those whom they protect hoped for them.
They understood that they believed in them and were waiting for their victory, those
who were unable to help them now.
Millions of Soviet people, through letters, drawings and such modest gifts, wanted to
show their sincere love and faith in the soldiers.
And the soldiers of the Red Army responded with courage shown on the fields of that war.
Dear friends, that's all for today.
I hope you like this story and by this you will know more about strange Russian souls.
What do you think about this war story?
It is really interesting for me.
Please don’t hesitate to write any opinion in the comments.
It was Tim from the eastern front channel.
Wish you a happy new year!
Peace and health!
See you…