In a uniform system

Kobrin → Materials about Kobrin district → Kobrin district in the years of war

We were brought closer together by severe time (Vasilisa Semenovna Selivonik is the former chairman of Zhabinkovsky anti-fascist committee)

… One of heads of an underground Mikhail Chernak entered guerrilla group, having become the deputy commander for investigation. Me appointed coherent between groups and underground groups. On the instructions of command it was necessary to make the way to many settlements not only Zhabinkovsky, but also the Kobrin, Divinsky, Maloritsky, Kamenetsky, Brest districts, neighboring to it, to select there the necessary people, to give them tasks.

Guerrillas made ambushes on roads, attacked garrisons of the opponent, struck blows to communications …

… The big loss was caused to the opponent. Many fighting friends were lost by us … Heroically Mikhail Chernak - one of organizers of an underground, the active participant of creation of a guerrilla row died. Our group was called by his name. These losses were heavy for us, but fight continued, the group grew. By the end of 1943 in it there were already 350 people. And though from group of M. N. Chernak one more group (name M. B. Frunze) was allocated, by day of a meeting with Red Army in it more than 400 guerrillas were gone. Closely interacted with group over 500 coherent, underground workers, intelligence agents from local population. Thousands of civilians gave help to guerrillas, surrounded them with care and attention.

Our group caused a considerable loss to the German invaders. In three years of fight in the back of the enemy guerrillas derailed tens of enemy echelons, including 35 with manpower and equipment, broke many cars, put two tanks out of action, blew up and burned 77 bridges on iron and highways, damaged 115 kilometers of telephone and cable communication, undermined hundreds of railway rails, in fights and ambushes killed, wounded and took over 1000 Hitlerite soldiers and officers prisoner.

Among guerrillas there were people of different nationalities: Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Kazakhs, Tatars and others. Almost fourth part of group of M. N. Chernak was made by Poles from whom at the end of 1943 the separate Polish company was created. About hundred Poles worked with guerrilla coherent, were members of underground groups.

About separate fighting episodes, I would like to tell about my Polish companions in this short reminiscence. In Zhabinkovsky, Kobrin, Brest, Maloritsky and Kamenetsky districts where I had to be on the instructions of command of group, the population treated guerrillas kindly and helped all, than could.

… Among underground workers there were many Poles. Near the village of a revna of Litvinki in a small manor there lived a small landowner Yury Shadursky. I am from Litvinka and well knew Yury, his father and mother. Hitlerites appointed Yury who was well knowing German the translator in the city of Kobrin. I met Yury Shadursky when he already worked for Germans. In plain terms asked it whether he agrees to help guerrillas. Yury agreed and transferred me many valuable data. It became clear that he tried to establish connection with guerrillas for a long time. Our meeting took place in October, 1942. Having consulted to command of group, we allocated to Shadursky special coherent - Anufriya Dudko living in Kobrin and that regularly accepted data from Shadursky and reported in group. We had in Kobrin one more coherent - Pole Felix Sadlo keeping in contact with Shadursky.

Since then we always knew when the German chasteners were going to leave Kobrin to the area of action of guerrillas, and also a route of their movement. Guerrillas had an opportunity to take necessary measures for ensuring the safety, to organize ambushes against Hitlerites, to warn about danger civilians. Thanks to Shadursky's data residents of villages Millers, Gardeners, Batchi, Litvinki, Strigovo and the Birch which Hitlerites intended to destroy for communication with guerrillas were rescued, and to burn villages. Residents of the village of Cherevachitsa were also warned, but only the part of them managed to go to the wood, Hitlerites shot the others.

Shadursky gave to guerrillas many medicines, regularly reported about fascist garrison in Kobrin, about security posts and movement of troops. Sometimes he managed to tell us passwords on garrison. It supplied with the information about 13 fascist agents. Guerrillas neutralized these spies. Guerrillas were helped also by Shadursky's parents. Wounded took refuge in their house. Shadursky's mother provided them medical care.

In the summer of 1943 in Kobrin district the Polish guerrilla group was created. It had communication with Shadursky, This group of Poles, and also people, related (in total about 40 people) entered our group. They were the center of the Polish company of group of M. N. Chernak. Later Felix Sadlo sent some more Poles to group. Among them there were Georgy Sholkovsky, Witold and Zdislav Ostrometskiye, Evgeny Kovalsky, Adam Bebish.

Zbigniew Karlitsky, the former lieutenant of artillery of the Polish army was appointed the commander of a company; commanders of platoons - Vladislav Grivach and Edward Shchibelsky (both from Brest); the foreman of a company - Vladislav Zharsky (from Pinsk). We for one day did not stop diversionary work. In the Polish company were the special diversionary group is created.

pas which was ordered by Vladislav Grivach. Entered into group Józef Mrozek. Romuald Seversky, Adam Plotnitsa, Marian Ostrovsky and others. Part in diversions was taken by the foreman of a company Vladislav Zharsky. This group lowered several echelons of the opponent under a slope. Especially successful diversion was carried out in the night of January 30, 1944 when near Zhabink's station, in the direction of the village Pantyukhi, the group of Grivacha undermined an enemy echelon with ammunition and manpower. The engine and several cars departed under a slope. Tens of fascist soldiers and officers found the end here.

Guerrillas of group of M. N. Chernak with firmness held lines of defense, made courageous breaks of an enemy ring. They with honor fulfilled the duty and always kept fighting spirit. With heavy fights, often having only on some cartridges on the person, we got out bogs and forest thickets of an enemy ring more than once. Sometimes it seemed that forces abandon us. But never anybody had no thought to lay down arms and to stop fight. Very difficult it was necessary to our group in the last days of fighting activity in the back of the enemy. At this time Ivan Fedorovich Selivonik ordered group of M. N. Chernak.

With approach of the front the receding parts of the opponent appeared unexpectedly. Before our investigation almost unmistakably defined quantity and arms of the Hitlerite chasteners trying to attack us. Now it was much more difficult. And here we were helped by locals. They immediately reported about each emergence of new forces of Hitlerites to guerrillas.

The closer the front approached, the fights of our group with Hitlerites were more persistent. At an exit to connection with parts of Red Army the group conducted persistent battles with the German troops near the village the Shouting. Within two days guerrillas held defense, showing bravery miracles. On a site of our defense Germans almost continuously conducted mortar attack, but nobody went back a step. We spent almost all ammunition, and difficult it would be necessary to us if the Soviet troops did not approach. Here we also united to them. What it was pleasure!

Fighting everyday life of the Polish company (Yulian Gogol is the former guerrilla of group of M. N. Chernak of crew of Stalin)

Working at the Dnieper and Bugsky channel since pre-war time, I met many people who exerted a great influence on formation of my views …

The lock No. 8 on the channel was the only convenient place for transition through the river Mukhavets. This road often there passed guerrillas. Since summer of 1943 I became the member of the underground organization in which carried out functions of coherent. Work on a lock allowed me to keep in contact with guerrillas and gave the chance of free movement as I had the German certificate that I am at work.

In December, 1943, being afraid of repressions (guerrillas killed two members of the German crew), I ran from a lock in the wood. In response to it Germans burned economy of my family. My family was forced to disappear. The big role the organizations of guerrilla groups in our area was played by local communists, officers and soldiers of Red Army who could not depart on the East, and also the prisoners of war running from fascist camps.

Forests and almost impassable bogs created convenient conditions for basing and fighting activity of guerrilla groups. Increase in guerrilla ranks was promoted also by terror of Hitlerites. So, for example, Germans registered the people who gave help to the former soldiers and officers of Red Army.

Arrests began. Unprecedented repressions were applied to taking cover, up to execution. The former Soviet military personnel disappearing at locals formed the small guerrilla groups growing subsequently in groups. And behind them went to groups, families where there lived the Soviet officers or soldiers took refuge in the wood also.

Together with Belarusians, locals, many Poles went to guerrilla groups also. News of formation in the USSR of the 1st Polish division of Tadeush Kosciusko made active the introduction of the Polish youth on the way of guerrilla fight even more.

The part of Poles sought for creation of the guerrilla groups, recognizing at the same time need of close cooperation and interaction with the Soviet groups. The Polish guerrilla group "Yura" under Zbigniew Karlitsky's command which from the very beginning interacted with the Soviet guerrillas, in particular with group of M. N. Chernak can serve as an example of it.

The Soviet soldiers and commanders were its center, and also local activists are Belarusians and Poles. In June, 1943 reorganization of group began. Instead of earlier operating separate groups two companies and a platoon of horse investigation numbering about 50 people were created.

Near the area of action of group performed the operations and the Polish guerrilla group "Yura" totaling several tens people. In November, 1943 it was included into group of M. N. Chernak as the third Polish company. By the beginning of March, 1944 in its structure there were about 60 armed guerrillas. Zbigniew Karlitsky was appointed the commander of a company. The arms of the Polish company did not differ from other companies of group. The Soviet rifles prevailed, there were several PPSh submachine guns. It was generally the weapon found guerrillas and locals on places of fights of the Soviet soldiers with Hitlerites in the summer of 1941, and also got by guerrillas in fights.

Later, when connection by air was established with the Soviet hinterland, arms, ammunition and explosives were delivered to guerrillas by planes from the Continent. All this shared between groups. The territory to the north of the river Mukhavets was the area of activity of the Polish group. After the entry of group into group of M. N. Chernak it operated to the south of this river, on the district where Belarusians and Poles lived …

… Existence of several groups demanded coordination of their actions. The guerrilla crew of I. V. Stalin which was a part of the Brest connection of guerrillas was for this purpose created. It included also group of M. N. Chernak. The crew covered the activity Kobrin and part Brest areas. Thanks to the good organization the guerrilla movement in this part of the Brest region received wide scope, coordinated actions of separate groups and groups were provided.

The group of M. N. Chernak had significant forces. The area of its actions was almost free from the German administration. Patrols and small groups of Germans were afraid to appear and even bypassed the settlements controlled by guerrillas. Inhabitants in a zone of activity of group were in relative safety and did not feel all weight of the occupational mode. No orders of invaders achieved the objectives.

Guerrillas repeatedly made raids on police garrisons in the villages of Ozyata, the Old Village. The same fate comprehended gendarme garrison in the village of Hodosa which was at considerable distance from the area of our actions. Destruction of this garrison which on the site ensured safety of transfer of manpower and equipment on the highway Kobrin-Brest opened free access to the road for guerrillas and thus considerably promoted failure of traffic of the opponent.

Several times guerrillas smashed police garrison on a lock No. 8 in the village of Zaluzye that led to a delay of navigation of Germans on the Dnieper and Bugsky channel. The Polish company of group of M. N. Chernak worked mainly independently, but combat operations were planned by command of group. When the company still was independent group, she acted in Kobrin and Zhabinki's vicinities. As far as I know, at that time group of serious battles with Hitlerites did not conduct. There were only skirmishes with the German patrols and police when guerrillas met them unexpectedly. Most often it happened on march or during diversions.

^ From stories of companions I know of one of the first diversions in the summer of 1943 on Kobrin Highway - Pruzhana. In ten kilometers from Kobrin demolition men put several self-made min. On the highway the motorcade moved. The head car blew up. Other 12 cars stopped. Hitlerites were afraid to go further and staid nearly five hours until from Brest sappers were and cleared of mines the highway.

Saving explosive, guerrillas resorted to tactics of a false mining. On a brisk site of the highway under the guise of a mining slightly disguised empty boxes were established. Before such "mines", happened, the whole columns of cars of the opponent stood for hours, wasting precious time, there did not arrive specialists in mine clearing yet and did not clear the road.

The Polish miners undermined the first echelon in December, 1943 on a site of the railroad of Zhabink - Kobrin about the village Boguslavichi. It was the structure with the food going to the front. The road stayed idle eight hours. A lot of food was destroyed.

Shortly we undermined an echelon on Zhabink Road - Baranovichi, near the village of Tevli. Both ways were filled up. The movement on this site of the railroad was suspended for 12 hours. Guerrillas were not limited to fights and carrying out diversions. They destroyed the German farms and administration of invaders. Guerrillas put lines of telecommunication out of action, destroyed lists of the inhabitants planned for sending to Germany, and tax documentation.

Active actions of group of M. N. Chernak haunted the German authorities and military units located close. Every day the front came nearer, and Hitlerites decided to destroy our group. At the beginning of March, 1944 they organized big retaliatory expedition, having surrounded forests near the villages of Ozyata, Chernyana, Antonovo, Radvanichi, Velikorit, the Old Village. Large military units of the opponent took part in this expedition lasting about two weeks. There were several battles. However Germans could not close an environment ring. Many guerrillas could get out of an environment by means of locals who spent them on a difficult terrain …

Having left an environment, our company broke into several groups and quickly moved ahead on the East, avoiding prosecution of the opponent. In the middle of March, 1944 the most part of a company was to the south of Pinsk. Guerrillas of our group safely united to Red Army. The part of the Polish company could not establish connection with command of group during withdrawal it on the East and remained around Kobrin. The former sergeant of the Polish army Edward Kornilovich by nickname "Kmitich" became the commander of this group. Several guerrilla from other companies of group of M. N. Chernak which at an exit from an environment lost the divisions joined its group. To us there came also a lot of Polish youth. Kornilovich's group in the new structure first of all was engaged in combat training of guerrillas as new replenishment did not take part and fights yet. It skilled guerrillas from former structure of the Polish company and several people from other companies of group of a name M. N were the center. Chernaka...

Friendship, sealed with blood (Ivan Georgiyevich Shubitidze is the former commander of Pinsky guerrilla crew)

… At the end of April we came to Kobrin district where groups under Ivan Orlov and Philip Alabin's command worked. In this area, being based in the dakhlovsky woods, our group was until the end of 1942. In the summer of 1942 attacks of chasteners on the villages surrounding the dakhlovsky woods became frequent. At dawn of one of July days the retaliatory group of the opponent surrounded the village of Kamenka and burned over 95 people, and destroyed the village of Recyca with 24 inhabitants at night. Hitlerites and in other villages behaved with brutality. In the settlements located around the wood the chasteners controlling roads accommodated.

The situation became more and more intense. Hitlerites subjected to the strengthened bombardment the area of dislocation of group of Philip Alabin. This group had to sustain several cruel fights and to depart to the boggy place.

Our group worked together with Ivan Orlov's group. Besides, the part of group of Alabin joined us. Decided to strike with joint efforts blow to the enemy near the Suvorov canal connecting Zosima's village with farms.

On September 2 made an ambush at the bridge via the channel near Zosima's village to the south of Pruzhan. The district where there were weapon emplacements of guerrillas, was covered with a bush. To the right of the road there was an orchard, at the left - a boggy glade, and behind them the wood stretched. At a bend of the road put two machine guns - Yakov Zhurbenko and Alexander Serebryakov who had to strike front blow to a head column of the opponent.

In a garden, in a raspberry brake, submachine gunners under Veniamin Istomin and Ivan Orlov's command settled down. At the bridge Alexey Blochin's machine gunners accommodated. Over 15 snipers directed by Pyotr Gvozdev sat down at a boggy glade at a bush. My command post was at Blochin's group.

On the road the column of Hitlerites seemed. Ahead slowly the opened car with intelligence agents moved. We passed the car. When the column overtook an ambush, I fired machine gun fire. It was the signal. Squall of fire from automatic machines and machine guns fell upon Hitlerites. They appeared in a bag. There was no place to run. During short, but fierce fight about 150 Hitlerites were killed and wounded. Two cars hurrying to the aid of chasteners with the armed soldiers us were lined and fired.

The successful issue of the combat caused big pleasure in the population. A rumor that in these parts the large landing of Red Army with artillery and mortars allegedly works was floated.

… Forces of our group broke enemy garrison in the village of Plashchina of Kobrin district. Fight lasted the whole day. Germans lost the killed several tens people. 17 soldiers were taken prisoner. Escalating blows of guerrillas infuriated Hitlerites. What only they did not go on to settle accounts with guerrillas! In this regard I cannot but tell about the person who left unusually light reminiscence in my memory. It was the resident of the village of Studenka of Kobrin district 80-year-old Ivan Anishchuk. It was guerrilla coherent a floor the nickname "Monk". Hitlerites knew about it or not - it is difficult to tell, but once in severe winter day they broke into his house and demanded that he specified by it an arrangement of guerrilla group. Anishchuk answered that he does not know. Then Hitlerites brought him, hackneyed and barefoot, to the street and, adjusting bayonets, began violently to force to conduct them on base of guerrilla group. Ivan Anishchuk agreed. With it is proud of the raised head, with the gray-haired beard fluttering downwind, going bare feet on snow, he led fascists... but not in an arrangement of guerrillas, and there where they were waited by death, - in deaf, impassable bogs. Hitlerites late solved his plan and after terrible tortures and mockeries shot the hero.

The flown into a rage fascists drove the population of the village in church to burn all in revenge for the failures. Having collected forces, guerrillas beat out the enemy from the village and rescued inhabitants. In January, 1943 Germans raised blockade, and our group left the dakhlovsky woods to pass into the poslavsky woods of Drogichinsky district. Along the line we broke the cargo car and destroyed two power plants on the Dnieper and Bugsky channel...

The earth flared (Vasily Afanasyevich Tsvetkov is the former commander of an opertsentr on investigation and the commander of guerrilla group of the special purpose operating in the Brest, Pinsky and Baranovichsky regions)

As a part of Kobrin's underground workers there was a big group of patriots which had communication with my assistant on investigation, the local teacher Alexey Dmitriyevich Nikitin. Václav Skvoronsky who imparted to Nikitin love to his future profession in due time collected data on the German and Magyar troops passing through Kobrin or stopping in the city. It at that time working in Kobrin's magistracy managed to do it with the best results. Others carried out acts of sabotage. Anton Stashinsky, for example, made explosion of Hitlerite bakery, and Tadeush Gorbatovsky explosion broke telephone and telegraphic communication in the city.

In a uniform system: memoirs of participants of the guerrilla movement in Belarus. 1941–1944. – Minsk: Belarus, 1970. – Page 54-63; 65–75; 87– 113; 132–145; Authors are citizens of the USSR and PNR, the former Belarusian guerrillas and underground workers – remember joint fight against fascists in the years of occupation. A number of materials is devoted to Kobrin district. 

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