Kobrin's release

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

Overcoming the prepared German defensive boundaries on the way to Brest, we pursue Hitlerites day and night. Teams of the starved horses pull forty-heels, regimental tools. Gunners, having pulled hard on wheels, tools push. Zapalenno horses breathe, inflating lean, ridge sides, with the last bit of strength pull out guns from holes, potholes of the broken Polesia roads. Though not really quickly, but horse transport copes with the task - forty-heels steadily move forward. And here tractors with tools stick in dense medley of dirt, hoarsely, engines spitefully hum, wheels of cars slip, spray marsh swill, again drenching and so been dripping wet is fighting. Still it was possible to cope with the dirty, broken roads, and here with "surprises" - anti-tank and antipersonnel mines which densely larded everything okrest, business was more difficult.

Often it was necessary to see such picture: the tractor a wheel ran into a mine and at once deafening, chilling explosion - aaa was distributed! Swept, scattered explosion of people, tore off a tractor wheel as a button from a quilted jacket. The benefit if calculation escaped, and happens and so - the spoiled, spread bodies, and sometimes lie in blood pools and there are nothing to bury...

After speeding up of the river of Pripyat of min., any blockages with "surprises" on the way it was not lowered. And here still ditches, streams, rivulets and the rivers block the movement of tools, cars. Some tractors lagged behind because of shortage of fuel. Then the commander with the 3rd case art regiment colonel A. P. Suslov disposed:

- It is necessary to collect all ammunition, fuel and not to lag behind infantry. To you, Ivan Gerasimovich, - specified he Shpotakovskoma, - to head a summary column of a regiment. I with a staff will bring together the others. For the aid to you I give the captain Malenkov. The main thing - to move in fighting orders of infantry! I will strictly ask from both!

"I will ask, I will ask strictly, - I repeated about myself. - Would be it's done, and can ask and there is nobody will be..." Poslivali we are the remains of fuel and moved on several tractors, having left the others on a roadside.

In the middle of the day the column approached a small stream. In the head - the fourth battery. Shpotakovsky jumped out of a tractor cabin on the road, went to the spread stream, was a little trampled on the viscous coast. Then turned back, his dark cheerful face was lit with a smile - the decision was ready:

- The wood nearby, axes at hand, - it vigorously nodded towards a birch bosk. - Let's build bridges, not to wait our sappers will approach so far.

The battalion commander senior lieutenant P. I. Lapko looked round around, moved lips, estimating something about himself.

- The task is clear. Allow to go?

- Carry out.

Pad turned and easily ran to the battery. He is only twenty one year old, but war already singed a youthful face. The abrupt, high forehead was drawn by sharp wrinkles, whitish eyebrows are with concentration shifted. Heavy responsibility lay on it - the battery which he ordered, had to the first be developed and enter straight off a duel with the opponent. Therefore the Pad was always on the lookout, constantly listened as if passed through itself surrounding sounds. He ordered the battery surely, it was possible to rely on him, and it, perhaps, the most valuable quality of the veteran. However sometimes he showed obstinacy before the administration which it awfully did not love...

Standing with Shpotakovsky knee-deep in dirt, we watch actions of the battalion commander. He accurately set the task to commanders of divisions and already batareyets with axes, saws rushed to the wood. Work was argued, knock of axes mixed up with jokes:

- Well, it is juicy a root! You as cut? You hold the axe, but not a spoon.

Someone's coming true voice was heard, but killed it good-natured basok:

- So wines, yak ist, so vpry, and yak to a pratsyua, so zmerzne!

- Guo-go-go! - the amicable laughter was distributed. - Well, Taras, ushchuchit a direct hit.

- Nothing, the guy, quail, in artillery you will be trained in everything, - the commander of office stood up for the young fighter. - To set aside snickers! Pull hard more amicably! There passed a little time and batareyets manufactured two small bridges. Brought up them dragging to a stream, pulled the socks up, threw and already the head car of a platoon of management slowly moved on the logs settling in soft soil.

- Give! Give! More safely!. - soldiers encouraged the driver.

Recovered, the column, and behind it and other divisions moved forward. On the night of June 14, 1944 connections of the case forced the river to the Pin and came to a highway Pinsk - Kobrin - Brest. Having lost an important strong point - Pinsk on the Brest direction, groups of the opponent in structure: the 7th infantry division, the 3rd cavalry crew, the 57th security regiment, the second battalion of the 25th egersky regiment and the first penal battalion Kobrina receded under blows of our troops in the direction of. Withdrawal of this group was covered by the 3rd cavalry crew, mobile in the conditions of the woody marshland.

Receding, Hitlerites undermined bridges, arranged obstacles on roads, trying at favorable boundaries of the district and in the settlements prepared for defense to detain approach of our troops. We at prompt speed pursued the opponent. For two days of part of the 212th shooting division about 50 kilometers promoted. Gunners of the 60th case art regiment did not lag behind infantry also. To move, move... There was no time to stop, have a rest. Soldier's blouses of soldiers and officers zadubet from sweat, became permeated with the smell of powder ashes, a smoke of big fires.

On July 15 we saw again ahead the burning villages which, receding, were burned by fascists. Per day with fights we passed up to twenty five kilometers, seized villages Rylovichi, Yukhnovichi. At dawn on July 16 approached the town Yanuv. Artillery volleys thundered, zastrekotat machine guns. The infantry rushed on streets Yanuva, started fight.

The first deployed the battery of the senior lieutenant P. Lapko. It fairly pomolotit the Hitlerites who sat down at cellars of houses and on attics. The German strong points from direct hits of shells literally blew up. The survived fritsa hastily left the positions. To six o'clock in the morning on July 16 our parts seized m of Yanuv and drove the opponent further. In these fights to me, except duties of the chief of investigation of a regiment it was necessary to carry out functions of the chief of a staff at I. G. Shpotakovsky as the artillery of the 60th Guards case art regiment was included into the group of prosecution created in the 212th shooting division. It was necessary and conduct investigation, collecting data on the Hitlerites who sat down at strong points and to choose areas for expansion of artillery.

On each kilometer the opponent met us machine-gun and a gun-fire, a lot of trouble was brought by various blockages on routes, and also the mined sites of roads. Only in a strip of approach of our case from Pinsk to Kobrin sappers cleared of mines roads with a general extent of 235 kilometers, 1734 anti-tank and antipersonnel mines, 96 land mines are removed and neutralized.

And how many it was neutralized by min. emergency artillery teams! It is impossible to consider everything... There was such case. On the 1.5 inch tubing together with chiefs of divisions and commanders of fire calculations we followed the 669th shooting regiment of the 212th division for the choice of the next region of firing positions of a regiment.

Midday July sun, silent, without enemy planes, a clear sky. The car continually jumped up on potholes of the road ruined by shells. Holding on a lap the card, I verified a movement route. There was a strong wish to sleep after sleepless night, eyes stuck together, the head tended on one side, but from sharp pushes as a hand removed a somnolence. Suddenly the driver sharply slowed down - it is impossible to go further, the road is interrupted, the site ahead destroyed. Opened a car door, inspected the vicinity: in the distance small Liski, on the right boggy meadow. Went out of the car and carefully moved, groping a leg each step. Unsteady place. You will get stuck - not to pull out the car, behind tractors is not present, to count there is nobody.

Far the infantry was ahead thinnish ranks. On the right, deaf ruptures of shells of the opponent were heard at the left, and on sound intensity it was clear that the enemy almost nearby. It is impossible to be late... Went forward, and for me the car slowly spread, cutting wheels in a marsh bog and leaving behind a deep track. Having turned facing the car, I gave a sign to move hands to me. Then looked under wheels and saw as in a bad dream - from under the right back wheel it was turned out round, sand color, an anti-tank mine splodgy with dirt.

- Do not drive! Under a wheel a mine! - by the broken voice I shouted to the driver. In the car all rose and stood as if hardened. The driver, almost falling out, leaned out of a cabin and the grown stiff look stared at a mine.

- Carefully! More to the left, more to the left twist!.

Despite a fright, the driver did not blunder, it accurately executed commands and it, perhaps, rescued us. The mine slowly got out from under a wheel in only two meters from me, ready every second to blow up and rip all live to shreds. Having regained consciousness from catalepsy, people were poured by a hail through the left board of the car, hoping to find cover under a body. Two sergeants carefully approached a mine, lifted deadly flat cake and neutralized. All took breath and carefully moved further. Probing each span of the earth, found some more damned min.

I sat down on a roadside, removed a peak-cap, wiped sweat from a forehead. And the tragic picture - explosion of a mine in 1942 of which the chief of investigation of a regiment captain Arakelov died recurred to the memory. Afterwards the second - Moscow, hospital, the seriously injured officer who lost sight, left without hand and a leg. The senior lieutenant Serikov approached me.

- Da-and, companion captain! Either you, or we were born under a lucky star, - he with emotion told. - Be swept away a wheel on a floor - palms and the end, would sweep all.

- There is a gadstvo! Who could think that in such smashed place there will be mines? - hotly officers discussed the incident.

- It is good that everything managed, - I noticed. - Let's be even more attentive. From such "surprises" people perished, were mangled, turning into pieces of scrap iron, the car. On approaches to m of Yanuv on anti-tank mines the machine of the 31st art regiment of the 12th Guards shooting division was blown up though emergency teams on mine clearing did everything that was in their forces. So, team under the direction of guard of the sergeant Mazayev within forty minutes cleared away a way - took seventeen anti-tank min. But, certainly, all mines on roads did not manage to be found and happened that one, second, and even third cars passed safely, and following it was not lucky - the mine slipped out dirt and...

But the movement did not stop, we steadily moved ahead. On July 16 our parts approached m Dorogochin. In the evening on east suburb occupied observation posts, preparing for night fight. The opponent was obviously nervous. The first line was continuously lit with fans of rockets, tracer bullets fiery lines lasted in our party. It was necessary to specify urgently the opponent's arrangement before beginning a fire raid of artillery.

In the evening on observation post we sit together with the commander of a regiment V. G. Voloshchenko. Mood at it good, coped with affairs and offers:

- Let's have supper. What there to us god and the foreman laid up?

He glanced in a kettle and winked:

- Again porridge - our food. The trifle bothered, however without it it is worse. Of course, it is quite good to pull down roast goose, but we will try it after the Victory. "If we live", - I thought, but did not tell.

- How artillery? It is ready to discovery of fire?

- Almost. It is necessary to request still companies, can found new machine-gun points. We will reliably cover them. And it is not enough to fire on the area to sense... One sensation...

- Purposes? The purposes will be! Only give to more spark! - the commander of a regiment got up because of a table, corrected a spark, trepetavshiy on a snaryadny sleeve. Its huge shadow was thrown on a timbered wall of a blindage.

We friendly said goodbye and I went to companies. In respites between fights different thoughts come to mind, everyone tries to understand, comprehend the events. Went and I reflected. There is the fourth year of war. We learned to beat the opponent and not to ask for trouble. This experience is gained by blood and considerable! Never bitter days when we said goodbye to dead companions will be forgotten, but each of live believed that he will live up to the Victory, completely will pay off with the enemy for all evil which not to measure and not to count. And let soldiers of a Reich resist in the pillboxes, are at war, executing orders of the rat Fuhrer, we drive the enemy and we will drive, we will not crush the Berlin den yet! Klaas's ashes knocked on Ulenshpigel's heart, but how many ashes knocked on our hearts when we saw the burned villages, ruins of the cities, heard stories of inhabitants, removed from gallows of the tortured people, buried the torn to pieces children, women, old men! We could not comprehend in any way how German labor lyud, dressed gray-green overcoats, could execute brutal orders? Knew, of course, that the best people of Germany are arrested, destroyed, went underground, but not only burghers and shopkeepers were at war with us...

By midnight the opponent's fire abated a little. Having bypassed companies, I came back to a regiment.

- For certain aryergardny parts of Germans will try to come off ours and to occupy the next boundary, - the voice of the commander of a regiment A. P. Suslov rattled in a blindage. - Do not miss friyets, otherwise he will meet us having prepared. Investigation that did not doze! After war you will doze!

Having instructed battalion commanders and having as usual encouraged them, Suslov listened to me and ordered to prepare for march. Soon the infantry rose, constructed and went on streets of the night town, and after it started and we are gunners.

- And well, boys, begin to sing the song, - the commander of a shooting regiment and so that to fritsa in Kobrin it was heard offered! Let know that we go! Amicably the infantry how the Cossack dug a krinichenka started singing and unharnessed horses. The song in night silence was far carried. Companies were tightened, walked more amicably.

Investigation of a regiment which literally sat on a tail of the departing opponent, reported that divisions of the 3rd German cavalry crew depart in the direction of m Antopol. Pursuing enemy parts, we for four days passed about hundred kilometers, cleared fifteen settlements of the enemy and drove them, haunting neither in the afternoon, nor at night.

Early in the morning on July 18 m outlines Antopol seemed. The dazzling summer sun lit white lodges of the small town at the intersection of roads, leaders in Kobrin and Pruzhana. On the suburb as ugly gray mushrooms were stuck out earth-and-timber emplacements. In a stereopipe I attentively considered the earth-and-timber emplacement equipped on a roof of the two-storeyed brick house which first floor Germans for durability imposed with logs. Called up Turin and allowed it to look in a stereopipe at the "original" earth-and-timber emplacement.

- From a nimtsa bisova! Where zalizla! It shche not bachiv. And wons not of that? - it twisted a finger at a temple. - We their zraza skolupny... The artillery was straight off developed, took firing positions and using our data, opened fire. Really, "originals" were swept away by the first shells.

The offensive rush of our troops was big - ahead there was Brest - frontier of our Homeland, and it meant that all Soviet land will be cleared of the enemy soon. A terrible avalanche our relentless force slid, sweeping away the pillboxes, earth-and-timber emplacements, any strengthenings erected by Germans on the way. At Grushovo's boundary, Antopol fascist command replaced the aryergardny parts of the 3rd cavalry crew parts of the 203rd security infantry division with the 930th security regiment given it, they showed the strongest resistance, especially on the Dnieper and Bugsky channel as the last major boundary on approaches by to Kobrin.

On July 18 by m Antopol it was cleared of Germans, and then, developing approach, we tried to take straight off Mr. Kobrin.
But covering m Gorodets near Kobrin, the opponent desperately resisted the 12th division of D. K. Malkov. Approach of a division stopped. Our art regiment was thrown on support of a division. Fights accepted the hardened character. From Bretpol, Borodichey the opponent fell upon us all fire weapons of the suitable fresh parts. Two regiments of the 29th and 37th were held down and could not promote.

Counterattacks of the opponent followed one by one. Parts hardly constrained an impact of the enemy. Advance stopped. On the coming infantry Hitlerites fired from all types of weapon. It was clear that the opponent intends to keep strongly approaches by to Kobrin. On the way to the city well equipped strong points and every time them were prepared it was necessary to take with fight.

To take a plan of command of the case Mr. Kobrin straight off was not carried out... From m Gorodets where we were, about one Kobrin us was separated by only 18-20 kilometers. By the outcome on July 18 the 212th division seized the village of Hudlin and Gorodets started fight for m, and parts of the 12th division of guards conducted the hardened battle for a strong point of Borodyche, reflecting furious counterattacks of the opponent. And behind these strong points we were expected by one more important natural barrier on the way to Kobrin – Dneprovsko - the Bugsky channel.

Being in fighting orders of infantry, we are gunners - intelligence agents not only found, marked the purposes from observation posts, causing fire of artillery for their destruction, but also came together with infantrymen, forced water barriers, destroyed the opponent who sat down at strong points. Many years later after war, working in MO USSR Archive, I incidentally found the surname in the report of a staff of artillery of the case. There it was specified that "during speeding up of the Dnieper and Bugsky channel companion Malenkov with intelligence agents of a regiment and the battery of management of the commander of artillery of the case moved forward ahead of infantry, made the way to the village Bezkhlebichi occupied with protection of the opponent gave up it fight and beat out it from the village, having captured at the same time the car, the motorcycle and radio station".

It was one of usual fights, but he was remembered to me because of the trophy motorcycle and that is why. When we rushed into this village after short, hot fight, several corpses of the Hitlerites struck by our automatic turns lay on the rural street near two cars. One car of sand color with the put camouflage was loaded by ammunition, anti-tank mines.

- Stand, companion captain, and mozhe the won is mined? - the intelligence agent Gurin blocked me a way. Meters in ten from the car there was a motorcycle with sidecar. Having checked whether is not present okrest the escaped Hitlerites, we began to examine our trophies. We almost did not touch the radio broadcast car, and became interested in the motorcycle.

- All war we on the 1.5 inch tubing and on the 1.5 inch tubing! So far vs will gather and the driver to a pryyda, a chekata occasional office. And here bude svy motorcycle! Dzhik! And poikhala, kuda occasional office!! Qie our trophy, and we yoga not viddamo!

- Will take away the administration, - intelligence agents teased Turin. - And will not ask you.

- About! The administration has the car! - Gurin near the motorcycle turned. - Vono on the motorcycle will not go. To it without need.

The commander of a regiment was quickly reached by a message that intelligence agents got the motorcycle. It was besieged at once by persons interested to receive such convenient thing in the possession. Especially eyes at our operative who gave argument behind argument that it needs mobile transport, and intelligence agents still to themselves burned will get...

- No, - the commander of a regiment solved. - The motorcycle is seized in fight, but not picked up in the field... It is a trophy fighting and investigation necessary. To leave the car to the chief of investigation.

Long time the motorcycle served us. And after liberation of Brest, at a regiment conclusion to rest near Bialystok the motorcycle was taken away from me in the case. Gurin remembered for a long time how we with him dashingly drove on roads and without roads...

Within July 19-20 there were hardened fights in a Kobrin - the most important knot of resistance on ways to Brest. The local earth is filled with splinters of mines and shells, plentifully watered with blood of our soldiers. The 1941st year, heroism of the soldiers of the 4th army exhausted, exsanguinated, but not lost courage which at an acute shortage of mines, shells, anti-tank artillery constrained the most cruel impact of tanks of Guderian is involuntarily remembered.

... Exactly here in June of the 41st year parts of the 28th case of the major general V. S. Popov fought a losing battle with perfect German tank parts. Our easy T-26 tanks with fifteen-millimetric front armor and forty-five-millimetric guns safely attacked fascist T-1U tanks with tridtsatimil-limetrovy armor, armed with 75-millimetric guns. But the T-26 tanks filled with gasoline easily ignited, burned with torches together with heroes - Kobrin's defenders.

The brave commander of the 22nd tank division major general V. P. Puganov - soul of defense of the city was killed in battles for Kobrin in the tank. On July 19, 1944 the 9th Guards shooting case of the lieutenant general G. A. Halyuzin approached the city forever to expel from it the hated enemy.

Fight went on approaches to the city, suddenly it was not succeeded to capture him. The situation developed such: the river Mukhavets reliably covered Kobrin from the East. On the highway conducting to the city, Germans suited blockages from the cut roadside trees. In the city firing positions for artillery and mortars were equipped on streets and the square. With a pedantry inherent in Germans entrenchments took away a paling of poles, rovnenky as if cut on a ruler. Defense was strong, but also we saved up considerable experience and skill. Everything became quickly, everyone kept at a distance and a task in fight.
To the right of the road the second division of the major A. M. Surkov approached and was developed and opened fire at the opponent. Flashes of shots of tools, on the right and to the left of the highway bumps, columns of the shot-up earth, a smoke of the become torn shells, a roar, fire tornado...

And here our guardsmen rushed into the city. Between houses figures of fighters flashed, were late for an instant and, having fired a burst from the submachine gun on Hitlerites, short dashes moved further. The commander of the fifth battery of guard senior lieutenant N. D. Melnik saw how in the next attempt to go in to the attack under strong gun and machine-gun fire the infantry lay.

The opponent fired so dense on in advance adjusted sectors that in the field it was necessary to lie not movably more and more fighters in the soldier's blouses which faded, impregnated then. The miller ordered to roll out tools on an open position and fire of direct aiming to destroy the Hitlerites who sat down at brick houses.

Gun crews hardly rolled a 122-mm howitzer, weighing more than three and a half tons. Yes, the howitzer is not a brisk forty-heel, it is so easy for them to maneuver in the battlefield... From observation post it was well visible how gunners stuck around wheels of a howitzer and it slowly swept across the field. Stopped... Developed in the necessary direction, still strove near it then as if stood and, at last, from a trunk the flame flashed, the deafening shot as if the huge soccerball burst was distributed. Struck also other tools. The battery conducted intensive fire. At the left amicably guns entered, their sharp shots were considerably allocated in a fight roar.

Tightened the city a smoke through which long tongues of a flame broke - it were the fires. Through the burning houses the infantry moved ahead more and more deeply, aspiring to the downtown. Hitlerites undertook frequent counterattacks by force to a company with assistance of artillery and tanks.

Street fights were cruel and bloody. Hitlerites, having taken refuge in houses, fired from windows, from attics, used each crack, each shelter. The division of a battalion of N. G. Lysenko approached the big stone building at which the group of Hitlerites sat down.

- Will not admit machine guns to the house, only people we will put, - the commander of a battalion estimated the developed situation.

Platoon according to kept silent.

- Only the artillery vykovyrnt them, - the battalion commander looked out because of a thick tree and right there the fiery stream stegnut on a trunk as if the saw hushed, biting off chips. The battalion commander was stirred up. - And so, - it continued. - The major Lysenko disposed to tighten the forty-heels. Now they will work, and we will jerk at once, - the battalion commander concluded. Gunners and machine gunners acted accurately and in coordination. Forty-heels opened fire at door and window openings, house walls, and machine gunners at an attic. Under cover of fire of tools and machine guns guardsmen rushed to storm. They broke into the house and finished in short hand-to-hand fight of the remained Hitlerites.

So from the house to the house, through fire and a smoke of big fires the infantry moved ahead. The hardened fight in the city lasted more than four hours. Soon the parts of the 212th division coming after mastering of m Gorodets along the highway approached east and northeast suburb. On July 20, 1944 the city of Kobrin was freed by joint efforts of two divisions from fascist aggressors.

For courage and heroism at release of Mr. Kobrin the honourable name - "Kobrin" was appropriated to our 60th Guards case artillery regiment. This name parts of the 12th Guards shooting division were also awarded: 29th and 37th Guards shooting regiments and 31st Guards artillery regiment of the colonel D. A. Avralyov, 655th art regiment, and also shooting regiments of the 212th division of P. I. Moshchalkov.

The decree of Presidium of the Supreme Council of USSR for release of Mr. Kobrin awarded by awards of the Red Banner the 12th Guards Pinskaya and the 212th Krichevskaya shooting divisions. Fights already went to the northwest of Brest, and the opponent showed to our coming parts the hardened resistance, complicating advance forward.

From the directive of a staff of the First Belarusian front to the commander of the 61st army. June 20, 1944: "the 4th cavalry case already one and a half conducts days a battle in the back of the opponent around Stava (26 kilometers to the northwest of Brest). The top military commander of the front ordered: in prompt blow of troops of army to destroy the resisting parts of the opponent and to accelerate an exit of army at the front: To Pleshchitsa, Zhabinka".

Ahead of us expected heavy fights, new tests...

Veterans of the 9th Guards Brest shooting case assign wreaths to graves fallen in fights in a Kobrin. 1984.

Malenkov, A. F. Release Kobrina / A. F. Malenkov//the Avalanche terrible to Brest / A. F. Malenkov. – St. Petersburg: Waterway, 1994. – Page 155-165. During fights for liberation of Belarus the author of the book was the chief of investigation of the 60th Guards Kobrin case artillery regiment Decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, the 9th Guards Brest Order of Kutuzov of the shooting case.



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