The first bomb
Thursday, 11. March 1943
We stayed 6 km from Smolensk at a Russian house. As we the Russians, who lived in the house with his family, gave some meat, He was quite beside himself with joy and said, that he would rather have the Germans, because the Russians just take everything away from him. Am nächsten Tag erreichten wir Smolensk und bezogen das Waldlager als den Stützpunkt der I/36. Here I spent now 3 good weeks. Our employment was to stand post only on the vehicles and some wood shredding. In the city we looked at films and other events. Delicious buffet was also very well made. During a Russian air raid on a night it began to suddenly in the air rushing. It sounded like a moving train. There was a sound unknown to me. Suddenly it crashed. I ran before Schreck in the House. Then somebody told me, It has taken in our neighborhood. Here I heard the whistle and taking of bombs for the first time.