Reckless escape
29. August 1943
Everyone tried to leave as soon as possible[n]. We 14 Man sitting in a good suit our car and looked at the activities. We trust in the routine and cunning our driver, the Obgefr. Schmitz. Suddenly, two floors struck a densely in addition to our car. It seemed to us a Russian tanks have discovered, shelling us now. Then joined but Schmitz on the tube and withdrew us point of view by laying a hill in between.
In this wild flight knows its a little Lieutenant 10 Infantry at, a ditch dig. Willingly and indifferent they began to dig. Wanted to this Lieutenant with its 10 Stop areas the Russians coming man?
Slowly we were approached on Yelnya. Here, everything flowed together now, What zurückflutete. Everyone was looking to come with his vehicle on the bridge, She went over the line. Of course the effort had also our riders Schmitz, to come in across. He was very on wire.
Also a German force seemed at last to want to resist seriously. It was [the] Waffen-SS. These guys jumped right without rock and Stahlhelm in their assault guns and drove off.
Meanwhile it had become disastrous to the designated bridge. As of now still left and right of the bridge on 2 Surveys go impacts and people there aufgebauten 2 cm flak down kollerten the slope, Since it was out in full. It was packed, pushed etc.. Our high vehicles that was by quite well view, the surging and sparkling vehicle crowding around. But we came across the bridge, whether we pushed a smaller vehicle into the trench here nichtsachtend.
Shortly after the bridge was still a sore spot as also fleeing 8,8 Flak in the middle of the road to the tank shelling in position was. As a result the road was completely choked. But again, the Angel of happiness to the side was us. Slightly sideways was only a slightly greater space between the vehicles and already there into kurvte us Schmitz. No one was allowed to take into account, otherwise would be to sit remained forever. As well, it was almost hopeless, If a vehicle in this busy Gets a defect. Then you could leave immediately by the next vehicle in the ditch push this cart.
Behind us, at the bridge, it crashed several times concern. Pitch black clouds of smoke and debris flew through the air. But what was going on there now took us no longer. Now, the road was something free and with increased speed, it went through Yelnya. Here ran the same sisters, the us still 2 Hours earlier Merry had beckoned, in their Schwesterntracht headless back and forth to the pre-accession rauschenden vehicles with continuing to come. As soon the Russian had approached Yelnya, that not even these girls in time were transported. Our clever Schmitz went out again us now quickly through the city through and on the northwest side. As the city far in the back was only, Let keep Bodenschatz.
As we descend and brought us a few beets from an abandoned garden, were the two non-commissioned officers together and advised, what they should do now. Bodenschatz had taken a large responsibility. Yes our faster could possibly “Retreat” be construed as desertion. And he, Bodenschatz, granted Yes the command to do this. Of course, he had the intention now, as soon as possible to come to our Protze. After a short rest we went further West. Always on dusty country roads. Now we had become so the only vehicle on these routes. Flash Flash fire from Yelnya in the clear sky of midday beat behind us, big Rauchpilze showed at, where fuel warehouse in the air were hunted.
