In a later discussion on the launching of aircraft on the morning of 6. May has been claimed, that the fired machine already burning away is hell about us and our light guns shot still on it and wanted to have accurate results observed. Na, Since just an aircraft launch message was submitted. You could never find, who has now launched the aircraft actually. Even if shot several batteries of heavy guns on an air target, can you say never, the and the Sprengpunkte are from the battery. Who knows, Shooting on air targets associated with the problems [is], can't but think, that we of the flak about each aircraft, where we were involved in at the launch, have been looking forward. According to the participation in the launch, we got then 1, 2, 3 or 4 Awarded points for the anti-aircraft badge.

The enemy air activity was low at this time. Unliebsam raised were we only most 6. May, Schlachtflieger and Hunter in the early haze attempted, the air base attack. Until I came from my barracks, I had not control items, the everything was already past and of 2 called cm guns “Launch” and pointed to a plume of smoke rising from the ground. Immediately I had to with it. It was a more difficult way. We had to fight our path through swamp and scrub, before we came to the rescue machine. Some Landser and Russians were already lacking. The tail of this machine was some canceled 100 m back. Then came a long track of churning the ground, It forms from a landing, and at the end of this line, the machine was like a dead bird. Small bluish flames beat from the engine. The pilot wanted to probably still trying to come out. He was somewhat sideways next to his parachute. He, as well as the screen were angesengt, partly already burnt. It looked terrible and stank entirely from scheußlich. While we were so 2 Associations PE 2 [Petlyakov PE-2, light bomber]. Insgesamt etwa 30 Machines. Since ballooned even bombs on air base. We saw this on the hochsteigenden smoke- and dust pillars. However, the majority of the bombs fell on the adjacent fields. We have seen everything good that from our point of view. After all enemy aircraft had gone, We went to the very arduous way home. We took the dead pilot from his papers and a map, on the the early was exactly marked, We took to us. When we got back to our position, was once good breakfast for this morning excitement. It was my first bomb attack in the Association. Thank God we were doing yet out of danger. In the evening of that day my nerves should however again to a, This time something tougher sample provided.

At 20. April 43 Promoted to the corporal for us young Gunners took place. Our Chief, lieutenant. Siebeck, did not take it, his most recent soldiers aufzuheften even the second link on the Red Milicja. At this day we got a lot good things to eat and drink. In the evening, Kleber and me had to come to the BI and join the celebration. I could settle me but still not in this operation. Everything was so strange to me.

Beginning of April we got a Fu.MG [“Shipborne”, Today radar] Add. I lived with 4 Man a barrack. There we could switch undisturbed and exercise. To determine a Uffz had about us. Beckurts, a huge man, the sound its loud organ to like to let. We took him seriously, had not the stubbornness and the routine still Yes my friend and I, as they were in the old. But with time we noticed already, What was a wind. Later, in April 1944 as “Peter” came to us from the hospital and saw both of us so, as we settled us and what confidence we enjoyed, He said to Sergeant. Theissen, It would be his work, We had to herausgemacht. Sergeant. Theissen contra gave him, and said, He would have only spoiled us by his doofe way.

Soon went to a slogan, would rebase made it and it outputs the South. It was in fact. We packed our bags and verluden. The muddy ground and the tough General mud caused us all sorts of difficulties, to bring the measuring troop cars with the dahinter hanging devices on the fixed road. It was possible only by tempering of tractors. The first destination was Smolensk, where we stayed at the Narva barracks. The next day it went then at faster speed of the rain, until inevitably leading to Roslavl road to Sechtschinskaja. This is 40 km South Roslavl. In the first evening, we reached the place. These were large buildings and a large air base. We had to March to our new position still in deep darkness and because we had lost the orientation, We were often up to the hips in the snow or were in the midst of large puddles. Because the position was still occupied, We had to in the so-called. “Military care shanty” übernachten. Die Stellung wurde in den nächsten Tagen frei und wir konnten daran gehen, the position after our plane expand. It has made much pleasure in tough mud. This was still, that it most 1. April again snowed. Barracks were torn away and rebuilt elsewhere, new estates built etc.. This should be a rest for us and we should remain longer because. So after we had already the position, We wanted to have. I liked it anyway.