May 13th, 1942.
I arrived in the Kharkov area on a dewy morning. The Opel wasn't too kind to my back so if anything, I was grateful to be in my new combat zone. The division commander led me over to my new panzer, I wasn't expecting anything shiny but certainly something in better shape...
The Panzer IV that was to become my home, number 510. It's plating was gouged in spots, a fender tore up from what Radio Operator Heinz called, with dour humor, "a brush with a tree."
I met the tank commander, he would be calling out my targets and ordering everyone about. He was nice, unshaven, unkempt, but thus is war. I was brought up to speed on the "current tactical situation." but I didn't care very much. I was looking for war, and I didn't care how I got it.
At 1247 the war came to me. Artillery started whizzing over our heads as I went about bending the fender back into shape. The commander ran to the tank and yelled to me "Mount up!"
As I jumped in to my position in the gunlayer's seat he filled me in. There was an artillery regiment in a town just beyond Peschanoye, we couldn't get there fi because, "well, Peschanoye was in the way!" He said with a laugh. (This wartime humor hasn't made any sense to me yet.)
our Zug, or platoon, which was named Zug Adler (adler means eagle) was ordered to charge up the hill, which was entrenched by russians and anti-tank guns nearby.
(Panzer IV, unit 510, beginning the charge up the hill)
It was all of 2 minutes before we saw the first enemies. A pair of Russians somehow managed to get stuck in the forest and popped out on our side, I saw them first and took them down with the coaxial machine gun. I felt horrible. Here I was safe in this steel beast and these two barely had a chance to turn and run, no armor to protect them.
As we approached the top of the hill rounds started to ricochet off the tank.
Suddenly the commander's voice rang clear in my headset.
"12 'o' clock! Danger close! Soviet anti-tank gun position!"
"I can't see it! Load high explosive!" I yelled back.
"Loaded!"
We crested the hill and I saw the green-painted steel of a small caliber russian anti tank gun. It wasn't aimed at us. I let loose a sigh of relief and fired a round at the shield.
(Authors first kill)
I took down about 15 men on the top of that hill and another anti-tank gun, at least by myself, I didn't keep track of the assisted kills. I don't like shooting at people, but they are the enemy and I absolved to the idea that if they were in my position they wouldn't hesitate to mow me down.
I saw Peschanoye in my sights. A typical Ukrainian village, very quaint.
The commander yelled again
"10 'o' clock! About 700 meters! PANZER!"
"load armor piercing!"
"high explosive loaded sir!"
"damn..."
I fired the high explosive and the shot hit the left-side track of the tank, his track came apart and he was immobile.
"Armor peiercing loaded!"
I adjusted my aim and fired a plunging shot at his front armor. It apparently did the trick. The tank just stopped. It stopped doing everything and just sat there. My first real kill! I was elated.
We entered Peschanoye and there was very little resistance from the Russians, a few men here and there threw grenades at the tank but they didn't do any real damage, I took down another anti-tank gun.
Finally the shooting stopped and we were allowed to climb out of the tank. I head a massive headache.
The commander walked over to me, smiled, clapped me on the back and said "Good job Kurt."
I did my best to smile back, but I'm sure it wasn't a total smile. I leaned against the tank, smoking my first cigarette of the day.
Kills:
3x 45mm Anti-Tank Gun Mod. 1937 53-K
1x BT-5 Mod. 1934
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