Soviet Tank Corps World War II Memories: Hunting German Tanks -2

Operation Kutuzov

Two days after the start of Operation Kutuzov, the 1454th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment advanced northwest as the first echelon of the 9th Tank Corps, taking part in skirmishes from time to time. Our main task was to seize the Grazunovka settlement and the railway station, and for this our regiment was deployed in a grove of woods on the west bank of the Neruchi River, near the settlement of Kunach.

Around noon, a formation of Il-2 strikers flew over our heads to bombard the German lines. Then our army carried out another fifteen minutes of large-scale shelling. After the fire was prepared, our tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry were put into the attack. We approached the Kursk-Orel railway in the face of heavy enemy barrage fire, at which point we were subjected to heavy fire from enemy tanks and self-propelled guns. Two of our tanks were hit and caught fire, and the attack came to a standstill. The enemy may have fired from a grove near the train station. Our army was on the open ground, the terrain was not good for us, and we were ready to retreat to avoid further losses, when suddenly two of our self-propelled guns rushed through the wilderness at high speed and launched a envelopment, in the direction of the southern edge of the grove, where the enemy tanks were firing. We were stunned to see this move. Both SPG vehicles were covered with bouncing bullets and smoke marks, and they continued to brave deadly fire. Soon, something unexpected happened: a self-propelled gun burst into flames as it rushed to the edge of the woods, and no one escaped from it.

Nevertheless, a second self-propelled gun burst into the woods, and enemy fire was significantly weakened. Tanks and self-propelled guns rushed at full speed towards the enemy line, firing continuously with main guns and machine guns, all the way to the eastern periphery of Glazunovka. Infantry on both sides fought in the first trench and in the houses, some of which changed hands several times. Again and again, the Germans launched counterattacks. The tenacious fighting lasted for more than an hour, and the enemy counterattack blocked the tanks and infantry on the northern flank of our army.

In such a complex situation, our command has urgently formed a composite detachment, comprising a tank company, two companies of our regiment, a spitfire tank platoon and two motorized infantry companies, planning a surprise attack on the enemy's flanks and rear. The regimental chief of staff, Fedishov, was ordered to command the detachment. Before the interlude began, our army launched a cover shelling, and the detachment took the opportunity to attack, and the deployment was to prepare to block the assault on the left and right flanks in a sequence of battles, and to advance to the rear of the enemy. Major Fedishov's car followed the Spitfire platoon, which had two KV-1 Spitfire tanks. In addition to a 76 mm gun and two 7.62 mm Caliber Jeggalyov tank machine guns, the tank was equipped with an ATO-1 flamethrower with a range of 200 meters.

Our detachment was not a forward or a reconnaissance team, but our fierce and determined attack broke up the enemy, and they withdrew with the intention of regrouping, which was exactly what we had in mind. We destroyed four assault guns and a tank, lost one T-34, and Miroshnikov's self-propelled gun was badly damaged. He himself was seriously wounded, but continued to fight until he passed out unconscious.

The enemy regrouped and turned to our detachment. Our advance immediately slowed down. All the tanks and self-propelled guns were on the spot looking for every cover they could find—behind houses, in farm gardens, behind chest walls—and firing back. Soon Fedishov called for artillery and shelled the German positions, and we began to advance again. However, we encountered trouble on the road again, and in a red brick house with a knocked-out roof, the enemy launched a salvo with artillery, and the first tank quickly turned into a ball of flames, and we were surprised - the Germans quickly transformed it into an anti-tank gun position, and another tank and two self-propelled guns were also broken.

"Victor! Drive the chariot into the bushes! "Our self-propelled guns are also beginning to maneuver, and it is at this time that an enemy shell passes us. If I order a little later, then we will be hit and caught on fire ...

Happily, Levanov's tank also managed to escape from the valley, but was now targeted by a Hornet tank destroyer (later slightly improved as the Rhinoceros). The Bumblebee was hiding in the bushes and was difficult to hit, and it was at this moment that a self-propelled gun rushed past Levanov's car, and the left side of the vehicle was painted with three red stars indicating that it had destroyed three tanks, which was the chariot of the 4th Company Vashnev! Bolshnetv was the most experienced officer in the regiment, and his pilot, Afanassi Zakharov, was a very good and strong soldier. But it's hard to speculate on his intentions. I watched intently as the vehicle charged directly at the enemy's "Bumblebee" at top speed, and the huge impact made it bounce a few meters. One of the steel beast's tracks fell, and now it couldn't move or fire — that was Bolshniev's intention! He did it! This was the first example of impact combat of the 1454th self-propelled gun. But the hero is still very modest. In retrospect, it was a good thing that our self-propelled guns were equipped with short-barreled howitzers, and if the barrels got stuck in the enemy's vehicles on impact, the entire main gun would be recoiled into the battle room.

Our troops were still blocked by the Germans in this brick house. Our shells could not shoot it off, and the fascists opened fire through windows that had been converted into firing holes. At this time, chief of staff Fetisov ordered the KV Spitfire tanks to solve the enemy's "fortress". The Spitfire followed his car, stopped 150 meters from the house, and then spewed fire, the first time at the top of the enemy gunner's lack of protection, the second time to the anti-tank gun barrel protruding. The enemy's firing stopped immediately. Then the German gunner caught fire and shouted, and the house kept exploding and black smoke coming out.

Our tanks and self-propelled guns crossed the doomed building, burst into enemy lines, and began crushing enemy infantry positions with their tracks. Our company caught the enemy artillery positions off guard. Some of the gunners began to flee, while some of the die-hard resisters maneuvered their guns in the direction of our attack.

"Victor! Knock over that cannon! "I ordered the driver. Victor stepped up the throttle and rushed over. In a matter of seconds, there will be a life-or-death battle, either our self-propelled guns will be destroyed by enemy artillery, or we will knock over their guns. Our chariots charged directly at high speed towards the enemy, and I fully believed in Victor's skills.

As we were about to rush to the gun, the enemy gunner fired a shell in a panic, which hit a tall and slender tree that fell and blocked our way. The front of our chariot was pressed against the tree and hung in the air, and the huge vibration was accompanied by a loud noise. The enemy was also taken aback, and Orejnik took the opportunity to fire to solve the enemy. Then our chariots were hidden in an orchard behind a house — and we also took a hidden position.