; a little story and its query........................Direct hit on a gun.
On June 25, we come in the evening for the first time against unexpectedly strong resistance. The Kradsch. Btl 38 is in heavy fighting. A howitzer of the 3. Battery is called as "assault gun" (Sturmgeschütz) and pulled forward, to break the resistance. At the bridge Mikiance - Baranje a bloody night skirmish developed. The advanced gun receives a direct hit, there are dead and wounded, the operation is a failure!.
A severe shock! It is the first setback, we are experiencing in this new war with Russia. We feel some of the stubbornness of the enemy and of his often opaque tactics. It's all so different that in France a year ago. The advance guard breaks contact with the enemy into the night. We are forced to leave the gun at night, after burying the lock as a precautionary measure. All attempts to retrieve the howitzer in the darkness, fails.
At dawn on June 26, following orders of my battery chief, Leutnant Wunderlich (KIA on July 8, 1941 in Polotsk) I have to reconnoiter a B site (OP) and set it up at the Height 183. We dig us.
The battery officer manages to retrieve in the early morning of that day with courage, prudence and determination the abandoned gun with volunteers without losses. A particular merit had the driver of the tractor. It was extremely difficult for him to carry out this maneuver on narrow paths, while expecting a raid of the Russians. Or they've been moved away under cover of night?.......................
Source: Heinrich Schafer „Unser Kameraden - erschlagen! Beider Vorausabteilung der 18 Division im Juni 1941" - AK 8-9/1973, s. 26-27. http://imf.forum24.ru/?1-6-20-00000018- ... 1269198831
How often the German needed to employ their artillery in that way, did the howitzer fires on direct mode, open sight or the German developed some kind of assault fire (an indirect fire mode to engage hard targets)? TIA. Cheers. Raúl M
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