—— Red Army Sniper ——38own flares. Audibility was also good at night; it was only 60–80
metres to the German trenches.
If, before the war, a commander had occupied defences on a front
slightly greater or less than what was prescribed by regulations, he
would have been marked down. Now we were forced to defend a
front three times greater than regulations prescribed with half the
manpower of peacetime requirements. And yet, however great the
extent of our trenches, however thin the ranks defending twentysix
trenches, not once did I come across our friends from regimental
reconnaissance. We met when the lads were setting out for the
enemy’s rear in search of a captured German for interrogation,
or when, having fulfilled their mission, they were returning from
reconnaissance through our own defence sector.
These meetings were brief; nobody had time, everyone had
work to do, and time was of the essence – particularly when it
came to having a good chat! But in these cases we managed to
exchange brief bits of information: how were things, what was new,
what successes had been achieved. My frequent attempts to get
permission to prowl around the enemy rear with my reconnaissance
friends did not receive the officers’ approval. However, from time
to time, I was allowed to interact with search groups and support
them with sniper fire.
One day the lads set off into the enemy rear to grab a prisoner
for interrogation. I received instructions to go with them as far as
the enemy front line and, having accompanied them that far, to
wait for their return – but, if necessary, to cover their retreat. It was
not the hardest assignment, but it was not trivial either: I knew
what happened when the enemy discovered scouts. You rarely
got back to your own trenches safe and sound, especially if your
mission was successful. Only the most experienced, coolheaded
and selfpossessed scouts managed it.
Having escorted our friends, who had got through the enemy
trenches, I lay in ambush in no man’s land and awaited their return.
The bomb crater I chose turned out to be quite comfortable. On
their return the scouts were not going to be able to bypass it and