800 Days on the Eastern Front : A Russian Soldier Remembers World War II

List of Illustrations ix Editor's Note xi Chapter 1: I Become an Airborne Soldier 1 The Outbreak of War 2 I Volunteer for the Airborne 3 The Northwestern Front: Demiansk and Staraia Rusa 5 Chapter 2: Kursk 10 Defensive Preparations 10 The Battle Begins and My Wounding 14 Chapter 3: Pursuit 23 Operation Kutuzov 23 Drive to the Dnepr River 27 Gaivoron 28 Crossing the Dnepr River 39 Chapter 4: I Become a Chauffeur 44 A Close Call 45 The Sudden Death of a Comrade 46 At the Repair Station 52 My Second Wounding and Another Transfer 52 Chapter 5: Operation Bagration 54 My Violation of Duty and Punishment 54 Operation Bagration Begins 56 We Lead the Attack on Parichi 60 Slaughter at Bobruisk 65 Chapter 6: Into Poland with the 354th Rifle Division 79 An Unwanted Duty 80 Transferred Again 81 Kleshcheli and Avgustinka 83 The Narev Bridgehead 90 The Counterattack on the Narev 94 Major Chirkin Intercedes 100 With the 354th Rifle Division's Commander, V.N. Dzhandzhgava 101 Chapter 7: The Final Offensive 106 Forward! 109 At the Animal Husbandry Farm 114 Graudenz and the Vistula 117 At the Count's Estate 118 To Danzig 122 Danzig 128 The Destruction of the East Prussian Group 132 To Stettin 133 The Final Assault Begins 137 The War's End 140 My Arrest and Postwar Life 142 Notes 145 Selected Bibliography 153 Index 155