Cooking on fire was too dangerous - the smoke made us a perfect target both for the German and the Russian artillery.
My mother now was stammering and the smaller children had epileptic fits.." Nikolai Eremenko
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"We lived in what once was a cellar of a house. When the
air raids started the dogs were the first to get into our shelters and there
was no way to get them out. They would suddenly turn into ferocious beasts. Cooking on fire was too dangerous - the smoke made us a perfect target both for the German and the Russian artillery. My mother now was stammering and the smaller children had epileptic fits.." Nikolai Eremenko |
| "Our duel took place on the south-eastern slope
of Mamai Hill. The traced position of the German super sniper was about two hundred yards from the water tanks on top of the hill. The tension was growing, our losses increased and the order to finish the enemy was strict. I also could not fail expectations of my comrades... "You will not be marching on our land, you will be crawling" ...'(Vassiliy Zaitsev, Russian sniper) |
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"Sleeping was out of the question and
sometimes we did not
sleep at all for several days. The chief of staff Nikolai Krylov entered our HQ bunker. He was all pale and reported that he's just returned from the position and had everything arranged properly. After saying that he just fell. I leaned over him-the man was sleeping. Waking him up was not possible..."(Vassily Chuikov, 62nd Army commander) |
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"The bank of the Volga river was
empty. Everything that could float was used to get to the opposite side of
the Volga river by the people who dared to escape at night. The nearest destination was island "Golodny". Some people used sealed empty jars and cans which made a good floating device but they were no good to transport children or elderly people. Besides, the rumors said the siege would not be long..."
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| "Two thousand people were shipped into the city that night. Next day I found myself in a field hospital-wounded. There were only a dozen of us left by the next morning. Now everything seemed lost-family, friends, hope. The life was loosing its sense..." |
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| I had two younger sisters and my mother could not feed all
of us so I was left in the settlement of Krasnaya Sloboda and took care of
myself. I was supported by the soldiers and officers who gave me some
bread and canned food for small works like washing and ironing. Before my mother left she gave me a sheet of paper with a prayer. That was supposed to save me from death. Miraculously it did... |
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Both sides used alcohol to inspire the soldiers though
Germans had a wider choice of booze to keep themselves happy. One still
can find an assortment of French bottles in almost every trench
discovered. Being drunk did not help Germans much in Stalingrad. The
Russians were getting more and more mad and reckless of the hatred
growing. Being sober and killing in cold blood was more efficient, of course... Besides the soldiers did not hesitate to kill drunk commanders on the battlefield in a mess of a fight. Tracing such murders was impossible. That kept many commanders sober and in good shape too. |
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Not many wanted to surrender. Propaganda men worked hard to persuade their own soldiers there would be no mercy from the enemy. |