Stalin's Nemesis

by Michael James Melnyk

  […] We were in a church in Zilina near the centre of town, where our visiting padre was ready to start his sermon when a duty orderly marched in, saluted and shouted ‘Wildner austretten!’ (‘Wildner [soldiers] all out!’). When we arrived in camp the rest of 12 company was already packed and ready to march. A rumour went round that the Red Army had broken through front on Hungarian-Slovak border and we were going to plug it.

  When we arrived at the Stefanik Barracks, all our weapons were already loaded on lorries so we changed our summer uniforms for winter camouflage ones, picked up our rucksacks and we were off. We travelled the rest of the day and part of the night. The weather during the day was sunny but chilly. During the night the wind picked up and started blowing misty sleet. In the morning, when it was still dark, the lorries stopped just below the ridge of a hill and we got off and unloaded. Our orders were to occupy [positions] on the other side of the hill. Patrols were sent to the top of the hill to check out the terrain. They reported that the slope to the village was covered with a thin layer of snow and a few bushes. That was what we were afraid of. We were ordered to take our uniforms off, reverse them so the white colour was on top and put them on again. I was shivering as it was, but when I put my damp uniform back on I thought that I would shake to bits. At least I knew that I would be less conspicuous. […]247

  Waffen-Sturmmann Mychailo Kormylo was also present:

  […] I went to the armoury and requisitioned 1,000 tracer bullets. We then sat and placed 20 bullets in each belt and within a few hours we had our 5,000 rounds duly proportioned. Meanwhile I had heard that there was a really good German language film showing in Zilina about a man who was leaving his girl for the eastern front. I remember clearly on 23 December 1944, I went to the cinema to watch an afternoon performance of the film ‘Girl of my dreams’—(Das Frau meine Traume). The star was the gorgeous German actress Marika Rökk. I paid for my ticket and got a good seat. Half way through the film the lights went on and a voice boomed out the command ‘all soldiers of the Galicia Division report to base as your regiment awaits you’. There were about fifteen of us in that cinema. We raced outside where there were lorries waiting for us. Some boys were already seated in battle dress with an assembled machine gun. Back at base I sprinted to get equipped—belt, 38 mm pistol, ammo, bread bag, gas mask, binoculars, flare pistol and compass. German intelligence announced that the Red Army had crossed the Slovak border and had entered Jablonovce, approx. 9 kms from Banska Stiavnica. We left Banska Stiavnica and headed into the village of Pocuvadlo. We continued from there on foot to join the Germans and their tanks.

  That night we camped in the frost, waiting for the Germans. The command came to advance at 0600 hrs. A few Wehrmacht groups began to arrive on our left flank. The village was down in a valley and from where we were we could see the Red Army men walking between their tanks, some making tea, some smoking their makhorka. I set up our machine gun on a mound some 500 m distant from them. Our company was to come down and cross a small river to reach the village. Bohdan Tarnawsky’s company was already nearing houses—he had asked us to cover him as he would be first to reach the village. Finally a red flare indicated that they had reached it and we in turn began to fire into the village, whereupon the Red Army men began fleeing. They were jumping onto and into their tanks. Rather than fire back at us they fled so quickly towards the rear of the village that they left only a trail of dust. We had three companies attacking them from the right but not one was taken alive. This happened exactly on the 24 December 1944. Where the Soviet tanks stood, the road was saturated with blood. There were still bodies lying on some of the tanks—the Soviets were retreating with their dead. Our reconnaissance went to check how far they had retreated. My friend Bohdan Tarnawsky came out of one of the houses he had entered and signalled for us to approach with our guns. I in turn signalled to Mychailo Bajtala, 300 metres to our right, to head down with his heavy machine gun. Four mortars who were 100 metres behind us also moved.

  We all reached the village and the German Wehrmacht officer Schäfer ordered me to head for the graveyard beyond the village and establish our machine gun there. We had to give ourselves a distance of about a kilometre between us and a potential attack from the Soviets. He said ‘Tell your comrade Bajtala to get his men settled to the right of the graveyard and we will cover you with mortars from your rear’.

  This done, Tatarsky arrived and asked who had instructed us to take these positions. I replied that the Wehrmacht officer Schäfer had done this as he knew the exact position of the Soviets. Around the time we should have lunched, the light snow which had fallen overnight was beginning to melt in the sunshine and green grass began to emerge among the graves. I commanded my boys to change from their whites to camouflage to disguise ourselves against our background.

  Our reconnaissance group met the Soviets 4 kilometres from the village of Jablonovce where they were waiting with their tanks and infantry lines dug in. The Germans who had come to support us in taking the village began consulting with our officers. They agreed that if we were to be on active duty on the 25 December while they celebrated their Christmas then they would relieve us on the 7 January to allow us to celebrate ours. Following this my boys set up a heavy machine gun between two large gravestones to afford us some cover for when the Soviets attacked.

  As night drew in, it started to get cold. It had already been some 11 hours since we had last eaten anything like breakfast. I told my boys that I would go and approach the nearest house where I had observed an old woman. I would ask her to sell us something to eat until our food arrived. I approached the door, knocked, and the old woman emerged asking me what I wanted. I asked if she could sell us something to eat as we had eaten nothing since 0600 hrs that morning. She said that she did have some food that she had been preparing for Christmas in readiness for her family. The old woman told me she had plenty to eat and that she would give us food for nothing. ‘How many are you?’ I said ‘six plus myself’. She said ‘they can all come to me’ but I said ‘only three at a time! (as they had to keep a guard over the machine gun at the cemetery.) ‘Let it be as you want’ she said.

  I went back to the graveyard and instructed three of my men to go and three to stay put. As we went into the old woman’s house she was ladling out beautiful soup into bowls. She gave us bread with the soup. This was followed by dumplings and a generous glass of wine. Having eaten this we went back to the graveyard to change the watch. The three who followed us also thanked her for her generosity. They said they kissed her hands and left her a good amount of German money along with cigarettes, chocolate and Slovakian money. She told us that the Russians had announced that when they overrun Slovakia that old people like her would be well cared for. She understood what we understood about them.

  Early on 25 December their [German] Christmas, they sent us up to a position one kilometre before Jablonovce, in readiness for the Soviets. On these hillsides were small storage huts where we knew there were stored fruit, vegetables, corn on the cob and sunflowers. My boys were happy to be so close to food. We spent the time putting our machine gun in a good position, filled it with a thousand rounds and waited. A few kilometres ahead lay the village of Batovce. The Soviets had already overrun it and were making their way towards us. We had four companies dug in about 600 metres in front of us, who were also awaiting the Soviets. The Germans took up positions on the right hand side of the main road where Red Army tanks were slowing making their way forward. They had around 500 men, good weaponry, 10 anti-tank guns, ten heavy machine guns and lots of anti-tank Faustpatrons.

  On the second day of Latin Christmas the Germans were eager to celebrate their feast. What kind of Christmas was it for them when the Red Army had closed up to about 900 metres? Tarnawsky told me he would head over to one of the little huts and look through the roof straw. It was quiet for a while. The Soviets had not advanced so close to us as they had to the Germans. Should they come close, we were well prepared.

 
Bohdan had already torn straw from the roof of the store hut and had his binoculars focused on them. He could judge how far they were from us because the weather was fine and the sun shining in their eyes from behind us. This would give us good firing advantage. Bohdan came back and handed me his binoculars to show that his were more powerful than mine. I had a look through his and I could see them more clearly. There were obviously more of them than us. I judged about 1,500 to our 500. They were dragging heavy weaponry, heavy machine guns and intermediate weapons, along with mortars slung over their bodies. Bohdan asked me for a decision. ‘What do you think Mychailo? Are they getting too near us?’ I said, ‘we should engage them in combat Bohdan, before they get any nearer. Just as they advance any further towards your line I think we should open rapid fire on them—five to eight minutes non-stop. We can then ease up and wait for their response. If they do respond we will give them the same again and as good as we’ve got.’ ‘I can move the heavy Lafette, heavy machine gun and mortar back into place along with our men—you and I observing from back there’ [he replied].

  Bohdan went off to group his men and we placed our machine gun next the small stone hut with only the corner of the hut as shelter. Having just done this I saw a spark from a distant bush and the next moment a bullet smashed into the wall just above my head, blinding me for a moment. I knew right away that it was a Soviet sniper bullet. I remembered the sound well from the time they picked us off at Pidhirtsi, [near] Brody. I immediately instructed Yevhen Petrytsky’s machine gun to give the bush 50 rounds, which flattened it to the ground. I knew then the sniper was also finished.

  Bohdan signalled to me with hand gestures. The Soviets were about 700 metres from him. Be ready to let loose. I remember looking at my watch. It was now 1430 hrs. The Germans to our right sent up a flare to indicate that the Soviets had begun to attack. Then a massive amount of fire power kicked off from both sides. Our two heavy machine guns kept the enemy in our sights and pinned down, barring them from any movement forward or back. Our four mortars let loose too so that all we could then hear from their side were screams and shouting.

  The Germans had taken out some of their T-34s, which had temporarily stopped, pushing them back. We held steady and kept up a relentless bombardment until Bohdan gave the signal to cease fire. We then retreated systematically back down the valley to the village of Jablonovce.

  When the enemy saw us making an orderly retreat they began to follow us and harass us. Bohdan’s squad and mine were now making for the village, retreating in lines. The Soviets then began advancing uphill from us and shooting down on us with light machine guns. Bohdan ordered me to give him a flare with which he could indicate to our artillery where the Red Army men were gathered. I threw it to him and he loaded it on the pistol and fired back towards where we had been. In no time our artillery opened up on that hill and created living hell for the Red Army men. We continued retreating down hill towards the village and the main road. I was about five metres from the road when a piece of shrapnel from one of their mortars hit me in the heel and broke it. I was wounded. My foot immediately began to swell and I could hardly walk. I told Yevhen Petrytskiy to take over the platoon and take responsibility for the heavy machine gun as I would need to get to a hospital. In the village there was a jeep with two wounded Germans already sitting in it. I asked the driver if he could also help me get to some first aid. He agreed to get me to Banska Stiavnica 9 kms from the battle.

  We had only just left the village of Jablonovce when our jeep was hit by the Soviets. I recognised the sound of their Maxim heavy machine gun. Only four bullets penetrated the side of the jeep and our driver was happy to get out of there. On the road to Banska Stiavnica the driver was in a hurry as he was obliged to get back for other wounded. He dropped us at a field hospital where the doctor and nursing sisters saw to our wounds. Immediately we were given jabs against infection. It was a Slovakian doctor who thoroughly checked me saying my heel was broken but that I had not lost too much blood. He bandaged me up really well and had me consigned to a train heading for Austria and a hospital where I would recuperate.[…]248

  Waffen-Unterscharführer Drazniowsky, a platoon commander assigned to the 10 company wrote:

  […] The following morning we moved a few kilometres to the village of Piarg to secure the main road and defend access to Banska Stiavnica. After a few days the 10 company was ordered to move by truck to the village of Pocuvadlo and then on foot to the village of Badan where we were supposed to link up with some German infantry units and tanks which were to support an attack on the village of Jablonovce. We spent the night on a ridge of frozen snow waiting for the tanks, but to our disappointment after a long wait they had still not arrived.

  In the morning we could see the Soviet soldiers down in the valley were burning straw to prepare their breakfast. [As] the promised tank support had not appeared, we began to prepare to attack without them, hoping additional infantry units would arrive soon. We started to approach Jablonovce which we took early in the morning of 24 December. While we were in the village, a German infantry company finally arrived. We arranged with the officer in charge of the German company to change with them so that the Germans could spend their Christmas (25 December) in reserve, while we held the frontline on the understanding that they would replace us so that we could spend our Christmas (7 January) in reserve.

  On 25 December the 10 company received the order to secure the mountain which overlooked the village of Batovce, 7 kms to the south. Batovce was occupied by the Soviets and from our position we had an excellent view and could observe their movements. On 26 December we observed a large concentration of Soviet tanks and infantry which were obviously preparing for an attack. In turn we started to prepare our defence.

  Around 0200 hrs on 27 the offensive began. We watched as the Soviet tanks passed through the valley towards the village of Pukanec. Around 0300hrs the Soviets started their assault on our positions. After a few hours of intense fighting at 0800hrs the 10 company received the order to retreat back to the village of Jablonovce, while the 11 company on our left covered the retreat. Under heavy fire my platoon which was the rearguard, had two killed and four wounded (including myself). I later learned that our entire unit had heavy casualties and was forced to withdraw.249

  Ultimately the Soviet attack was held in check in fierce defensive fighting which continued for the next two days in the vicinity of the village of Pukanec.250

  On 29 December Kampfgruppe Schäfer and other German forces in the area including the Dirlewanger Brigade, launched several counter-attacks which successfully drove the Soviets back and restored the front.251 On 3 January 1945,252 III. battalion Wildner’ was recalled from the line to rejoin its parent regiment as Dern’s battlegroup stood down. It arrived back in Zilina just in time to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas (7 January). Waffen-Grenadier Volodymyr Keczun wrote in his memoirs:

  […] After being relieved by German troops on the Hungarian-Slovak border, we returned to Zilina on [our] Christmas Eve. I remember that very well because our train stopped for the night at the station just outside Zilina. Somebody broke into a freight train on the siding destined for Germany packed with lots of goodies and we were told that the Schutzpolizei would be checking our train.

  Then at midnight we heard shooting from the direction of Zilina. Tracer bullets were flying all over the sky. Somebody shouted that it was Christmas Eve and as we had plenty of live ammunition, we joined in the celebration. The police didn’t come that night, but in the morning when we arrived in Zilina, our company commander Schneller and the police were scrutinising each of us as we passed through the gate. They didn’t find anything. […]253

  According to Heike, the battlegroup had fought well and received commendations from all who dealt with it, especially the artillery units which had performed particularly well. Among the notable casualties lost during the fighting was Waffen-Untersturmführer Mychailo Grocholsky who died during the Soviet attack on 26 December.254 Both G
ermans and Ukrainians were subsequently decorated for their valour during offensive and defensive engagements. Amongst the Ukrainians were Waffen-Oberscharführer Roman Mychajliv, and Waffen-Unterscharführer Jaroslav Polatajko (Art.Rgt.14).

  Epiphany—New Year Celebrations

  Amid a subdued atmosphere and the uncertainty which surrounded the desperate German military situation, the Division commemorated the Christmas and New Year 1944/45 in Slovakia in comparative tranquillity. In an address made at this time broadcast by radio, SS-Brigadeführer Freitag expressed the wish that 7 January 1945, might be the last Christmas celebrated by the Division outside Galicia,255 but this sentiment could not however hide the realities of the situation, which everyone knew to be worsening rapidly. As if to emphasise this, on 7 January the Divisional newspaper appeared under the name Do Peremohy (To Victory) for the last time, thereafter it was replaced with a completely new publication entitled to Do Boyu (To Battle).256

  For most combat units, the extent of the festivities were limited to the observance of a holy evening supper on Christmas Eve consisting of traditional Ukrainian dishes of borsch, fish, and kutia. Special Christmas parcels containing a gift of cake, a bottle of wine or spirit as appropriate, cigarettes, real chocolate or comparable luxury commodities, were also distributed to each soldier.

  Professional entertainment was provided by Ukrainian artists who stayed with the Division until mid January 1945 giving performances for several of the sub-units.257 Among some reserve units improvised festivities were arranged enlivened by the singing of Ukrainian Christmas carols, music, dances, and plays organised by the soldiers themselves.258