The German Officer Shot Me in Cold Blood

In a special hospital in Moscow for men severely wounded in the head and face laid V. Dolgin, a 26-year-old Ukrainian, who was maltreated and left for dead by the Germans on the Smolensk front. Here is his story, as reported in "Soviet War News."

It was on July 16th 1941, and we had received orders to occupy the village of Demidovo, near Smolensk, and to advance to the highway. When we had gone a little way the Germans opened fire on us, but we answered them. It was in this battle that I was wounded in the arm and leg. The commander urged me to go back, but I was a machine-gunner and wanted to turn my ammunition over to the other gunners. As I was trying to reach them, something crashed on my head and I was knocked unconscious. I lay where I was for about four hours and regained consciousness only when I felt someone kicking me. I opened my eyes and saw a German officer and two soldiers standing over me. The officer ordered me to stand up, but I could not stand. The two soldiers pulled me to my feet, but when the officer hit me in the face with his fist 1 fell down again. Then the officer demanded that I tell him the whereabouts of the Soviet troops and how many tanks we had. I refused, and he became angry and hit me again. I still remained silent; and then he took a gun from one of the soldiers and shot me twice. The second bullet tore through my tongue and knocked out several teeth. Thinking I was dead, they left me. I was very weak, for I was bleeding badly. I wanted to dress my wounds, but I was afraid that, if they saw the white bandage, they would know I was alive and come back again. Finally, I decided to remain as I was until the night and then try to reach the village. The whole day I lay on the ground in a semi-conscious state. I had illusions that I saw my comrades, and I wondered why they did not come to my rescue. I tried to call to them, but I could not speak, and I could not stand up. Finally, it grew dark and I began to crawl to the village. I was terribly thirsty; and I think it was the thirst that saved my life, for every time I fell down the thirst drove me on again. At last I reached the village and found water, and then 1 felt better. I met two old peasants and asked them to direct me to the Soviet troops. My tongue was so swollen from the wound that I could only mutter and they could not understand me. They thought I was a German soldier. Reluctantly they said I might sleep on the hay near their house, and I stayed there until the morning. When the morning came I heard firing, but 1 did not know whether it was our troops or the Germans. I crept out of the hay, and after I had gone a little way I ran into a Red Army man from the signal corps. He took me to the hospital, where my wounds were dressed, and then I was sent to Moscow. That is all.

Nobody, if they have never experienced the torture that I did, can imagine that men can be so cruel and do the terrible things that the Germans did to me. It is horrible to recall it now, and every time I think of it I feel as if I am beginning a second life.

V Dolgin, Russian Machine Gunner, who describes here how he was shot by the Nazi’s although wounded.

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