Researching Red Army/Navy Units

[Alfred]

That was the military situation in Summer 1941 near Kiev. The 26th Army was surounded by german forces.

best regards
Andreas

[Norm Braddock]

Thank you sincerely Alfred! Seems like the 26th army took at beating and this coincides with what my father said. We greatly appreciate your input!:thumbsup

N

PS, fellas if you can get by my humour and previous remarks on topics, would you mind commenting further if applicable. I'm trying like hell to piece this together. Lots of you peoples out there were in the Soviet military, pls provide more input.

I'll try to post some of my dad's experiences.

Thank you,

N

[ANZAC]

Norm

I have many reference books on the German offensives and German units (mainly Waffen SS) in the East. I'll do some digging and see if there is reference to the 26th Army.

Brendan:thumbsup

[Norm Braddock]

For Alfred, that damn Aussie who can sell ice to an Eskimo, Artsky, and the two super modest forum peoples who have brightened his life. There's others also like that Kirchgoens tankist. From, the Ukrainian Commando, aka, my dad:

It was extremely hot and dry at or near Kanev. My dad's tank got put out of commission thanks to the Germans. So much terrible confusion. My dad tried to hide in a crater. He witnessed the following: Two very strong party member officers were in the process of having the munitions and docs destroyed. Upon completion, the two officers proceeded to each drink a full bottle of vodka and then shoot themselves. My dad said that Stalin made it perfectly known to all: You have 5 bullets, four for the Germans and one for yourself (in case).

Now yesterday, the Commando was sitting inthe backyard enjoying the last remnants of summer. He showed me his disfigured index finger. He said, "Norm, how is it that I once was so poor, lived through hell and now I am like a king?"

Around the time that the Soviet officers did what they did, a German car carrying officers went through a minefield and killed the occupants. Needless to say, the Germans were not happy about this. They shot ALOT of Soviet troops.

My dad surrendered. He said the German who he surrendered to spoke some Polish and yelled "Hotch, hotch." Other German troops were ready to blow my dad away but this one "saved" him and told them that my dad surrendered.

They were put into a barn for the meantime. The stench was horrible according to my dad-hard to breathe. My dad was near a door and tried to get some fresh air from the threshold. The German guard opened the door and with his stick, he swung at my dad to get away and nailed his finger. This is the "souvenir" that my dad referred to sooner. He "set" his own broken finger.

Henry could write this alot better. I have been reluctant to write about this here for quite some time. However, for quite some time some generous dude (who has been SUPER to us!) here who writes lots of books et al told me to write about my dad's experiences. Perhaps its also due to the kindness of Alfred who submitted today? Perhaps it's due to the other very generous expert gentleman sir who contributes almost daily? Then there's that damn Aussie,lol, what can one say about em? Or that guy Kirchgoens who has supplied me with info on the era units?

To this day, and for many years prior, I've had to wake my dad up from nightmares where he has yelled, "Nemchi, nemchi". This is the reality of these vets. Btw, does my dad hate the Germans? Nooooooooo way. We have friends who were on both sides. My dad acknowledges that it was war and a different time and so do they. If you ever get the opportunitity to meet my dad, you'll notice a scar above his top lip. He can show you scars on his legs where German scrapnel put him out of commission later in the war.
They wanted to hack his leg off but my dad would not let them. But that was at Dukla Pass and another story.

Perhaps I will write further on his experiences hereafter. However, in the interim, if you wonder why I am so strongly opinionated in some regards, it's because I just hate seeing these guys get exploited. Respect eachother and the ODM's that you have. Don't rip eachother off-think of the heros whose items you are selling/buying. Just think of the stories that your awards could tell you and the hell that these people lived through?

Enough said for now...............

N

[UQWozza]

What a great story - your Dad was very lucky to survive!!!!!!!!

What unit was he in?

In Glantz's "Companion to Colossus Reborn" the 26th Army is listed as having the 8th Mechanised Corps which consisted of the following Tank and Mechanised units:

• 12th Tank Division
• 34th tank Division
• 7th Motorised Division
• 2nd Motorcycle Regiment

The 8MC is noted as being disbanded 30 August 1941 after being formed on 4 June under Lieutenant General D. I. Riabyshev.

Please give us further info on your Dad - it is personal stories like his that bring history to life. I, for one, would love to know how he ends up getting back into combat later in the war.

It is also important to save this information before his generation leaves us - I regret not talking to my grandfather who served in the British Army in WW1. I later found out that he survived both landing at Gallipoli and the first day of the Somme battle. His stories died with him.

It is one of the reasons I now collect Voenni bliet and Krasnoarmeiskaia Knizhka. These books contain plenty of information about servicemen and I am passionate about learning these people's stories.

Simon

[ANZAC]

So far I have got this:

26th Soviet Army Faced Army Group South consisting of:

VI Army led by von Reichenau

I Panzergruppe led by von Kleist

XVII Army led by von Stülpnagel

Hungarian Army Corps (Carpathian Group)

III Rumanian Army led by Dmitrescu

XI Army led by von Schobert

IV Rumanian Army led by Ciuperca

40 divisions; 14 Rumanian divisions; Hungarian Army Corps and Luftflotte IV.

I might be able to narrow down what forces were involved in battling the 26 Army in and around the time frame we are looking at.

Brendan:thumbsup

[ANZAC]

According to Lieutenant General D.I. Rjabyshev:

"Technically, the 8th Mecanised Corps had its full complement of officers and enlisted men and 932 tanks compared with its authorized strength of 1,031 machines. However, only 169 of the Corps’ tanks were modern medium and heavy models such as the T-34. The remaining 763 machines were obsolete models averaging barely 500 kilometers between maintenance checks, and 197of them were in need of a full factory overhaul.

The Corps was also lacking in artillery and anti-tank weapons. Of the 141 guns on hand, 53 were small-caliber 37m and 45mm guns. Anti-aircraft resources were comprised of 4 37mm AA guns and 24 anti-aircraft machine guns. In terms of gun transport, the Corps only possessed a pool of slow moving and worn out tractors."

We'll narrow down his unit yet Norm:thumbsup

Brendan

[Norm Braddock]

Thanks mates!:thumbsup

On page 48 and 49 of the Osprey book Operation Barbarossa 1941 (1):Army Group South, it has a strong reference to the 26th Army at Kanev. My dad said that the Germans caught them in a pincer. Although no reference to the pincer I suppose that pockets of Soviet soldiers did get surrounded at this time.

Will review you input further. Again, many thanks!

[Norm Braddock]

Hi Simon, that is super interesting about your grandfather. I'm very sorry that you did not have the opportunity to speak with him about Gallipoli and Somme. If it is of any comfort, my dad, like many others really did not like to speak about his war experiences. Bits and pieces here and there with some of the stoires remaining constant. Years and years ago when his friends were over, I'd sit and listen to them. Very interesting to hear their stories.
Eventually the topic of politics would come up and that's when the katyushas
would be fired. They'd all agree on the topic yet their voices got loud (vodka helped) and it was actually funny to watch these guys not argue, but rather have very heated agreements.

Over the past year, my dad has opened up more and more. Moreso since I joined the forum. Compounding the problem is my dad's age, medical condition and memory. So I'm trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
His Red Army pics are misplaced but one day they will be found.

At the beginning of the war he was in Bessarbia-the birthplace of Timoshenko.
All I know is that they were fighting Romanians and that the Romanians used oxen(?) for transport. Supposedly, my dad et al went at night one time, stole a few, brought them back to their lines and ate them.

So yes, Mr. Brendanovsky, I believe that he was part of Army Group South. However, they did pull back into the Ukraine.

More to come-thanks mates!:thumbsup

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by Kapusta Norm

... like many others really did not like to speak about his war experiences. Bits and pieces here and there with some of the stoires remaining constant.

It is quite often, and this shows us that in any war, regardless of the period, kind, or cause, there are no 'good guys' nor 'bad guys' in the battlefield. All sides are both. I really think that after seeing and experiencing the atrocities war offers to people, no rational human being would be pleased to remember.

Thank you very much for sharing your father´s stories with us. :thumbsup