INTERROGATION PROTOCOL POW Corporal of the 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, 4th Machine Gun Company of the Norwegian Volunteer Legion Battalion Yentvedt Kiel. The survey was conducted on 16. 4. 1942. Born in 1919 in the city of Brevik (Norway). Norwegian by nationality, single, has a father, mother, brother, 20 years old, who is also in this battalion, in the 2nd company. In Norway, he served in the police. He voluntarily joined the army, the volunteer "Norwegian Legion", for which his parents receive 184 crowns a month. The prisoner of war himself at the front received 66 marks per month.

He is a member of the "National Norwegian Party" (Quisling's party), his brother is also. Circumstance of capture: On the night of 16. 4. 42. three enemy groups tried to reconnoiter the front edge of the location of our units. The enemy, met by artillery and machine-gun fire, hit our minefield, as a result of which a series of explosions occurred. A group of Red Army soldiers sent for a counterattack under the command of junior lieutenant Solovihin captured two wounded and delivered them to the location of their units.

During interrogation, the prisoner gave the following testimony: He joined the army voluntarily in Norway, in July 1941, in the "Norwegian Legion". In the same month, one battalion of the "Norwegian Legion", in the amount of 1000 people, was sent by steamer from Norway to Hamburg. From Hamburg he was transferred to Stettin, from where 800 people. on planes were transferred to Krasnogvardeisk, and the remaining 200 people on the Eastern Front went by truck through Riga, Krasnogvardeisk. Both groups were joined together in Krasnoye Selo, where they all arrived 5-6 weeks ago. Five weeks ago, the entire battalion arrived in the area of ​​​​the height of go. in. Konstantinovka, from where all 1000 people were transferred to Uritsk 8-10 days ago. All other parts of the "Norwegian Legion" were in Norway. The regiment, which includes the Norwegian legion, was formed a little more than a month ago from different units, with a number of soldiers of 3-4 thousand people.
The prisoner does not know the numbers of the regiment and the numbers of the division to which this regiment belongs. The battalion commander is Norwegian, Major Kvist. Regiment commander - German (does not know his last name) Division commander - German, General Elkin. The battalion of the "Norwegian Legion" in the amount of 1000 people, consisting of policemen aged 18 to 50 years, is included in this regiment. In addition, there are Germans and 200 people in the regiment. Latvians.

The Norwegian battalion is defending in Uritsk, with the front line to the east. env. Uritska; the left flank of the battalion - sowing. env. Uritsk; right flank - st. Ligovo. To the south of the Norwegian battalion, a German infantry battalion is defending, where the prisoner does not know its right flank, a Latvian unit is defending on the left (along the north-west of Uritsk and further along the coast of the Gulf of Finland). All of the above units are part of one infantry regiment. Location of the companies of the Norwegian Legion. In the center of Uritsk - the 1st company; Left - 2nd company; On the right is the 3rd company. The machine-gun company of the battalion is distributed among these three companies. According to the testimony of the prisoner, at present there are up to 2 thousand enemy soldiers in Uritsk, of which 1 thousand are Norwegians and the remaining thousand are Germans, mainly artillerymen. The regimental headquarters and command post is presumably located in Konstantinovka. According to the prisoner, there were rumors among the soldiers that a battalion of military police was stationed in the Tolmachevo area. The prisoner testified that before the arrival of the Norwegian battalion in Uritsk, the German regiment "Leibstandard" was located there, numbering up to 2 thousand people, which consists of selected soldiers from Hitler's personal units. This regiment was in Uritsk for only 14 days, where it came from, the prisoner does not know. 10 days ago, the Leibstandard regiment left Uritsk, according to the prisoner's assumption, for rest. This regiment was replaced in Uritsk by a newly formed regiment, which also included a battalion of the Norwegian Legion. When asked why they, the Norwegians, wear the uniform of the SS-sheep, the latter replied that they arrived at the front as replenishment for the SS units, and therefore wear this uniform.

Organization and armament of the Norwegian legion. Rifle companies of 150 soldiers. The 4th machine-gun company has 150 troops. Each platoon of a machine-gun company has 36 men. There are 30-40 people in the company who are specially engaged in economic issues. In addition, there is a control cell. The 4th company is armed with: in the department (13 people) - 2 rifles, 2 SMG-34 machine guns, 2 machine guns and 4 machine guns. In companies (3 platoons) - 12 rifles, 3 heavy mortars with a caliber of 7.3-10 cm, 12 heavy machine guns. The easel machine gun is serviced by 7 soldiers, the mortar is served by 8-10 people. The artillery attached to the battalion is located 300-400 m deep. Has field howitzers, regimental guns and mortars. The regiment has a company of anti-tank guns (12 guns) with a caliber of 37 mm. There are no chemical shells in the battalion. Each company has special chem. teams of 6 people whose task is to overcome possible chem. means used by the enemy. At night, the units set up outposts, from each platoon of the 4th company for the night the following are posted in outposts: 2 heavy machine guns, 5 light machine guns and 4 machine guns. As a guard, one shooter with a rifle is put up for each machine gun. The posted guard has two rocket launchers. Guards are also posted during the day, but in smaller numbers. The guards are in the trenches. Soldiers stand at their posts from 1.5 to 3 hours. The prisoner testified about the losses of the battalion: over the past 4 weeks, 22 people were killed in the battalion, 60-70 people were injured. 4-5 people were killed in the 4th company. and wounded 10-12 people. These losses are caused mainly by art. fire. In recent days our snipers have killed 5-6 people. In Uritsk, during the last days, 7 soldiers were killed and 10 wounded. About the tasks of the units located in the Uritsk, Konstantinovka region, the prisoner testified as follows: the task of reconnaissance. the detachment operating on the night of 16.4.42 was to blow up our bunkers, take part of our positions and capture prisoners. Intelligence operated in the amount of 24 people. (Norwegians) under the command of a Norwegian, Captain Berg. The Germans supported reconnaissance only with fire, while only the Norwegians were supposed to break into the trenches. The task of the Norwegian battalion in this sector of the front is defense. An attack on Leningrad by the Germans is planned, but, according to the prisoner, not from Uritsk, since there are no signs of this. In particular, it is imperceptible that tanks were concentrated in Uritsk. In addition, there are currently few troops in Uritsk, only 2,000. people, of which 1 thousand Norwegians (who have neither carts nor cars), and the remaining thousand are German soldiers, mainly artillerymen, who have been in Uritsk for a long time. The task of the German troops, according to the statement of the prisoner, is the encirclement of Leningrad from all sides, in order to completely surround the city and cut it off in the same way from any connections with other areas. According to the prisoner, there are enough German troops in this sector of the front to defend and defend the positions they occupy, but not enough to launch an offensive. He thinks that most of the German troops are now heading south, to the Kerch region, to regions where there is oil and where summer begins much earlier. The positions of the Germans in the Uritsk region are equally well fortified everywhere, but the weakest points in the defensive fortifications, in his opinion, are the fortifications along the coast. These areas are less fortified because the Germans understand that it is difficult for the Russians to attack from the coast, from the side of the water.
On the organization of intelligence. The prisoner showed the following: special reconnaissance. there are no units in the Norwegian battalion. Each time separate groups are sent to reconnaissance, armed with light weapons and hand grenades, having concretely assigned tasks before them. The prisoner does not know anything about setting up undercover intelligence. About the presence of Germans in the Norwegian battalion, the prisoner testified as follows: There are German "advisers" among the Norwegians in the battalion. Each company has one such "adviser". Most of these "advisers" are in the rank of lieutenant. In the 4th company, such an "advisor" is the German Lieutenant Scheid. In addition, the battalion has a German supply headquarters, which consists of 10 people.

Political and moral state and general information. According to the prisoner, discipline in the army is good. He knows no cases of desertion among the Norwegians, nor among the Germans. However, he knows about two cases of German desertion that took place in Riga. Food in the army, according to the prisoner, is good, in any case, better than what they received in Norway. Soldiers receive their entire daily ration at the front once a day, in the evening, at 5 o'clock. This food is brought to the front line by soldiers from the kitchen by special peddlers. Every soldier has breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever he wants. For a day, a soldier receives about 500 gr. bread, a small piece of butter, the same small piece of cheese or instead of sausage, 1 liter of soup. For every day and a half, soldiers receive vodka, half a bottle for 7 people. There are no epidemic diseases in the battalion, but at present there are up to 80 people in the battalion. patients (influenza, colds). Each company has two orderlies.
According to the prisoner, all the soldiers are now very pleased that spring has come and the terrible Russian winter has ended.

Soldiers Think this summer will be the last summer of war, but older soldiers are not so optimistic. The Germans tell the Norwegians that they will win the war. Therefore, the Norwegians believe that in this regard, Norway will be liberated from the Germans. The prisoner himself believes that the war will not end so soon, and that the Germans will move the front line further and further to the East. According to the prisoner, German and Norwegian soldiers, being on the Eastern Front, fulfill their obligations. The Norwegians are fighting at the front not for Germany, but for Norway. When asked why they, the Norwegians, do not fight against Germany, which occupied all of Norway, on the territory of Norway itself, the prisoner answered: firstly, the Norwegians had already tried to fight the Germans once, and within 1-2 months Norway was defeated; secondly, the Norwegians do not have weapons for this. Now the Norwegians are protecting Norway from foreign countries trying to capture part of the Norwegian territory. According to the prisoner, Norway is currently neutral, but its policy is predetermined by the great states on which it depends and by which it must be equal. A year ago the Germans occupied Norway. The Norwegians do not want to remain under the heel of the Germans, and therefore went to fight in Russia to prove to them that they, the Norwegians, know how to fight. Convinced of this, after the victory, the Germans will liberate Norway. This is how the commander of the regiment, a German, spoke about this to the Norwegians. According to the prisoner, the Norwegians are also fighting against Russia because they are afraid of Russia, which, if it wins, can also occupy Norway. If Germany wins the war, they will leave Norway. The prisoner believes that Germany was the first to start the war. However, both Germany and Russia are to blame for the imposition of war, since both countries pulled up large military formations to the borders. To a very strong extent, America and England are also involved and guilty in unleashing the war. The war is very beneficial to the imperialists of these countries, who, thanks to it, receive very large profits and are therefore extremely interested in the war. The majority of the Norwegian population is currently sympathetic to the Soviet Union and is on its side. The population has a very bad attitude towards volunteers who are sent to the Eastern Front to fight against the Soviet Union. So, for example, the prisoner cited the following fact in this regard: when the Norwegian volunteers, going to the Eastern Front, crossed one bridge in Norway, the population threw stones at them. The population of Norway, according to the captive, lives well, but many fishermen living on the coast have a very difficult time. Parents wrote to the prisoner from Norway that recently it had become bad with food, since England blocked the entire Norwegian coast. The prisoner showed the following about the relationship between German and Norwegian soldiers: the Germans do not trust the Norwegians, and the Norwegians pay them the same. In addition, the Germans, and in particular the German "advisers", try to emphasize that they occupy a dominant position in relation to the Norwegians.

Additional indications. During an additional interrogation, the prisoner testified: When passing through Krasnogvardeisk and Krasnoye Selo, the prisoner did not observe the concentration of large military units, he saw only separate groups of soldiers, numbering 3-5 people each. The newly created Norwegian military units are undergoing military training in Norway, in the barracks. During training they use German weapons. The instructors are Germans and Norwegians. The training period is 3-4 months, after which the soldiers are sent to the Norwegian army or to the front. Military training of volunteers lasts 6 months. At the command post of the company commander there is only telephone communication, no radio. The battalion headquarters has two radio sets, which are carried in knapsacks behind the back. There is no radio communication between the company and the battalion. Assessing the actions of our intelligence. groups, the prisoner declared: he was surprised by the fact that the active actions of our reconnaissance were not supported by fire, even when they approached enemy positions. He stated the same about the actions of our intelligence carried out in battle. At present, in the dugouts and trenches where the soldiers of the battalion are located, there is a lot of water, which reaches more than to the waist. Water has to be constantly pumped out. However, there were no cases of leaving firing positions due to the presence of water.

Regarding the presence of the civilian population in the settlements captured by the Germans, the prisoner testified: In Uritsk, he saw only 3-4 people from the civilian population; there is a civilian population in Konstantinovka, the Germans force this population to chop wood, help in the kitchens and clear roads. All civilians in Konstantinovka are required to wear a narrow white armband on the right sleeve, on which “Konstantinovka” is written in black letters. Whether any documents or passports are issued to the population, the prisoner does not know. In the area of ​​Konstantinovka, the prisoner read a Russian leaflet, which contained an appeal to German women and mothers so that their sons would end the senseless war and stop shedding their blood on Russian fields. The captured partisan himself did not see, but he heard from other soldiers about cases when, in Krasnoye Selo, Russian women, under the pretext of showing the whereabouts of the partisans, invited German soldiers into the forest and killed them there. The survey was conducted by: Head of RO SHTARM 42 Lieutenant Colonel Lysenko. Translated by: Technician quartermaster 2nd rank Mikhailov. Correct: Head of the 1st dept. OO NKVD 42 Army senior political instructor Zhutyaev. Archive of the Federal Security Service of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, d. 151, l. 147-150, (typewritten copy). Quoted from the publication Blockade Diaries and Documents (Series Archive of the Big House). - St. Petersburg: European House, 2004 ISBN 5-8015-0169-X pp. 471-478.

V.N. ZAMULIN.

Medical instructor bandages the leg of the captured German pilot G. Kretberg before interrogation. The investigator from the intelligence department of the headquarters of the 13th Army, captain S.A. Mironov, is standing first on the left. The village of Legostaevo, Kursk region. Photo by V.S. Kinelovsky, July 7, 1943

On the night of July 4-5, 1943, a German sapper was captured in the zone of the 13th Army of the Central Front, who reported that the German offensive on Kursk would begin in a few hours. His name is Bruno Formell. There is an opinion that it was from him that the Soviet command became aware of the most important data about the plans of the German side - the exact date and time of the start of Operation Citadel, which made it possible to make the right decision to start counter-preparation and inflict significant damage on the Wehrmacht strike groups prepared for the offensive. It should be noted that some German historians consider such an assessment of the role of the testimony of a captured sapper to be an exaggeration. Firstly, the soldier could not have strategic information, and secondly, documentary sources have not been published - protocols of interrogations of this prisoner of war. Therefore, it is not clear what information he gave out.

In the USSR, for the first time about this prisoner back in the 1960s. wrote the former commander of the troops of the Central Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky. Information indicating the name of the sapper and a summary of the data reported by him was included in the third volume of the History of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-1945. Then the story of the commander of a separate reconnaissance company of the 15th Sivash Rifle Division, Major N.S. Kolesov and the commander of this unit, Major General V.N. Dzhandzhgava, was published about how and under what circumstances the sapper was captured. All of these publications have become the main and only source of data on those events.

Everything connected with B. Formell sometimes causes misunderstanding and alertness. Did this “language” exist at all? If he was, did he have time to say something or, as often happened, did he die during the capture? The situation is also confusing by the fact that on July 4, 1943, in the zone of the same 13th Army, and in the same place, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe village. Upper Tagino (now a rural-type settlement located in the southern part of the Oryol region), another soldier of the 6th Infantry Division, soldier (grenadier) E. Mekinda from the 3rd company of the 1st battalion of the 18th infantry (grenadier) regiment, surrendered. Naturally, he was interrogated in detail. However, it is not clear why the Soviet side so highly appreciated the data not of the defector Mekinda, who voluntarily surrendered, but of the captured sapper Formell by force, is unclear. It was only recently possible to answer these questions thanks to the minutes of interrogation of prisoners of war of the 13th Army for July 1943 found in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense (CA MO) of the Russian Federation and the captured documents of the 9th German Army in the US National Archives (NARA).

The fact that the Wehrmacht concentrated two powerful strike groups in the Belgorod region and south of Orel in order to cut off the Kursk ledge, the Soviet command knew for a long time. From June 29 to July 3, 1943, all types of reconnaissance of the Central Front, including air and ground surveillance, recorded the approach of large forces of enemy armored vehicles, artillery and infantry in front of the defense front of the 70th, 13th and 48th armies. Then, on July 4, movement behind enemy lines ceased. Moreover, both in the area of ​​the Oryol Bulge, in front of the Central Front, and in the south of the Kursk Salient, Soviet aviation noted long columns of German troops that were moving from Belgorod not to the north, as it should have been, but to the south. One got the impression that the German command had canceled the attack on Kursk and was preparing a strike in the Donbass. Subsequently, it turned out that these were distracting measures of the Germans, designed to mislead the Soviet side about their immediate plans. At the beginning of July 1943, this alarmed the command of the Central and Voronezh fronts. Before the reconnaissance of the armies of the first echelon, the task was set: to take control prisoners and clarify the situation. But the strict measures taken by the Germans to control the personnel of the forward units and the reinforced combat guard did not allow the order to be carried out. Several reconnaissance groups retreated to their original positions with battle and losses.

Before noon on July 4, 1943, the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky, who was at that time on the Voronezh Front, contacted the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters on the Central Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. At 6:00 am on July 4, a reconnaissance group of the 375th Rifle Division (RD) of the 6th Guards Army captured a sapper from the 168th Infantry Division (enemy’s PD), who was involved in clearing German minefields in front of their front line. He said that units of the 168th Infantry Division would go on the offensive on the morning of July 5, received a three-day supply of food, cleared their minefields in the depths of their battle formations and in front of the trenches. Near Belgorod, the prisoner saw many tanks.

In the afternoon of July 4, the intelligence department of the Central Front became aware that in the 15th Rifle Division, two soldiers of the 6th Rifle Division had crossed over to our side - Slovenes E. Mikinda and Mikcic by nationality. After a preliminary interrogation, it became clear that they arrived at the division with marching reinforcements on June 27, 1943, so they know little. E. Mikinda spoke in detail about everything that had happened to him since the moment of conscription in March of this year (document No. 1). According to him, the offensive should begin in four days. But the scouts doubted this. First, a few hours ago, a prisoner on the Voronezh front reported the probable start of the offensive on July 5th. Secondly, on July 2, an orientation was received from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command that the offensive was expected between July 3 and 6. Thirdly, all the observational data on the behavior of the enemy at the forefront spoke of his readiness to strike.

The tension grew, and there was no clarity until the beginning of the third hour of the night on July 5, when the commander of the 13th Army, Lieutenant-General N.P. Pukhov, personally called K.K. Rokossovsky and reported that in the area with. Upper Tagino, the reconnaissance group of the 15th Rifle Division under the command of Lieutenant I. Meleshkov captured the sapper of the 6th German Infantry Division, Corporal Bruno Formella. At a preliminary interrogation in the division, which was conducted by the head of army intelligence, Lieutenant Colonel I.I. Kryzhanovsky, the prisoner reported that the German offensive would begin between 1.00 and 2.00 on July 5 (doc. No. 2). Considering that the information was given in European time, this corresponded to approximately 3.00 Moscow time. In addition, the prisoner willingly told many important details about the composition of the 6th Infantry Division, the combat formation of its units during the upcoming attack, the means of reinforcement and tasks (document No. 3).

Much of what he said was already known to Soviet intelligence officers. And although the sapper confused the numbers of neighboring divisions and attached units, in fact, his answers were truthful and important for the Soviet side. This suggested that the prisoner speaks sincerely and does not hide anything. In addition, he was not a novice at 6 pd and could well know the relatively large amount of information that he reported. Consequently, the danger of provocation by the enemy or the intentional misleading of the Soviet side by the prisoners themselves seemed minimal. Thus, front-line intelligence did its job, the decision was up to the front command, and it made it. At 2.20 on July 5, 1943, a rumble began to grow from the depths of the front defense, and the entire band in front of the grouping of the 9th German Army, which was preparing to strike, flared up with bright fire. The counter-barrage preparation of the Soviet troops began, and with it the grandiose Battle of Kursk, which became a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War.

Only one, but an important question remains unanswered: why did the prisoners and defectors interrogated on July 4 before the capture of B. Formell did not know the exact time of the start of the offensive, or did they intentionally hide it? The fact is that, according to order No. 109 of the headquarters of the 9th Army, which was duplicated by the command of all the corps involved in the Citadel operation, the directive on the offensive and the appeal of A. Hitler to the soldiers and officers who were to participate in the Battle of Kursk were read on the evening of July 4, until 19.00. The ceremony of listening to the disc with the Fuhrer's appeal for the senior and senior command of the army was organized at the command posts of the corps two days earlier. Consequently, none of the German servicemen who fell into the hands of Soviet intelligence until that moment could know the exact time of the beginning of the Battle of Kursk, and Corporal B. Formell was captured in minefields at 23.00 on July 4. Therefore, his data turned out to be accurate and very important for the Soviet command.

Documents are published with the preservation of their stylistic features.

Data from the preliminary interrogation of Corporal Bruno Formella, belonging to the 1st company of the 6th Opera Battalion of the 6th Infantry Division.

Corporal Bruno Formello, a Pole by nationality, was captured on the night of June 5, 1943 in the Upper Tagino area. The prisoner testified: “The 6th PD arrived in mid-June of this year. from the Pochinok region (near Smolensk) to Orel. The sapper battalion was located in the Bulatovo area (30-35 km south of Orel) for 8 days. On the night of 1/2/7/43 he arrived at the front line. The infantry regiments of the 6th RD arrived a day late. The 6th Infantry Division replaced the 106 Infantry Division in the Verkh.Tagino sector, which was moved to the right (to the west). 6 PD arrived as part of 3 PPs: 18.37 and 58 PPs. The sapper battalion was detached to the __ 3rd infantry regiments with the task of providing preparations for the offensive. 1st company of SAP. Battalion attached 37 PP, 37 PP occupies the area: Top. Tagino and to the west. There are 18 checkpoints to the left of it, and 58 checkpoints to the right. The headquarters of 18 PP is located in the farm. Sadovod. To the west of 58 PP is located 106 PD, about the presence of which the prisoner heard from artillery soldiers of a separate division of assault guns. In the rear of the 6th Infantry Division, 4 tank divisions and a large number of artillery are concentrated (I heard this from the conversations of soldiers and junior commanders). The 6th PD supports the 105th Separate Assault Gun Battalion. Each battalion was given 4 assault guns from the 106th division. According to conversations among the soldiers and ml. commanders of the 6th and 106th infantry regiments should advance on Kursk. At the same time, the offensive of the German units from the south and west should begin in order to encircle the units of the Red Army located in the Kursk ledge (language). At the same time, demonstrative strikes should be delivered in other areas. The beginning of the offensive from 1 to 2.00 on 5.6.43. The task of the 6th PD is to interrupt the defense for 6 km, and then the tanks should develop success.

Sapper group - 3 people. of 6 shooters armed with a light machine gun had the task of making a passage in the Russian minefield for the infantry. Other groups later had to make passes in the minefields for assault guns.

Head of RO STARM 13

Lieutenant Colonel ___________ (KRYZHANOVSKY)

From Raduga No. 251 was transmitted at 12.55 on July 6, received by Oxygen on July 6 at 13.30. Kaminsky.

Ref. No. 49

251 Ovcharenko

Interrogation protocol

A prisoner of war of the German army, Corporal Bruno Formella, born in 1914, from the village of Bolsha near the city of Neustadt, a Pole by nationality, education - 6 classes of a public school, a worker at a brick factory belonging to the 60th SAP. Battalion (1st company) of the 6th Infantry Division, captured in the Verkh.Tagino area on the night of 5.7.43.

Question: Service before arrival at the front.

Answer: On May 11, 1942, he was mobilized into the German army in the city of Hexter (Germany), where he underwent combat training in the 6th zap.sap.battalion until September 13, 1942. On September 20, 1942, he was sent from Münden as part of a sapper company (120 people) to the eastern front along the route: Münden, Berlin, Poznan, Warsaw, Baranovichi, Minsk, Smolensk, Vyazma, Rzhev (20.9.42). Until the end of March, the division retreated to the city of Dorogobuzh, where it stayed until May 1943. In early May, the division was transferred to Smolensk, and from there to the Pochinok region in mid-May. June 15 – 17 this year the division was sent to the city of Orel. The sapper battalion was located for 8 days on vacation in the area 30-35 km south of Orel. The sapper battalion arrived at the front line on the night of July 1-2; the infantry regiments of the 6th Infantry Division arrived at the front a day later. 6 PD replaced 106 PD in the Verkh.Tagino section, which moved to the right (west).

Question: Deployment of units on the front line.

Answer: In the Verkh.Tagino area and to the west, 37 PP 6 PD came out; to its left (to the east) adjoins 18 PP 6 PD; on the right (west) - 58 PP 6 PD; west of 58 PP - 106 PD. Where is the headquarters of the division does not know. The headquarters of 18 PP is located in the factory building of the temporary storage warehouse. Gardener. In the area of ​​Sev. Lebedikh has an ammunition depot. In the rear of the 6th Infantry Division, allegedly 4 tank divisions and a large number of artillery are concentrated. The headquarters of the sapper battalion was stationed in the village. Upper Tagino. Near the mill to the west of Zakharovka there is a new bridge across the Oka River (the carrying capacity of the bridge is 24 tons). To the north of Verkh.Tagino across the river Oka is an old bridge.

Question: Composition and organization of a division and an engineer battalion.

Answer: 6 PD consists of 3 PPs: 18 PPs, 37 PPs and 58 PPs. In addition, the division has an artillery regiment (does not know the number) and 6 glanders. Battalion. Infantry regiments, presumably 3rd battalion. Each battalion was given 4 assault guns from 105 separate divisions of assault guns (caliber approximately 75 mm). More about the composition of the infantry. Polkov does not know.

6th sup. The battalion consists of 3 companies. The strength of the 1st company is 60 sappers, the 2nd company and the 3rd company are 80 sappers each. Companies of three platoons. Each platoon has 3 squads (6-7 sappers per squad). Each infantry regiment was assigned one company of a sapper battalion, and each __ battalion was assigned one sapper platoon. Each rifle company is served by one branch of sappers. 1st company of SAP. The battalion was given 37 PP. The sappers are armed with rifles and equipped with wooden probes with iron tips; there are also mine detectors. The national composition of the SAP. battalion - mostly Germans, there is a small percentage of Poles. Replenishment to the battalion came mainly from the convalescents. They do not feel a shortage of ammunition in their sapper equipment.

Question: Commanding staff of the division.

Answer: He does not know the name of the division commander. 37 PP is commanded by Colonel Delmer.

The commander of the sapper battalion is Captain Velnits.

Commander of the 1st company of SAP. Battalion - art. Lieutenant BIM___

Commander of the 1st platoon of the 1st company - Art. Felwebel Stork; adjutant sap. Battalion - Lieutenant Heer.

Question: Tasks of the division and glanders. Battalion.

Answer: Task 6 PD and 106 PD, according to conversations among soldiers and ml. commanders, advance on Kursk. The Germans must simultaneously advance from the south, north and west in order to encircle the units of the Red Army located in the language. In other sectors of the front, demonstrative strikes should be carried out in order to disorientate the Russians. The offensive was to begin at 1-2 am on 5.7.43 and 106 PD were to support tanks, and the 6th PD - 105 assault gun division. The 6th PD was supposed to break through the defenses for 6 km, and then the tanks should develop success. SAP task. battalion - clearing minefields in order to prepare for the offensive.

On the night of July 5, 1943, a group of 3 sappers, 6 riflemen and one non-commissioned officer, armed with machine gun carbines, received the task of making one passage (1.5 - 2 meters wide) through the Russian minefield to pass infantry. Other groups of sappers were later to make wider passages for assault guns. The mines at the forefront of the German defenses were allegedly removed by sappers and 106 PD.

Question: The state of the chem. Preparations.

Answer: The company has gas masks with a new filter in 1943 (it lasts 5 hours, not 4 hours, like the old one). In the 1st sup. Rote has 6 chem. Scouts - sniffers. They are equipped with rubber overalls. scouts passed chem. training in Muravyevo (near Rzhev) for 3 weeks on June 1, an order was received for the obligatory wearing of gas masks by soldiers with them. In sap. The company has one knapsack flamethrower. Flamethrower - Corporal Laxa.

Sap gas officer. Battalion - sergeant major Grode. Support companies also have up to 100 or more smoke bombs. The last fumigation took place in Hexter (Westphalia) in August 1942. The gas alarm signal was a whistling rocket.

Question: Nutrition in the company.

Answer: Soldiers receive daily 750 grams of bread, 40 gr. Oils, 40 gr. Canned meat or fish. Soldiers up to 22 years of age receive an additional 500 gr. Bread for the day and 15 gr. Meat and oils. Soldiers drink coffee in the morning and evening. 6 cigarettes or 2 cigars are issued per day.

Question: The mood of the soldiers in the company.

Answer: One quarter of the soldiers in the company believe in the victory of Germany. Most older soldiers do not believe in a successful end to the war for Germany. Most of the young soldiers - members of the Hitler Youth Organization - are still quite cheerful. The discipline in the company is strict. It is supported mainly by picky non-commissioned officers. In the rear, for the soldiers of the company, quite often conversations were held about the situation on the fronts.

Question: Circumstances of capture.

Answer: The sapper was captured at the moment of clearing our minefields and making passages in them at 23:00 on the night of 4 to 5.7.43.

Identification mark 6 PD: dark green shield with a red letter G (German).

Field mail number of the 1st company of the 6th SAP. battalion - 20126.

Interrogated: Head of RO STARM 13

Lieutenant Colonel (Kryzhanovsky)

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administrative captain. services (Mironov)

Rep. in 5 copies.

Sent to the list

Print: MICROPHOTO COPY Inv. No. 3239

interrogation protocol

Defector of the German army soldier Edwin Mykind,

belonging to the 3rd company 18 PP 6 PD,

who came over to our side

in the area south of Verkh. Tagino 4.7.43

Question: Biographical data and service before arrival at the front.

Answer: Soldier Edwin Mikinda was born on 17.6.20 in the village. Künsdorf (Klagenfurt district, Austria), Slovene, single, employee at a mining and metal plant, graduated from a gymnasium and a trade school, non-partisan. He was drafted into the army in December 1942 in the city of Weiss-Kirchen (the district of Moravska - Ostrava), underwent combat training in the 3rd company of the 2nd training motorized rifle battalion until 20.3.43, then was transferred to the city of St. Pelten (Austria), from where, as part of a marching battalion (1200 soldiers), he was sent to the USSR along the route: Vienna - Silesia - Brest - Litovsk - Minsk - Bryansk - White Shores (28.4.43); from there he was transferred through Bryansk to the Duminichi district. A Weiss combat training school was organized there. Then, as part of 3 companies, they were sent to the village of Kokino, where, in addition to them, there were up to a company of tankers (does not know their belongings). In Kokino, they were used as a working battalion for excavation work (separation of slots and dugouts for ammunition). Part of the battalion was sent to the sapper school in Bryansk; more than 200 soldiers were transferred through Bryansk, Orel to the station. Zmievka (27.6.43). Part of the wagons of the arriving echelon was sent by train further, and about 80 soldiers were poured into the 6th infantry as a replenishment. Division, which was stationed 20 km west of Zmievka in the area of ​​Plots. After being distributed among the regiments, 6 soldiers (including Mikinda) were enrolled in the 3rd company of the 18th infantry. Regiment 6 PD 2.7.43, the company arrived at the front line and took up defensive positions in the area south of Verkh. Tagino, having changed parts of some division (does not know the numbering). In the trenches, the armament of the unit that was there earlier, in particular MG-42, located at a distance of 50 m from each other, was left. On the way I saw many new vehicles moving towards the front (I did not notice any identification marks on them). I didn't see any tanks.

Question: Deployment of units on the front line.

Answer: The section of the company along the front is 250 m. The command post of the 3rd company is located 200 m from the front edge in the dugout. Doesn't know neighbors. He also does not know where the headquarters are located. I saw the second line of defense two kilometers from the front line (only trenches without machine-gun cells). In front of the trenches of the first line of defense stretches a wire fence (in one stake). Whether there are minefields does not know.

Question: The composition and armament of the company.

Answer: The strength of the 3rd company (without convoy) - 80 soldiers.

These are mostly Germans. There are two Slovenes in the company. The company consists of 3 platoons; in a platoon there are 2-3 squads (5-9 soldiers each), in his company there are 8 squads. The age composition of the company is young people born in 1924 and older soldiers from 27 to 40 years old.

The armament of the company: 12 light machine guns (MG-42), 12 machine guns, pistols and carbines, I did not see mortars in the company. There is one PTR on the section of the department. In addition, 2 heavy machine guns were attached. I also saw one infantry. Gun (caliber 150 mm).

He does not know the names of the commanders of the company, battalion and regiment.

Question: Part task.

Answer: The task of the division is to advance in 4 days in the direction of Kursk. By the time of the offensive, 6 tank divisions should be concentrated to support the infantry. Rumors were circulating among the soldiers that the Russians allegedly did not expect this offensive at all. He knows nothing about the Russian units opposing the division.

Question: Chemical preparation in the company.

Answer: There is talk that the Russians may be the first to start using OV. Gas masks for all soldiers with new filters 1943

In addition, all soldiers have capes and lozanti. Chem. classes were held only in Germany (study of OB). The last fumigation took place in April 1943 in the Czech Republic.

Question: Nutrition in the mouth.

Answer: Soldiers' daily bread ration - 600 gr. In addition, soldiers receive once a day hot and black coffee without sugar, as well as 125 gr. Cheese and 50 gr. Margarine. The soldiers are not satisfied with the food.

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To My World

Another protocol, and this is not some corporal for you, but a whole group commander :)
Who cares - biographical information about the character. But we must take into account that the author of the text is a Germanophile Zefirov. He writes that Ewald de was shot down by his own anti-aircraft gunners, while the English-language Wiki claims that he was shot down by the Soviet ZA. However, the difference is small, the main thing is that he won back :)

Interrogation protocol.

On July 19, 1943, Ewald Wolfgang was interrogated, born in 1911, a native of Hamburg, German by nationality, secondary education, the son of a doctor, non-partisan, major, commander of the 3rd group of the 3rd fighter squadron.

Question: Since when have you been on the Eastern Front?

Answer: Since June 1942. In general, in the German army since 1933. Was at 13? Fighter air group, which was then part of the 2nd Air Fleet of Field Marshal Kesselering (based in Stuttgart). In May 1942 this group was disbanded. In June 1942, I was sent to Group 3, 3rd Fighter Squadron, 8th Air Corps, 4th Air Fleet. Until October 1942 he worked at the headquarters of the group. From October 1942 - commander of the 3rd group. The squadron at that time was based at the airfield Shchigry. Until June 1943, our squadron was based at the airfields Gorshechnoye, Millerovo, Morozovsky, Pitomnik (Stalingrad region), Shakhty, Stalino, Kuteynikovo.
Since June 1943, the squadron, consisting of two groups, has been based in the Belgorod direction. The 3rd group is based on field airfields about 15 km southwest of Belgorod. 2nd group in the same area, 5 km from our airfield. The first group was sent to Germany in April 1943, for what purpose I do not know. I don't know where she is now.

Question: Tell us about the organization of the 3rd squadron.

Answer: Until April 43, the squadron consisted of three groups of 3 detachments in each group. Each group had its own headquarters. The regular number of aircraft in the detachment was 12, there were 10. The group had up to 30 aircraft, instead of 38 in the state. In the squadron up to 100, instead of 106 in the state. The 3rd squadron was part of the 8th air corps of the 4th air fleet. The same corps included the 77th squadron of dive bombers, 1st assault squadron and 3rd close reconnaissance group. At the time of the offensive (since July 43), the 8th Air Corps has 52 fighter squadrons, 2 (3?) squadrons of dive bombers, 51 squadrons of Yu-88, 27 and 55 squadrons of Xe-111.
All the additional squadrons I have listed were drawn from the Kuban. Whether these squadrons operate in full force - I do not know. In my opinion, one group remained in the Kuban. The 8th Air Corps is part of the 4th Air Fleet. The same fleet includes the 1st air corps (operating in the Kuban) and the 4th corps at the turn of the river. Mius.

Question: Tasks of your group?

Answer: Bomber escort and patrol over the front line. Each pilot in my group flew three or four times a day. I personally took off at least three times a day, with the task of free flight / hunting for Russian fighters. For all the time of my participation in the war, I made 350 sorties, 200 on the Eastern Front. For all the time I shot down 76 aircraft, of which most of the Soviet aircraft, for which I was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Question: Tell us about the losses during the offensive from July 1943 to the day of captivity.

Answer: My group lost 8 planes, in addition 4 planes were damaged. Before the start of the operation, the group received 6 Me-109Gs and on July 12, 1943, I sent 10 crews for new materiel.

Question: What new types of machines do you know?

Answer: New types of Me-109 G-2, 4, 6 aircraft are entering service with German aviation - these machines differ from the Me-109 in improved weapons (MG-131 large-caliber machine guns, electrosynchronous automatics when firing through a propeller and a supercharger mounted on a motor that raises the ceiling of the machine up to 13000 meters).

Question: What air connections operate in the Kuban?

Answer: I can’t say for sure, but in my opinion, and this is 90% plausible, one group of the squadrons I have listed above, which are drawn to the Belgorod direction, operate in the Kuban. I must say that Russian aviation has air superiority in the Kuban bridgehead.

Question: Tell us about the shortcomings of Soviet aviation.

Answer: In my opinion, there are a lot of shortcomings, but I consider the main shortcoming to be the poor training of the flight personnel of Soviet aviation, due to which the pilots use the wrong methods of air combat, which makes it possible for German pilots to come out victorious.

Question: List the command staff of the air formations operating in the Belgorod direction.

Answer: Commander of the 52nd IE - Major Hrabak, commander of the 3rd EPB - Major Kupfer, commander of the 27th BE - Lieutenant Colonel Voist, commander of the 51st squadron - Lieutenant Colonel Gigold, commander of the 8th Air Corps, Major General Seidemann, commander of the 3rd Fleet, Field Marshal von Richthofen, commander of the 55th Squadron - Lieutenant Colonel (surnames do not know).

Question: What do you know about the actions of ground troops in the Belgorod direction?

Answer: From conversations with the pilots, and their information is quite reliable, since they had to support ground troops in the Belgorod direction, the SS tank corps, 48 ​​TC and the group of General Kempf are operating. All three corps are part of 4 TA, commanded by Colonel General Model or General Goth. The commander of the SS TC General Gauser. I don't know the other commanders.

(Interrogated at the headquarters of the Voronezh Front)

Vlasov Andrey Andreevich

Record of the interrogation of a prisoner of war, Lieutenant General of the Red Army M F Lukin on December 14, 1941

Record of interrogation of a prisoner of war

Lieutenant General of the Red Army M.F. Lukin

The text of the interrogation below was sent from the territory of the USSR occupied by German troops to Berlin for review by Hitler. M.F. Lukin (1892-1970), Hero of the Russian Federation (1993), lieutenant general, who testified, commanded the 16th, 20th and 19th armies during the war. In October 1941, in the Vyazma region, he was seriously wounded and captured by the Germans, and released in May 1945.

General Lukin, seriously wounded, was taken prisoner by the Germans. We had already talked to him several times, but we didn’t talk much, due to his serious condition. Now Lieutenant General Lukin said the following:

If you want me to answer your question: "Why does the Russian people, despite all their hatred of Stalin and the Soviet system, continue to defend them?" - then I can answer in such a way as to be very honest in a conversation with you. You talk about the liberation of the peoples of Russia from the Bolshevik system and about a new order for the future of Europe, but at the same time you say that only Russians are the bearers of Bolshevism, and Ukrainians, for example, are not. This is bullshit. Bolshevism is as alien to the Russian people as it is to the Ukrainians. In general, this is an international teaching. The Bolsheviks were able to win in Russia only because agriculture was terribly neglected after the 1st World War. The communists promised land to the peasants, and factories and factories to the workers, so the people supported them. Of course, this was a terrible mistake, because today the peasant, in comparison with the past, has nothing at all. In the best case, a collective farmer in Siberia receives 4 kg of bread a day, and the average wage of a worker is 300-500 rubles a month, for which he cannot buy anything. When there is nothing to eat and there is a constant fear of the system, then of course the Russians would be very grateful for the destruction and deliverance from the Stalinist regime. Only very high representatives of the Soviet party apparatus live tolerably well. The commander of an infantry division, in comparison with them, lives poorly. But I still do not believe that in the current conditions, within the USSR, a popular, anti-Stalin uprising can take place. The Bolsheviks shed too much blood in their 20 years of power, and everyone who could raise such an uprising has already been destroyed. And even if there exists, for example, such a commander or general who would think about such an uprising and about a new Russia, he still could not do anything, since there are too many commissars and security officers around him. Even if this general only talks about it with his friends, he will still not be able to do anything, because even among the military there are a lot of scammers and no one can be trusted. Therefore, to carry out an anti-Stalinist uprising, a strong impetus from outside is needed. You Germans can crush the system, but you must not think that the people can do it themselves, despite their hatred of the regime. And you should not reproach or punish the Russians for not rebelling.

You are talking about the liberation of the peoples. But we have not heard anything about the liberation of Ukraine or Belarus, captured by you, and we are told that there will be no freedom for Russia either. This generates resistance to the aggressor. Of course, the party apparatus and the Chekists are not friends, but the invading enemy is an aggressor, and we must fight him. Starting from September of this year, 150 new rifle divisions are being formed on the Volga and east of the Volga, and possibly more, but by no means less than 150. We ourselves had to give some commanders and commissars from our army for these new divisions. In 4-5 months these divisions will either complete their formation or will already be at the front. They will also have tanks. A friend of mine told me that 60 tanks are being built daily, later this number will be increased to 80. This includes the factories of Leningrad and those factories that were evacuated to the East of the country. The main types of tanks under construction "T-34" and "KB". Also, about 20 aircraft of various types are being built per day, but there will be few artillery and submachine guns. The USA and Great Britain are helping the USSR, but I do not think that their help will be significant. There is not much oil and oil reserves to fully meet the needs, and if the Wehrmacht reaches the Caucasus, then there will be even less of them.

Here, Lieutenant General Lukin asked his interlocutor whether the Germans were going to create an alternative Russian government? To this question of Lukin, the interrogator replied that the creation of such a government would be difficult, because General Lukin himself noticed that everyone who could enter such a government was killed by the Bolsheviks. And if a government is created from random people, the Russian people will think that this government only serves the Germans.

Lukin said: “Maybe this is true. This year you created the Ministry of Eastern Territories Affairs, which helps only you. However, if an alternative Russian government is nevertheless created, many Russians will think about the following: first, an anti-Stalinist government will appear who will stand for Russia, secondly, they can believe that the Germans are really fighting only against the Bolshevik system, and not against Russia, and thirdly, they will see that there are also Russians on your side who are not against Russia but for Russia. Also, the government can become a new hope for the people. Maybe, like me, other generals also think; I know some of them who do not like communism very much, but today they cannot do anything else but support it ".

To the question of the interrogated, whom Lukin could name as alternatives, Lukin replied:

"Today in the USSR there are only two people who are quite popular - this is Budyonny and Timoshenko. Budyonny is a man of the people, in 1938 Stalin did not like him very much, and many people know this. If Budyonny and Timoshenko led the uprising, then, perhaps not much blood was shed. But they, too, must be sure that there will be Russia and a Russian government. Both Budyonny and Timoshenko are not very fond of communist principles, and although they were products of the Bolshevik system, they could come forward, if they saw an alternative.The new Russia does not have to be the same as the old one.It can even be without Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states, being in good relations with Germany.So it’s only in your power to help create such a Russia and a government, and not in ours. Zhukov and Shaposhnikov are not so popular, but they are very good soldiers. True, I do not think that the new formed divisions will be able to conduct offensive operations; they can only defend well yatsya. Very many do not want to fight, and when our attackers were on the offensive, they were often taken prisoner very easily. In the area south of Yartsevo, you had 50 guns per 1 km of the front, but our infantry still had to advance three times. There were a lot of dead, and very many did not want to break out of the encirclement, but surrendered. Still, the losses amounted to at least 10,000 people.

New rocket-launchers are beginning to arrive at the front, which previously only armies had, but now divisions will have as well. Hitherto there has been such an order that not a single installation was to be captured by you, and I myself gave the order to destroy them if they were in danger. Now there are a lot of them. If it becomes possible to more accurately organize their shooting, then their importance will increase dramatically. Since they are easy to manufacture, they will appear on the front of the installation soon. You must pay attention to them.

I don't think the Red Army will start waging chemical warfare. Now I ask you to know that all this was said by a Russian who loves his people, and I don't want it to get any worse. I ask you to keep all this a secret, since I have a family."

New watch. Russian military history magazine. (St. Petersburg). 1994. No 2. S. 173-175.

Here is given from the book: Readers on national history (1914-1945) edited by A.F. Kiseleva, E.M. Shagina. M. 1996

Original taken from arctus in Protocol of interrogation of the traitor general Vlasov

On May 25, 1945, a month before the Victory Parade, the Counterintelligence Department "Death to Spies" - SMERSH - began protocol interrogations of the captured traitor general Andrei Vlasov. The investigation ended in July 1946. And on July 31, a quick trial took place. 12 people who were under investigation - A.A. Vlasov and his closest henchmen were sentenced to death. The sentence was immediately carried out.

In modern times, times of spitting on the history of the Soviet Union, even petitions arose (for example, from the movement "For Faith and Fatherland") about the rehabilitation of Vlasov and his accomplices. On June 22, 2001, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation concluded that the said persons had been justly convicted and that the punishment corresponded to the gravity of the deed. In this regard, the petition for the rehabilitation of Vlasov and the Vlasovites cannot be satisfied.
But attempts, if not legal, then actual rehabilitation, are gaining momentum. On March 1, 2016, a vile attempt was made in St. Petersburg to justify Vlasovism and collaborationism in general - as a "form of social protest." The doctoral dissertation of Kirill Alexandrov "Generals and officers of the armed formations of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia in 1943-1946" was defended.

But we have an extensive "Vlasov dossier" in our hands.

In July 2015, a presentation of a unique edition took place: a three-book "General Vlasov: a story of betrayal". A large group of highly professional specialists, researchers under the auspices of the leading federal archives, a political encyclopedia, collected and compiled a unique "Vlasov dossier", providing it with a perfect scientific and reference apparatus. Almost three thousand pages contain 700 documents from 14 Russian and foreign archives, tracing the entire history of the Vlasov betrayal - from German captivity near Lyuban to the last day in SMERSH cells.

Responsible editor of the collection, head of the Federal Archival Agency Andrey Artizov admitted: when they started working on a collection of documents, they intended to present it as streamlined, not strictly evaluative, but delved into the content and understood: you have to be precise - “General Vlasov: a history of betrayal.” The researchers also consider their work a response to those critics from abroad who accused Russian archivists of having released a huge work on the Ukrainian nationalist organizations of the OUN and UPA, they “do not dare” to raise the archives of the ROA. The three-book "Vlasov dossier" is not only defiantly bold, but also accurate to the point of scrupulousness, objective and leaves no room for political exercises.

To give readers an idea of ​​the collection of documents, let's take only one of 700 - the protocol of the first interrogation of Vlasov by the SMERSH investigator.
***

VLASOV A.A., Born in 1901, a native of the Gorky region, Russian, from middle peasants, with a secondary education, former. member of the CPSU (b) since 1930, in the Red Army since 1920, former. Commander of the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front, Lieutenant General.

QUESTION: You betrayed the Motherland and, on the instructions of the German intelligence agencies, fought against Soviet power. Under what circumstances did you establish a criminal connection with the Germans?

ANSWER: Commanding the troops of the 2nd Shock Army and being surrounded by German troops in the area of ​​​​the city of Lyuban, I betrayed the Motherland.

This was a consequence of the fact that, starting from 1937, I was hostile to the policy of the Soviet government, believing that the gains of the Russian people during the years of the civil war were nullified by the Bolsheviks. (Hereinafter, each sheet of the document is certified by A.A. Vlasov.)

I perceived the failures of the Red Army during the war with Germany as the result of the inept leadership of the country and was convinced of the defeat of the Soviet Union.

I was sure that the interests of the Russian people were brought by Stalin and the Soviet government to please the Anglo-American capitalists.

While surrounded by the enemy, my anti-Soviet sentiments aggravated even more and, not wanting to fight for the interests of others, on July 13, 1942, taking advantage of the arrival of the Germans in the village where I was, I voluntarily surrendered to them.

QUESTION: Which of the representatives of the German command interrogated you?

ANSWER: On July 14, 1942, the Germans delivered me by car to st. Siverskaya to the headquarters of the German army group "North", where I was interrogated by a colonel of the German general staff, whose name I do not know.

The colonel who interrogated me asked about the plans of the High Command of the Red Army. I replied that I had been surrounded by German troops for a long time, and therefore I did not know anything about the plans of the Soviet command. At the same time, I informed the Germans about the tasks that Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin had set for the 2nd Shock Army.

I was also asked questions: did I meet with Stalin and what do I know about his personal life. I said that I saw Stalin twice in the Kremlin in February 1942 and in March 1942, I know nothing about his personal life.

In addition, the German colonel suggested that I give a characterization of Zhukov. I said that Zhukov is a strong-willed and energetic military leader, but sometimes he is rude.

When asked if Zhukov could become the second Tukhachevsky, I replied that it was unlikely, since he was devoted to Stalin.

Then I was asked how Shaposhnikov, a former officer in the tsarist army, survived and was not arrested in 1938, and whether he could become the head of the Russian government after the fall of Soviet power. I stated that Shaposhnikov, in my opinion, is also devoted to the Soviet government, but since I don’t know him personally, I can’t answer the question of whether he can head the future government.

I was asked what I know about Tymoshenko's anti-Soviet sentiments, to which I replied that although I served with Tymoshenko, I did not notice any anti-Soviet manifestations on his part.

I was also interested in how literate militarily Voroshilov and Budyonny were. He referred to the fact that both of them are heroes of the civil war, have served in the army for 25 years, graduated from the Military Academy and therefore should be experienced military leaders.

There, at st. Siverskaya, I was introduced to the commander of the German army group "North", Colonel General Lindemann, with whom I was photographed, and then sent to the city of Lettsev, and from there to Vinnitsa, where at that time the headquarters of the supreme command of the German army was located, and placed in a camp prisoners of war.

QUESTION: Why were you placed in this particular camp, how did it differ from other camps?

ANSWER: The Vinnitsa camp was under the jurisdiction of the intelligence department of the German army, and therefore only those prisoners of war who were of interest to the high command were kept in it.

At first, I and prisoners of war were in the camp, Colonel Boyarsky (hereinafter, the spelling “Boersky” is used hereinafter) - the former commander of the 41st division of the Southwestern Front, Major Sakharov - the former commander of the Red Army regiment and some kind of engineer, and then other prisoners of war began to arrive, and by the end of July there were about 100 of them.

In the Vinnitsa camp, the Germans worked to decompose prisoners of war and recruit them to serve in the German army.

The first to contact me was Major Sakharov, who, already in the service of the Germans, suggested that I take under my control a military unit from the prisoners of war of the Red Army and start a fight against Soviet power.

Later, Colonel Boyarsky and I were summoned by representatives of the intelligence department at the headquarters of the German Army High Command, Colonel Ronne, and the Propaganda Department of the High Command, Captain Shtrikfeldt, who said that a large number of volunteers from Soviet prisoners of war were already fighting on the side of the Germans and we should also take part in the fight against Red Army.

I expressed to Ronna and Strikfeldt the idea that Russians who want to fight against Soviet power should be given some kind of political justification for their actions so that they do not appear to be German mercenaries. Ronne replied that the Germans agreed to create a government from the Russians, to which power would pass after the defeat of the Soviet troops. I told Ronna that I would think about his proposal and give an answer later.

After this conversation, on August 10, 1942, an adviser to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hilger, a former adviser to the German embassy in Moscow, who was fluent in Russian, came to the camp, who, having called me to his office, asked if I agreed to participate in the Russian government created by the Germans and what In this regard, I have suggestions.

Having expressed to Hilger the idea that we should wait for the end of the war, I nevertheless began to discuss with him which territories of the Soviet Union should be transferred to Germany. Hilger said that Ukraine and the Soviet Baltic would have to become part of Germany.

Then Captain Strikfeldt summoned me again and informed me that the Germans had managed to form several military units from Russian prisoners of war, and recommended that I agree to take command of these troops. Since this was in line with my anti-Soviet convictions, I told Strikfeldt that I agreed to accept the German offer.

QUESTION: So you have embarked on the path of armed struggle against Soviet power?

ANSWER: Yes, at the suggestion of Strikfeldt, I wrote an anti-Soviet leaflet in which I pointed out that the war was lost by Russia due to the inept leadership of the Soviet government, which is not capable of leading the country, and called on the Russian people to overthrow this government.

In October 1942 the Germans offered me to leave for Berlin.

QUESTION: For what?

ANSWER: In order to be able to meet with the generals of the Red Army who were in captivity and use them for anti-Soviet work, which I once asked Hilger about.

In Berlin, I was placed in a camp at the propaganda department of the German armed forces. In the same camp were Generals Malyshkin - the former chief of staff of the 19th Army and Blagoveshchensky - the former head of the air defense school of the People's Commissariat of the Navy in Libau, as well as Zykov, a former employee of the editorial office of the Izvestia newspaper.

I told them about my intention to start a struggle against Bolshevism, create a Russian national government and start forming a volunteer army to wage an armed struggle against Soviet power.

Malyshkin, Blagoveshchensky and Zykov supported me and expressed their readiness to take part in the struggle against Soviet power, and Zykov declared that he was already carrying out anti-Soviet work, collaborating in the Zarya newspaper published by the Germans for Soviet prisoners of war.

In December 1942, Shtrikfeldt organized a meeting for me in the propaganda department with Lieutenant General Ponedelin - ex. Commander of the 12th Army.

In conversation with Ponedelin on my offer to take part in the work on the creation of the Russian volunteer army, the latter flatly refused this, saying that the Germans only promised to form Russian units, but in reality they only needed a name that they could use for propaganda purposes.

Then I had a meeting with Major General snowy- former commander of the 8th Corps of the Red Army, who also did not agree to take part in the work I was doing, motivating his refusal by fear for the fate of his relatives living in the Soviet Union.

After that, Strikfeldt took me to one of the prisoner of war camps near Berlin, where I met with Lieutenant General Lukin- the former commander of the 19th Army, whose leg was amputated after being wounded and his right hand did not work.

In the presence of the Germans, Lukin spoke out hostilely towards the Soviet government, however, after I explained to him the purpose of my visit, he said in private with me that he did not believe in the Germans, would not serve with them, and did not accept my offer.

Having failed in conversations with Ponedelin, Snegov and Lukin, I did not address any of the prisoners of war generals of the Red Army.

QUESTION: However, did you continue to deal with the formation of the so-called "Russian Liberation Army" from among Soviet prisoners of war?

ANSWER: The formation of volunteer units from among Russian prisoners of war was carried out by the German headquarters of volunteer troops, headed by the German generals Helmig and Koestring.

In December 1942, I put before Strikfeldt the question of transferring all formed Russian units under my command and merging them into an army.

Shtrikfeldt replied that the transfer of all work on the formation of Russian units to me was delayed due to the absence of a Russian political center. Ukrainians / Belarusians, Caucasians, as Strikfeldt stated, have their own leading political organizations in Germany and in connection with this they got the opportunity to form their national units, and therefore I, if I want to succeed in my undertaking, must first create some kind of Russian political Centre.

Understanding the seriousness of the arguments put forward by Strikfeldt, I discussed this issue with Malyshkin and Zykov, and with the participation of Strikfeldt, we issued a document on our behalf in which we announced the creation of the Russian Committee.

QUESTION: Who was a member of the Russian Committee, which you created at the direction of the Germans?

ANSWER: The committee included: I, Malyshkin, Zykov and Zhilenkov - ex. secretary of the Rostokinsk District Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks of Moscow, and then brigade commissar, member of the Military Council of the 32nd Army. Zhilenkov was the political leader of the brigade formed by the Germans, commanded by Colonel Boyarsky.

Malyshkin and I drafted an appeal from the Russian Committee, which altered several times at the direction of Strikfeldt, and when it was ready, I, as chairman, and Malyshkin, as secretary, signed it.

In this appeal to the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army and the entire Russian people it was pointed out that the Russian Committee set itself the task of overthrowing Stalin, destroying Bolshevism, create a Russian government and conclude an honorable peace with Germany.

This appeal was propagated by the Germans in the printing house and distributed among prisoners of war and at the front.

QUESTION: Are you being asked to Russian committee, dated December 27, 1942. Are you talking about this document?

ANSWER: Yes, we are talking about this document.

QUESTION: Why did the address you wrote indicate that the place of residence Russian committee is Smolensk while you were in Berlin?

ANSWER: Because Russian committee assumed the functions of the government of Russia, Malyshkin and I considered it politically unprofitable to indicate that the committee was located on German territory.

QUESTION: You fought against the Soviet government and the Red Army on the instructions of the German intelligence agencies and the German military command. Show what practical anti-Soviet activities you carried out on behalf of the so-called Russian Committee?

ANSWER: Shortly after the creation of the Russian Committee was announced, I, accompanied by representatives of the German command, went to volunteer units formed by the Germans to intensify anti-Soviet work among Russian prisoners of war and popularize the Russian Committee.

First of all, I attended courses in Dabendorf to train propagandists for work among prisoners of war.

The head of the courses was General Blagoveshchensky, whom I managed to arrange for this position through Shtrikfeldt. The teachers at the courses were Russian prisoners of war, released in connection with this from the camps. Among them was Major General Trukhin, the former head of the operational department of the headquarters of the Baltic Military District, who later became the head of these courses and also posed as a member of the Russian Committee.

At the courses in Dabendorf, about 4 thousand prisoners of war were trained, who were subsequently sent by propagandists to prisoner of war camps and Russian military units formed by the Germans, where they carried out anti-Soviet activities.

While in Dabendorf, on March 16, 1943, I published an open letter in the Zarya newspaper entitled “ Why did I take the path of fighting Bolshevism”, in which he slandered the leaders of the Soviet state and argued the need to fight against Soviet power.

QUESTION: The investigation shows you a printed copy of this document. Is he talking about?

ANSWER: Yes, I am talking about this document.

After visiting Dabendorf, I, accompanied by a representative of the propaganda department of the German army, Lieutenant Colonel Shushut and Captain Peterson, went to Smolensk, where I got acquainted with the activities of propaganda battalions created by the Germans from Soviet prisoners of war and a volunteer detachment.

In the same place, in Smolensk, on the initiative of the city government, a meeting was arranged for me with representatives of the local intelligentsia. I gave a report on the creation of the Russian Committee and the negotiations that are being conducted with the German command on the formation of Russian armed forces to fight against Soviet power.

In the same 1943, I visited Pskov, where I examined a battalion of volunteer troops and was at the reception of the commander of the German troops operating near Leningrad, Field Marshal Bush, who asked me to tell a meeting of German officers about the goals and objectives of the Russian Committee.

Speaking at this meeting, I declared that the Russian Committee was waging an active struggle against Soviet power and that the Germans would not be able to destroy the Bolsheviks without the help of the Russians.Field Marshal Bush clearly did not like my speech.

Returning to Berlin, I stopped in Riga and delivered an anti-Soviet report to the Russian intelligentsia of the city, and also had a conversation with Metropolitan Sergius, who lived in Riga.

QUESTION: What caused the need for this meeting and what did you talk about with Sergiy?

ANSWER: The meeting with Metropolitan Sergius was organized for me by a German officer who was in charge of propaganda in Riga, with the aim of establishing contact with the Russian Orthodox Church and using the clergy to jointly fight the Soviet regime.

Sergius, agreeing with me on the need to intensify the struggle against Soviet power, said that he intended to create a Holy Synod in the areas occupied by the Germans. At the same time, Sergius said that only priests who had left the Soviet Union knew the situation of the population and would be able to find a common language with them, while emigre priests broke away from Soviet reality and did not enjoy authority among the population.

I recommended Sergius not to hurry with the creation of the Synod, but first to unite the clergy to fight against Bolshevism and find out the attitude of the population towards the church. Since Sergius claimed that the general majority of the population had a craving for the church, I told him that he and I should meet again on this issue and talk in detail.

After returning from a trip, I had a meeting in Letzen with the commander of the volunteer units, Lieutenant General Helmig.

Helmig invited me to stay at his headquarters and help him lead the formed Russian units. I refused this offer, telling Helmig that as long as the Russian prisoners of war were in the service of the German units, they would not fight properly against the Bolsheviks.

I asked Helmig to transfer all the work of creating Russian units to me in order to form several divisions from them, subordinating them to the Russian Committee.

Not agreeing with Helmig, I returned to Berlin and learned from Strikfeldt that it had become known about my speech with Field Marshal Bush Himmler.

Himmler at one of the narrow meetings of the top commanders of the German army, he said that the propaganda department of the German armed forces was messing around with some prisoner of war general and allowed him to speak to the officers with such statements that undermined the Germans' confidence that they alone could defeat the Soviet Union .

Himmler proposed to stop such propaganda and use only those prisoners of war who declare their consent to serve in the German army.

After this performance Himmler I did not show any activity for some period and until 1944 I did not leave Berlin anywhere.

At about the same time, Malyshkin, who traveled to France for propaganda purposes, was arrested after his speech in Paris.

QUESTION: What was Malyshkin arrested for?

ANSWER: Speaking at a meeting of white emigrants in Paris, Malyshkin, trying to prove the need to unite all Russian formations under the leadership of our committee, expressed a negative attitude towards the activities of the Cossack administration created by the Germans. Immediately after the speech, Malyshkin was arrested and, accompanied by a German officer, was taken to Berlin.

QUESTION: Why did Malyshkin's speech provoke such a reaction from the Germans?

ANSWER: In July 1943, General of the White Army Krasnov concluded an agreement with Field Marshal Keitel and Rosenberg that the Cossacks undertake to fight on the side of the German army against the Soviet troops, for which the German government will provide them with Cossack lands in the east and places for settlement in other European countries.

By the end of 1943, the Germans, having evicted local residents from the regions of Northern Italy, organized Cossack settlements there.

Malyshkin's speech went against the policy of the German government, which led to his arrest. At my request, Malyshkin was soon released from custody by the Germans.

I resumed more active anti-Soviet activity from July 1944.

QUESTION: In connection with what?

ANSWER: I must say that in the first period of the war against the Soviet Union, the Germans ignored any kind of cooperation with anti-Soviet elements from among the Russians.

The Germans believed that the German war machine was so strong that it would be able to defeat the Soviet armies and, without anyone's help, establish its dominance in Russia.

The declaration of the creation of the Russian Committee and the involvement of me as the head of this anti-Soviet political center was done by the Germans mainly with the aim of propagating that the Russian people, together with the Germans, were allegedly fighting against Bolshevism.

At that time, the plans for the dismemberment of the Soviet Union developed by Hitler's minister Rosenberg were recognized in Germany.

In this regard, Rosenberg created various anti-Soviet organizations: Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkestan and others, headed by "national committees", which formed National Legions from among Soviet prisoners of war to fight the Red Army.

Rosenberg appointed "presidents" and leaders of the "governments" of Ukraine, Belarus, Turkestan, Azerbaijan, etc. being prepared at that time.

After the Red Army delivered a series of serious blows to the German troops, the Germans saw that the policy of dismembering the Soviet Union had failed.

Back in 1943, among some generals and officers of the German army with whom I had a chance to talk, there were talks about dissatisfaction with the policies of the Hitlerite government.

Thus, while in Smolensk in 1943, I met with the commander of the rear district, Field Marshal Küchler, who told me that, in his opinion, the sacrifices made by the German army in the East were being increased by Rosenberg's wrong policy.

At the same time, Strikfeldt told me that a member of the General Staff of the German Armed Forces, Major General Gehlen, once told him that the government's policy only complicates the situation, increasing the number of Germany's enemies.

In June 1943, in a conversation with the German writers Dwinger, Brehm and Gauleiter of Vienna von Schirach, the latter expressed their opinion to me that Germany should build its policy in the East in cooperation with the Russians who were fighting against Soviet power.

Obviously, taking into account these sentiments and the difficult situation of the Germans at the front, which had developed by mid-1944, the Nazi government decided to involve the Russian anti-Soviet formations in an active struggle under the leadership of the Germans against the Bolsheviks, concentrating all this work in the hands of Himmler.

On July 20, 1944, a representative of the propaganda department of the German armed forces in the East, Captain Grote, came to me, who suggested that I urgently go with him to an appointment with Himmler, but in connection with the assassination attempt on Hitler that took place on that day, the meeting with Himmler was postponed and took place only on September 18, 1944.

QUESTION: Where did you meet Himmler?

ANSWER: At the headquarters of the High Command of the German Armed Forces, in the forest, near the city of Rastenburg (East Prussia).

QUESTION: Who was present at your meeting with Himmler?

ANSWER: On the train with me to meet with Himmler rode: Strikfeldt, SS representative - Obersturmbannführer Kroeger and commander of the SS propaganda regiment, Colonel Dalken.

Receptionist Himmler we were met by Obergruppenführer Berger, who announced that Strikfeldt would not be present at the reception.

QUESTION: What did you talk about Himmler?

ANSWER: Himmler I was told that the propaganda department of the German armed forces could not organize Russian prisoners of war to fight against the Bolsheviks, and therefore he would personally supervise this work.

All Russian affairs, as Himmler said, will be handled by his deputy Berger, and he appoints Kroeger as his representative to me.

For a successful struggle against Soviet power, Himmler proposed to unite all the White Guard, nationalist and other anti-Soviet organizations existing in the territory occupied by the Germans and inside Germany and to create a political center to direct their activities, giving me the freedom to choose whether I call this center a government or a committee.

Accepting Himmler's offer,I asked him to let me set up a committee called Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia and to form an army of 10 divisions from among the prisoners of war to use them in the fight against the Red Army.

Himmler agreed with the creation of the committee and allowed the formation of 5 divisions from prisoners of war for the time being, promised to provide them with weapons.

Then Himmler instructed me to develop committee manifesto and submit it for approval.

In a further conversation, Himmler took a detailed interest in the events in the Soviet Union in 1937. He asked whether there was a military conspiracy in reality, whether he had supporters. Wishing to show that there were opponents of the government within the Soviet Union who were fighting the Soviet regime, I replied to Himmler that there really was a conspiracy. In fact, I always believed that there was no conspiracy, and the NKVD authorities dealt with innocent people.

Himmler asked me if I was familiar with Tukhachevsky and whether he knew other participants in the military conspiracy. I replied that at that time I was still a small person, held a small position and had no connections with Tukhachevsky and other conspirators.

Himmler asked if there were people left in the Soviet Union whom the German government could now count on and who could organize a coup in Russia. I said my opinion that such people, of course, should exist in Russia, but they are not known to me.

Himmler then inquired whether, in my opinion, Shaposhnikov organize a coup, as one of the officers of the old army and occupying a prominent position in the USSR. I did not answer this question, referring to the fact that I was not closely acquainted with Shaposhnikov and only introduced myself to him in 1942 as the Chief of the General Staff.

After that, Himmler asked how I knew Stalin, Beria, Kaganovich and Zhdanov. Himmler was especially interested in Stalin's personal life, asking where Stalin lived, who the family consisted of, and whether there were Jews in Stalin's family and close circle.

I slandered Stalin, but I could not tell Himmler any details about Stalin's personal life, since in reality I knew nothing.

With regard to Beria, Kaganovich and Zhdanov, I also could not say anything to Himmler, because I did not know anything about them.

Then Himmler asked the question of who could be Stalin's successor. To my statement that it is difficult to assume, Himmler expressed his opinion that in military matters Stalin's successor would obviously be Zhukov, and in civil matters Zhdanov. I said that Zhukov was my boss in the past, I know him as a strong-willed and energetic, but rude person.

Before letting me go, Himmler asked if I could cope with such a responsible task as the unification of anti-Soviet organizations of all nationalities. I assured Himmler that I would cope with this task, since during my 2 years in Germany I had acquired the necessary connections among white émigrés and nationalists, and also that in the next few days I would present him with a draft manifesto.

QUESTION: Who participated in the drafting of the manifesto, written at the suggestion of Himmler?

ANSWER: The draft manifesto, which we developed at Himmler's suggestion, was composed by myself, Malyshkin, Trukhin, Zhilenkov, and Major General Zakutny, who worked in Goebbels' department, the former chief of staff of the 21st Rifle Corps of the Red Army.

The manifesto outlined the situation in the Soviet Union in an anti-Soviet spirit, slandered the leaders of the Soviet state, who allegedly led the country to war with their wrong policy, and now the peoples of Russia are shedding blood for the imperialists of England and the USA. The necessity of fighting Bolshevism was proved, and the creation of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia for this purpose was reported.

The manifesto declared that the committee was created to liberate the peoples of Russia from the Bolshevik system, conclude peace with Germany and create a Russian state without the Bolsheviks.

After that, the draft manifesto was handed over to Himmler through Kroeger, who made a number of amendments to it and approved it.

The manifesto was signed by 37 members and 12 candidate members of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.

QUESTION: At the disposal of the investigation is a printed manifesto of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia, dated November 14, 1944 Did you sign this document?

ANSWER: Yes.

QUESTION: The manifesto states that some members of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia did not put their signatures on this document due to the fact that they are in the USSR. What are the names of these people?

ANSWER: Such an entry at the end of the manifesto was invented by Zhilenkov in order to create the appearance that representatives of the committee also operate on the territory of the USSR.

I told Zhilenkov that the Germans could demand that we name the names of these members of the committee, Zhilenkov replied that we would get out of this situation very easily, we would name several commanders known to us in the USSR and say that they were allegedly our supporters.

QUESTION: But you yourself, in your public speeches, claimed that you had accomplices among the generals and officers of the Red Army?

ANSWER: I have no accomplices in the Red Army. In some of my speeches, I really said that I allegedly have criminal connections with persons located on the territory of the USSR who are fighting against Soviet power, but in fact I did not have them and spoke about this only in order to raise in the eyes Germans their authority.

I must show that at the beginning of 1944 two unfamiliar SD employees who spoke Russian came to me in Dabendorf.

One of those who came said that they allegedly managed to contact Shaposhnikov, who, at the suggestion of the Germans, undertakes to organize a coup within the USSR. These people asked me what I would like to convey to Shaposhnikov and if I would like to contact anyone else in the Soviet Union, they can help me with this. I asked how the Germans managed to contact Shaposhnikov, but these persons hesitated and could not say anything intelligible. I realized that this was a provocation on the part of the Germans, made to check whether I had any connections on the territory of the USSR, and therefore avoided talking to them.

QUESTION: Name the persons who were part of the Liberation Committee.

ANSWER: The committee consisted of about 60 members and candidates.
In addition to me, Malyshkin, Zhilenkov, Trukhin and Zakutny, the committee included:
Colonel Boyarsky - former commander of the 41st Rifle Division of the Red Army;
Colonel Bunyachenko - former commander of the 389th Rifle Division of the Red Army;
Colonel Meandrov - former head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 6th army;
Professor of Medicine Bogatyrchuk, who fled with the Germans from Ukraine;
Muzychenko - a former Soviet journalist who fled with the Germans from the USSR;
Lieutenant General of the tsarist army Abramov - one of the leaders of the White Guard organization Russian All-Military Union;
White emigrant Kazantsev - a leading member of the White Guard organization National Labor Union of a new generation;
General of the White Army Balabin - leader of the White Cossacks;
Professor Rudnev is a white émigré.

QUESTION: You will be interrogated additionally about other members of the committee, and now show who appointed and recruited members of the committee?

ANSWER: After receiving instructions from Himmler on the creation of the Liberation Committee, I conferred with Trukhin, Zhilenkov, Zakutny and Malyshkin, suggesting that they select candidates for members of the committee. Trukhin was supposed to select candidates among the military, Zhilenkov - among the former political workers of the Red Army, Zakutny - from among civilians. Malyshkin and I dealt with white emigration.

Two days later, we met again and jointly considered the submitted candidates.

The list of committee members was sent through Kroeger to Himmler, who approved it with some amendments.

The first meeting of the committee was held on November 14, 1944 in Prague, which, in addition to the members of the committee, was attended by the head of the protectorate of the Czech Republic and Moravia Frick, Obergruppenführer Lawrence and representatives from the Czech government created by the Germans.

The meeting was opened by Professor Rudnev as the oldest member of the committee, who proposed to elect me as chairman.

After the approval of the manifesto worked out by us, the presidium of the committee was elected, consisting of me, Malyshkin, Zhilenkov, Trukhin, Zakutny and the white emigrants Rudnev and Balabin.

I was elected chairman of the committee, and Malyshkin was elected secretary.

According to the temporary situation approved by the Germans, the civilians were led by the chairman of the committee together with the Presidium, and the military by the chairman alone, as commander in chief.

In addition, departments were created as part of the committee: military - head Trukhin, propaganda - head Zhilenkov, civil - head Zakutny, financial - head Professor Andreev, who fled with the Germans from the USSR; aid, engaged in collecting donations for the needs of the committee - the head of the white emigrant Alekseev.

QUESTION: You showed that Himmler instructed you to unite all White Guard and nationalist organizations to fight against Soviet power.What have you done in this direction?
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See end.