The best snipers of World War II. German, Soviet, Finnish shooters played enough important role V war time. And in this review an attempt will be made to consider those of them that have become the most effective.

The emergence of sniper art

Since the emergence of personal weapons in armies, which provided the opportunity to hit the enemy at long distances, accurate shooters began to be distinguished from soldiers. Subsequently, separate units of rangers began to form from them. As a result, a separate type of light infantry was formed. The main tasks that the soldiers received included the destruction of officers of enemy troops, as well as the demoralization of the enemy through accurate shooting at significant distances. For this purpose, shooters were armed with special rifles.

In the 19th century, modernization of weapons occurred. The tactics changed accordingly. This was facilitated by the emergence of During the First World War, snipers were part of a separate cohort of saboteurs. Their goal was to quickly and effectively defeat enemy personnel. At the very beginning of the war, snipers were mainly used by the Germans. However, over time, they began to appear special schools and in other countries. In conditions of protracted conflicts, this “profession” has become quite in demand.

Finnish snipers

Between 1939 and 1940, Finnish marksmen were considered the best. World War II snipers learned a lot from them. Finnish riflemen were nicknamed “cuckoos”. The reason for this was that they used special “nests” in trees. This feature was distinctive for the Finns, although trees were used for this purpose in almost all countries.

So who exactly are we obliged to? best snipers Second World War? The most famous “cuckoo” was Simo Heihe. He was nicknamed the "white death". The number of confirmed murders he committed exceeded the mark of 500 liquidated Red Army soldiers. In some sources, his indicators were equal to 700. He was quite seriously wounded. But Simo was able to recover. He died in 2002.

Propaganda played its role

The best snipers of the Second World War, namely their achievements, were actively used in propaganda. Quite often it happened that the personalities of the shooters began to acquire legends.

The famous domestic sniper was able to destroy about 240 enemy soldiers. This figure was average for effective marksmen of that war. But due to propaganda, he was made the most famous Red Army sniper. On modern stage Historians seriously doubt the existence of Major Koenig, Zaitsev's main opponent in Stalingrad. The main achievements of the domestic shooter include the development of a sniper training program. He personally took part in their preparation. In addition, he formed a full-fledged sniper school. Its graduates were called “hares.”

Top marksmen

Who are they, the best snipers of World War II? You should know the names of the most successful shooters. Mikhail Surkov is in first position. He destroyed about 702 enemy soldiers. Following him on the list is Ivan Sidorov. He killed 500 soldiers. Nikolai Ilyin is in third position. He killed 497 enemy soldiers. Following him with the mark of 489 killed is Ivan Kulbertinov.

The best snipers of the USSR of World War II were not only men. In those years, women also actively joined the ranks of the Red Army. Some of them subsequently became quite effective shooters. About 12 thousand enemy soldiers were destroyed. And the most effective was Lyudmila Pavlichenkova, who had 309 killed soldiers.

The best snipers of the USSR in World War II, of which there were quite a lot, have a large number of effective shots to their credit. More than 400 soldiers were killed by approximately fifteen riflemen. 25 snipers killed more than 300 enemy soldiers. 36 riflemen killed more than 200 Germans.

There is little information about enemy shooters

There is not so much data about “colleagues” on the enemy side. This is due to the fact that no one tried to boast of their exploits. Therefore, the best German snipers of the Second World War are practically unknown in ranks and names. One can only say with certainty about those shooters who were awarded the Knight's Iron Cross. This happened in 1945. One of them was Frederick Payne. He killed about 200 enemy soldiers. The most productive player was probably Matthias Hetzenauer. They killed about 345 soldiers. The third sniper who was awarded the order was Joseph Ollerberg. He left memoirs in which quite a lot was written about the activities of German riflemen during the war. The sniper himself killed about 257 soldiers.

Sniper terror

It should be noted that the Anglo-American allies landed in Normandy in 1944. And it was in this place that the best snipers of the Second World War were located at that time. German riflemen killed many soldiers. And their effectiveness was facilitated by the terrain, which was simply replete with bushes. The British and Americans in Normandy faced real sniper terror. Only after that allied forces thought about training specialized shooters who could work with an optical sight. However, the war has already come to an end. Therefore, the snipers of America and England were never able to set records.

Thus, the Finnish “cuckoos” taught a good lesson in their time. Thanks to them in the Red Army military service The best snipers of the Second World War passed through.

Women fought equally with men

Since ancient times, it has been the case that men are engaged in war. However, in 1941, when the Germans attacked our country, the entire people began to defend it. Holding weapons in their hands, being at machines and on collective farm fields, they fought against fascism soviet people- men, women, old people and children. And they were able to win.

The chronicle contains a lot of information about the women who received it. And the best snipers of the war were also present among them. Our girls were able to destroy more than 12 thousand enemy soldiers. Six of them received high rank And one girl became a complete gentleman soldier's

Legend girl

As mentioned above, the famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenkova killed about 309 soldiers. Of these, 36 were enemy riflemen. In other words, she alone was able to destroy almost an entire battalion. A film was made based on her exploits called “The Battle of Sevastopol.” The girl went to the front voluntarily in 1941. She took part in the defense of Sevastopol and Odessa.

In June 1942, the girl was wounded. After that, she no longer took part in hostilities. The wounded Lyudmila was carried from the battlefield by Alexei Kitsenko, with whom she fell in love. They decided to file a report on marriage registration. However, the happiness did not last too long. In March 1942, the lieutenant was seriously wounded and died in the arms of his wife.

In the same year, Lyudmila became part of the delegation of Soviet youth and left for America. There she created a real sensation. After returning, Lyudmila became an instructor at a sniper school. Under her leadership, several dozen good shooters were trained. This is how they were - the best snipers of the USSR in World War II.

Creation of a special school

Perhaps Lyudmila’s experience was the reason why the country’s leadership began to teach girls the art of shooting. Courses were specially formed in which girls were in no way inferior to men. Later, it was decided to reorganize these courses into the Central Women's Sniper Training School. In other countries, only men were snipers. During World War II, girls were not taught this art professionally. And only in the Soviet Union did they comprehend this science and fight on an equal basis with men.

The girls were treated cruelly by their enemies

In addition to the rifle, sapper shovel and binoculars, the women took grenades with them. One was intended for the enemy, and the other for oneself. Everyone knew that German soldiers treated snipers cruelly. In 1944, the Nazis managed to capture domestic sniper Tatyana Baramzina. When our soldiers discovered her, they could recognize her only by her hair and uniform. The enemy soldiers stabbed the body with daggers, cut out the breasts, and gouged out the eyes. They stuck a bayonet into my stomach. In addition, the Nazis shot at the girl point-blank with an anti-tank rifle. Of the 1,885 graduates of the sniper school, about 185 girls could not survive to Victory. They tried to protect them and did not throw them into particularly difficult tasks. But still, the glare of optical sights in the sun often gave away the shooters, who were later found by enemy soldiers.

Only time has changed the attitude towards female shooters

The girls, the best snipers of World War II, whose photos can be seen in this review, experienced terrible things in their time. And when they returned home, they sometimes encountered contempt. Unfortunately, in the rear, a special attitude was formed towards girls. Many unfairly called them field wives. This is where the contemptuous looks that female snipers received came from.

For a long time they did not tell anyone that they were at war. They hid their rewards. And only after 20 years did attitudes towards them begin to change. And it was at this time that the girls began to open up, talking about their many exploits.

Conclusion

In this review, an attempt was made to describe those snipers who became the most productive during the entire period that the Second World War was going on. There are quite a lot of them. But it should be noted that not all arrows are known. Some tried to talk about their exploits as little as possible.

Among historians, there is an opinion that the Germans only when faced with “sniper terror” on the Eastern Front “came to their senses” and began to actively engage in sniping in 1942. However, this is an absolutely erroneous statement. Having “harassed” its opponents with sniper warfare during the First World War, according to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was deprived of the right not only to have snipers, but also to produce sniper rifles and scopes. Not forgetting the importance of the sniper at the front, with the formation of SS structures, the German command cleverly hid snipers in these paramilitary detachments and secretly trained them. Sniper training was also hidden under airfield security even in Luftwaffe units. It should be noted that the training of snipers, the production of rifles and sights were personally supervised by Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering. Sniper training in pre-war Germany lasted at least two years. Therefore, it is completely incorrect to consider this approach to sniping in Germany as oblivion.

IN post-war years The Germans only managed to slightly improve the design of optical sights, increasing the image amplification factor. New 4x and 8x scopes, in theory, made it possible to confidently hit targets at distances of up to 800 m, but during the Second War, most German sniper rifles still had scopes with 3x and 4x magnification. The design of the optical sight lenses themselves has been improved, making shooting in limited light conditions possible.

At the beginning of the war, the Wehrmacht had a sufficient number of snipers and rifles with sights, but there was no subject for their use. Neither in Poland, nor in France, nor in Norway, nor in Crete were there targets for the mass use of snipers. They carried out ordinary statutory tasks, which were not particularly noticeable in offensive battles. Naturally, the German command did not see the need to increase the number of snipers or increase the number of their training.

German sniper and observer near Voronezh. 1941

It is also important to emphasize that the basics of sniper training in both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht were practically the same. The instructions of both armies took into account the experience of the Soviet-Finnish war. It was this experience that pushed the USSR to a sharp increase in the training of the number of snipers, or something that “overslept” German intelligence, or did not appreciate the next reform of the councils. As a result, indeed, in the winter of 1941-1942, when the Wehrmacht first went on the defensive, the balance of snipers was not on its side. German command began to take decisive measures, orders appeared, sniper schools were opened, and cadets were selected at the fronts. This was all accepted by historians as a fact of the appearance of sniping in the Wehrmacht.

In 1942, numerous three-month courses were launched, the duration of which was subsequently increased to six months. At the front, the most successful shooters were selected, as a rule, those who already had at least 20 victories. Shooters from the Jaeger units also trained here, where, usually, soldiers who were well familiar with weapons from civilian life served. Short-term training of riflemen was also carried out at front-line courses. The cadets received rifles and scopes that remained with them forever. Sniper schools conducted daily exercises in shooting, camouflage, observation, enemy detection, etc. By 1944, the development of German sniping had reached its peak. In particular, at least 30 sniper schools were formed. By order of the Luftwaffe command, educational films “Invisible Weapon: Sniper in Combat” and “Field Training of Snipers” were filmed for use in training ground units. Both films were shot quite competently and of very high quality, even from the heights of today: here are the main points of special sniper training, the most important recommendations for actions in the field, and all this in a popular form, with a combination of game elements. A memo, widely circulated at the time, called “The Ten Commandments of the Sniper” read:

- Fight selflessly.
- Fire calmly and carefully, concentrate on each shot. Remember that rapid fire has no effect.
- Shoot only when you are sure that you will not be detected.
- Your main opponent is the enemy sniper, outsmart him.
— Don’t forget that a mining shovel prolongs your life.
— Constantly practice determining distances.
- Become a master of terrain and camouflage.
— Train constantly - on the front line and in the rear.
- Take care of your sniper rifle, don’t give it to anyone.
— Survival for a sniper has nine parts – camouflage and only one – shooting.

It is necessary to note the tactical developments of German sniping, which are still used today by many armies of the world. For the first time, the Germans proposed to distinguish between “amateur snipers” (field snipers in today’s sense) and “professional snipers.” Each rifle squad was staffed by two amateur snipers - ordinary soldiers who knew how to shoot accurately. Their standard rifle was equipped with a 4x optical sight. Whenever possible, they received additional sniper training. As snipers, they could only be used when necessary. Each company was assigned two professional snipers, who were armed with a sniper rifle with a 6x optical sight (if available, high aperture, for shooting in the dark). These same snipers, if necessary, could create a sniper group with the involvement of amateur snipers. However, in practice it was difficult for the Germans to implement this theory.

Most effective German snipers ended up in Normandy in June 1944 during the landing of the Anglo-American allies, where they faced the same “sniper terror” as the Red Army soldiers once did on the “Mannerheim Line”. German snipers knew the terrain well and skillfully camouflaged their positions. Hedges became their favorite shelter. Snipers dug in near them, mined the approaches, and set traps in the bushes. The best method of dealing with them remained mortar and artillery strikes on the intended position. Here, the Allies encountered unusual German tactics. A common sniper tactic is to fire a shot, rarely two, and change position to avoid enemy return fire. But in Normandy, German snipers fired continuously, without even trying to move. In the end, they were destroyed, but before that such a “suicide” managed to inflict very serious damage.

Snipers always worked in pairs - one shoots, the other conducts observation. Frequent change positions and camouflage were considered the key to the sniper’s survival. The most common tasks were: the destruction of observers, spotters, commanders, machine gunners and gun crews. Snipers followed the attacking forces and engaged the most fortified enemy positions, machine gun nests and anti-tank gun crews. Often, snipers crossed the front line before the advance of their troops and during their artillery preparation, destroying enemy commanders. In defense, the sniper's primary task was to destroy attacking commanders at long distances, which often stopped the offensive. Sniper duels were considered a dangerous but necessary activity and were fought until the enemy was completely destroyed.

German snipers preferred to work at medium distances - up to 500 m. They fired more at the body than at the head, which, firstly, increased the likelihood of hitting with the first shot, thereby increasing the shooter’s chances of not being detected, and, secondly, the target it was still guaranteed to fail. When repelling the attack, the snipers did not pay attention to the first three or four lines of attackers, and tried to hit as many of the soldiers advancing behind them in the stomach as possible. Hearing the shrill screams of the wounded behind them, those advancing in the front ranks lost their presence of mind, and the attack began to choke. At this moment, snipers were shooting at the first lines of the enemy. Soldiers who were closer than fifty meters to the sniper were shot in the head or heart - they were afraid to leave the wounded close to them. Those retreating were shot in the kidney area, which brought them unbearable pain. In these cases, the wounded began to literally scream and howl like an animal. As a result, the attack often ended abruptly. In such battles, the sniper hit up to 20 people, although these victories were not credited to the sniper account.

Snipers preferred camouflage jackets with a shrapnel pattern or an oak leaf pattern. Face masks were also used, although on a limited scale. The helmets were covered with camouflage fabric or mesh. The Germans believed that shooters with low and average levels of training hit better shots using sights with low magnification - up to 4x. Stronger scopes could only be used by high-class snipers.

German gunsmiths did not spoil snipers with a variety of sniper rifles. The main weapon was the Mauser 98 rifle. Adopted in 1898, it was produced until 1945. More than 18 thousand rifles were converted into sniper rifles before World War II. To install an optical sight, the bolt handle was bent down.

Mauser Gew rifle. 98 with optical sight

Based on the Mauser 98 rifle, a carbine was created in 1935 under the designation Mauser 98k. For use as a sniper weapon, specimens that gave maximum accuracy were selected from standard carbines. About 200 thousand carbines were equipped with optical sights.

Mauser 98k carbine with ZF-41 optical sight

In 1943, under the impression of the Soviet SVT-40 rifle, the production of the Gewehr 43 self-loading rifle was launched in Germany. By the end of the war, 53.4 thousand rifles received “optics”. The rifle was superior to the outdated Mauser Gew. 98", but was significantly inferior to the Mauser 98k carbine.

Sniper rifle with optical sight G-43 (W)

It should be noted that German snipers, in the absence of the coveted “Gewehr 43”, tried to get a captured Soviet Mosin sniper rifle, which was converted to a German cartridge. And in this form, the rifle showed better results than in the original version. And considering that the captured goods were not even counted in thousands of guns, there was plenty to choose from.

In contrast to the limited range of sniper rifles, the German industry produced a good dozen telescopic sights for them. The first type of telescopic sight, officially adopted in 1939 by the German army, was the four-fold "ZF-39" with graduations at a distance of up to 1200 m. In 1941, another sight was adopted - the "ZF-41" with one and a half times increase. A rifle with such a scope was positioned as a rifle for high-precision shooting, and not as a sniper. In 1942, various commercial sights with magnification from 4X to 6X, poorly suited for military service, were adopted under the designation “ZF-42”. In 1943, a cheap and reliable telescopic sight “ZF-4” or “ZF-43” with a 4X magnification, designed under the influence of the Soviet PU sight, appeared. It was intended for the G43 self-loading rifle, but it was not possible to produce the G43 in sufficient quantities and the sight had to be adapted to the Kar.98k rifle. There were other types of sights: the Opticotechna, Dialytan, Hensoldt & Soehne and the rare Carl Zeiss Jena Zielsechs. However, it was not possible to identify the incredible ten-fold Zeiss optics of German snipers, captured in numerous stories by both front-line soldiers and historians. The collapse of another legend.

Josef Ollerberg.

Sniper "elite" of the III Reich. Revelations of killers (collection)

Gunter Bauer. Death through a telescopic sight

Chapter first. Recruitment notice

September, 1937

That day, as always, I was in the bakery that belonged to our family. My mother Anna and my pregnant wife Ingrid worked there with me. Ingrid and I were both eighteen years old. We got married just two months earlier.

I helped my mother run the bakery business for several years, and as I grew older, it became our family business. Mother was glad that I shifted some of her worries onto my shoulders.

Two elderly women entered the bakery. They looked at different cakes and cookies for a long time, quietly discussing among themselves what was best for them to buy. In the end, they made their choice and made a purchase. On the way out, the postman, who was heading towards us, helpfully held the door for them.

“I brought you a draft notice, Gunther,” he said as he entered.

Hearing these words, I felt that in an instant my life had changed dramatically. I knew that two years ago universal conscription had been restored in Germany, but I treated it somehow with detachment, not imagining that it would affect me.

The postman handed me a small yellow envelope with my name and address printed on it.

“Thank you, Walter,” I said and handed him the cake: “Help yourself.”

Taking the cake, the postman smiled:

“Thank you, Gunther,” raising his hat, he bowed to my mother and Ingrid and left the bakery.

My mother's face immediately became very concerned, she looked at me with concern.

“Mom, everything will be fine,” I tried to reassure her and forced myself to smile.

“Your father died in the war,” she sighed.

“But we’re not at war with anyone now,” I objected.

Opening the envelope, I began to read the summons. It informed me that I had to report to the recruiting station within three days and that if I did not do this, I would face arrest. In addition, the summons indicated the address of my recruiting station, which, as it turned out, was located several kilometers from our bakery.

Three next days flew by very quickly. All this time, my mother endlessly gave me various pieces of advice that, as she thought, could help me avoid army service:

- Tell them you just got married. Tell them that your baby is about to be born...

However, she herself was very afraid that none of these arguments would change anything. And my mother repeated to me several times during these three days:

“Gunther, I beg you, don’t try to act like a daredevil if you ever find yourself in a war.” Your father was a brave man, and he is no longer with us. And you must return home safe and sound.

Ingrid transmitted my mother's worries. One evening, when we were alone, her face became very serious and sad. She said, barely holding back tears:

– Promise me that you will return, Gunther.

– Of course I’ll be back! – I answered with feigned cheerfulness. “But then you, too, promise that you will wait for me.”

She promised and brought my hand to her stomach:

– Tell our child that you will definitely return.

I kissed Ingrid on the stomach and, smiling, said, turning to the one who was inside:

“Baby, your dad is telling you this.”

I promise you and mom that I will come back. We will be together again, and everything will be fine with us!

Ingrid accompanied me to the recruiting station. When I got there, I saw a long line of young people. Some of them stood with their wives, girlfriends and mothers. There were even a few small children in the crowd who were brought to see their fathers off.

I got in line. Ingrid did not want to leave and squeezed my hand.

“Don’t worry, we’ll most likely just be sent to guard the border,” I said, not fully believing the veracity of my words.

In those days, many had a presentiment that difficult trials awaited Germany. Life in the country has changed dramatically in just a few recent years. With Hitler's rise to power in 1933, planting began Nazi ideology. Disagreement with the ruling regime was gradually suppressed more and more harshly. Eventually it got to the point where even an innocent joke about Hitler or his party could lead to arrest. However, I myself was too young then to think about such things. The only thing that caught my eye was that about two years before I received my draft notice, several Jews who had previously been regular customers stopped visiting our bakery. But at that time I didn’t give it any thought special significance. Perhaps these people managed to escape the country, or they suffered a much worse fate.

I myself was never a Nazi. But I remember well that by the mid-thirties the German people were divided into their supporters and those who could only remain silent and afraid. The Nazis were everywhere. Even near the recruiting station, several of them walked around in black shirts with a swastika on the sleeve and handed out propaganda leaflets. When one of them was handed to me, I took it, smiling politely. I didn't need any extra problems.

Soon it was my turn. I hugged my wife tightly:

– Ingrid, everything will be fine. I'll be back soon, trust me!

She almost burst into tears and once again said that she loved me very much and would wait. We kissed and I entered the corridor of the recruiting station. Ingrid looked after me, but the door was on a spring and slammed shut as soon as I entered.

There was also a line in the hallway that led to a massive table. A portly sergeant towered over the table. He took the summons from the conscripts and asked each of them a series of formal questions.

When I finally got to the desk, the sergeant asked me my name, address, age, weight, and the like. When asking questions, he did not pause. His voice sounded monotonous, and his face expressed nothing. He even seemed to me not like a person, but like some kind of machine.

Everything that happened next also resembled a conveyor belt. In the next huge room we went through a medical examination, taking turns moving from one doctor to another. After that, another sergeant handed me a document to sign, according to which I was drafted into the army for four years. I had no choice but to sign.

Soon after this, each of us was given personal soldier's books, which we had to carry with us at all times. In addition, we received special forms in which each of us had to indicate the names and addresses of our closest relatives, as well as write down what he had done in previous years and what skills he had. Based on this, our military specialty was subsequently determined.

I couldn’t think of anything better than to write that I worked in a bakery, and also that I have marksmanship skills. I learned to shoot a rifle in a school club. The teacher said that I was the most accurate boy he ever taught. And this was indeed the case.

When we filled out all the papers, we were lined up in the courtyard behind the recruiting station. There were already army trucks there. We loaded into them and were taken to the station. Soon we were already sitting on a train that was taking us away from our native Hamburg. However, our journey lasted only a few hours. And then we unloaded at the station, where army trucks were again waiting for us.

It was already getting dark when we arrived at the training camp. We were lined up on the parade ground in front of the barracks. Sergeant Krauss, who was later in charge of our training, gave a speech, general meaning which boiled down to the fact that he would make real fighters out of us who would guard the interests of Germany, the Fuhrer and the people. After this, we were placed in barracks, where we were to live for the next three months.

...The next day we were given a uniform. It included a gray-green field jacket, gray trousers, high knee-length boots and an oval soldier's medallion, which consisted of two halves. The medallion had to be worn on a chain around the neck. In addition, we received belts and helmets.

The shoulder straps on my field jacket were clean, without stripes, as it should be for privates. The jacket had two outer pockets and one inner one, made specifically so that each of us could put our personal soldier’s book in it, which I immediately did.

The inscription on my belt badge read: “God is with us!” In addition, three cartridge bags were placed on the belt, each of which held ten cartridges. Also on my belt, on the left side of my back, I had to wear the folding infantry shoulder blade that was issued to me. They also gave me a duffel bag, a flask and a tin mug. In general, everything is as it should be. But among the things there was also something that at first seemed completely useless to me - a gas mask, filters for it and pills that needed to be taken in the event of a gas attack. Why is all this needed in peacetime? For a second I was reminded of my mother's fears. But after a few more moments, all bad thoughts flew out of my head. Youth is youth.

What I really didn’t like was the army haircut. Of course, I myself loved to cut my hair short. But we, the new recruits, were cut almost completely bald.

My further life in the training camp consisted of endless forced marches over considerable distances, including with full equipment, various physical exercise, theoretical training and training at the shooting range.

Our sergeant noticed almost immediately that I was shooting very accurately, and after a while he told me that after basic training I will be sent to sniper school.

In our platoon there were two guys with whom I studied in primary school. These were Anton Keller and Michael Gaus. We weren't really friends at school, but we immediately became friends at training camp.

Anton looked like him the exact opposite- a blue-eyed, blond, two-meter tall guy who was engaged in wrestling and boxing before the army. The smile never left his face; he loved to laugh very much, for this it was enough for him to hear the slightest joke. In the same way, jokingly, he made grueling marches with full gear and performed the most difficult physical exercises.

Of course, Anton shot much worse than us. But Michael and I really wanted him to be enrolled in a sniper school, and we tried in every possible way to help him master the skill of marksmanship. Finally, after a few weeks, the result was achieved. Anton still hit his targets worse than Michael and I, but much better than the others. And the sergeant said that Anton would also be enrolled in sniper school.

During basic training, we were taught terrain orientation, the use of various types of weapons, as well as how to properly dig trenches, counter tanks, and what to do in the event of a gas attack.

During training, we learned to throw grenades, shoot from a K98k carbine, a rifle grenade launcher, and an 80mm mortar.

The Mauser K98 carbine was quite heavy. He weighed about four kilograms. To us, recruits, after many kilometers of marches, it seemed that each of us had an unimaginable weight hanging on our shoulders. But this carbine was equipped with a 5-round magazine. It was very convenient for shooting. When the bolt was closed, the empty clip was automatically ejected from the slots. Sights included a front sight and a V-shaped rear sight, adjustable in range from 100 to 2000 meters. Moreover, the front sight was installed on the base in the muzzle of the barrel in a transverse groove, and it could move left and right to shift the average point of impact. Thanks to this, it was possible to achieve very good shooting accuracy over considerable distances.

But rifle grenade launchers, of course, could not be called the latest technology. This type of grenade launcher was used by the German army back in the First World War. world war. Of course, we had much more advanced examples of such weapons. But later the main drawback of all muzzle grenade launchers became clear to me. The fact is that, having prepared a grenade for firing, you can no longer fire a regular cartridge from a rifle until you shoot or remove the grenade from the barrel. But rifle grenade launchers weighed very little and were really effective in battle.

80-mm mortars immediately seemed to us to be a very formidable weapon. A fist reached into the barrel of their barrel. They could fire mines weighing more than three kilograms over a distance of more than two kilometers. I myself then imagined with horror what would happen if I ever found myself in the zone of fire from such weapons. However, later I had to experience much more terrible things during the war.

However, during basic training we were all still quite carefree. Some of us, whom the sergeant considered suitable for this purpose, mastered special types weapons such as flamethrowers and an MG-34 machine gun.

The MG-34 was the first single machine gun in history, which until 1942 was officially the main machine gun not only of the infantry, but also of the Wehrmacht tank forces. The MG-34 could be used both as a light machine gun at the infantry infantry platoon level and as an mounted machine gun at the battalion level. Moreover, this machine gun fired the same 7.92 mm cartridges as the K98k carbine.

Besides all this, we were also taught how to fight in hand-to-hand combat using rifle stocks and sapper blades.

When three months of basic training came to an end, I, along with Anton and Michael, were sent to sniper school. We spent another month and a half there. Here our training consisted mainly of shooting. We learned to conduct targeted fire from considerable distances using an optical sight.

In addition, we were trained to select priority goals. First of all, we had to hit enemy snipers. Then artillery gunners and officers. Our next target was to be artillerymen, mortarmen and machine gunners. And last but not least we were required to shoot at ordinary infantry soldiers.

In addition, we were taught to camouflage ourselves in the terrain using natural means such as branches, leaves and even dirt. But, to be honest, subsequent participation in the war taught me methods of camouflage much better than training in sniper school.

But what is most valuable is that the instructor taught us an unshakable rule on which a sniper’s survival depends, although it is not always applicable in combat conditions.

“Remember,” he repeated endlessly. – If you fire a shot, you must immediately change your position. Otherwise, any of you will immediately turn into an easy target for an enemy sniper.

After completing sniper training, I received my first vacation. This allowed me to return home for two weeks.

Mother and Ingrid were extremely happy about my arrival. And I was proud of myself, because above my left elbow I had a chevron of silver braid on a dark green triangular flap. The fact is that after graduating from sniper school, I was awarded the rank of corporal. Moreover, since army service paid, then I returned home with some money. I gave most of it to Ingrid, leaving only a little for beer.

The two-week vacation passed dizzyingly quickly. And I again said goodbye to my mother and Ingrid, and again boarded the next train. This time my destination was military base near Berlin. There I spent the next few months.

Ingrid gave birth to a son in June. As I wanted, she named him Kurt. He was not yet a month old when I received my second leave. At first, I was even a little afraid to approach our baby, who was lying in the cradle, he seemed so small to me, although he weighed almost four kilograms. But, of course, I was very glad that I had a son, that I had a loving wife, that my mother became a grandmother... But the vacation was ending, it was time for me to get back to work.

Calming my mother and Ingrid, I told them that I was simply going to guard Berlin. I probably believed it myself then. I did not know that history was inexorably moving towards grandiose and terrible events, one of the participants of which I was destined to become.

Chapter two. Annexation of the Sudetenland

September, 1938

After the First World War, the Sudetenland was part of Czechoslovakia and accounted for almost a third of the entire area of ​​the country. 3.5 million ethnic Germans lived in this area. Already at the beginning of 1938, Hitler constantly stated in his speeches that the Germans in Czechoslovakia were being oppressed in every possible way. In those days, I heard more than once on the radio and read in newspapers that the Sudeten Germans lived in incredible poverty and were persecuted by the Czechs, and also that it was in the Sudeten region that the percentage of not only the number of suicides, but and child mortality.

Soon after Austria was annexed by Germany without firing a shot in March 1938, the Germans living in the Sudetenland began to demand a referendum in which the population of the Sudetenland could decide for themselves whether this region should remain part of Czechoslovakia or become part of Germany. However, the referendum was never held. Moreover, the Czechoslovak government soon sent troops into German-populated areas and declared martial law in their territories.

Living in Germany, in those days we constantly heard propaganda that Hitler would not leave it like this and would do everything so that the Sudeten Germans would stop tolerating the atrocities of the Czechs and would again live “in the same house with the nation.” Indeed, on September 29, 1938, an agreement was drawn up in Munich, signed the next day by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler himself. From that moment on, the Sudetenland was formally transferred to Germany.

I found myself among the troops that were supposed to enter the territory of the Sudetenland. In the same truck with me were Anton, Michael and seventeen other snipers. Together we formed a special sniper platoon.

Our truck was moving behind a column of light tanks. Each of us did not let go of his carbine. We had regular military K98k carbines, complete with bayonets and scopes. However, our optical sights could only be called suitable for snipers only with a big stretch. These sights provided only 2.5x magnification, which was clearly not enough for targeted shooting from significant distances.

Some of my co-workers tried to talk to each other and even joke. But it didn't work out well. Nervous tension was taking its toll. Our platoon commander, Sergeant Berger, warned us in advance that if complications arose in the operation, the most difficult work would be assigned to us. At first we all took it with youthful bravado. But the longer the journey continued, the more unpleasant forebodings came over us. I myself was very afraid that I might get hurt. What if I get so wounded that the doctors have to cut off my arm or leg? How can I then help my mother and Ingrid when I return home? I – and, most likely, everyone else – didn’t even think about the fact that one of us could be killed. We haven’t seen a single battle yet, we didn’t understand that people really kill in war. Nevertheless, it was unpleasant in my soul. My friends Anton and Michael were also silent, looking at the floor.

Sergeant Berger was riding a horse behind our truck. He was from Austria and was already over forty. He managed to take part in the First World War. His face seemed very calm, and this gave us confidence in such a situation.

After some time, our truck suddenly stopped. I leaned out of the back and saw that Sergeant Berger drove up to the driver's cab to find out the reason for the stop.

After about a minute I realized what was going on. Our truck began to go around a tank that had stalled in the middle of the road. Over the next two hours of travel, looking out of the back, I counted about ten more broken German tanks who could not continue moving. But these were the newest cars of our designers! What I saw gave me an unpleasant shock. What happens if something like this happens during a fight? However, I kept my thoughts to myself.

A few more hours passed and we crossed the border of Czechoslovakia. When we entered the territory of the Sudetenland, I expected that we would be greeted with flowers. In any case, before this we were told more than once that this is exactly how we met German troops, which were part of Austria.

However, in the Sudetes, residents did not throw flowers to German soldiers. Of course, many local Germans happily greeted our military column. But from time to time we noticed gloomy, dissatisfied glances. Moreover, not only the Czechs looked at us this way, but sometimes also the Sudeten Germans. This got me thinking. We were told that all the Germans in the Sudetenland were waiting for us as saviors. In fact, it turned out that for many of them life in Czechoslovakia was not at all as bad as Hitler described. I was finally convinced of this during the time I was in the Sudetenland as part of the occupation forces. At the same time, of course, many Sudeten Germans actually wanted their territories to become part of Germany again, but in most cases this was due to ideological motives rather than the notorious oppression by the Czechs.

The book “Sniper “Elite” of the Third Reich. Revelations of Murderers" includes memoirs three people– Bauer Gunther, Sytkus Bruno, Ollerberg Joseph. They all lived during the Second World War and were excellent snipers. They were able to survive where no one could. The best German snipers remember their lives and talk about how it all began and how they became those who bring death.

Each of them was once a simple boy, with your whole life ahead of you. They wanted to live with their family and raise children, but the war came. They had to become brutal killers, because war knows no compassion. The one who shoots first survives.

Three professional killers speak candidly about the horrors of war. They killed hundreds of Soviet soldiers. Although snipers fought in different directions, each of them had their own fate, their stories differ in many ways, but they have one thing in common - ruthlessness. Each of these men could spend hours watching and tracking their prey, their actions were precisely calibrated and every step was calculated. They themselves were on the verge of death more than once, but survived in monstrous conditions. These men were able to go through the war and return home, becoming brutal killers who have no equal.

On our website you can download the book "Sniper "Elite" of the III Reich. Revelations of killers" Ollerberg Joseph, Bauer Gunther, Sytkus Bruno for free and without registration in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format, read the book online or buy a book on the Internet -store.

Memoirs of Wehrmacht veterans

Bruno Sytkus

"Iron Cross for the Sniper. Assassin with a Sniper Rifle"

Publication - Moscow: Yauza-press, 2011

(abridged version)

Eastern front. 1943 German soldiers.

I was a Wehrmacht sniper and this book is written based on my personal experience. My task was to destroy enemy snipers and perform other tasks of this kind. In addition, I was placed at the disposal of commanders of different companies, who used me for different purposes.

Being a sniper and constantly being at the forefront of the front line and in no-man's land is a very dangerous business. Much was always expected of a sniper. I followed the orders of those older than me military rank. The lives of my comrades often depended on my accuracy. In general, the sniper does not look for his victim himself, but is sent according to orders to that section of the front where it is necessary to eliminate one or more specific targets.

The sniper was usually accompanied by an observer who assisted him and witnessed the execution. combat mission or applications. Such requests were recorded in the sniper’s book and, in my case, were certified by the adjutant of the battalion commander. Thus, I helped my comrades repel numerous attacks by Soviet troops. At the front there are no rules of a civilized society; only the rules of war apply there. I went through all the horrors of the war, I saw and experienced a lot, and I can never forget a lot. Even though decades have passed since then, I often wake up in a cold sweat, dreaming that I am back on the front line. The war left a terrible mark on the hearts of people, and modern generation doesn’t understand what those who fought had to endure.

On July 22, 1943, I ended up in the 22nd reserve motorized infantry battalion in Gumbinnen in East Prussia. My life as a soldier began. To be honest, I didn’t like drill training. In Gumbinnen I took the oath of allegiance to the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. During the second week of service, we began to learn how to shoot live ammunition. Each was given five pieces. It was necessary to shoot at a round target made of twelve concentric circles.

That was the first time we shot rifles. From the first shot I hit the tenth circle. Raising the rifle slightly, I hit number eleven with the second bullet. The last three fell into the twelfth. The battalion commander passing by me noted my results.

I was given five more rounds to repeat the shooting. This time all five bullets hit the twelfth. The commander asked me where I learned to shoot. I replied that during military training classes in the SA, I fulfilled all the test requirements and was awarded the badge of excellent marksmanship training. Two weeks later I was granted a week's leave for my success in shooting, which became the envy of my comrades. I was taken home in an army car because Fichtenhöhe was not far from Gumbinnen.

At the end of July 1943, we boarded a freight train covered in camouflage and headed to training to a field battalion stationed in Russia. During the day we were engaged in combat training, and at night we guarded the Minsk-Orsha railway line, a favorite target of local partisans. One day I fell asleep at my post. When I woke up, I didn’t find my rifle. She was taken by the sergeant major on duty, who sent me to the security commander. He, in turn, sent me to the guardhouse. I was locked in the cellar.

I felt shame for my wrongdoing. In the afternoon, the sergeant major and two privates took me to company headquarters. Chief Lieutenant Brown explained to me the seriousness of my offense and the danger to which I exposed myself and my comrades. He decided to limit himself to a verbal reprimand and let me go. However, as punishment, I had to wash the floor in the headquarters corridor. In the training company, I conducted my first shooting training session with live ammunition in the presence of Lieutenant Brown and the battalion sergeant major.

From a hundred meters I got into the twelfth circle four times and once into the eleventh. Then I had to fire five bullets at a camouflaged target: three times I hit the twelfth circle and twice the eleventh. I didn’t stay long in the training company. A month later I was transferred to a sniper school in the Lithuanian city of Vilnius. The school was located in barracks not far from the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul. A military school was also located here, where officers were trained. Our training courses lasted from August 1 to the end of December 1943.

We were shown a captured Russian film, from which we learned what is needed in order to master the PROFESSION of a sniper: learn to aim, determine the correct distance to the target, dig in correctly, skillfully camouflage, and the like. Over the course of five months, we learned in great detail what a sniper must constantly remember in order to spot an enemy hiding in his natural environment and prevent him from revealing himself. Our instructors were experienced.

In the countryside, they taught us to recognize a target, transmit information, judge distances, and shoot at a moving target. I was particularly successful at the latter. During those five months, I learned very well what to do to survive on the battlefield.

At the end of the course, all those who received qualification certificates were given sniper rifles with telescopic sights, binoculars and a camouflage jacket. I also received a certificate of completion of sniper school. I was warned never to give my rifle to anyone. At the beginning of January 1944, I returned to the field battalion in Kolomeya, which is not far from the Minsk-Orsha railway line. There was excitement there because our battalion was loading onto the train. He was to join the 196th Grenadier Regiment of the 68th Infantry Division "Berlin - Brandenburg".

He was currently undergoing reorganization in Debice near Krakow. We had to drive through the whole of Poland. We had to make frequent stops - we waited until the railway track, blown up by the partisans, was repaired. In Debice, after reorganization, I became a sniper in the 2nd battalion of the 196th Grenadier Regiment. I got another three weeks leave and went home. When the leave was over, I returned to my unit.

A new reorganization took place, and in Tarnopol I ended up in the 68th division. There were heavy battles there. The train stopped on the outskirts of Tarnopol because Russian tanks had broken through the front line and surrounded the city. An order was received from division headquarters - our battalion must return to Meseritz, to a training camp near Frankfurt an der Oder, until further notice. The 68th Infantry Division "Berlin-Brandenburg" included the 169th, 188th and 196th Grenadier Regiments, the 168th Artillery Regiment, the 168th Reconnaissance Unit, the 168th Anti-Tank Unit and supply units, which should, according to charter to be part of an infantry division.

In 1941, when the war with Russia began, the division was stationed in the east and took part in the battles near Cherkassy, ​​Poltava and Kharkov. In the first half of 1942, she fought near Izyum, and from the autumn of the same year to the beginning of 1943 - near Voronezh.

In the spring of 1943, the division was surrounded near Oboyan and Sumy. She also took part in the summer offensive near Kursk. In the winter of 1943, the division fought side by side with the 1st SS Panzer Division "Adolf Hitler" near Kiev, Zhitomir and Radomyshl. In February and March 1944, the division was reorganized at the training center in Dembe. From there the battle group was thrown into battle near Kovel.

While we were in Meseritz, on the Oder, most of The 68th Division took part in the battles near Tarnopol, where it was surrounded and suffered huge losses. Nevertheless, our soldiers managed to escape from the cauldron. As a result, a new reformation took place. I received orders to report to the 2nd Battalion, 196th Regiment. We were sent to the front, where we had to replace the Hungarian unit, which was badly battered in the battles in Western Ukraine. In the afternoon we reached the assembly point and disguised ourselves in order to remain unnoticed by enemy aviation reconnaissance. We were in the vicinity of Lemberg (Lvov), where the 68th Infantry Division became part of the Hungarian 1st Army. Finally it came to serious fighting, and I often shuddered from the roar of heavy artillery guns and endless machine-gun bursts.

When it got dark, we moved forward, passing by a burnt Russian tank, which smelled thickly of burnt human flesh. He broke through to our positions and was shot down by a Panzerfaust. The ground was littered with dead bodies of Germans, Russians, and Hungarians. The corpses lay in the sun for some time and managed to decompose. We took the positions of the Hungarian unit, who left and did not bury their dead.

The enemy noticed movements in our front line and brought artillery fire down on our positions. Not far from us there was a peasant farmstead where we installed a mortar. Suddenly, an enemy shell exploded near the mortar crew. One soldier had his head torn off, and another had his torso torn from the chest to the groin by a shrapnel.

We occupied our site for only two hours and already lost two people. I thought that I should cover the bodies of the dead with straw, but I got scared, not wanting to come under fire, and as quickly as possible, but so that it did not seem like cowardice, I left the scene of the tragedy. At ten o'clock the shelling stopped and the Russians attacked us with infantry and tanks. This was reconnaissance in force, designed to find weak spots in our line of defense. Many of our soldiers opened fire on the enemy from a distance of 500-600 meters, mainly out of fear. However, it was necessary to bring the enemy closer, to a distance of about 200 meters, in order to more effectively repel the attack.

Even before, I had to suppress my fear. Of course, I thought about the killed soldiers and remembered the words that my mother said to me at parting, her request to refrain from killing, but I had a duty as a soldier. We were soldiers, and we had no choice, we had to shoot so as not to be killed ourselves. Among the Russian infantrymen, I noticed some officer of Asian appearance, who with a pistol was urging his subordinates forward to our trenches. I shot him. Then he continued shooting and hit the target exactly every time. The enemy infantry was forced to stop the offensive and began to look for a safe place. Everyone who continued to stand or moved forward immediately fell dead under our bullets.

The commissars remained behind their soldiers and drove them forward under our aimed fire. I took the commissars at gunpoint and killed one by one. When the Russian commanders noticed that there were no more political instructors left, they turned their troops back and returned to their positions. The enemy offensive in our sector was successfully repulsed. Then enemy tanks and infantry attacked our neighboring company. We increased fire on the Russian infantry to cut them off from the tanks. Before the attack, I was given 120 rounds of ammunition. Now I needed to replenish my stock. My ammunition expenditures during the enemy offensive were not documented. Meanwhile, I noticed that many of my comrades first set the target at a distance of 600 meters and forgot to change it before a distance of 100 meters.

At first, my presence in the ranks of snipers went unnoticed by the rest of the soldiers. Only after I began to understand what success a sniper can achieve and how much depends on him, and showed the first successes, the attitude of my comrades towards me changed. The enemy, of course, noticed that there was a sniper operating on the front line right in front of him, and began to move more carefully. I had already destroyed quite a few enemy soldiers, but I was very worried that the Russians would detect my location. First of all, I examined the surrounding area and determined the distance to the enemy positions.

Somewhere ahead, a Russian sniper was hiding and successfully camouflaged. He had a good look at our positions and killed many of our soldiers. Ivanov's trenches were located at a distance of approximately 10-15 meters from each other. In our sector, each infantryman was separated from his comrade by a distance of 70 meters. Our losses of personnel did not recur, and therefore we soon had many empty trenches. Nevertheless, the front line had to be held at all costs.

We dug in near Slobodka-Lesnaya. At dawn on May 8, 1944, I looked at the surrounding area through a telescopic rifle. Three hundred meters ahead, where I spotted the Russian sniper's secret hideout, I seemed to be able to see boot prints in the grass. He left them in the place where he had rested and again took up his rookery. He was wearing a camouflage jacket and a mask. To his right was a low hill with the ruins of a destroyed house. This place attracted me like a magnet, and relative to it I constantly determined the location of the sun. Around noon, I noticed some movement there and noticed the shine of some object. In the ruins, in the cellar, there was a post of a Russian artillery observer.

Using a stereo telescope, they had a good view of our trenches and could accurately direct the fire of their guns at them. Upon subsequent observation, I discovered a camouflaged sniper's nest, in which I noted slight movement. In one place, the communication passage was dug too shallowly and was poorly camouflaged. It could be detected without much effort. I noticed how Russian soldiers were going down into the cellar. At a distance of 500 meters from me, two people, judging by their uniforms, senior officers, walked along the route of communication I mentioned. I shot one of them. The second one was apparently shocked by what had happened and remained where he was. I quickly reloaded my rifle and shot him too.

The Russian sniper I discovered determined my location from these two shots. He turned a little to shoot at me, but I was quicker and hit him at the very moment when his bullet whistled over my head. I started my sniper book on July 2, 1944 and completed one request on July 8.

Application N: 1 Date: 8.5.1944 Place: Slobodka-Lesnaya, 6th section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Syutkus was ordered to identify enemy snipers and disable one of them. Range - 600 meters. Witnesses: Lieutenant Walter, adjutant to the battalion commander.

On May 9, 1944, in Slobodka-Lesnoy, the 7th section of the 196th regiment was fired upon by accurate enemy mortar fire. It was very difficult for me to see the Russian trenches. I climbed a tree and saw at a distance of 300 meters well-prepared and fortified positions of Soviet troops, where there was a large number of manpower. I also managed to spot tanks and anti-tank guns. I patiently waited for the moment when the enemy officer showed up. The long wait paid off - an officer in a smart uniform moved along the trench, whom I immediately shot. Then I hit another one.

Application No.: 2 Date: 9.5.1944 Place: Slobodka-Lesnaya, 7th section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Syutkus was ordered to identify the enemy mortar crew and disable one of the Russians. Range - 300 meters. Witnesses: Lieutenant Walter, adjutant to the battalion commander.

The Russians opened fire on the tree on which I was sitting, and I had to stay in the same place for some time - I could not go down right away. My observer, the battalion commander's adjutant, Lieutenant Walter, confirmed the truth of both claims, and I was able to inform the 7th Company and the 2nd Battalion about the direction of the expected enemy advance. Later, I was wounded by a fragment from a mortar shell and was incapacitated for some time. I returned to the front line only on July 2, 1944. From my position on the left flank of the 7th company of the 196th regiment on the Slobodka-Lesnaya - Khlobyschin-Lesnoy road at half past eight in the evening from a distance of 250 meters, I shot a Russian soldier who was digging a rifle cell for himself. The witness was Non-Commissioned Officer Hoffman.

On July 3, 1944, on the same stretch of road, I received orders to arrive at the location of the 5th Company of the 196th Regiment, from whose position it was believed that I would have a better view of the enemy trenches. The enemy occupied the undergrowth, from which he made numerous forays into our positions in order to force us to retreat. I could not find a suitable place to view the enemy trenches and was again forced to climb a tree.

I waited patiently, and at 19 o'clock Russian officers appeared in new form, apparently arriving for inspection. They stood nearby for some time and, using the map, gave some instructions. From a distance of 600 meters I hit one of them in the chest. The second one hesitated and also received a bullet in the chest. I hastily slid from the tree and barely managed to avoid the hurricane of Russian fire that fell on my perch. They fired from mortars and small arms.

Application N2: 5 and 6 Date: 3.7.1944 Place: Between Slobodka-Lesnaya and Khlobyschin-Lesny, 5th section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Syutkus was sent to the right flank of the 5th company for fire contact with the enemy in the Pocharz forests . Syutkus shot two Russian soldiers in the chest from a great distance on the edge of Pokhař. (5th) Time 19.00. Range - 600 meters. Time: 19.00 Range - 500 meters. Witnesses: Corporal Küller.

The next day, the Russians blasted us through loudspeakers with a stream of propaganda calls along these lines: “German soldiers! Drop your weapons! You have lost the war. We guarantee life and subsequent return home from captivity.” They were not so polite to me personally, calling me “a bloodthirsty fascist who may not count on mercy.” Apparently, my well-aimed shots got on their nerves so much that they ordered their snipers, one by one, to destroy me. However, I always intuitively sensed and invariably guessed where they were hiding. I physically felt those moments when I found myself in their sights.

I have no doubt that only some minor interference in aiming prevented them from shooting me. They tried more than once to trick me into revealing my location, but I did not fall for these tricks. From time to time they raised a “doll”, a mannequin in an officer’s uniform, over the parapet. he had a lifeless face, and I did not succumb to provocation. Sometimes I myself tried to use the same technique against the Russians and shot at them if they gave themselves away in response to my deception.

If I tried to kill enemy officers, the Russians showed haste and shot at us, without distinguishing ranks. In our forward trenches, more soldiers died from sniper bullets than from Russian guns and mortars. In some places, the distance from our positions to the trenches of the Soviet troops was no more than 200 meters. Of course, if someone on the enemy side dared to raise his head and got into my line of fire, he would certainly receive a bullet.

Russian snipers did the same thing. For successful hits, they only needed a sufficiently shallow trench that gave them the opportunity to see the enemy’s movements. Because of successful work Russian snipers at dawn on July 3, 1944 killed many German soldiers. I won the next five victories on July 4, 1944 on the Slobodka-Khlobyschin road. On the left flank of the 7th company, the main supply route, which ran along an embankment, ended in no-man's land. To secure the activities of their patrols, the Russians began to dig a deep and narrow communication passage that led from their positions in the forest to the shelter behind the embankment. I was ordered to interfere with the excavation work. This required enormous patience and nerves of steel.

I settled down at strategic height N 376. At nine o’clock a Russian raised his head above the trench. Although he was visible for only a couple of seconds, that was enough for me. I caught it in the crosshairs and shot it from a distance of 200 meters. He fell. On October 1, 1944, the article “Everyone should follow Syutkus!” appeared in the newspaper of the Wehrmacht Supreme Command (OKH) “Our Army”. It detailed my several “exploits.” First there was a story about my seventh killed enemy.

To the left of the site of the 7th company of the infantry regiment, the Bolsheviks were digging in no-man's land a communication passage leading to the supply line. Their intention was to create a protected retreat for their patrols. We couldn't stop them because they were working behind the embankment, and our own minefields prevented us from sneaking up to them and taking advantage of the Effect of Surprise. So our sniper received a new task. There was excitement in the German trenches. Will the sniper be able to complete it? Will he cope? It will take remarkable skill to correctly take aim in a split second and pull the trigger with lightning speed.

Finally we noticed above the trench hands clutching a shovel. Dear Ivan, our sniper saw you, and now you will pay a high price for your carelessness! Our sniper impassively waits for the right moment. He has decisive features, strong nerves and muscles. The native of East Prussia, with the dispassion known to his comrades, ensures that he will not miss when the moment comes. Time creeps slowly. Clods of earth thrown by a shovel fly into the air, but the enemy soldier believes that he is not visible. A shot rings out! A sniper's bullet hits him in the head. The platoon leader, watching from the trench, thanks the sniper and shakes his hand.

Half an hour later, I fired a second shot from the left flank of the 7th company from a distance of 150 meters. In the evening I lay and watched the Russians digging a trench 200 meters away from me. They installed a protective screen that seriously hampered my view. However, the Bolsheviks overly believed in the security that the screen gave them, and paid for it. I shot three more Russian soldiers.

Application N: 9,1О, 11 Date: 4.7.1944 Place: Road to Slobodka-Lesnaya. 7th Section 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Syutkus was ordered to take action against the Russians who were digging a trench on the east side of the road opposite the 7th Company's positions. Although his view was seriously obstructed by a screen that the enemy had erected to conceal his actions, Syutkus shot and killed three Russians with hits to the head and chest. Range - 200 meters. Time 20.30-22.00. Witnesses: Corporal Geplan.

I remember these well defensive battles, in which the enemy attacked us and was driven back. The Russians had a habit of abandoning their dead and wounded in no man's land where they fell. We expected the Red Army to come at night to take them away, but they never came. The wounded Russian soldier lay 150 meters from me and 120 meters from the positions of the Soviet troops.

Naturally, I didn't shoot him. We hoped that the enemy would send a rescue party to carry him to the rear after dark. The next morning the wounded man remained in the same place. He moved, still showing signs of life. We felt indignant that the Russians showed such callousness and doomed their comrade to death. I killed my next five victims, to my surprise, on July 5, 1944 on the Slobodka Khlobyschyn road.

I took up a position in no man's land fifty meters from our minefield at the site of the 7th company. When it began to get light at four in the morning, I spotted opposite side enemy sniper. He was sitting on a tree. I took him down in two shots. The dead man flew down and hung on the branches. A little earlier, the Russians managed to move forward and installed a machine gun nest, which I could clearly see. Then I noticed another enemy sniper, and we shot at each other at the same time. I saw how he buried himself in the ground at the very moment when his bullet whistled next to me. I also managed to destroy the machine gun crew, shooting three people from a distance of 200 meters.

Application N: 12-16 Date: 5.7.1944 Place: Road Slobodka-Lesnaya - Khlobyschin Lesnoy, 7th section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Taking action against Russian soldiers who were digging a trench, Syutkus entered into a duel with a Russian sitting on a tree a sniper who covered their actions. Syutkus took him down with two shots. Next, Syutkus destroyed four Russians at advanced positions, taking a place 50 meters in front of our trenches, where he came under enemy fire. Range - 200 meters. Witnesses: Lieutenant Kaul.

A sniper must keep a lot in mind. His weapon must be perfectly calibrated. I sometimes placed a small tag with a red dot smaller than my thumb at a distance of a hundred meters. Then I tried to hit that spot with five shots. The sniper must be able to accurately determine distance and calculate wind direction and speed. Every little thing, even seemingly insignificant at first glance, is important. The sniper relies on his abilities. He should not think that he knows everything.

During the Second World War, the distance had to be determined both on the march and in the trench, because there were no instruments for estimating distance then and everything had to be done by eye. Finding a target involved a thorough study of the area from all sides. I constantly asked myself: what am I seeing - a natural fold of the terrain or a camouflage? Can the leaves turn yellow and the grass be wrinkled in this way and not in another way? The Russians were great masters of camouflage. They often recruited snipers from among experienced taiga hunters from distant Siberia who grew up in the lap of nature.

To shoot well, you need to practice endlessly. The telescopic sight magnified the target four to six times. The target, which was 400 meters away, looked as if it was only a hundred meters away. When taking aim, the sniper hears his own heartbeat. As soon as the target is in the crosshairs, the trigger is pulled. The pressure on it should be light so as not to displace the bullet’s flight line. It takes enormous composure and enormous self-confidence to hit the target accurately. It is quite possible to hit it accurately at a distance of 800 meters, but success is more likely at a distance of 100-400 meters.

There is no point in shooting just for the sake of shooting. You need to kill the enemy so that he doesn't kill you. Many soldiers of one of the companies of our battalion died from the bullets of enemy snipers, and I was instructed to deal with this problem. My first task on this front line was to thoroughly study the area. I needed to figure out where a Soviet sniper might be hiding. Typically, a sniper does not shoot straight, but at an angle of about forty degrees, so as not to be instantly detected.

He must also have a convenient, well-camouflaged shelter from which he can observe the enemy’s trenches. The distance to the target must be estimated as accurately as possible to ensure that the bullet does not fly too high or too low. Some snipers used tracer bullets. This was pure madness because it gave away their location to the enemy.

The sniper must hide his location for as long as possible, e.g. a big tree. The camouflage should be selected so that it harmonizes as much as possible with the environment. You must also always remember that the enemy sniper is not at all stupider than you, but is equal to you or even superior to you.

You should always be extremely careful and also maintain composure. Your clothing should not have any expressive feature that would give your opponent a reason to take aim at you. The most trifling mistake or negligence can lead to fatal consequences. Having discovered a victim, you need to make sure that she is your target. Then you need to aim at it with lightning speed and shoot faster than the enemy in order to stay alive.

I had fifty-two sniper duels, and in most cases I won because the enemy sniper misjudged the distance and fired the bullet either too low or did not adjust for the wind. I am confident that I had a sixth sense that allowed me to spot the enemy very quickly. I'll name the weapon I used - the ZF-K98k rifle with a Zeiss telescopic sight. Ammunition was of great importance.

The best were Yugoslav captured cartridges or cartridges produced in German factories before the war. The sniper must also always take into account the position of the sun and avoid glare from field binoculars. I had a special camouflage jacket, these were produced specifically for snipers. It was earthy brown in color with lighter streaks. If necessary, it could be worn inside out. The jacket had a hood; It was comfortable to lie in it, taking a fighting position.

The rifle had to be carefully looked after. It should always be clean and well lubricated with gun oil. Your life depends on it. The rifle must be suspended and stored in such a way that it does not fall or receive mechanical damage. It must always be in good condition so that you can rely on it at any time, knowing that it will not let you down. My immediate superior was the battalion commander. He sent me to one company or another, and after completing tasks I had to report them to him every time.

I killed the next four enemy soldiers on July 6, 1944 at Luna Schneize, on the edge of the forest north of Magyaren Schlüchta. I went there with two soldiers from the 5th company. We went on reconnaissance into this forest to find out if there were any Russians there. It was also necessary to find out whether the enemy was digging trenches there. While performing this task, we were noticed by a Russian sentry. I had to shoot him. Soon I killed another enemy soldier who was about to cross the edge of the forest.

Application No.: 17,18 Date: 6.7.1944 Place: Luna-Schnaise near Magyaren-Schluchta. 5th Section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: At 05.00, Sytkus, along with two witnesses, went into the forest in front of our positions and destroyed an enemy sentry near Luna-Schnaize with a shot in the head. Syutkus also shot a second Russian, attracted by the shot and about to cross the edge. Range - 300 meters. Witnesses: non-commissioned officer Herzel, corporal Muller.

An article in the newspaper “Our Army” described it this way: “Every evening, at dusk, the Russians head to the main supply line. Today they appear again. At first it is impossible to accurately determine the size of the detachment intending to occupy this area. They set up an observation post and resume work. From time to time, ghost-like figures appear in the undergrowth and immediately disappear. You need superior optics to bring them into sharp focus. Only a combination of calmness and an experienced hand will allow you to accurately shoot at these shapeless shadows. Thus, our sniper has another task.

He carefully watches his opponent's movements. A picture of the area in which the target is located emerges in his memory, because after he puts the binoculars aside, he will have to re-find the desired place against the background of the forest. He clutches the rifle to his shoulder and fixes his eye on the telescopic sight. He spots the target, but it immediately disappears among the shadows. It is very important to catch the human figure in an optical triangle. How often does he press his finger to the trigger, but does not press it, because instead of the target he again sees only a maze of branches and leaves.

This is how human patience is tested. Who hasn't heard of angelic patience? The sniper's patience is exhausted long days self-discipline. The victim has to lie in wait for a long time, hiding in ambush. The finger rests on the trigger again. Shot! Ahead, a brown figure has fallen onto the freshly dug ground. A comrade of a killed or seriously wounded enemy soldier is about to come to his aid and cautiously approaches the fallen man. Has our sniper really caught him at gunpoint? The Russian realizes too late that he needs to hide behind the embankment. He was already caught in the triangle of sniper optics. The sound of a shot sounds and the second Russian soldier falls to the ground.” We come into the field of view of an enemy reconnaissance group of seven people, who are rapidly maneuvering, trying to cut us off from their own from the rear. I instantly react and shoot at the soldier with the machine gun (19th) and retreat to the positions of the 5th company. From this new location I kill another Russian in an officer's uniform. (20th) We return to the location without losses.

Application No.: 19.20 Date: 6.7.1944 Place: Luna-Shnize Result: A quarter of an hour after shooting the 18th victim, Syutkus notices at a distance of 150 meters an enemy reconnaissance patrol of seven people approaching him from the left. Syutkus kills the machine gunner (the first crew number) and returns to the positions of the 5th company. From this point he kills another Russian, presumably an officer from the same reconnaissance patrol. Range - 150 meters. Witnesses: non-commissioned officer Herzel, corporal Walter.

The following was written about this episode in Our Army. “Water is dripping from tree branches in the place where Corporal Syutkus set up in ambush after leaving the positions of the 5th company. Today he is fighting his own, individual war. Trench discipline and waiting for the moment when the enemy appears does not bother him too much today. He will look for the enemy from his secret hideout. After carefully looking around, he gets out of the trench. He is accompanied by the commander of this small detachment of brave guys. Their goal is the edge of the forest on the other side of the main supply route. Meter by meter they overcome the dangerous area, and then pass through the minefield, not paying attention to the sticky mud.

Now comes that part of the combat mission that requires the greatest courage - a jump into the forest, into the very lair of a wild beast. If they step in the wrong direction, they will fall straight into the arms of a Russian sentry. A little luck is required to complete this task. They reach the edge of the forest. Corporal Syutkus slowly walks past the forest wall and notices a passage between the trees. There is a Bolshevik sentry hidden among the trees. But our soldiers moved with such caution that he did not notice them. The sniper aims and pulls the trigger. Shot! The sentry falls silently to the ground between two trees. Our three observers freeze in place. Who knows how many enemy eyes may be directed at where they are at this moment. A second Bolshevik appears to see what has happened to his fallen comrade.

He crosses the edge and falls into the field of fire of our sniper. The Russian takes the last step in his life and also flies to the ground. Looking around carefully, three of our soldiers slowly walk along the edge of the edge. Suddenly, from somewhere to the left, snippets of conversation reach them. From a distance of 150 meters, ours manages to be the first to see an enemy patrol consisting of seven people. This is pure luck, the enemy gave himself away. Now these talkers do not pose a danger to our courageous guys. Syutkus points his rifle at the enemy machine gunner and shoots at him, hitting him in the head. Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, our soldiers return to the German positions. The enemy patrol advances quite confidently and observes no-man's land from behind a stack of logs. For an experienced sniper, such cover is not an obstacle. He calmly chooses a commander from among the soldiers of the enemy patrol. Another shot and another hit to the head.

Thus, our sniper provided invaluable assistance to his comrades in the front trenches. The long wait is rewarded with success; every accurate shot saves more than one life of our soldiers.” On July 6, 1944, I was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class. The newspaper “Our Army” wrote that I came to the award ceremony straight from the front line, “in a dirty camouflage jacket.” After my twentieth victory, I received a letter of gratitude from the division commander dated July 7, 1944: “I express my special gratitude to you for your unparalleled achievements as a sniper. Major General Shoerpflug." On the morning of July 7, 1944, I was on the Slobodka-Khlobyschin road along with the 6th company.

At half past three in the morning in the “green hell” at a crossroads, together with soldiers of the 5th company, I shot a Russian sentry, hitting him in the head from a distance of 200 meters.

Fifteen minutes later I shot and killed an enemy infantryman who was firing at our positions with a machine gun. By order of the commander of the 5th company, I went to Luna Schnaise, a place located north of Magyaren Schlucht. Here I climbed a tree to take a closer look at the Russian positions. I noticed a movement that I interpreted as a prelude to an attack. Noticing a man in an officer's uniform, I shot him from a distance of 600 meters. It was exactly seven o'clock. We managed to repulse the enemy attack, and after that he left us alone for some time, even stopping the artillery shelling. I climbed another tree and at about eight in the evening I saw a Russian soldier crossing the edge of the forest. I killed him from a distance of 600 meters.

Application N: 24 Date: 7.7.1944 Place: Luna-Schnaize Result: In the evening, Syutkus was ordered to again get into the area in Luna-Schnaise and prevent the enemy from moving along the edge of the forest. From a distance of 600 meters he shot a Russian soldier. Time: 20.00. Witnesses: Chief Grenadier Berend.

After this shot, all hell broke loose, and nine Russian soldiers began firing at me at once, opening fire with a machine gun and machine guns. I stayed on the tree and at a quarter past eight in the evening I shot an enemy machine gunner. (25th) Despite heavy enemy fire, I managed to find a barrier, because of which I killed a Russian officer from 200 meters who was trying to run for cover.

On July 9, 1944, two more enemy soldiers appeared on my account. We were well camouflaged in no man's land and stayed there overnight. The enemy was combing the area in front of our positions, trying to find us - he discovered our movements. At dawn on July 1st, I shot a Russian infantryman who fired at us with a machine gun. The second was a machine gunner, who was twenty meters away from him. He looked out from cover and shot at me. I killed him with a head shot from 180 meters away. It was twenty minutes past three.

On July 11, 1944, along with the 5th Company, I attempted to locate an enemy artillery observer who had a good view of our positions. The work was not easy, because the enemy was in the forest 800 meters from us. The morning fog provided both the Russian observer and me with cover that allowed us to move forward. We dug in about 280 meters from the enemy positions, trying to camouflage ourselves as best as possible. We were at a low altitude from which the good view to the surrounding area. When the fog cleared and the sun appeared, I noticed a Russian artillery observer. He climbed up the tree and sat on a small platform among the branches. From here he monitored our positions using a stereo telescope. I shot him with one shot, and then smashed the stereo tube that glittered in the sun.

In the evening I went to the location of the 2nd company of the 188th regiment in Slobodka-Lesnaya. The Russians fired at this place from artillery pieces and mortars. I killed two artillerymen from a distance of ZOO meters. The Russians sent me to no man's land to find me. assault group

(Z4th) The next day I remained at the location of the 2nd company of the 188th regiment. In this place, the width of no-man's land was 800-1000 meters. This didn't suit me. I made my way forward and, having reduced the distance to 750 meters, found a comfortable place for myself. From the elevated position I could clearly see the enemy trenches. After observing the enemy's movements, I established a place where the Russian command post could be located. At two o'clock in the afternoon a Soviet officer came out of the dugout. I understood this from the cap, because the privates wore helmets exclusively. I killed him and another Russian who jumped out of the dugout to help him. The distance was approximately 250 meters. In approximately the same place on July 13, 1944, I shot a Russian soldier from a distance of 250 meters.

At the same time, I was sitting on a tree. After this, I was recalled to Magyaren-Schlücht, where I received orders to find and neutralize an enemy artillery observer, who was directing the fire of his guns at our positions, where we were carrying big losses. I went forward and came under fire from a Russian soldier sitting in a tree.

Having climbed a high-rise building, I was able to pinpoint his location and shot him. (38th) Finding the artillery observer required great patience from me. At 18.00 I finally saw a well-camouflaged post on the branches of a tree and took it down with an accurate shot from a distance of 300 meters. On July 12-13, I killed five enemy soldiers, but these claims were not confirmed. At dawn on July 14, on the Slobodka-Lesnaya road, I noticed a Russian soldier trying to open fire from behind a large pile of dead wood. I shot him and the second Russian who was digging a trench.

On July 17, 1944, in Magyaren-Schlücht, I was placed 250 meters in front of our positions on a small hill, from which I had a good view of the enemy trenches. 300 meters from me I noticed two Russians among the trees. I shot both of them.

Application N: 42,43 Date: 17.7.1944 Place: Magyaren-Schlucht, 5th section of the 196th Grenadier Regiment Result: Syutkus made his way forward 250 meters from the German trenches and observed the surrounding area from a hill. From his trench, he shot two Russian soldiers who were in the forest at a distance of 300 meters from him. Witnesses: Chief Grenadier Baumann.

at noon on July 26, 1944, I was on the Sloviska-Gislovie road near Height N 234, acting as a liaison between the 2nd battalion and the headquarters of the 196th regiment. I accidentally came across a Russian assault platoon led by two officers. The enemy opened fire on me from a distance of 100 meters. I returned fire and killed both officers. (45th) Taking advantage of the commotion that arose in the enemy’s ranks, I quickly changed my position and shot two Russian machine gunners from 200 meters away. The others hastily retreated.

Application N: 44-47 Date: 7/26/1944 Place: height N!! 234 Result: While acting as a battalion orderly commander, Syutkus came under fire from an enemy assault platoon that was coming from 100 meters away. Syutkus shot and killed two officers, one after the other. Taking advantage of the confusion, he changed position and killed two Russian machine gunners. Range: 200 meters. Witnesses: Lieutenant (inaudible)

Every time an enemy sniper spotted me and was about to shoot me, I instinctively felt it. My instinct has never let me down. Our unit was retreating from Lemberg (Lvov), located in the Carpathians. We covered 120 kilometers in 24 hours. On the second day we covered 100 kilometers, and on the third - 80 kilometers. We found ourselves in forests where the soil was very swampy. There was so much water there that we could not dig in. It was early autumn and it rained constantly. We didn’t have overcoats, and we were forced to hang chemical protection capes on the branches of coniferous trees in order to get at least some shelter from the rain. I was at the battalion headquarters, which had several tanks. The tankers, of course, did not maintain radio silence, and therefore the enemy soon unleashed a real hurricane of artillery fire on us.

Fortunately, we had already gotten used to shelling and learned to determine by the whistle of a flying shell where it would land. It was necessary to understand where to run and where to stop at the moment when there was a pause between two shots. It was my turn to go on guard. I started to get up, but the sleepers did not allow me to get up. I was dead tired and couldn't get out. - Get up and go change the guard! - Someone’s stern voice ordered me. I forced myself to get up, but again I was not allowed to do so. Finally I freed myself and went to the post. Suddenly something pushed me in the chest and I flew to the ground. A shell exploded in the midst of my sleeping comrades.

The blast wave threw me away from the epicenter of the explosion, and I fell into a crater filled with water. The remains of my dead comrades lay around me. From all sides, shell fragments whistled through the air. I was saved in the most miraculous way. I took part in the battles along with soldiers of the 5th, 6th and 7th companies and managed to study the surrounding area well. One day at midnight I was called to the battalion commander, Hauptmann Hoffmann. He ordered me, along with another soldier, to convey to all three companies the order to take fresh positions that had not been noticed by the enemy. The ground profiles of the forward trenches had been destroyed by artillery fire, and so we had to locate all these positions by following the broken communication wires.

Before we had time to take even a few steps, my fellow signalman was killed by a shell fragment. I had to go alone to complete a task on which the lives of many people depended. The enemy launched a new offensive in all three sectors. Fierce fighting continued for a whole week. Time after time the Russians broke into our positions, but we invariably managed to recapture our territory. Everywhere the ground was strewn with the dead bodies of German and Russian soldiers. During the day, the surrounding area looked completely different than at night. Now it was dark and the trees, which I had chosen as landmarks in the light of day, had been felled by shells.

I realized that I had lost my course and was in an unknown piece of no man's land. I came across someone's dead body. Looking into the duffel bag, I realized from the equipment and food rations that he was Russian. At dawn I was horrified to discover that the dead man was dangerously close to our command post. He apparently intended to get into it when he was struck by a stray bullet or shell fragment. And then I heard Russian voices! I realized that the enemy had captured our dugout. Now someone will come out of it, a desperate thought flashed through my head. However, it was already too late to try to retreat, trying to do it unnoticed.

I stood motionless, pretending to be dead. Feet shod in boots walked past me. Here is another dead Fritz lying around, they probably thought. Suddenly I jumped up and rushed as fast as I could to the location of the 6th company. Before the Russians had time to come to their senses and open fire on me, I managed to shout the password and burst into our trenches. From here I went to the location of the 5th company. By conveying the commander's order to retreat, I thereby helped save the lives of eighty people. On August 12, 1944, at altitude N2 467, two kilometers east of Odrzekhova, from a distance of 400 meters, I killed a Russian soldier who was driving away horses.

Application No.: 48 Date: 12.8.1944, time: 17.00 Place: height N2467 Result: following an order to drive away horses abandoned by Soviet troops during the retreat, Syutkus killed a Russian soldier from a distance of 400 meters with a hit to the chest. Witnesses: Chief Corporal Buder.

Early that evening, while on a reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines with two soldiers on a road two kilometers east of Ojejo, I saw an enemy vehicle. It contained a Soviet major and several soldiers. I killed one of the soldiers when he pointed his rifle at my comrade, Corporal Lašić.

Application N: 49 Date: 12.8.1944, time: 18.15 Place: the same as the 48th Result: while carrying out a reconnaissance mission, Syutkus killed a Russian soldier with a shot in the chest, while he was aiming at his comrade. Distance - 10 meters. A Russian major and four soldiers were captured. Witnesses: Corporal Lašić.

We captured a Russian major and four soldiers. I handed over the field bag with documents that had been taken from the major to headquarters. My diary noted as a confirmed combat day the attacks that took place on August 12, 1944 at strategic heights N 467 and N 474 northwest of Nadolyan.

On September 4, 1944, one and a half kilometers north of Wroblik, I found myself a hundred meters from our forward post. Seeing several Russian observers returning to their positions, I shot one of them from 300 meters.

The next day I returned to my original place. When I got there, after a while I saw the light of a Russian soldier’s cigarette. I shot him from a distance of 300 meters. Once again my witness was Non-Commissioned Officer Wunderlich. I will note the obvious stupidity of my latest victim. This unknown Russian soldier believed that no one on the enemy side would see the fire of his cigarette. However, a sniper is good at noticing such things.

News of my successes and my fifty-first victory reached the headquarters of the combat division, the corps headquarters, and then the army headquarters. On September 5, 1944, I received a telegram from the commander of the army group Heinrici, Colonel General Heinrici, with the following content: “I express my full gratitude to Grenadier Syutkus for his fifty-one combat victories. I allow Syutkus a two-week vacation. Signed: Commander of the Army Group "Heinrici".

On September 5, 1944, after my fifty-second combat victory, I received another letter of gratitude, this time from the commander of the 49th Mountain Corps, General Karl von Le Zhur. “I commend Corporal Bruno Sytkus of the 196th Infantry Regiment for his outstanding achievements as a sniper. I congratulate him on his fifty-second victory.”

On December 5, 1944, the front-line newspaper of the 4th Tank Army, “Caterpillars and Wheels,” published an article about me. It consisted of two parts and was written by Chief Lieutenant Schoppentau. I give an excerpt from its first part. It was called: “From our theater of military operations - this is Syutkus!” " ... We have interesting message about Corporal Syutkus, fighting in infantry regiment, attached to our tank army. He has been fighting side by side with us for six months now. At first we didn't know anything about him. Of course he's a great guy. Good comrade, like many other warriors, but he still did not attract attention to himself. A few days after he arrived with the last detachment replenishment, the adjutant of our battalion commander exchanged a couple of greetings and in response to my question, he told me that this guy is as tough as our brave tankers. There is nothing special about this; many natives of East Prussia are desperate guys.

Soon after he was sent to the most dangerous sectors of the front line occupied by our battalion, Syutkus declared himself ten, twenty, thirty, and then forty combat victories, we paid attention to him. We did not expect this from an unremarkable, modest guy who worked as a forester in East Prussia. Naturally, recognition did not take long to arrive. His general, who congratulated Syutkus on his thirtieth sacrifice, gave him an impressive portion of chocolate and from then on began to closely monitor his subsequent victories. The fiftieth victory was marked with the Iron Cross, 2nd class."

I spent two weeks of vacation at home, with my parents. I found them in the town of Blumenthal, where they had recently been evacuated. The front line was already very close to the German border. Will the Russians soon occupy German territory? I often thought about my parents and sister. Where will they go when the Red Army sets foot on East Prussian soil? This question always made me more active in the fight. German people Has already suffered many sacrifices, were they all in vain? On September 7, I was awarded a badge for being wounded.

On October 16, 1944, a terrible rumor spread through our positions like a forest fire - the Russians had entered East Prussia! It turns out that they set foot on German soil south of Gumbinnen. It seemed absurd to us, simply incredible. All available military forces were deployed to repel the Bolsheviks. On the soil of East Prussia, the Red Army fought with particular, barbaric cruelty. No one could feel safe in this region - neither military nor civilian. Russian officers incited the rank and file against the Germans in every possible way.

General Ivan Chernyakhovsky ordered his subordinates: “No pity for the enemy, we will turn the fascist land into a desert!” The village of Nemmersdorf in East Prussia was recaptured from the enemy and reoccupied by our troops. Dead bodies of German men, women and children were found in it. All they fell victims of Russian soldiers. Women were crucified on barn doors and subjected to gang rape. Men, women and even infants were beaten to death, shot and drowned. Even French farm laborers sent to Germany for forced labor experienced the present. Hell, they were completely defenseless against the hordes of brutal Russian soldiers.

These were not the atrocities of individual sadists or small groups of them. This was done en masse by all the Red Army soldiers who had clear instructions from their commanders and commissars. The headquarters of the Red Army units received orders even before entering German soil that could be interpreted as permission to rob and kill with impunity. On January 5, 1945, Marshal Zhukov gave the order to units of the 1st Belorussian Front: “The time has come to reckon with the German fascists. We feel a burning hatred for them... this time we will destroy the fascist vermin forever.”

Writer Ilya Erenburg, long years preaching hatred of the enemy, encouraged Soviet soldiers to consider the Germans as wild animals and called for them to be mercilessly destroyed. The war has entered its final phase. Now each of us knew what atrocities the Red Army was capable of and understood perfectly well what we were fighting for. Our duty now was to protect our families and our eastern regions from Soviet troops.

After leave, I returned to the 2nd Battalion, 196th Infantry. I no longer saw many of the soldiers I knew. Our companies took part in the battles near Kruzlova. The Russians broke through our main line front and surrounded us. After that they began to squeeze the ring. We occupied a new two-kilometer defense line north-northeast of Kruzhlova. On October 25, 1944, I shot two Russian officers from a distance of 150 meters. During the attack on the command post of our battalion, Oberfeldwebel Koestler from the 8th company pointed out to me the enemy firing point. From it the Russians fired at our soldiers with a heavy machine gun. I killed two soldiers of this machine gun crew.

The Russian officer ordered two other soldiers to take the places of their fallen comrades. I shot both of them from a distance of 80 meters. In addition to them, I also killed an officer who was trying to hide in a shelter. (During the counterattack, I noticed a Russian officer who abandoned his subordinates and fled. I shot him. My comrades recaptured our command post. The Russians decided to retreat.

At the same time, I shot two more enemy soldiers. Our wounded soldiers, whom we had to abandon when the enemy broke into our trenches, were dead. The Russians finished them off with small arms fire. On October 27, 1944, being two kilometers north-northeast of Kružlova, in front of positions in the sector of the 5th company of the 196th regiment under heavy fire from enemy infantry and artillery, I saw several Russian soldiers rushing into our trenches. An officer with a pistol in his hands urged them on. First I killed an officer, and then, from forty meters away, a soldier running towards me from a machine-gun nest.

Our new addition has finally arrived. A second sniper appeared in our battalion. Autumn has come, the cold has arrived. It rained and snowed often, and we often got wet to the skin. We were very cold because we still had not received winter clothing. For a whole week we marched without any food and spent the night on bare ground in trenches. We received reinforcements, counterattacked the enemy, and drove him back. At the same time, we suffered considerable losses, but continued to successfully hold the line of defense. The new sniper was ordered to begin hunting for enemy snipers. He took a position. His first bullet missed the target, becoming the last - he was killed by a Russian sniper with a shot to the head.

The death of my colleague also served me good lesson: Not only my life depends on my accuracy, but also the lives of my comrades from our company. Snipers helped other infantrymen on the front lines, protecting their soldiers from enemy snipers. For this reason, the enemy greatly feared and hated them. The second sniper, who arrived to replace the dead man, was soon wounded and was sent to the rear. I was again the only sniper in our battalion.

On October 29, 1944, in the same place where I shot my two previous victims, after briefly observing the area, I shot and killed a Russian machine gunner. He held the machine-gun nest of the 5th company of our 196th regiment under strong aimed fire. Hiding behind a tree during artillery fire, I knocked out three Russian soldiers from a distance of 40 meters. They jumped out of cover to open small arms fire on our positions. Sergeant Major Durava from the 6th company pointed out to me well-camouflaged Russian soldiers who were firing at our positions. I soon noticed their location and killed two people.

After this, Sergeant Major Durava took me to the location of the 6th company and showed me those places from where the enemy often fired at our soldiers, causing us heavy losses. Here I discovered three well-camouflaged Bolsheviks - a sniper, an officer and an artillery observer. It looked like they were directing their artillery and mortar fire. I killed the sniper first. The officer tried to run up to him, but was shot.

My next victim was an observer, who I shot from a distance of 40 meters.

The witnesses were Sergeant Major Durava, Chief Wagner, Corporals Bitta, Lasch and Kneppert. On October 29, 1944, my battalion commander, Major Herbert Hoffmann, awarded me the German Cross with Golden Wreath.

In October 1944, two kilometers north-northeast of Kruzlova, Russian troops closed near the front line, intending to launch an offensive. A rapid reaction group was placed in front of our positions, which included me. We came under targeted enemy fire. I managed to crawl forward 50 meters and then shoot two Russian forward observers from a distance of 20 meters. It was damp and cold. It seemed as if the rain had been pouring non-stop for an eternity. We had to scoop up handfuls of water from the trenches. Water was constantly squelching in my boots. We had no way to take off our wet clothes and dry them. Many of my comrades were sick.

At the 6th Company's site, two kilometers northeast of Kruzlova, at dawn on October 31, 1944, together with the observer, Corporal Steffes, I went to no-man's land. There, from a slight elevation, I could clearly see the Russian positions located in front of the village of Pisana, and the neighboring military highway. A controlled flow of traffic moved along this road. We dug in and camouflaged ourselves. When the fog cleared, a beautiful view of the village opened up. Several Russian tanks stood at the side of the road, ready to launch an offensive at any moment. A large enemy convoy drove along the highway. I spotted two officers and shot them from a distance of 500 meters.

The next minute the Russians opened fierce fire on us from small arms, cannons and mortars. Since we were hiding behind a small hillock, we were relatively safe. However, the time has come to leave this place, because the saving fog has finally cleared, and we have lost its cover. On our way back to our positions, we were discovered by enemy soldiers who had set up a machine gun nest in Pisan. They opened fire on us. From 500 meters I killed one of the machine gunners.

On November 2, 1944, in the sector of the 5th company, the Russians crawled close to our trenches. Sergeant Major Mirr informed me about this and approximately showed the place from which the enemy fired at us. After prolonged observation, I spotted a well-camouflaged enemy machine gun nest and killed a Soviet machine gunner with a shot to the head.

After that, I went to the site of the 6th company, where non-commissioned officer Baldauf showed me the place where a Soviet machine gunner was supposedly camouflaged and firing aimed at us. After some time, the Russian decided to return to his position, and I shot him from 50 meters.

By this time the battle had weakened significantly, and we were only subjected to occasional artillery fire. A messenger appeared who brought ammunition and reported that food had been delivered to the rear, to the destroyed village. The sergeant major sent two soldiers to get food. They returned carrying four kettles in each hand and eight flasks of water, tied with a garland and thrown around their necks. In addition, they brought bread, butter, sausage and ammunition in their backpacks.

The enemy was only 300 meters away from us and quickly noticed our movements and heard the clanking of pots. He immediately began spraying us with machine gun fire and shelling us with cannons. When our messengers did not return on time, I was sent to find out what was wrong with them. Both soldiers lay on the ground 50 meters from our positions, killed in the chest by a machine-gun burst. They thought about us until the last minute, because they managed to put the pots down so as not to spill their precious contents.

With tears in my eyes, I transported the food they brought to our trenches. We moved to Jastrzebiec. At dawn on November 15, 1944, in the sector of the 7th company, I noticed a Russian sniper firing at our positions. From 400 meters I hit him in the chest. There was a command post there. At 7.30 I shot a Russian officer from 500 meters. He emerged from the dugout along with several other officers. I then shot three more officers from the same distance. A Russian sniper showed up and began to actively operate in the sector of the 7th company, which suffered heavy losses. He discovered my location and began hunting for me. I managed to provoke him into shooting and ended his career with a shot in the chest from a distance of 500 meters.

From my previous place, I noticed Russian soldiers planting Christmas trees along the road. This was done in order to block our view. After firing from our cannons, these trees were knocked down, and I again had a view of the enemy positions. Soon a cart appeared on the road with several people sitting on it.

I shot the horse and then took care of the riders. First I killed one and then the other. The driver managed to jump off before the others. When he approached the cart again, I shot him from a distance of 500 meters. In the evening, our reconnaissance returned and brought “tongue”, who stated during interrogation that a German sniper shot the general, commissar, regiment commander and battalion commander who came out of the dugout. These were my victories mentioned above.

When I later found myself in Soviet captivity, I was interrogated in Irkutsk by Colonel General Miroshnichenko, who found out the circumstances of these cases. The senior commanders were part of a group that arrived at the front line to determine the results of a Soviet air raid on German positions that had taken place a few days earlier. The Russians had a secret command base nearby, and they decided to illuminate the German positions with flare shells so that the bombers could see where to drop their deadly payload.

However, the bomber dropped bombs by mistake on its own base, thanks to which we were able to determine its location and were able to capture it without much hassle. The inspection team arrived to find out the names of those officers who allowed this to happen. The members of this group were warned that there was a dangerous German sniper on this sector of the front.

They ignored this warning because they did not want to humiliate themselves and hide from some enemy soldier with a sniper rifle. The inability of the Russian troops stationed in this area to eliminate it testified to their incompetence. We knew about the arrival of the check. One of our reconnaissance groups brought a “tongue” at night, who told everything he knew. The inspectors were due to arrive the next morning. I received orders to deal with them. The inspectors had to drive along a road known to us, a section of which was clearly visible to me. This was the only way through the heavily swampy area.

Colonel General Miroshnichenko at that time was the commissar of the unit stationed in this sector of the front. Later, when we met in Siberia, he told me that they knew my name well. I did not doubt this at all, therefore, when agitating German soldiers through loudspeakers installed on the front line, the Russians often mentioned my name, calling me a “bloodthirsty fascist,” and threatened to deal mercilessly with me. All their attempts to lure me out of my hiding place, to provoke me to shoot in order to discover my location, failed. Eventually, they became desperately afraid of me because I continued to relentlessly kill their soldiers one by one.

They no longer felt safe either in battle or in moments of calm. The slightest wrong movement in the trenches and the next enemy received a bullet in the head. Thus, I managed to clear our front line from enemy snipers and save the lives of many of our infantrymen. On the same day, in the same area, I noticed a Russian soldier running towards a peasant house opposite the site of the 7th company. I hit him in the chest from a distance of 500 meters. While I was with Lieutenant Jensen, I noticed another Russian who was bailing water from a trench.

When he rose above the parapet, I killed him. Later, when I was heading from the command post of the 7th company to the location of the 2nd battalion along with Lieutenant Jensen, non-commissioned officer Schaefer, Chief Corporal Adler and Corporal Koller, we were noticed by a Russian sniper, who shot at Lieutenant Jensen and me. It took me a while to see where he was hiding, but when he moved to a new location, I killed him from a distance of 450 meters. At dawn on November 16 in Jastrzebets, I saw a platoon of Russian soldiers moving from our trenches towards a farm. I spotted an officer among them and shot him from 400 meters. Then he shot two soldiers carrying a machine gun. The circumstances under which I killed my hundredth victim were reflected in an article by Oberleutnant Schoppentau in the newspaper of the 4th Panzer Army “Caterpillar and Wheel” dated December 5, 1944.

On November 16, 1944, at the site of the 7th company, I saw two Russian soldiers occupying a position in the ruins of a house. To prevent them from getting close to our command post, I shot one. The second froze in place with fear and became an easy victim. The distance was 400 meters. In the same area of ​​the 7th company, I saw Russian soldiers bailing water from a dugout. From 400 meters I killed three. After that, I noticed an enemy soldier who was heading towards the dugout with some kind of hare jumps. He was wearing a hat. I realized that he was an officer because Russian privates in the trenches wore helmets. I shot him from a distance of 300 meters.

Carefully studying the terrain ahead of me, I noticed an impressive accumulation of manpower at the Russian positions. We have never encountered even a third of a detachment of this size. From a distance of 600 meters I spotted an enemy soldier carrying mortar shells and killed him. My witnesses were Chief Grenadier Yarosch Grenadiers Raeder and Peter Haas, as well as Corporals Lennek and Hülsemann. On November 19, 1944, while carrying out a mission in the sector of the 5th company near Przybor, I was noticed by soldiers of an enemy machine gun crew. I managed to notice the flash of flame from a machine gun burst and rushed to the ground. The Russian machine gunners were approximately 500 meters away from me. A fragment of stone, which was hit by an enemy bullet, hit me in the face just above my right eye. When the machine gunner tried to leave his position, I shot him from a distance of 500 meters.

An enemy sniper, who managed to get closer to our positions, noticed how I killed my one hundred and tenth victim and shot at me. The bullet flew at an angle, ricocheted and tore out a piece of camouflage fabric covering my helmet. I was lucky once again. The Russian sniper apparently received orders to kill me. This was the same front line where I shot the Russian officers who arrived on November 15 with the check that I described above. As soon as the Russian sniper carefully moved to the side, I was ahead of him for a moment, caught him in the crosshairs of my sight and hit him in the head from a distance of 300 meters.

The witness was Chief Grenadier Baltz. The orderlies treated my wound on my forehead, sealed it with a plaster, and I returned to duty again.

Only the strong and lucky survive on the battlefield. I saw how my comrades sleeping next to me were torn to pieces by an enemy shell. Others were shot in the trenches. One young soldier could not stand the tension and fled to the rear. He was caught and handed over to the field gendarmerie. The military tribunal sentenced him to death. We all witnessed the execution. The Russians did not observe anything that even remotely resembled military law.

One day we were unable to hold our position and were forced to retreat. Reinforcements came to the rescue, and we managed to recapture the abandoned trenches. Eleven of our wounded comrades, whom we were unable to take with us, were killed - either bayoneted or shot.

Soviet snipers had no remorse for our soldiers, whom they killed when the opportunity presented itself. Such is war. I also received orders to hunt down enemy snipers and kill them. According to Russian concepts, this was a war crime. Being at the forefront, I served as an assistant and protector, saving the lives of our grenadiers. For their sake, I risked my life more than once. The enemy was equally cruel and merciless, but I was luckier than them, although they often caught me in their crosshairs.

In a sniper duel, the one who has the best shooting technique survives. This requires daily practice, the ability to shoot accurately both day and night. I was confident in my accuracy, as well as in my good knowledge of the area. I learned this as a child, when I spent long hours on the banks of the Sheschuppe River, which separated the German Reich from Lithuania. When I grew up, I began to engage in petty smuggling, often crossing the border secretly from border guards and customs officers.

At the same time, I learned to suppress panic in myself, trying to show composure in the most dangerous situations. Ultimately, I learned to navigate the terrain perfectly, memorizing every fold of it well. I also learned to disguise myself. As a child, I often stole apples from the farmer's orchard and always tried to behave carefully so as not to get caught by the owner of the orchard, because if I was caught, I would be in danger of a good beating from my father.

My father was often ill and from the age of sixteen I often replaced him during field work on the Fichtenhöhe estate. I had to plow while walking behind a plow pulled by four horses. When harvesting grain, I dragged three hundred bags of grain to the second floor of the barn. It was difficult and hard work. Nevertheless, it served me well at the front, physically strengthening me and helping me overcome many adversities. Thus, I was in a better position than other pampered "mama's boys" who had a hard time on the front line.

Thus, my childhood and adolescence, spent on the German-Lithuanian border, became for me a kind of preliminary military training. I grew up in nature and knew its seasonal characteristics quite well. When Russian snipers provoked me, I never fell for their tricks. I understood their intentions, their tricks and their location. A sniper must know the slightest features of nature and therefore immediately sees what is natural in it and what is artificial.

The ability to recognize such small, but very important details, often allows the sniper to save his life. A sniper must be confident in his ability to shoot calmly, accurately and accurately. This comes through experience and endless training. It is also necessary to be able to control oneself and be free from physical and nervous tension. The shooter's nervousness is transmitted to the rifle and optical sight. Besides, I never smoked, even at the front. On November 21, 1944, I was awarded the “Sniper” badge, 3rd degree. By this time, I had long exceeded the qualification limit of 60 killed. I was given a preliminary certificate for my sniper achievements, but I never received the actual cloth badge sewn onto my uniform.

In autumn it often rained and snowed in Jastrzebiec. The trenches were filled with water. In the summer you could at least undress, dry your clothes and get rid of lice. Now we were shivering from the cold, wrapped in chemical protection tents and, going to bed, huddled closely together in an attempt to keep warm. It was impossible to even dream of lighting a fire, because when the enemy saw fire in our trenches, they immediately began to fire at us. On November 22, 1944, I was in the sector of the 7th company and noticed two Russian soldiers bailing water from a trench about 450 meters from me. First I shot one of them, and then the second, who rushed to his aid.

At dawn, I saw an enemy machine-gun nest located 250 meters from our positions; it was well camouflaged. I shot the machine gunner, hitting him in the head. After that, I managed to notice the shine of the glass of the optical sight, and I realized that someone was watching me. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past my neck. This was the last shot of the Russian sniper, because I soon caught him in the crosshairs and pulled the trigger. At the same moment, a second Russian sniper shot at me. Luckily for me, he aimed too high and the bullet bounced off my helmet. Both enemy snipers were hiding behind the wall. I hit the second one in the chest from a distance of 200 meters.

Thus, in the morning I destroyed two non-Russian snipers. This was very rare. The witness was Chief Grenadier Berres.

The next day I was again at the site of the 7th company. I noticed two Russian soldiers, apparently messengers, and shot one of them from 400 meters. The second soldier managed to hide, but after some time he decided to crawl to a new place and ended up paying for it with his own life.

The next day, November 23, 1944, I received a letter of gratitude from the commander of the 4th Panzer Army, General Fritz-Hubert Gräser, thanking me for my 75th victory. This was a recognition of my long-standing success, because on the day the letter was delivered, I already had 125 killed enemy soldiers on my account. In recognition of my one hundred and eleventh victory, on November 20, 1944, I received a letter of gratitude from the commander of the 48th Panzer Corps, Lieutenant General Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim.

He also sent me a parcel containing valuables. On November 25, 1944, the Wehrmacht report stated: “Sniper Corporal Syutkus from the 196th Grenadier Regiment scored 125 individual victories in five months.” On November 28, 1944, at the 7th Company site near Jastrzebiec, I noticed busy traffic along the supply line. The Russians felt safe under the cover of a light fog. I was 300 meters in front of our positions and had an excellent view. I killed a Russian, presumably an officer, with a shot in the chest from a distance of 400 meters.

Then another one when it suddenly stopped.

The witness was the grenadier Elmer. On the same day, in the same place, while observing the surrounding area, I was caught in the crosshairs of an enemy sniper. Under my camouflage jacket I was wearing a thick protective vest. IT allowed you to protect yourself from a shot from a distance of 400 meters. I decided to take a chance and get shot in the chest. I played dead and continued watching the Russian sniper. When he left his hiding place, I shot him in the back. This victory was witnessed by the grenadier Elmer.

At the end of the same day, our mortars hit the rear. When the shelling ended, I saw many Red Army soldiers running. Two of them tried to restore order during the retreat. I shot both of them from a distance of 350 meters. My witness was Corporal Lichtenberger.

When the session ended and I returned to her, my jacket was neatly mended. Then in the dining room she gave me her portion of pudding, which was supposed to be dessert. Erica was a pretty girl and I really liked her. Soon I began to think about her constantly, day and night. I found myself often humming the melody of the song “Erika,” which was popular at the time and beloved by the soldiers.

My rest lasted until December 8, 1944. Then I returned to my battalion, which was located near Jastrzebiec. At dawn on December 9, I found myself at the location of the 5th company. My next victim was a Russian sentry who was relieved from guard. I shot him from a distance of 300 meters. Soon I noticed another Russian who was pacing back and forth, trying to warm up. He carelessly came out of cover, and from a distance of 300 meters I killed him. I then killed the second enemy soldier. From a distance of 400 meters I shot the Russian. a soldier heading from a trench towards a farm.

My next victim emerged from the dugout and began to bail water out of it. I hit the enemy in the chest. Another soldier decided to see what happened to his comrade. I hit him in the chest from a distance of 300 meters. Apparently, the Soviet machine gunners noticed me, because they opened powerful fire on my position. Their bullets whistled right above my head. I was able to crawl safely to another position. The Russians did not notice my movements and continued to fire at the previous place. Now I had a good overview and continued to observe the two machine gunners from a distance of 300 meters. After waiting for some time, I shot them.

Towards the end of the day I watched the changing of the guard taking place 300 meters away. I killed the sentry with a shot in the chest and saw him fall. Two soldiers ran up to him, whom I shot from a distance of 300 and 320 meters. The witnesses were Chief Corporal Erich Schmidt, Grenadier Richard Nowak, Corporals Max Barthel, Macik and Anton Dubail, all from the 5th company of the 196th regiment. The 68th Infantry Division could not change anything on the Russian bridgehead with an area of ​​25 square kilometers. The Russians outnumbered the Germans eleven to one. The ratio in tanks was twenty-five to one. And yet they were unable to quickly capture this section of the front. The enemy concentrated the maximum number of troops on the Baranovsky bridgehead. All this indicated an upcoming major offensive, presumably planned for January 1945. When the swamps and rivers freeze, the advanced units of the Soviet army will move west unhindered.

On December 9, 1944, at 23.00, the offensive of Russian troops began. Artillery struck along the entire front line. We could have repelled an enemy attack of up to a regiment's strength, but we were not prepared for an attack of such a scale. The 196th Regiment was ordered to retreat. Our battalion commander, Major Hoffman, ordered me to bring this to the attention of our forward troops because telephone communications was broken, but I knew the path well. I did similar tasks a few months ago. To help me, they gave me a communications soldier who was supposed to fix breaks in the telephone cable. The leading companies were ordered to retreat at 0300. This had to be done as secretly as possible.

These were not even companies, but their remnants - they had suffered heavy losses over the past two weeks and numbered approximately half of the required personnel. I arrived at the front line literally a few minutes after my escort was killed by a shell fragment. I had to go on alone with the report. Finding our companies was not easy because the area looked different at night. Volleys of Russian artillery often forced me to throw myself on the ground and look for cover. Finally, I managed to convey Hoffman's order to retreat to all company commanders. As we retreated, we took our wounded with us.

Our company commander, Chief Sergeant Major Roller, was seriously wounded in the lung by a shell fragment. I helped carry the stretcher he was lying on. We carried him to the dressing station, but he died an hour later from severe internal bleeding. Advancing on our positions, the Russians suffered heavy losses. On December 1, 1944, when I was with the 8th company near Jastrzebiec, I was shown a well-camouflaged enemy machine-gun nest. After several hours of observing the surrounding area, I saw exactly where machine-gun fire was coming from at our positions. I killed a Russian soldier with a shot to the chest from 350 meters. The witness was Corporal Trepka.

On December 11, 1944, while at the site of the 7th company together with an observer, non-commissioned officer Kühn, I shot a Russian sentry from a distance of 450 meters.

From the same position, I saw a Soviet soldier leave his home and move into the battles on the Eastern Front in 1944, which resulted in huge losses for both opposing sides in the eastern direction. I shot him from a distance of 500 meters. Later I saw several Russians going in and out of the dugout. I managed to kill a Soviet officer with a shot in the chest from a distance of 400 meters. The witnesses were non-commissioned officer Kühn and corporal Odenthal from the 7th company of the 196th regiment.

On December 16, in Karnikelberg near Kargov, I noticed a Russian guard post and shot a sentry from a distance of 250 meters. Then I killed the second soldier who rushed to the aid of his comrade.

Setting off from the command post of the 7th Company to the forward positions in Jastrzebce, I saw a Russian orderly walking carelessly through the open area. I killed him with a shot to the chest from a distance of 400 meters. (152nd) This victory was witnessed by Chief Haubensack.

Application N: 152 Date: 12/17/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: On the way from the command post of the 7th company, Syutkus, 400 meters away, saw a Russian messenger heading from the Russian command post to the trenches and not trying to move secretly. Syutkus killed him with a shot in the chest. Witnesses: Chief Corporal Haubensack, 7th company.

I noticed two Russian soldiers engaged in conversation in a shallow trench in front of an enemy-occupied farm that was in front of our positions. One of them appeared above the parapet, and I shot him in the chest. Witnesses were Chief Haubensack and Corporals Macik, Dubail and Balmers.

In recognition of my 150th victory, I received a small package from the commander of the 4th Panzer Army, General Gräser, who wrote to me as follows: “To Corporal Syutkus via the headquarters of the 68th Infantry Division. I was pleased to learn about your 150th sniper victory and want to express my special gratitude. I am sending you a small souvenir. I wish you further success and good luck as a soldier. Signed: General of the Tank Forces Gräser.” The parcel contained a gold watch - a special form of gratitude to successful snipers. for the 150th victory C received a gift from General Greer - a watch

On the night of December 17, 1944, Russian soldiers stationed on a farm in Jastrzebiec began planting bushes to cover the gap in the wall of the building through which we could see their positions. The work was done sloppily, and through the gap I still saw an enemy soldier actively moving to keep warm. I shot him in the chest from a distance of 400 meters. Then I spotted a Russian artillery spotter and shot him in the chest from the same distance. At noon, the Russian messenger headed from the positions to the command post. I hit him in the chest from 400 meters. At 15.30 I caught the eye of several Russian soldiers making their way behind the bushes along the wall of the farm.

Within half an hour I shot two. The distance was 400 meters, witnessed by non-commissioned officers Kreisl and Stefan, Chief Corporal Haubensack and grenadier Horst Büttner from the 7th company. In recognition of my successes, I was awarded a personal meeting with General of the Panzer Forces Gräser. The commander of the 4th Tank Army listened with interest to the story about rifle training and my path to success. I told him about my combat missions. I left the command post with a gift - a basket of food. Here I met Erica Lenz for the second time in my life. Returning to the front line, I spent an hour with her. She kindly prepared food for me.

On Christmas Eve 1944, Erica and the head nurse visited the front line, bringing us greetings from their home. The girls were not allowed further than the battalion command post, not wanting to risk their lives. At that time, the enemy was already on the Vistula and was preparing to expand the bridgehead. We often fought fierce battles, which were accompanied by powerful artillery shelling. Erica asked where she could find the sniper Syutkus. When they answered her, she said: “I definitely have to go where my sniper Bruno is!” Thus, the authorities were forced to let her go to the front line. I went into the orderly's dugout to eat. Suddenly the door opened and Erica appeared on the threshold. She seemed like a ghostly vision to me. She embodied everything for me: homeland, life, love, everything that is worth living and dying for. She hugged me and kissed me.

It was the best Christmas present I have ever received. As long as I live, I will always remember Erica and that day on Christmas Eve. I can never forget her. On the afternoon of December 27, 1944, not far from Jastrzebiec, in the sector of the 5th company, I noticed constant movements of enemy soldiers behind protective screen from the bush near the farm. From a distance of 400 meters I hit a Russian officer in the chest. In the garden of the same farm I saw two enemy soldiers carrying planks and logs. I killed them both. The distance was 400 meters. When dusk came, a messenger appeared from the trenches. I killed him from a distance of 400 meters, hitting him in the chest. The witness was Corporal von Freiling.

At dawn on December 28, 1944, on the site of the 5th company, I noticed Russians building something in the garden of a farm. I killed one right away. The second - after about half an hour, then another, a third, from a distance of 350 meters. in the building to the right of the farm there was an enemy command post, into which a large number of messengers flocked from different sides. At 10.00, from a distance of 350 meters, I shot a Russian soldier who carelessly headed from the garden to the command post.

At noon there were significantly more messengers, and I killed another one from a distance of 350 meters.

Some Russian infantryman noticed me, and I came under his machine gun fire. When he was 350 meters from me, I shot him. (168th) At 15.00 I saw a Russian leaving the command post building into the garden. He died from my bullet, fired from a distance of 350 meters. Closer to 16.00, a Russian soldier came into my field of vision, coming to the command post from the direction of the garden and soon heading back. I took aim at him and shot him from a distance of 350 meters.

(170th) Witnesses were non-commissioned officer Kostrema, Obergrenadiers Horst Arnold and Haffner, corporals Max Barthel and Anton Dubail from the 5th company. Towards the evening of December 29, 1944, near Kargov, I saw guards in Karnikelberg moving around. When one of them emerged from cover, I shot him in the chest from a distance of 300 meters. (171st) On December 30, 1944, at approximately 0800, I noticed an enemy artillery observer in the left window of the third building to the right of the farm. From the window he had a clear view of our positions. When he carelessly leaned out of his hiding place, I killed him. Another hit in the chest from 400 meters.

Application N: 172 Date: 12/30/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: at approximately 08.00, Siutkus discovered a Russian observer in the left window of the third house to the right of the farm, who was presumably adjusting the fire of his artillery. Syutkus hit him in the chest from a distance of 400 meters. Witnesses: Chief Corporal Arnold, 5th company.

In the morning I noticed a Russian soldier who headed from the command post to the dugout. When he came out into the open in the garden, I killed him from 300 meters.

After that, the Russians tried to find me and destroy me. Three Russian soldiers started hunting for me: a sniper, a machine gunner and a machine gunner. From the trenches of the 5th company, I noticed how an enemy sniper fired an explosive bullet in my direction, piercing the wall of the trench. Without hesitation, I shot at him and hit the target from a distance of 300 meters. Apparently, he shot at me a second time and at the same time as me, but missed. This was his last shot.

Application No.: 174 Date: 12/30/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: after Corporal Syutkus killed his 173rd victim, the enemy decided to destroy him by sending a sniper, a machine gunner and a submachine gunner to hunt him. A Russian sniper fired an explosive bullet at him, which hit the wall of the trench. The next second, Syutkus stood up and shot at him from a distance of 300 meters. Another Russian bullet flew past. Witnesses: Chief Corporal Heffner, 5th company.

After this duel. Two other Russian soldiers opened heavy fire on me. I managed to hide, and the attention of the Soviet soldiers was diverted by our machine gun, located 50 meters from me, which began to fire bursts at them. I waited for the moment when the Russian machine gunner changed position and shot him from 350 meters.

Application No.: 175 Date: 12/30/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: after a duel with a Russian sniper, Corporal Syutkus began to fire at the enemy submachine gunner and machine gunner. When a German machine gun, located 50 meters to the left of Syutkus, opened fire on them, the Russians were distracted, and Syutkus killed the Russian machine gunner with a shot in the chest. Distance - 350 meters. Witnesses: Chief Corporal Heffner, 5th company.

The incident completely enraged the Russians. They tried to destroy me with an anti-tank rifle. I saw the flash that accompanied the shot and sank into the ground. The shell exploded away from me. Observer Corporal Donton Dubail crawled 50 meters away from me to the left and waved his cap over the parapet. The Russians noticed this. When one of them rose to shoot at the place where Dubail was, I shot him from a distance of 350 meters.

Application N: 176 Date: 12/30/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: the Russians tried to destroy Siutkus with an anti-tank rifle. Syutkus noticed the flash and managed to take cover. The shell flew over him. Corporal Dubail, an observer, crawled to the side 50 meters and raised his cap over the parapet to spot the location of the Russians. Syutkus took advantage of the opportunity and killed an enemy soldier in the chest from a distance of 305 meters. Witnesses: Corporal Dubail, 5th company.

When I returned to the command post of the 5th company, non-commissioned officer Eichler called me to show me the Russian sentry who was in the garden. I shot him from a distance of 600 meters. Eichler, Heffner, Horst Arnold and Dubail were my witnesses.

Application No.: 177 Date: 12/30/1944 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: upon arrival at the command post of the 5th company, Siutkus was called by non-commissioned officer Eichler and drew his attention to the Russian sentry who was in the garden. Syutkus shot him. He grabbed his left shoulder and fell. After the second shot, he completely quieted down. Distance - 600 meters. Witnesses: non-commissioned officer Eichler, 5th company.

I celebrated the New Year at the Baranovsky plaudarm. This Soviet platform on the Vistula was one hundred kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide. The onslaught of Russian troops was resisted by only two German corps. The Russian superiority in manpower and technology was enormous. On January 3, 1945, at 9.00, while not far from Yastrzebets, I saw a Russian soldier leaving the dugout and entering the house. When he reappeared, I shot him in the doorway from a distance of 600 meters.

Application No.: 178 Date: 01/3/1945 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: at approximately 9.00 Siutkus noticed a Russian coming out of the dugout into the house. When, after some time, he left the house and appeared in the doorway, Syutkus shot him in the chest. Distance - 600 meters. Witnesses: Corporal Bolzinger, 7th Company.

At approximately 15.30 the Russians took up positions in the farm garden. I saw one of them rising above his machine gun and killed him from 600 meters. (179th) Application No.: 179 Date: 01/3/1945 Place: Jastrzebiec Result: at 15.30 the Russians began to occupy trenches in the garden. When one of the enemy soldiers rose above his machine gun, Syutkus shot him in the chest. Distance - 600 meters. Witnesses: Corporal Breuer, 7th company.

When it began to get dark around 16.00, I noticed a messenger running out of the command post and heading towards the dugout. I shot him in the chest from a distance of 550 meters and he fell. The witnesses were Grenadier Bolzingenad and Corporal Breuer from the 7th Company.

At dawn on January 4, near Przyboro, my next victim was a Russian soldier walking from the dugout to the corral with horses. I shot him from a distance of 600 meters. At 07.30 I came across an enemy guard post, where a Red Army soldier appeared at regular intervals. I killed him from a distance of 500 meters with a shot to the chest. At noon I received orders to take up a position near Jastrzebiec. At 15.30 I saw a Russian soldier leaving the dugout and moving along the line of communication towards the night trenches. I took him down with one shot from 350 meters.

Fifteen minutes later, another soldier bent over the dead body, who became my next victim. The distance was the same, 350 meters.

On January 5, 1944, our artillery began shelling enemy positions near the farm. During a short respite, several Russian soldiers ran out of the trenches towards the dugouts. I shot one of them from 400 meters. After 15.30 the enemy noticed me and opened fire on me with several mortars. In the bushes I saw two Russian soldiers who, apparently, were adjusting the fire. I killed one of them from 400 meters. Another Russian ran along the trench to observe the mortar line. Taking aim, I took him down. The witnesses were Haubensack and Corporal Martin from the 7th company.