Page 16 - Excerpts from the diary

Karlov likes but to take a walk, 'surf' the village in search of products and still the devil knows what therefore
often and lags behind in campaigns. Too it is a pity to send him to arrows, but also at itself there is no wish to
hold.
Unsociable persons it is quarrelsome and inexperienced to order calculation and is lazy in addition, and so the
guy young (24 years) and competent.
Of me all think also of the companions a little and often left me without food, and once, yesterday, nearly left one
when changing by a company of positions upon transition here. All but passionately think of food for themselves
and are busy in general with the entirely personal interests. Others though all would die does not concern
everyone. What for people now on light?
Filling it is called, as well as all his calculation, this month, but friendship between them is more also than public
interest. His all calculation consists of old men. They have much more respect for me and to all commanders, than
at old fighters. I love this calculation though it new and inexperienced and with literacy very badly at them
business (more than three classes are absent).

Later. All. The opponent is driven away. Wedge extended unimaginably. Gave «Katyushas». One our tank lit up.
Saw their crew. It is safe. Shells from enemy tanks slide on the ground and ricochet. And more nothing
flies anymore neither bullets, nor shells the enemy is so far stolen. Forward the infantry and other moves. Now
and to us to leave.

11.27.1943

Yesterday there passed DPK, and now I already finally the member of the party of Bolsheviks. On DPK asked me
many questions I the first understood. The captain Andreyev is a propagandist of a regiment, tried, satisfying my
request, to pass me the first. I answered all questions smoothly. One question, though not from the charter and not
from the history of party, seemed to me the most difficult.
You be written in the questionnaire by the editor of the wall newspaper. Whether you here published the wall
newspaper?
But I answered «released», and actually I did not terminate issue of the newspaper fight prevented. So I had to
tell lies.

Yesterday received the letter from mother. Answered her immediately. Sent the reference from hospital.

In the afternoon, at night all go in our shooters to the attack, but unsuccessfully. Germans caught without restraint
and hold on for the boundary. In a company for shooters took away 10 more people from us. Now at me is in a
platoon of 6 people, and I am the seventh. Rudnev, Lopatin, Dyachenko, Biryukov, Glyantsev, Musinyan here
my people. Two mortars serve 6 people now.
All night long listened to Rudnev. He knows good songs. About love. I remembered the life on the citizen as at us
call, and felt sorry for the youth under song sounds which did not meet love and caress women's on all way.
Yesterday replaced a knife and the handle with other handle to selfpeep. Counted that it is better, and
believed Zarybkina that it writes. Then, when it was made out saw that it without pipette. Exchanged the pipette
for soap at fighters, but also with the pipette the handle was unusable the feather was bad.
Later Dyachenko brought me the handle, too broken. I combined from two one rearranged a tube tip
from Zarybkinskaya on Dyachenkova, and Zarybkin's handle gave Rudneva.
Any minute we expect approach. The opponent fires at us. Somewhere our aircraft flies, obviously our neighbors
come.
At me now three fields and one ware bag, but all things do not hold, it is necessary to carry a part in pockets.
Mainly I armed notebooks, paper and some newspapers. Things, per se, no.
I dream to write some sentimental poem, but all this is a matter of time.
Ours shoot artillery, and over us there was a plane. But it is not enough, of course, for approach. No, will not