Page 38 - Excerpts from the diary

During stay here, on the left river bank Oder, there was no day that Beresnev did not fall asleep on a post, or did
not go to time of delivery of fire from OP. He does not recognize the commander of the calculation at all, and
treats me floutingly and the behavior decomposes fighters of a platoon.
The only care of Beresnev are the dream and food. Feeling the known connivance from some officers of a
company, the sergeant Beresnev reached to such an extent that absolutely lost human shape: dirty, lax and any
fighter goes does not consider him the junior commander, owing to his indiscipline and sloppiness. The corporal
and the Red Army man shame Beresnev for his behavior and neither conversations, nor collecting influence this
person, and his behavior remains still shocking.

02.16.1945

They say, on Oder there is one Frankfurt, another to Meine... but louses!... How many they divorced at me for
days of stay in Germany! Neither in Poland, nor in Bessarabia, nor we in Russia at me had no so many louses yet.
Now them at me so many that they creep on a body as pigs on the German farmstead: both small, and big, and
absolutely huge; alone, chain... Likely will eat... To carry them on the body it is very intolerable, and this test is
represented to me more biting, than fighting. Directly there is a wish to shout to blue in the face and to tear the
hair. All body in bruises from stings of these disgusting, dangerous insects.
Did not change linen since December 44 years. All dirty linen is also already torn louses gnaw through it and on
a body there is a cotton wool curtailed into lumps.
Now we stand still. Apartments all are examined by soldiers and there is no suitable change of linen for change.
Underwear was received by the foreman on all company, but when firing began (he(it) was then at a dam on
Oder) from 'Katyushas', the foreman threw everything and escaped from supplies far away. Meanwhile, all linen
was stolen.
The bath cannot be arranged now not before. The base our very small, but extremely important for all expansion
of military operations therefore demand from us, and is even asked (Berzarin, Zhukov) by all means to keep the
won base.
Weather here whimsical. Almost daily there are rains; there is no snow, and dirt an impassable splotch all earth.
Warmly, as in the spring. On Oder, ice started, demolished a crossing and dragged its fragments upstream.
Communication with a right bank is interrupted. So our hopes, our dreams and desires to come, make the way
quicker on an operational scope, to take Berlin from the course and to complete defeat of Hitlerite hordes behind
its walls break. All this could very just be carried out. In the beginning Germans had very few people and
technicians, in particular people.
But now the enemy threw from France fresh reserve divisions here, and situation considerably became
complicated. It will be hard to break through again and God knows which of us will survive to Berlin.
Yesterday shot two soldiers who specifically shot themselves, so I after night watch was employed all day at
courts. On my watch into the headquarters of battalion brought soldier who specifically shot themselves,
is Kolyada, from our eight group. To me the senior aidedecamp ordered to watch him all night long: 'You pay the
life in case of his disappearance'. People are not enough. One sentry was at my order, but he was in the yard, and I
was forced not to leave and keep under personal observation of the criminal anywhere. Kindly still what in the
morning him was judged at once and shot behind the shed of our yard, and that was necessary more to be
responsible for him, and than the Lord does not joke, still what for the sake of most to get on a dock.
Another of «shot themselves» the lieutenant (!). I hear the first time that the officer was shot because of
cowardice shot the left hand to itself. Young, awarded the order the Red Banner and a medal for defense of
Stalingrad. Awards took away from him, seized personal property, family deprived of all privileges, shot him as a
dog.
It was not is a pity for any, another, but his experiences move away on heart. Especially at the last minute, when
the commandant ordered to escorts: 'On the traitor of the Homeland, fire!' He strong narrowed eyes, all
contracted, and the same minute three automatic bullets caustically stuck to him into the head. He failed down to
the ground, having a showerbath streams of the scattered blood.