Hero of Soviet Union Lieutenant Rebenok
Now, one year later after the war it is hard for me to remember all dates of my raids. I only remember that I went behind enemy lines sixteen times - until the day that I was wounded. The only date that I remember is the date of the first raid, although that raid was not at all that interesting.
In early January 1940, after we reached the Summa-Hotinen fortified sector of Mannerheim Line and saw that we could not break through without serious preparation, our unit dug in for defense. During that period all battle activity of our Rifle Battalion, where I was working as Deputy Chief of Staff, was mostly scout raids.
Every time as I was briefing the scouts, I was dreaming: "It would be great to go there with them..." Of course, I was not the only one who had such attitude: every commander or soldier in our battalion would be honored to join a scout party.
One such scout party was formed on proposal of battalion commander Senior Lieutenant Meshkov (now Hero of Soviet Union). Comrades in the group were the cream of the battalion. With them I was ready to go not only behind enemy lines, but into devil's throat.
I was named as commanding officer of the group, and on January 18 we went "to visit" the White Finns for the first time.
It was pitch dark. We left our trenches at midnight. It was to the right from Karhula, at a forest edge. We peacefully passed a bridge over a small river - Finns did not spot us. we moved on. We ra into a barbed wire fence. It was quite a temptation: why should we hesitate in front of it, if Finns had failed to spot us? We just need to cut it! But we managed to overcome our impatience: a scout cannot be in a hurry.
We quietly ducked down at the barbed wire fence. I knew that my men were lying next to me, but I could not see them. It was only a bit later that my eyes got used to darkness.
We heard squeaking steps in the snow behind the fence. We stressed our eyes even more. Finally we managed to spot two Finnish sentries on a small hill. A bit further from us was the second small hill and more sentries on it. Aha, that meant that were ran into Finnish fortification. A lucky move.
We waited for the sounds of steps of the sentries to fade (apparently, they left behind the bunkers) and in a twinkle of an eye we cut the barbed wire. We decided to do the following: first make it to the rear, approach the bunkers and then capture them. Then our guys would understand from the shooting what was going on (I was also planning to send a liaison soldier just in case) come to our help and we would capture those bunkers.
The plan was risky, but we all accepted it with big enthusiasm.
But as soon as we got on the other slope of the hill, we heard noise of shovels, bars and roaring of truck engines. The trucks were coming, they were unloaded and then they would again travel into the enemy's rear. There were some ten trucks there.
It turned out that Finns were digging trenches there. It would have been quite a view if we tried to capture the bunkers: I guess we would have been slaughtered.
After we counted the number of Finns that were digging trenches (they were some 200 men), we sneaked back. With the information on location of bunkers and new trenches of the enemy we came back to our lines. The very first raid demonstrated that one should never forget about silence and camouflage and try to complete the mission during the very first attempt. It is probably better to make two or three raids with the same mission, but never be spotted by the enemy.
I went for the second time two days later. Our mission was to take a prisoner. We again left our trenches at night, at two o'clock. We approached a barbed wire fence and cut it open. Behind it there was a clearing some 60 meters long, and then a forest.
We sneaked across the clearing and encountered abandoned trenches. Finns had just abandoned them: there was no snow in the trench, although there had been a heavy snowfall that day. The story was clear: a Finnish forward security was there. They spotted us and retreated, in order to get us to go deeper in their territory. I ordered the men to stay put and sent a pair of scouts forward: Deputy Sergeant Major Kramarenko and Sergeant Major Lebedev.
Several minutes later Lebedev sneaked back and reported that indeed there was an ambush in front of us.
We had to change the route of our advance: we moved more to the left, even mores o that there was some noise coming from there. But as soon as we stepped on a path, three heavy MGs opened on us. we were pinned down. The MGs did not stop firing. It was impossible to lift our heads. (Apparently, the path had been pre sighted by the Finns).
What could I do? I decided to do the following: I will move my light MG to the right, as it will distract enemy's fire, and we will retreat under its cover. This is what I did. But Finns noticed that it was only two men that departed the main group and only transferred fire of one MG on it.
That was really a bad thing. Then I ordered Junior LIeutenant Deri: — Take over the command — I will fire the MG myself. Then I sneaked on the snow like a snake. I saw a hole in the ground. I looked at it and realized that it was a shell crater. The best thing for me! I got into the crater ond opened intensive fire on the Finns from there.
They fired a burst at me. I did not fire at that moment. But as soon as their MG finished firing - I opened fire again.It worked: apparently, I managed to make them angry: I saw all three Finnish MGs switching their fire on me. This was exactly what I needed
But they also understood our trick: again they left just one MG to suppress me and my MG.
“No", I thought, "you will not get me!” I did not wait for the Finnish MG to stop firing at me: it was firing at me, and I was firing at it. A duel!.. They again had to concentrate all their fire just on me.
I cannot say how long it lasted; I had no time to look at the watch. Then a soldier sneaked to me and reported:
— All our guys have already withdrawn, comrade Junior Lieutenant (I was still Junior Lieutenant then). It is time for you to disengage, too.
I fired the last burst at the Finns (I had to say good-bye to them!) and went back. As we sneaked on the ground with the liaison soldier, we saw the light MGs opening fire on the enemy, covering out withdrawal. They completed their task quite successfully: we made it back without a scratch. Actually, that night we did not have any casualties in our group.
So, I made it back, but I was really angry: we failed our mission. We did spot their MG nests...But when finally we would be able to capture a prisoner?!
So, four days later, we repeated our attempt. Our mission was to find out what was going on in the forest, what are enemy's forces there, what kind of security they have there. Of course, if we managed to take a prisoner, no one would object to that.
The night was clear and with moonshine — we had to be more careful than ever. We left early - nine o'clock in the evening. We did this in order to have more time before dawn.
We passed through two barbed wire fences. Edge of the forest was right behind it. There we found a small wooden bunker, surrounded by a fence. There were two sentries there.
They walked back and forth in front of us a couple of times. I whispered to my men:
— Well, as soon as I whistle - grab both of them immediately! Is that clear?
But as soon as my lips were ready to whistle - I saw a Finnish walking out of the forest and heading right at us. There were only six of us lying there at the fence.
Again I had to change my plans. I quietly ordered:
— Prepare hand grenades!
I thought: our advantage is the element of surprise. Before they come to their senses, we would capture at least one of them.
The Finnish platoon was getting closer and closer. They were already in some fifteen meters from us.
Then we threw our "gifts" at them...
The only thing I did not take into consideration: I did not think that they could just flee instead of putting up a defense. This is exactly what happened: our grenades had such an effect on them, that they ran faster than an airplane!
We had to abort the mission and get back to our lines as quickly as possible. But it was impossible to withdraw the same way as we arrived: Finns had already spotted us and opened fire that cut our way back. The only way back was through the small forest where we were. The forest was entering the position of our troops like a pincer.
So that was what we did. Taking turns with Deri's group, we reached the river. But Finns decided not to let us go. We saw them surrounding us. Three groups, each one of some 40 men, were in front of us and on our flanks.
We did not hesitate to open fire at them. They ducked for cover and also opened fire at us. The distance between us was short - just some eighty meters. If you try to raise your head from the ground (the night was clear with bright moonshine, to make things worse) — you could expect a bullet to hit your forehead very soon.
Firefight died down - they stopped firing, as they saw ineffectiveness of their fire. We were saving our ammo.
Suddenly we heard a voice from their side:
— Surrender!
Although we tried to be as quiet as possible, no one could stay silent: I heard Kramarenko and Deri shouting:
— Bolsheviks do not surrender!
Other men in the group answered with strong curses. The Russian way, so to say...
Finns heard the answer of Red Army and opened even more fierce fire.
We were lying there and returning fire. Frost was biting us more and more. We were also running out of ammo. However, we could not slow down the tempo of fire: as soon as we fired less, Finns were trying to get closer to us.
A soldier reported to me:
— Comrade Junior Lieutenant, they killed Deri!
This was already sixth killed in his group. I only had one wounded in my group.
We have been in combat for three hours. I saw that we could not get out without assistance from our side. I ordered the liaison man with submachine-gun:
— You make it to our lines, and pass a message: let our artillery help us.
He crawled some ten meters in snow and was pinned down. I sneaked to him:
— Why don't you move further?
— I am wounded, comrade Junior Lieutenant.
I bandaged him somehow and he started to dig in.
The situation was getting critical: we only had three drum clips of ammo left, and just five men who had not yet been wounded, including me...
It was at least good that Finns did not try to get any closer to us - apparently, our fire was also devastating for them.
But our cannons roared in this moment.
As it turned out, Senior Lieutenant Pilipenko, as he heard continuous firefight in the forest where our scout party could be, and as he had no information from us, called for artillery officer and ordered to open fire on the place, from which the most intensive fire was coming. He very logically concluded that between the two fighting parties it was us who could not deliver very intensive fire on the enemy.
Senior Lieutenant Zimin's battery fired with excellent preciseness: the very first shell hit the very center of the left Finnish infantry group. All Finnish groups hastily retreated, following the group that was hit first.
We were so agitated that fired all three remaining ammo drums at the backs of the enemy. We were disengaging the enemy with no ammo at all. Not only we disengaged the enemy, but also managed to evacuate all our wounded.
There were many dead White Finns lying on our way. This surrounding of our group cost them dearly.
The memories of Lt. Rebenok are taken form book "Fighting in Finland", People's Commissariate of Defence, 1941. Translation by Bair Irincheev
© Bair Irincheev 2001 - 2003