Letter of October 1941 Bashny.Net

A quarter-century after the war in the deep woods of Vyazma was found buried in the ground tank BT with a visible tactical number 12. Hatches were battened down, gaping hole in the side. When the car was opened on the site of the driver discovered the remains of a second lieutenant-soldiers. He had a revolver with one cartridge and the plate, and the plate - maps, photographs of his girlfriend and unsent letters. October 25, 1941





Hello, My Cooking!

No, we will meet with you.

Yesterday at noon we smashed another Hitler column. Fascist round hit the side armor and exploded inside. While I led off the car in the woods, Basil died. My wound is cruel.

I buried Vasily Orlov in a birch grove. It was light. Basil died before he could tell me a single word, nothing gave her a beautiful white-haired Masha and Zoe, like a dandelion in feathers.

That's the way of the three tankers alone.

In sutemeni I drove into the woods. The night passed in agony, lost a lot of blood. Now for some reason, pain, burning through the whole breast, and lay down in my soul silently. It's a shame that we have not done everything. But we did everything we could. Our comrades chase an enemy that should not go to our fields and forests. I never would have lived life as if it were not for you, Varya. You helped me always: to Khalkhin- here. Perhaps, after all, who likes that kind to people. Thank you, dear! A person ages, and the sky is forever young, like your eyes that just look so admire. They never grow old, do not fade.

As time passes, people will heal wounds, people will build new cities, grow new gardens. Comes another life, other songs will be sung. But never forget a song about us, about three tankers.

You will have beautiful children grow up, you're still going to love.

And I'm happy that I'm leaving you with a great love for you.

Your Ivan Kolosov

Tank with a crew of commander second lieutenant Ivan Sidorovicha Kolosov, bashnёra Vasily Orlov and Paul mehvoda Rudova suffered an injury in early October 1941 on the outskirts of Vyazma. The commander was wounded, a driver was killed. Kolosov and Orlov leaked fuel and ammunition removed from other destroyed tanks, repaired his car and took her to the forest.

Determining that are surrounded, tankers have decided to break with their fights. October 12 left the ambush lone defeat of the German tank column. Tankers caution and tried to play it safe. However, on 24 October, when they attacked the next column, the Germans managed to deploy a gun. The rest Ivan Kolosov said in his farewell letter.

Varvara Petrovna Zhuravlev had addressed her letter after nearly 30 years.

This story was told Yevgeny Maximov in the newspaper "Pravda" of 23 February 1971. According to him, the tank Kolosov was installed as a monument in one of the roads - but up to now this monument, unfortunately, did not live