As fighting Russian: Attack of the Dead

97 years ago, a quarter of a century before the birth of this catch phrase, something happened that completely overshadowed it. The soldiers of the Imperial Russian army proved that even death can not be a valid reason for the termination resistance. August 6, 1915, something happened that has entered into the world military history entitled "Attack of the Dead».



History feat
The Russian Empire was before World War on its western borders three fortresses, one of which, Osovetskaya, jokingly called the "toy", so modest she looked even against their neighbors - Brest-Litovsk and Novogeorgiyevsk:



In the case of the transfer of the German army on the offensive command requested Osovetskaya fortress to hold 48 hours. Fortress held six months. But first things first.
Baptism of fire of the fortress taken a month after the declaration of war - in September 1914, when the German army to march tried to take the fortress (40 battalions of Landwehr against a Russian infantry regiment) - and suffered such losses (only dead and wounded - 6000), which hastily retreated to their original positions - change underwear and read the "Manual to storm the fortress" for Dummies. " Where certainly it says that even if some idiot and called the fortress "toy", it is not a reason to attack her on the forehead, especially when the garrison of inspection reports in 1913 "shows the results are very encouraging».
Recovered and prepared, in January 1915 the Germans began a siege of the fortress have all the rules. For this were taken to the famous "Big Bertha" - siege engines of 420-mm caliber, 800-kilogram bombs which breach the two-meter steel and concrete floors. Funnel from such an explosion was five meters deep and fifteen in diameter - the full equivalent of the "Death Star" in the realities of the First World. Purely for the context - as of "Bert" began to shoot at the forts of Liege, the Belgian garrison before staunchly defend suddenly decided that he completely fulfilled his duty, and began to flee.
The Germans calculated that forced surrender of the fortress with a garrison of a thousand men only two of these guns and 24 hours of bombardment: 360 shells every four minutes - volley. Under Osovets brought four "Big Bertha" and 64 other powerful siege weapons, a total of 17 batteries.
Before the storm to the Commandant General Osovets Brzhozovskaya German envoy arrived. Glazed Kaiser officer said that this time will not stand in front of the fortress by storm, and offered to surrender, because the Germans expensive time, and the German guns, "Zeppelin" and "Albatross" and the smash and so fort and its garrison. In that General Brzhozovsky Germans voluntarily offered to stay in a fortress at the time of the assault and give a receipt, that the Teuton agree that he would be hanged if the fortress stand. The fortress withstood ...



General of artillery Nikolai Brzhozovsky
The most terrible enemy was at the beginning of the siege. February 25 the Germans opened fire on the fort, bringing it on 27 and 28 February to the hurricane; This went on until 3 March. A few days terrifying bombardment of the fortress was released to only 250 thousand heavy shells! And all during the siege - 400 thousand (!), Says military historian S. Hmelkov.





"Big Bertha" (420 mm) at the position



Defender fortress next to the unexploded ordnance
As recalled surviving defenders, brick buildings collapsed, burned wood, weak concrete structures gave huge spalling in the vaults and walls. Wire connection was interrupted highway ruined craters; trenches, machine gun nests and light shelters razed. Above the fortress hovering clouds of smoke and dust. Together with the artillery fortress was bombed by German airplanes.



The shells used by the Germans during the assault. From left to right - 420 mm, 305 mm, 210 mm, 150 mm, 107 mm and 100 mm
"Scary was kind of fortress, the whole castle was shrouded in smoke, through which the one or the other place of great tongues of fire erupted from the explosion of shells; the pillars of the earth, water and whole trees were flying up; the earth trembled, and it seemed nothing could withstand such a hurricane of fire. The impression was that no one will come out of this whole hurricane of fire and iron. " (Major Spalek magazine "Minesweeper and military engineer»)
In the best tradition of enlightened Europe, honoring chivalry and nobility, who then took over the Falcons NATO heavy guns Germans camped outside the reach of the fortress artillery and felt so secure that not even disguised - 15-centimeter fortress gun issue in 1885 did not reach them. But perfectly fetched the former is still in reserve, and therefore silent naval gun systems Kane ...
Artillery duel of two (only two!) Of these guns against 17 batteries siege artillery (four Krupp "Bertha" caliber 42 cm, 16 tridtsatisantimetrovok, some of them - the Czech "Skoda", the same guns caliber 21 cm, twenty pyatnadtsatisantimetrovok and 12 long-barreled guns 107 mm) ended with a shameful score of 8: 1 in favor of the Russian. Then the Germans hastily rolled up and went to read the second part of the above-mentioned manual, which speaks of the dangers of hubris and the use of camouflage, especially in battles with the "wrong barbarians».
Yes, gentlemen, it is the descendants of barbarians called the noble Teutons Russian imperial officers fluent in three or four languages, and through one more often in Paris than in Moscow. And you thought that the barbarians, we have for Europe after 1917? Well, well ...
There was no Osovets chroniclers, the names of his characters is unknown. The archives did not survive payment schedule of the two 150-millimeter guns Kane, direct hits destroyed the German 420-mm "Big Bertha". They made the feat - and have remained obscure.
And who was the soldier, whose gun pressed to the ground to break into the Russian infantry positions 14th Landwehr Division? Under artillery fire destroyed all his company, but he miraculously survived and deafened by the explosions, just released a live tape for tape - as long as the Germans did not have thrown his grenades. Heavy saved the position, and perhaps the entire fortress. His name no one will never know. But we must, we must remember him, nameless, precisely in order not to become these very barbarians.



In late July, the enemy approached his trenches 150-200 m to the wire grids Sosnenskoy position and nevertheless continued to some excavation work ahead of their trenches. Garrison pine do not understand these works - only then found out that it was preparing for LPG attack.
August 6, 1915 was the first for the defenders Osovets black day: the Germans used poison gas. Gas attack they prepared thoroughly for more than 10 days of patiently waiting for the right wind direction. 30 unfolded carefully disguised gas battery of a few thousand bottles. And 6 August at 4 am on Russian positions flowed dark green mist mixture of chlorine and bromine, which reached them for 5-10 minutes. Gas wave 12-15 meters in height and a width of 8 km ahead penetrated to a depth of 20 km. Gas masks from the defenders did not have ...
"All living outdoors on the bridgehead fortress was poisoned to death - remember party defense. - All the greens in the fortress and in the immediate area of ​​the path of the gas has been destroyed, the leaves on the trees yellowed, curled up and fell off, blackened grass and lay down on the ground, flower petals circled ».
9th, 10th and 11th Company Regiment Zemlyansky lost entirely, from the 12-th company there are about 40 people on one machine gun; of the three companies, defending Byalogrondy, it had about 60 people on two machine guns. The German command was so confident of success that ordered him to harness carts. Pay attention to the number - 160-200 people, the remains of three more mouths were few, suffered from gas and reinforcements. They are something, and to fight with the German 8th Army.
Here are his own words German general Ludendorff: "The 8th Army vdvinulas in the narrow space between the Narev and Bialystok for taking the south Osovtsa." 14 battalions of the army reserve, at least 7,000 people marched behind a wave of gases. They did not go on the attack. In the sweep. I am confident that the living will not meet. What happened next is well described by journalist Vladimir Voronov:
"When the German circuit close to the trenches, from deep-green chlorine mist descended on them ... counter-attacking Russian infantry. The sight was horrifying: the men were in the bayonet with people wrapped in rags, shaken by a terrible cough, literally spitting out pieces of light on the bloody shirt. These were the remains of the 13th Company 226 th Infantry Regiment Zemlyansky, a little more than 60 people. But they plunged the enemy in such horror that the German infantry, not accepting the fight, rushed back, trampling each other, and hanging on the barbed wire of their own. And him with clubs wrapped chlorine batteries began to beat the Russian seemed to have deceased artillery. Several dozen half-dead Russian soldiers to flight three German infantry regiment! Nothing like the world did not know the art of war. This battle will go down in history as "Attack of the Dead« ».



With this saw seven thousand Germans? If these 60 people shot - and even shot a hell of a label, and not as a half people die poisoned - they would not even have noticed. But these 60 people just got up, staggered, each by itself, and silently went to a bayonet attack. And seven thousand Germans fled.
"Here you lay torn from the inside to pieces - reconstructs the events already our contemporary - if and crawling in front of you on the blade of grass, an ant or floating clouds in the sky, no you have elevated thoughts, like Bolkonsky Austerlitz about God and the soul, is that in addition to abusive and do not expect you no orders, and the title of his do not remember, and feel just terrible pain and resentment. To the right of you one dead, and to the left of you one dead. All the dead. And you're dead. Stayed you are probably one and live you may have five minutes left, in the throes of a bloody and vomiting.
And then burned his eyes you see green fog over seven thousand Germans. Sami coming to you. Imagine how happy they are?
Do you hear that someone yells team, and whether it is necessary to you dead? Do you know that one does not get up, and is there a difference for you? Do you stop a bullet or three if you can still go? Do you have a full five minutes to avenge his death and the death of their comrades to kill many, many Germans, as many as 7000, and you have to take the time to kill them more ».
I think evil people were not afraid of the Germans would osatanenie the war - business as usual. And they do not run like cowards, but as people saw in front of him that a living person is not allowed to see. Dead people. Dead semidecomposed people who were going to kill them, in full growth, through a bullet at point blank range. Hurry, koldybali, fell, still crawling, and it was evident that they are very happy to see you and very much want to kill you. And really began to kill. And when the Germans fled, they died ...
Fortress German troops stormed longer ...

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Perhaps it was then, in the First World War, Russian soldiers showed something from which our Western benefactors plans have changed on the fly. Perhaps it was then that they decided to more of this error to avoid Russian. A special case. Gaza barrage, gases, preliminary bombardment, gases, preliminary bombardment, gases and artillery preparation, but never go on the attack, even empty, three and ten plow Russian position. Because they can get out of one hundred, one thousand, out of nowhere, out of the ground, dying, blyuyuschih blood falling down and getting up, but very happy Russian - because he can finally get to you ...
But only something and need - to play with Russian fair.
We are not evil. Just do not give rise !!!

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Song: Attack of the Dead, or Russian do not surrender! (Varya Stryzhak)

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Source: rusmirzp.com