Cavalry Feldwebel Max Kuhnert had arrived at the periphery of the
German ring surrounding the Kiev pocket. The perimeter, he could see,
we had hardly practised because it was not our job on horseback. The
best we could do was to get out of the way, seeking cover in the
Massed Soviet break-out attempts often resulted in thinly distributed
German mobile units being surrounded themselves. These were reduced to
adopting an Igel (literally island or hedgehog) all-round defence
position, from which they fought for their very lives. Walter Oqueka
participated in the earlier Uman encirclement, and was a crew member
suddenly appeared on their front.
meant not good for us. We were hardly likely to win any prizes with
against these monsters. How were we supposed to knock out these great
concentrate automatic fire on the tracks of the advancing T-34s.
Nobody was optimistic as to the likely outcome, but there remained
They held their fire until the tanks had approached to within 200m. A
burst of fire smashed the track of the leading T-34, which began to
turn helplessly around on the same spot. Guns were then ordered to
concentrate fire at the turret. Even before the first magazine
emptied, the turret lid flipped open and a white flag appeared. The
Russian crew clambered out and were taken prisoner. Meanwhile the cone
of 20mm fire was switched to the left and another T-34 similarly
disabled.
Instead of surrendering, the crew of this vehicle chose to fight with
small arms as they emerged. They were ripped to pieces by multiple
impacts of 20mm cannon explosions which sparked and spluttered around
the hull. Other tanks met the same fate. Crews were scythed down at
any sign of resistance. The rest of the T-34s turned back. It was
inconceivable to Oqueka and the other gun crews that their
insignificant calibre cannon could have triumphed against tanks
They moved forward curiously to examine the results of their handiwork
and discovered that, apart from cut caterpillar treads and damage to
drive and sprocket wheels, there was nothing to explain the abrupt
resonant din produced by multiple 20mm strikes on cast steel turrets,
which had grown louder from explosion to explosion. The sound had
swollen beyond the realms of tolerance and had virtually driven the
Oqueka recalled the example of executions of indicted criminals in
ancient China. Hapless individuals were incarcerated inside a huge
bell which was hammered outside until the unfortunate victim expired.
The 20mm gunners appreciated they were not totally defenceless when
facing heavy tanks. Oqueka claimed his battery disabled 32 T-34 tanks
before the end of the year, employing similar tactics.
.......War Without Garlands by Robert J. Kershaw
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