31.09.1944 letter to Zlatar, sender is Zastavnik (ensign) Ivan Iloić commander of 14. protuoklopna sat (14.anti-tank company) of 5.lovačka pukovnija (5.jager regiment). Text is very interesting , writer notes regular night clashes with partisans , his soldiers firing cannons and mortars at the Bolshevik partisans. He writes that he was present in Vinkovci on the 17.08.1944 during big air raid while airplanes were firing rockets at the place. Finally he mentiones one friendly fire incident when germans openned fire on his position and he returned fire on them thinking partisans were attacking him. He writes , that had only one injured domobran while germans suffered dead and wounded soldiers, and that the firefight lasted for a while until both sides realised they were attacking their allies.
Very interesting is part describing usual day in the battlefield, he states the all man are drinking heavily that he regurarly drinks 6 dl of Pelinkovac, 2 dl of Rum and 1-2 L of Špricer(1/2 wine and 1/2 soda water).. then he feels fine, but not drunk and is not scarred of bullets buzzing around.. This is rare text where soldier admits how they were coping with extreme mental stress of the war.
Official cancel is on the cover and on the letter with old name of the 5th. regiment, 5.pješačka pukovnija (infantry regiment). 5. Infantry regiment in june 1943 became 5.jager regiment and was included in 3.lovački zdrug(3.jager brigade)
3.jager brigade was in training in Reich , Döllersheim with Kroatische Ausbildungs brigade from 02.06-14.07.1944 , when it returned to Croatia it was stationd in area Đakovo-Vrpolje-Vinkovci and was tasked with protecting the harvest, this letter is from that time.
No comments:
Post a Comment