! THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 o r i n th e dit c h e s a l o n g s i de k il i , ng a n d i nj ur in g m a ny o f th o s e o n th e r o a d T h . e o th e r s s im pl y w a lk e d a r oun d th e m , s o th at th e r o a d b e c am e w i de r a nd w i de r D . . . . e a th w a s j us t beh i nd th e m h , un g e r gna w e d a t th e i r v ita l s , th e c o l d w a s i n th e ir bl o o d , a n d th e a w fu l s w a ll o w ing i n th e i r th r o a t s . . . . A f e w th o u s a nd m a n a g e d t o m ak e it F . o ur t e e n th o u s a nd r e m a in e d a l o n g th e w a y o f de a th t o P it o m nik , w h e r e . . . th e y p r a y e d a n d no on e h e a r d th em , th e y c ur s e d a n d nob od y h e e de d th e i r c ur s e s 9 2 . Co l d , s t o r m s , a nd i c e cha ng e d i n s e v e r it y a nd int e n s it y d a il y , b ut th e b itt e r w in d w a s a l w a y s th e r e . On o ne o f th e s e da y s , a v e r y l ow c l o u d c e i l in g w a s n ot e d ov e r th e a i r fi e l d a n d a n y i c y c ol d fo g w a s r i s i ng f r o m th e V ol ga R i v e r . T h e r unw a y s a t P it o m n ik w e r e s t il l f r e e o f g r o un d f o g a s tw o i nc o m i n g J u - 52 ' s a pp r oa c h e d f o r th e i r la ndin g s . T h e y r e a c h e d th e f i e l d w ith o ut fi gh t e r e s c o rt , m a de a f e w c ir c l e s , dr o pp e d th r o ugh th e w i s p s of f o g , a n d d e s c e n d e d . M e di c a l pe r s o nne l at th e fi e l d h a d a l r e a d y c om m e n c e d th e i r w o rk a n d h a d c a r r i e d a bo ut 4 0 s e r io u s l y w o un de d m e n t o th e r unw a y , T h i s , un f o rt unat e l y , w a s th e s i gna l f o r a l l o f th e oth e r w o un d e d . H un d r e d s o f th e m l im pe d a n d s t um b l e d a s fa s t a s th e y c o ul d f r o m th e c a s ua lt y t e nt s t o th e a i r s t r ip . On e J u - 52 h a d r ol l e d to a s t op , it s m o t o r s s t i ll r unn in g a s it s to o d o n th e fi e l d . Wh e n th e ca b in do o r op e ne d th e un l o a din g op e r a t io n b e ga n . M e a nw h il e th e s e c o nd pl a ne t o uch e d dow n , s p r a y in g s now t o bo th s i d e s , w h il e t h e s e r i o u s l y w o un d e d w h o w e r e s t il l a bl e t o s e e a n d ha d th e s t r e n gth t o l o ok w at ch e d th e pr o c e e din g s w ith th e m o s t r a pt a t t e nt i on . T h e o do r P l i v ie r in h i s bo ok St al i ng r a d , d e s c r ib e s th e a m a z i n g s c e ne w h i c h f ol l o w e d : T h i r t y - e i ght o f th e m w e r e l y i n g th e r e , e a c h w ith h i s c a r d - b o a r d l a b e l o n h i s b r e a s t , e a c h o n a s t r e t ch e r , w a iti ng to b e fl o w n o ut . . . . Se e F i gur e 6 2 . P l iv ie r , a G e r m a n Gom m un i s t wh o w a s in th e So v i e t Un i o n dur in g W o r l d Wa r II , p r e s e nt e d th e St a l i n g r a d ep i s o de i n a na r r ow a nd t e nde nt io us m a nne r i , n fa i th ful a c c o r d w ith th e "a c c e pt e d" Sov i e t v i e w s H i . s de s c r ip - t io n i n th i s in s t a n c e h , ow e v e r , v e r y c l o s e l y c o in c i de s w ith th e s t a t e m e nt s m a de by m a ny G e rm a n s ur v iv o r s wh o w e r e
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