i THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 H un dr e ds o f f e e t s h uffl e d th r o ugh th e s no w , w r app e d in r a gs , s t r ip s o f bl a nk e t , o r c a nv a s T h . e n th e r e w e r e oth e r s wh o w e r e fa s t e r T h . e y br ok e th r o u gh th e m e n s uf fe r in g f r om fo ot i nj ur i e s o r o th e rw i s e s e r io us l y w o unde d , an d c am e cl o s e r w ith e nla r g e d b l ink in g e y e s , w i de op e n m outh s , a n d di s t e n de d no s t r il s th . . . , e a i r w a s fil l e d w ith th e l a m e nt - at i o ns not onl y o f th o s e wh o h a d b e e n th r o w n t o th e g r o un d a n d t r a m pl e d - - f o r th e y w e r e l y in g fa c e dow n in th e s now - - b ut o f th o s e wh o w e r e t o o s l ow a n d h a d t o r e m a in b e hin d . Sa c k s o f b e a n s , ch o c o l at e , a nd b r e a d , a nd br a nd y de m i - j oh n s , al l s ta m p e d t o p i e c e s , w e r e i nt e r s pe r s e d w ith b o di e s a n d fa c e s , s c a r c e ly di s c e r nibl e f r o m th e s a c k s T h . e r e w a s no ch a n c e f o r th e m t o r i s e a g a i n T . r o dd e n un de r fo ot b y f e e t w r a pp e d i n fe l t th , e y w e r e c h ur n e d t o a m a s s , a nd b e c a m e th e br i dge to th e c ab i n do o r a nd th e int e r i o r o f th e pl a n e A . n d th e b r i d ge gr e w s o h i gh th at th e "s t r on g " , th e "w i nn e r s " , th e "v i c t o r i o us " h a d t o b e n d t o e nt e r th e c ab i n do o r . E v e n th e m e n o n g ua r d w e r e num be d b y th e p i e r c i n g s c r e a m s a nd f r o m th e de a th - l a de n a t m o s ph e r e T h . e y us e d th e b utt s o f th e i r r i fl e s , a nd o nc e th e y h a d a r r iv e d at th e top th e y th , e m s e l v e s th , r e w a w a y th e i r r ifl e s a nd s l ipp e d i nt o th e pl a ne St . r a g gl e r s , w o un de d , s t r e t ch e r b e a r e r s , e n - l i s t e d m e n , a n d o ff i c e r s ; a l l o f th e m c r ow de d f or w a r d , kn o w - in g th a t th e r e w a s o nl y s pa c e f o r 2 0 pa s s e n g e r s . A s y e t th e pl a ne ' s c a r g o w a s s t il l ha l f un l o a de d b , ut th e p il ot ha d n o oth e r c h o i c e U . na i de d , a nd w ith no t im e t o s pa r e s inc e th e fo g w a s r i s i n g h , e cl im b e d into h i s c o c kp it . T h e r oa r o f th e p r op s m i n gl e d w ith th e s h r i e k s o f th e r e t r e a t - in g c r ow d T h . e c a b n do o r w a s op e n , a nd l e g s , a r m s , a nd bo di e s w e r e h a n g in g ut T . w i c e th e pl a ne b um p e d h e av il y o n th e g r o urz d , th e n it r o s e c l um s i l y int o th e a i r 9 3 . , , , On 1 5 J anua r y 19 4 3 th e s o uth e r n p e r im e t e r of th e St a l in gr a d p o c ke t b uc kl e d , a l l ow i n g th e R e d A r m y t o m ov e in c l o s e t o th e P it om n ik a i r f i e l d , wh e r e dur i , n g pa r t o f th e ni ght 5 , ov i e t ai r fo r c e s p r e v e nt e d G e r m a n t r a ns - p o r t pl a ne s fr om m a k i ng l a ndi n g s T h . e e a r l i e r l a c k o f fo r e s i ght i n fa i l i n g t o c o n s t r u ct a n d o utf i± a lt e r nat e a i r f i e l ds n ow h a m pe r e d th e e nt i r e a i r l ift . G um r a k a n d o ne o r t w o oth e r a i r f i el ds s h o ul d a l r e a dy ha v e b e e n p r ep a r e d f o r ope r a t io n s T h . e F o ur th A i r F l e e t h , ow e v e r , a nt i c ipa t e d th e th r e a t s ' by So v i e t ; r oun d fo r c e s o n c e th e s o uth e r n f r ont h a d c ol l a p s e d , a n d o r de r e d 313 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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