the soviet partisan movement 1941-1944 by edgar m. howell

167
Generally the situation remained fluid. Because so many partisan
raids went unreported due to the natives' fear of the bands and because
many mayors and village elders defected or were murdered and many
of those remaining in office were afraid to carry out their duties, the
Germans found it increasingly impossible to get a clear picture of just
what was happening in their rear and of the extent of the disruption
there. 75
During the first days of the month, there was a lull in the attacks,
especially in the chain demolitions, due, as the Germans thought, to a
shortage of explosives following the heavy sabotage of the preceding
weeks. 76 The emphasis, however, remained on the rail lines, and by the
middle of the month the bands again started operating on a large scale
with chain attempts. On the night of 18-19 September they set 3,250
demolitions and on the night of 25-26 September 4,240, more than 50
percent of which were successful. 77 Raids on the lines in the army group
rear area totaled 1,256 for the month with an aggregate of 4,257 successful
demolitions, of which 72 were of the chain variety comprising
3,800, with nearly half again ' as many in the Generalkommissariat
Weissruthenien. 78 In 255 cases lines were cut for more than 12 hours, in
18 cases for more than 24 hours. 79 Rolling stock continued to suffer
heavily with 109 locomotives and 600 cars damaged or destroyed. Many
water towers were demolished and some 30 miles of spare rails ruined.
In addition, the Minsk-Smolensk "U" cable was cut 40 times in 14
days. 80
The focus of these September raids was in the northeastern edge of the
Pripyat behind the Second Array and directly in line with the heaviest
Soviet attack. Here, where the terrain was the most formidable in the
eastern theater and for the most part had been in the hands of the bands
for many months, travel became very difficult, with the partisans exerting
extremely heavy pressure on the rail lines, mining the few roads,
and striking at the bridges. The Minsk-Gomel and Mogilev-Zhlobin
75 Dir. Hq. AOK 2, O. Qu/Qu 2, 29.IX.43., in KTB Russland AOK 2, Ia. Schrift
wechsel Bandenbekaempfung, III , 21.VI.--29.X.43. 60311/21; Bandenlage im September,
Korueck 559, Ic. Tgb. Nr. 3735/43 geh., 25.IX.43 ., In KTB Korueck 559/Ia
fuer die Zeit v. 5.VII .-28.X11.43. 45668/4.
76 BeriCht Sept. 43, Pz AOK 3, Anl. Bd. 2, Tgb. 9. 40252/7
77
H. Gr. Mitte, Ia, Nr. 11822/43 g,Kdos., 17.X.43.,Anl. z. KTB. H. Gr. Mitte
Fuehrungsabt., Akte XXIII, Heft 12, 1.X,-31.XII.43, 65002/24; Hermann Teske,
"Railroad Transportation Operation ZITADELLE (1943) ," p. 15. MS # D-369.
Foreign Studies Br, OCMH.
78
Ibid.; H. Gr. Mitte, Ia. Nr, 11822/43 g. Kdos., 17.X.43., Anl. z. KTB, Mitte,
Fuehrungsabt., Akte XXIII, Heft 12, 1.X.-31.XII.43. 65002/24 . Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber
Ostland, Ia. Nr. 2360/43 geh., vom 1 Okt, 43, Anl. 1, 19.IX.-27.IX.43.
65002/24.
79 Teske, op. cit., p. 197.
80
Ibid H. Gr. Mitte, Ia. Nr. 11822/43 g.Kdos., 17.X.43., Anl, z. KTB. Mitte,
Fuehrungsabt., Akte XXIII, Heft 12, 1.X.-31.XII.43 . 65002/24.